Damian, Emma, and Oliver were walking home, the sun dipping behind the trees and casting long shadows across the school grounds. It had been a long day after the announcement in the grand hall, and everyone was buzzing about the upcoming trials. Still, Damian couldn't shake the feeling that something bigger was going on. The tension in the air was thick, almost like everyone was walking on a tightrope, waiting for something to snap.
"So, are you actually thinking about trying out for the trials?" Emma asked, bouncing along beside him.
Damian shrugged, his hands shoved deep in his pockets. "I don't know. Maybe. Depends on how things go." He kept his voice casual, but the truth was, the whole thing felt a little off to him. There was something about Saville's smooth talking and the whole idea of winning a wish from the supernatural council that made his skin crawl.
Oliver, who was walking on the other side of Damian, adjusted his glasses and glanced up at him, a serious look in his eyes. "I don't trust it," he said, his voice quieter than usual. "My dad's been moving us around a lot lately. Every time we settle somewhere, he finds a reason to leave. It's like he's running from something."
Damian raised an eyebrow, glancing at Oliver. "Running from something? What do you mean?"
Oliver bit his lip, his eyes distant. "I don't know. He never talks about it, but I've noticed. Every time we get close to staying somewhere, something happens. It's like he's always worried someone's coming after us. We've moved three times in five years" He paused, as if waiting for Damian to respond, but Damian didn't know what to say. Oliver's dad had always been a mystery to him, and now that he was hearing this, it made him wonder what kind of trouble the man had gotten himself into.
"I don't know, man," Damian muttered. "That's pretty creepy."
Emma, not sensing the shift in the conversation, grinned. "You guys are both so serious. What are you worried about? It's just a tournament. What's the worst that can happen?" She glanced up at Damian, a twinkle in her eyes. "Besides, I think you'd totally kill it in the trials."
Damian couldn't help but smirk. "Yeah, because making it through with my life intact would be so much fun."
"Come on!" Emma laughed, giving him a playful shove. "You're stronger than you think. You'd be awesome in the competition."
Damian didn't answer, but his mind kept turning over Oliver's words. It felt like there were pieces of a puzzle he wasn't seeing yet. Maybe the trials were just a way for Saville and the other teachers to pull everyone's strings. Maybe it wasn't all about the wish. Maybe there was more to it than that. But the truth was, he didn't know enough to be sure, and that bothered him.
As they walked along the path that led to the student dormitories, the trio slowed their pace when they heard voices up ahead. A small group of werewolves was gathered, speaking in low, urgent tones. Damian tried to ignore them, but something about the way they were acting caught his attention. They were talking about someone.
"Did you hear? They're saying no one's seen Jason in days," one of them was saying, his voice full of disbelief. "He was in our dorm one minute, and the next… gone."
"What do you mean, gone?" another voice asked. "Like, disappeared?"
"Yeah. It's not like him to just skip out. I heard from a guy in the dormitory that his stuff was all still there, but he was just… gone. Vanished."
Damian exchanged a look with Emma and Oliver. The missing werewolf was news to him. Sure, people went missing around the school sometimes, but this felt different. Something about the way the werewolves were talking made it feel more serious.
"I've heard rumors about a witch from the dorms, too," Emma added, her voice unusually quiet. "She was gone, too. Not the first time either. There've been whispers about it."
Oliver raised an eyebrow, his mind already turning. "Wait a minute… two missing students in the same week? That's not normal. And they weren't just random. Jason was one of the brightest in his class, and so was the witch." He looked from Damian to Emma, his eyes serious. "What if… what if whoever's behind this is targeting the smart students?"
Damian's stomach twisted. He didn't like where this was going. Missing students were bad enough, but the idea that someone was picking out the brightest among them? That raised all sorts of alarms in his head.
"You think it's connected to the trials?" Emma asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "Because the witch and Jason were both pretty talented."
"I don't know," Damian said, rubbing the back of his neck. "But now I'm thinking there's more to this tournament than what Saville is letting on. It just seems like a setup."
"Setup for what?" Emma asked, confused.
Damian didn't answer immediately. Instead, he looked around, making sure no one else was listening. It didn't take long before the sounds of the other students talking faded into the distance. He leaned in closer, lowering his voice. "The trials aren't just for fun. They're a way for Saville to see who has the most potential. Whoever's pulling the strings wants to know who the strongest students are, and not just for the tournament."
Oliver tapped his chin thoughtfully. "That's exactly it. The missing students were all either top-tier or potential top-tier. And the thing is, they wouldn't just disappear without a reason. Whoever's behind this is probably trying to weaken the competition."
A chill ran down Damian's spine. "So, you're saying the kidnapper is targeting the most powerful students? But why?"
"Think about it," Oliver said. "If they're trying to keep the strongest students out of the finals, they're probably afraid of something. Something about the way the tournament works could be dangerous for them."
Damian nodded slowly, his suspicion growing with each passing minute. It was all starting to make sense anyways. The missing students were just the start. Whatever was going on, it was way bigger than any of them could have imagined.
"We need to be careful," Damian muttered, half to himself. "This whole tournament might be just a cover-up for something else."
Emma frowned, clearly not fully grasping the depth of the situation. "What are we going to do?" 🤔🤔