The days following the mock battle were quieter, but the tension in the air only grew thicker. Word had spread through the academy about my performance in the exercise, and rumors swirled like a storm. Some whispered that I was a prodigy, others that I was hiding something more sinister.
But none of that mattered. What mattered was that I was beginning to feel the strain of it all. The walls I'd built between myself and the others were starting to crack.
It wasn't just my ability that was under scrutiny—it was everything about me. My calm demeanor, the way I acted like I didn't belong. Even Dain, who had never been one for subtlety, seemed to be watching me more closely. I wasn't sure whether he was interested in me as an ally or a potential threat.
It was during one of the evening classes that things took a darker turn.
We were practicing in the academy's expansive training hall. The students were spread out, each in their own corner, honing their skills with weapons or magic. I had chosen a corner by myself, away from the others, where I could practice with the gun in peace.
But something felt off.
I narrowed my eyes, scanning the room. The flickering torches along the walls cast long shadows, and the sound of metal striking metal was rhythmic, almost hypnotic. But there was something in the air, something I couldn't quite place—a shift in the atmosphere.
Suddenly, I felt it.
A presence. Dark. Unseen.
I stiffened, my hand instinctively moving to the gun at my side.
I wasn't sure why, but I knew I wasn't imagining it. The academy had always felt like a place of control, of order, but tonight, it felt... wrong.
I glanced around the room, looking for the source of the disturbance. No one else seemed to notice. The other students were absorbed in their practice, unaware of the danger creeping closer.
And then, a voice—a low, guttural whisper—reached my ears.
"You're in the wrong place."
I froze, every muscle tensing.
I didn't respond. I didn't need to. The voice wasn't in my head, but it was too close. It wasn't from the students around me. It was something else. Something... other.
I shifted my stance, keeping my eyes trained on the shadows. Time slowed, just a fraction, but enough for me to catch a glimpse of movement—something shifting, too quick for the eye to follow.
The next instant, a figure emerged from the darkness, clad in black robes. They moved like liquid, too smooth, too unnatural.
I instinctively reached for my gun, but before I could draw it, the figure spoke again, their voice cutting through the stillness of the hall.
"You don't belong here, Kael."
My heart skipped a beat. The voice was... familiar. But I couldn't place it. And something about it made the air feel heavier, as if the very fabric of the world was starting to distort.
I wasn't sure what was happening, but one thing was clear.
I was no longer just part of the story.
I was in danger.
And I had no idea how to escape it.