The encounter with the mysterious cloaked man lingered in Zayne's mind long after he vanished. The way he spoke, the unsettling way he knew something about Zayne's past—it was eating at him. He couldn't sleep.
Sitting at the edge of his bed, he stared out the window of his dorm, watching the moon cast its silver glow over Mystic Heights Academy. The air was still, almost suffocating, as if the academy itself was holding its breath.
Kai's words from earlier echoed in his mind:
"There's someone here—someone dangerous. And they don't belong."
Zayne clenched his fists.
Who was that man? And what did he mean by 'you don't know what you really are yet'?
A quiet knock at the door pulled him from his thoughts.
"Yeah?"
The door creaked open, revealing Seraphina. She stepped inside, arms crossed, her expression sharp as ever.
"You're still up," she noted.
Zayne shrugged. "Could say the same for you."
She sighed, leaning against the wall. "Malo and Tallesia are on edge. And Kai hasn't stopped pacing since we got back."
"Can't blame them," Zayne muttered. "That guy… he knew something. About me."
Seraphina adjusted her glasses. "And you think it has something to do with your past."
Zayne nodded. "I don't remember much from when I was a kid. Just flashes, nothing concrete. But the way he spoke—it's like he knows something I don't."
Seraphina studied him for a moment. "Then we find out what he meant."
Zayne raised an eyebrow. "You sound pretty sure."
"I deal in facts, not assumptions," she replied. "We have too many unknowns, and that makes me uncomfortable. If we don't take control of this situation, someone else will."
Zayne exhaled, rubbing his temples. "Easier said than done."
Seraphina smirked. "We have resources. And you're not alone in this."
The words caught him off guard.
For years, he had fought his battles alone. Now, for the first time, he had people standing beside him.
"Thanks," he muttered.
She gave a small nod. "Get some rest, Zayne. Tomorrow, we start digging."
Then she was gone.
Zayne lay back on his bed, staring at the ceiling. His mind swirled with questions.
But one thing was clear—he couldn't ignore this.
The Search Begins
The next morning, the group met in the academy's grand library. The towering bookshelves stretched endlessly, filled with centuries' worth of magical knowledge. Few students ever spent time here outside of assignments, which made it the perfect place to talk.
Malo yawned, leaning against a table. "Alright, genius, what's the plan?"
Seraphina placed a thick book on the table. "We start with the academy's records."
Kai leaned against a shelf, arms crossed. "And what exactly are we looking for?"
"Patterns," Seraphina replied. "Unusual occurrences, disappearances, anything that might point us toward who or what that man is."
Tallesia raised an eyebrow. "And if we don't find anything?"
Seraphina smirked. "Then we dig deeper."
Zayne ran a hand through his hair. "Fine. Let's get to work."
For hours, they combed through pages, searching for anything that stood out. Books detailing the academy's history, past incidents, even old student records.
It was mind-numbing.
Malo groaned. "This is useless. If there's some big conspiracy going on, they wouldn't just leave it sitting in a library."
Seraphina didn't even look up. "Then you're welcome to go spar while the rest of us do the actual thinking."
Malo scowled but didn't leave.
Tallesia tapped her fingers against the table. "There was a major incident years ago—thirty years, to be exact. A battle broke out within Mystic Heights, but the records say it was 'handled internally.'"
Kai frowned. "Handled how?"
Tallesia shook her head. "Doesn't say. But get this—shortly after, a high-ranking professor named Eldric Voss vanished. No trace, no explanation."
Zayne narrowed his eyes. "Eldric Voss?"
Seraphina flipped through another book. "I've seen that name before. He was a researcher, focused on forbidden magic."
Kai's expression darkened. "And they just let him teach?"
Tallesia smirked. "Mystic Heights has never been picky about power. They value results."
Malo crossed his arms. "So, what? You think this Voss guy is still around?"
Zayne considered it. "If he was researching forbidden magic, maybe he learned how to extend his life."
Seraphina tapped the table. "There's a way to be sure. We find out where he disappeared."
The Hidden Chamber
The academy had many secrets. Some, however, were buried beneath its very foundations.
Zayne and the group made their way through a dimly lit corridor leading toward the underground archives. This section of the academy wasn't open to students—not without special permission.
Malo grinned. "Breaking into restricted areas. Love it."
Seraphina shot him a glare. "Quiet."
Kai led the way, moving with the silent precision of a trained warrior. The hallway felt colder as they descended, the torches along the stone walls flickering weakly.
They reached a heavy iron door, its surface marked with arcane symbols.
Seraphina traced a finger over the markings. "A sealing spell."
Zayne stepped forward. "Can you break it?"
Seraphina smirked. "Please. Give me ten seconds."
She placed her hand against the door, whispering an incantation. The runes pulsed before flickering out one by one.
The door groaned open.
Inside was a circular chamber, the walls lined with old scrolls and shattered glass containers. The air smelled of dust and something… rotten.
Malo wrinkled his nose. "What the hell happened here?"
Kai scanned the room. "This place hasn't been touched in years."
Seraphina moved to a desk, brushing off old papers. "This is it. The last place Eldric Voss was seen."
Zayne's gut tightened. He stepped forward, his eyes drawn to the center of the room where a large, tattered book sat on a pedestal.
He reached out. The moment his fingers touched the cover—
Darkness.
A rush of images flooded his mind. Screams. Blood. A man with glowing red eyes standing over a pile of bodies. A voice whispering in his ear:
"You don't know what you really are yet."
Zayne gasped, stumbling back.
The others rushed to him.
"Zayne!" Tallesia grabbed his arm.
He shook his head, breathing heavily. "I saw something."
Kai's eyes narrowed. "What did you see?"
Zayne steadied himself. "Him. The man from last night. And… a massacre."
The room fell silent.
Seraphina turned the book's pages, her expression unreadable. "This wasn't just a research lab. This was something more."
Malo clenched his fists. "This was a slaughterhouse."
Kai exhaled. "Which means one thing—Eldric Voss didn't just disappear. He became something else."
Zayne looked at the torn pages, at the bloodstains that still clung to the parchment.
What happened here? And why does it feel like I'm connected to it?
He didn't have the answers yet.
But one thing was certain—whoever that man was, he wasn't done with Zayne.
And now, Zayne wasn't done with him either.