Chapter 12: A Favor for Jasper

The next day, Alex found himself walking through the school courtyard, heading straight for Jasper. The deal they'd made weighed on his mind. He wasn't sure what Jasper was after in the private archives, but if it helped him keep his Tay abilities secret, Alex was willing to do it.

Jasper was sitting in the same spot as before, hunched over his notebook, scribbling away as if the world around him didn't exist. Alex approached him, taking a deep breath. "Hey, Jasper," he called out.

Jasper looked up, his face as expressionless as always. "Alex. You're here early."

"I need to know what exactly you want from the school's private archives," Alex said, skipping the pleasantries. "You're a level 20 tech user, right? Why can't you just get the data yourself? Seems like it'd be easier for you."

Jasper's eyes flickered with something perhaps annoyance but he kept his calm, shrugging lightly. "It's not that simple. The archives are heavily monitored, and I've drawn too much attention recently with some of my other projects. If I get caught snooping around there, I'll be expelled, no questions asked."

Alex crossed his arms, waiting for more. "And?"

"And," Jasper sighed, "let's just say I have a history with one of the teachers who manages security there. I don't want to risk it. But you? You're flying under the radar. No one's going to suspect you."

Alex frowned. It still didn't add up. Jasper was giving a vague excuse, but there was no time to dig deeper into his reasons. The deal had been made, and Alex didn't want to back out, especially not after Jasper had helped lower his power readings.

"Fine," Alex said. "What exactly do you need me to get?"

Jasper reached into his bag and handed Alex a small data chip. "This. Once you're in the archives, there's a terminal in the back—unsecured. You'll need to access it, upload the chip, and copy the data. Simple as that."

Alex studied the chip, small enough to slip into his pocket unnoticed. "What kind of data are we talking about?"

"Old Tay research," Jasper replied, his tone casual but with a slight edge. "It's not dangerous or anything. I just need it for a personal project."

Alex raised an eyebrow but decided not to press further. He nodded. "Alright, I'll get it done."

Later that afternoon, Alex made his way through the school halls, heading toward the building where the private archives were kept. His heart raced slightly at the thought of sneaking in, but he reminded himself of the ace up his sleeve—Shadow Flicker.

The private archives were located in the lower levels of the school, behind a locked door that was reinforced with biometric scanners. For most students, this would've been an impossible task, but Alex had no intention of using the front door.

He walked casually down the hall, blending in with the other students until he was out of sight of any wandering eyes. Then, slipping into the nearest shadow, he activated Shadow Flicker. His body blurred, and within an instant, he reappeared on the other side of the archive door.

The rush of using the skill still left him breathless, but he couldn't afford to waste time. The archive room was dimly lit, filled with rows of terminals and stacks of physical records that hadn't been digitized yet. At the far end of the room, he spotted the unsecured terminal Jasper had mentioned.

Moving swiftly but quietly, Alex reached the terminal, pulled the data chip from his pocket, and inserted it into the machine. The screen blinked to life, displaying a series of progress bars as the chip worked to copy the necessary data. Each second felt like an hour, as Alex constantly glanced around, half-expecting someone to barge in.

Finally, the screen flashed green—Data Transfer Complete.

Alex quickly removed the chip and slipped it back into his pocket. Just as he turned to leave, his eyes caught something on the terminal screen—an old file labeled "Tay Research: Shadow Class."

His heart skipped a beat. Shadow Class? Could it be related to the Shadow Orb Tay?

Curiosity got the better of him, and he hesitated for a moment before opening the file. The screen filled with data—descriptions, theories, and images of shadow-based Tay, many of which looked eerily similar to the power he had felt inside himself. There was even a mention of a Tay referred to as the "Shadow Orb," described as a rare and elusive Tay, one that possessed untold power and abilities beyond normal comprehension.

Alex's mind raced as he skimmed through the data. This was it—information about his Tay. But he didn't have time to read further. The risk of getting caught was too high. He quickly memorized the file's location on the terminal before shutting it down.

With the chip secure in his pocket, Alex activated Shadow Flicker again, disappearing into the nearest shadow and reappearing outside the locked archive room. Breathing a sigh of relief, he casually made his way back to the school grounds.

Jasper was waiting for him in their usual spot. When Alex handed over the data chip, Jasper's eyes lit up with an expression Alex hadn't seen before satisfaction.

"Good work," Jasper said, slipping the chip into his bag. "You're faster than I expected."

Alex gave a nod, his mind still on the Shadow Tay research he had seen. "The file I saw in the archives... It mentioned something about Shadow Class Tay. What's your project really about, Jasper?"

Jasper paused, a flicker of hesitation crossing his face. Then he smirked slightly, his usual calm demeanor returning. "Let's just say... we're not so different, Alex. You'll find out soon enough."

Alex's eyes narrowed, but before he could ask anything further, Jasper stood up and walked away, leaving Alex with more questions than answers.

As Alex watched him go, he couldn't shake the feeling that there was far more to Jasper's interest in Tay than he was letting on. But for now, he had his own secrets to keep and his own Tay to understand.