Light and Shadow 3: Campus Calamity

Light and Shadow 3: Campus Calamity

We were running when a sudden terrifying clap of thunder boomed through the sky again, startling the woman. I was also surprised and felt a chill run down my spine as I sensed a powerful presence nearby.

But it was fleeting and as quickly as the thunder had roared, the powerful presence vanished. We continued running until we reached the main building, which was now empty. ‘That’s weird.’ It’s unusual for this campus to be just so empty, and I bet even the guards are gone.

The whole place looks abandoned, and I already have an idea about what might be happening, but my mind still can’t process it. I looked at the woman, but she was still in shock and visibly shaken. I continued walking, but she didn’t seem to come back to reality.

Suddenly, I stopped dead in my tracks because something appeared in front of us. ‘Hybris demon…’ Hybris demons may look similar to humans, but their black veins are a telltale sign. They also have piercing red eyes with pure black irises.

It made their appearance look terrifying, especially when they revealed their sharp teeth. “Immortals…” his voice is too deep and chilling.

I almost forgot that they can speak and think like humans. However, their obsession with immortal blood is insane, especially when it comes to royal blood. Now I think I know why they’re after this woman.

‘Doesn’t she know she’s an immortal?’

We were standing in the hallway, and when I glanced behind us, I noticed another hybris demon. Judging by their presence, they seemed to be high-ranking members of their kind. I sighed and looked back at the woman, who was already staring at the creature before her.

‘I have no other choice…’

I knew I had to get her out of here, as it was clear these hybrid demons were targeting her. But why? Aside from being an immortal, was there something else they wanted from her? I sighed, before using my power to teleport her to a safe location.

But just as I was about to teleport her, I saw one of the hybris demons fading away, revealing the familiar face of a man. Azriel… his amber eyes were looking back at me with concern. He was breathing heavily, and his clothes were disheveled as if he had rushed here.

“Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine,” I managed to reply as he approached me.

He turned his attention to the other demon, dispatching it expertly. Then, he faced me again, his gaze shifting to the woman I was supporting. “Do you know her?” He asked, and I simply shook my head.

“I don’t. I’ll tell you everything later, but first, let’s get out of here,” I replied.

He nodded and did something that caused the woman to lose consciousness. Then, he carried her and we ran away, while still vigilant. Even though he was carrying someone, Azriel made sure I was safe, which I appreciated.

“Az, I think this school is already surrounded by hybris demons,” I said as we continued to run.

“Yeah. I know…” he replied before we both stopped running. “…and I think it’s because of them,” he added.

I silently nodded, watching the people fight a horde of hybris demons. Just by looking at them, I knew they were incredibly powerful. They were effortlessly dispatching a large number of high-ranking hybris demons, making it seem like nothing for them.

“Az, what are you doing?” I asked, confused.

His sudden action blocked my view of the powerful beings fighting the hybris demons. I wanted to watch them, to see firsthand the abilities of these so-called ‘immortals’, but Azriel stood firmly in my way.

“You have to get out of here, Sapphire,” he said, his voice filled with urgency.

I knew Azriel was strong, but I couldn’t shake my worry. I didn’t want to leave him here, but I decided not to argue. I was against it, but I simply nodded, which made him smile. I would just wait for him later to talk about this.

“Be careful. I’ll wait for you,” I said, and he nodded with a smile. “And please, take care of her too…” I added, looking at the unconscious woman in his arms.

“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of myself and this woman. I will surely bring her to Headmistress Fe, and I’ll visit you as soon as I’m done.”

I nodded and teleported to our house. As I stepped inside, the living room was quiet and dark. It was almost night, and I hoped the two ladies weren’t overly worried about me. As I ascended the stairs, my footsteps echoed in the quiet house.

I was about to turn into my room when I heard muffled voices drifting from Mimi’s office. The door was slightly ajar, inviting me to eavesdrop. Curiosity piqued, and I couldn’t help but lean in closer even though I knew what I was doing was bad.

“…the rebellions are now searching for the summoners of the Supreme Guardians, and someone from the academy has been sent to find them as well. What should we do, Lorraine?”

It was Nana, and her voice conveyed worry. ‘Looking for the summoners of the Supreme Guardians?’ I was perplexed, knowing very little about the world of magic, the realm of Elementalists, or things like rebellions and academies.

“Romina, there’s no way we can stop them. After all, the Supreme Guardians are seen as a potential asset by both sides, regardless of their objectives.”

I’d never heard Mimi speak in such a tone before. Her voice carried an authority I hadn’t heard in her before. She was also unusually serious, which was something I wasn’t used to. She was always so sweet to me, and I’d never seen her this way.

“What if one of them stumbles across your daughter? What if a Shadowfell found her? What will you do, I wonder?”

Nana’s words piqued my interest even further. It was a good thing I had learned how to conceal my presence, or they would have realized I was eavesdropping. I sighed and turned to leave. I don’t want them to see me eavesdropping on their conversation.

‘I’ll just wait for them to talk to me about it.’

***