Shadows in the Dark

The academy lay silent under the silver glow of the moon. After the chaos of the cooking competition, most students had collapsed into their beds, exhausted and dreaming of less chaotic days. But not Kade.

He stood in the courtyard, breathing regularly, arms outstretched to the shadows swirling around him. They writhed and twisted like living ink, pooling at his feet. Since his awakening, these powers had become a secret obsession—something he needed to understand and control before they consumed him.

Tonight, his goal was ambitious: creating a shadow clone that could hold form for more than a fleeting second.

Dark energy burst forth from within, taking on a form, a shape, a silhouette. The clone flickered and stabilized into a shadowy silhouette of himself. Kade felt a brief spurt of triumph.

Then, like smoke caught in the wind, it dissipated.

"Not enough still," he grated, clenching his fists. His strengths were tied in with his centre—a reservoir of power he scarcely grasped the full nature of. The act of strengthening this core seemed so simplistic; to strengthen it all lay in, but the means evaded him maddeningly.

With another deep sigh at the frustration plaguing him he determined to seek bed. Towards the academy baths he strode, when pausing midstride at the detection of movement going inside the library.

His instincts grew sharper. The library was off-limits after hours—especially the forbidden section.

Curiosity gnawed at him. Sticking to the shadows, Kade followed, careful not to be seen. The figure moved with purpose, heading directly for the sealed entrance of the forbidden section. Kade's heart raced as the figure bypassed the heavy lock with practiced ease.

Jarek.

"What's he doing here?" Kade whispered to himself.

Jarek went in and reappeared within the span of a heartbeat with one hand tight around an ornate scroll. Kade barely had time to appreciate what he was looking at when another figure emerged from the crowd—a teacher, from the resemblance of the academy insignia embroidered on his cloak.

The teacher said something to Jarek in a quiet tone, nodding almost imperceptibly, motioning for him to go. No words were exchanged, but the underlying message was clear: someone in the academy was helping Jarek.

Kade's mind was spinning. What could be so important that Jarek would risk sneaking into the forbidden section? And why was a teacher involved?

Before Kade could make a move, the two vanished into the night.

The next morning, the academy buzzed with its usual energy. Students chatted and laughed as if nothing had happened. But Kade's unease lingered. The theft should have caused an uproar, yet there was no sign of alarm.

During the midday announcements, the headmaster's tone was calm, his words routine. No mention of the scroll. No warnings about a breach.

Later, in a private meeting, the headmaster sat with a group of senior instructors. One of them leaned forward, their voice a whisper. "The forbidden library was breached last night. An ancient scroll is missing."

The headmaster's face darkened. "This cannot go public. If word spreads that we failed to protect such a relic, the academy's reputation will crumble. Send an investigation team. And until we have answers, not a word of this leaves this room."

Kade knew none of this, of course. He spent the day distracted, replaying in his mind all that had happened. Why had Jarek taken the scroll? And why was the academy saying nothing of it?

His thoughts were cut short by a sudden, creeping chill. A tingle at the back of his neck.

Instinctively, he turned.

Jarek stood behind him, his habitual smirk replaced by something harder, colder.

"You've been nosy, Kade," Jarek said, his voice low and laced with menace.

Kade's pulse quickened. Jarek knew. Somehow, he knew Kade had seen him.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Kade replied, keeping his voice steady despite the weight of Jarek's glare.

Jarek stepped closer, his presence oppressive. "Stay out of my way, or you'll regret it."

Kade clenched his fists as Jarek walked away, leaving a trail of unspoken threats behind him.

Whatever that scroll contained, it was not only important, but also dangerous, and certainly not from just one person.

Kade exhaled slowly as his mind churned. He didn't really have a clue what role he was going to play in the mystery unfolding, but one thing was for sure: he couldn't hide anymore.