Chapter 18: Shadows in Mystic Heights

The halls of Mystic Heights Academy felt different after the duel. The students still whispered about Zayne and Kai's fight, but beneath the surface, something else was stirring. Zayne felt it—an unease, like being watched from the shadows.

He walked alongside Malo, Tallesia, and Seraphina, heading toward the dorms. The evening air was thick with the scent of rain, the sky above darkening.

"We should talk," Seraphina said, her voice quiet but firm. "Somewhere private."

Malo smirked. "Oh? You finally admitting you have a thing for us?"

Tallesia rolled her eyes. "Idiot."

Seraphina ignored him. "I'm serious. Kai knows something, and Professor Lewis was acting strange during the fight. Something's going on."

Zayne nodded. "Yeah. I don't think Kai came here just to be a student."

Malo scoffed. "Duh. The guy is Arcadian-trained. He didn't transfer here just to get a new uniform."

Tallesia spoke up. "Then the question is—what is he really after?"

Before anyone could answer, a voice interrupted.

"You guys talk too much."

They turned to see Kai leaning against the stone wall of the courtyard, arms crossed, his golden eyes sharp.

Kai's Warning

Seraphina stepped forward, adjusting her glasses. "Were you following us?"

Kai smirked. "No. You just walk slow."

Malo clicked his tongue. "Tch. Annoying."

Zayne ignored them, focusing on Kai. "What do you know?"

Kai's playful demeanor faded. "There's something wrong with Mystic Heights. I felt it the moment I arrived."

Tallesia crossed her arms. "You're going to have to be more specific."

Kai exhaled. "There's someone here—someone dangerous. And they don't belong."

Malo raised an eyebrow. "You mean a student?"

Kai shook his head. "No. Someone hiding in plain sight. I don't know who yet, but I do know this—whoever they are, they've been watching you, Zayne."

Zayne's expression darkened. "Watching me?"

Kai nodded. "Since before our fight. And they weren't just watching—they were analyzing you."

The group fell silent.

Tallesia tapped her fingers against her sword hilt. "Then we need to find them first."

Seraphina frowned. "That's easier said than done. If this person is hiding, they won't just reveal themselves."

Kai smirked. "Not unless we give them a reason to."

Malo grinned. "I like where this is going."

Zayne clenched his fists. He didn't like being watched like some kind of prey.

"Fine," he said. "We make them show themselves."

A Disturbance in the Night

Later that night, Zayne sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the ceiling. The dim light from the window cast long shadows across the room.

Someone has been watching me?

The thought made his skin crawl.

A knock at the door pulled him from his thoughts. He got up, cracking it open slightly.

Kai stood there. "We're being followed."

Zayne's pulse quickened. "Where?"

Kai glanced behind him. "They're smart. Not close enough to be obvious, but I can feel them."

Zayne grabbed his sword and stepped into the hallway.

They moved quietly through the dormitory corridors, slipping past sleeping students. The academy felt eerily empty at this hour, the usual warmth replaced by a lingering cold.

Then—

A noise.

A faint click in the distance.

Zayne and Kai exchanged glances.

We're not alone.

Kai motioned forward. Zayne nodded, gripping his sword tighter as they moved toward the sound.

The corridor led them to an open balcony overlooking the academy grounds. A lone figure stood in the shadows, facing away from them.

Zayne narrowed his eyes. "You gonna come out, or do we have to drag you out?"

The figure turned slightly. "You noticed me. Good."

A voice smooth like silk, yet laced with something… unsettling.

Kai tensed. "Who are you?"

The figure stepped forward, the moonlight finally revealing them.

A man in a long dark cloak, his face partially obscured by a hood. But what stood out most were his eyes—deep crimson, glowing faintly in the night.

"You don't need to know my name," the man said. "Not yet."

Zayne stepped forward. "You've been watching me. Why?"

The man chuckled. "Because you interest me. And because…" He tilted his head. "You don't know what you really are yet, do you?"

Zayne's body stiffened. "What the hell does that mean?"

The man smirked. "You'll find out soon enough."

Then, without warning—he vanished.

A flicker of dark energy, and he was gone.

Kai cursed under his breath. "Shit."

Zayne clenched his fists.

This wasn't over.

It was just beginning.