Shadows and Schemes

The Academy of Veythar didn't wait for the weak to catch their breath.

The moment the duel ended, the true games began.

Raine's ribs still ached from Aldric's last strike as he stepped off the coliseum grounds, forcing his breathing to remain steady. He knew better than to show weakness—especially here, where the predators of high society thrived.

The noble students moved like vultures, gathering in their cliques, eyes flicking toward him as whispers spread like wildfire.

"Did you see how easily Aldric crushed him?"

"So much for the outlaw prodigy."

"Maybe the prophecy was wrong after all."

Some laughed outright. Others simply watched, assessing him, as if deciding whether he was worth acknowledging or discarding entirely.

Raine ignored them. Words only had power if you let them. But still, deep down, he knew that in this Academy, reputation mattered.

And right now, his was already taking a hit.

He was halfway to the dormitories when a figure stepped into his path.

Lady Selene Veydris.

Tall, poised, and dangerous in a way that had nothing to do with swords or magic. The only daughter of House Veydris—one of the most powerful noble houses in the kingdom. She was known for her intelligence as much as her ruthlessness.

The moonlight glinted off the silver embroidery of her deep-blue academy coat. Her violet eyes studied him, cool and unreadable.

"You lost," she said, her voice devoid of mockery. Just a statement of fact.

Raine exhaled sharply. He didn't have time for this.

"You here to rub it in?"

Selene's lips curved into a slight smirk. "No. I'm here to offer you an opportunity."

Raine narrowed his eyes. Whatever she was after, it wasn't simple.

Selene took a step closer, lowering her voice. "Not all noble houses are united. Some would rather see Aldric fall. You may have lost today, but that doesn't mean you have to stay at the bottom."

Raine crossed his arms, trying to read her. "You want me to fight your battles for you?"

She chuckled. "Hardly. But you're an outsider here, Raine. You don't understand how the Academy works. If you want to survive, you'll need alliances."

Raine knew she was right. But he also knew that accepting a noble's offer always came with a price.

"What exactly are you offering?"

Selene's smirk didn't fade. "Let's just say… a better understanding of the Academy's true power structure."

For a moment, they simply held each other's gaze.

Then, without another word, Selene turned and vanished into the crowd.

Raine let out a slow breath.

He had a feeling that whatever she was pulling him into—it wouldn't be simple.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the Academy, in a place few knew existed, shadows gathered.

Deep beneath the grand halls of Veythar, beneath the dormitories, the classrooms, and the towering spires, there were forgotten corridors, lost to time.

And in one such chamber, hidden by magic and secrecy, hooded figures stood in a ring of flickering candlelight.

A voice echoed through the chamber. "The false one has appeared."

Another voice, deeper, more measured. "Then the true one will rise."

The air crackled with unseen power. The prophecy had been set in motion.

And the world was already shifting.