Chapter 10: The Watchful Eyes

(警觉的目光 - Jǐngjué de mùguāng)

Raiko sat at the edge of the training grounds, pretending to be exhausted. The dust from his fight with Wu Jiang had settled, but the unease in his heart had not.

The dark-robed man was still there.

Raiko stole a glance toward him. The man stood motionless near the academy's outer wall, his face obscured beneath his hood. His posture was calm, indifferent yet Raiko could feel the weight of his gaze, sharp and piercing.

Who is he?

His presence wasn't normal. He wasn't just another student or an elder casually observing fights.

No, this man was watching him.

And Raiko didn't like it.

"You really had to go and beat Wu Jiang like that?"

Raiko turned to see Chen Rui, one of the few people at Azure Sky Academy he considered a friend. His arms were crossed, an amused smirk on his face.

"Beat him?" Raiko shook his head. "He tripped."

Chen Rui chuckled. "Right. And I suppose the wind just happened to push him into the ground?"

Raiko smirked but said nothing.

Chen Rui's gaze shifted toward the dark-robed figure. "You noticed him too?"

Raiko nodded. "He's been watching me since the fight started."

Chen Rui's expression grew serious. "That's Elder Feng Yuan. He's one of the academy's inner circle. People say he has a special ability one that lets him see through lies and disguises."

Raiko's muscles tensed. If that was true, then.

"He might already know," Raiko muttered under his breath.

Chen Rui nodded. "You need to be careful. If he reports you to the elders, they might start asking questions about your power."

Raiko exhaled, rubbing the back of his head. He had worked so hard to keep his right-hand power hidden, only using his mother's left-hand ability when necessary.

But now…

It felt like the walls were closing in.

Later that night, as Raiko returned to his dormitory, a sealed letter was waiting for him.

He picked it up, eyes narrowing at the red wax seal imprinted with the academy's insignia.

A letter from the elders.

He tore it open and read the message inside:

"Raiko Yun, you are hereby summoned to the Grand Hall tomorrow morning at dawn. The Elders wish to speak with you."

Raiko's fingers tightened around the letter.

They know.

This was it. His secret had finally drawn attention.

He had hoped to remain hidden within the School of Losers, quietly building his strength. But now, the people who ruled the world those who shared his unique dual powers were turning their gaze toward him.

What would happen next?

Would they see him as a threat?

Or… would they try to use him?

That night, Raiko sat alone on the rooftop of the dormitory, staring up at the moonlit sky.

His father had warned him that this day would come.

"When they find out, you will have to choose your path."

He clenched his right hand, feeling the dormant power within it. The power that could free their clan but only if he survived long enough to master it.

Tomorrow, he would stand before the elders.

Tomorrow, everything might change.

And for the first time, Raiko wondered Was he truly ready?