Chapter 29

The following morning, Elliot found himself seated in the Headmaster's office, the weight of last night's events still pressing down on him. Lena sat beside him, arms crossed, her expression unreadable. Across from them, behind an intricately carved oak desk, Headmaster Rowan steepled his fingers, his sharp gaze studying them both.

"So," he finally said, his voice calm yet firm, "a chained beast, unknown runes, and a shadowed observer. A rather eventful night, wouldn't you say?"

Elliot exhaled. "That's one way to put it."

Professor Aldric stood near the window, arms folded, his gaze distant. "This isn't the first anomaly we've encountered lately," he murmured. "And it won't be the last."

Lena leaned forward. "Then what's being done about it?"

Rowan regarded her carefully. "That is not for you to concern yourself with."

Lena scoffed. "Not our concern? We were the ones fighting that thing. Someone is clearly watching us, testing us."

Elliot cut in before she could escalate. "Headmaster, if something dangerous is happening, we need to know."

A pause. Rowan exchanged a glance with Aldric, something unspoken passing between them. Then, he sighed.

"Very well," he said. "But understand this: what I'm about to tell you does not leave this room."

Elliot and Lena nodded.

"The chained beast you fought—it was not supposed to exist," Rowan continued. "Not naturally."

Elliot frowned. "What do you mean?"

Aldric answered instead. "It was… created. Bound by runes we have not seen in centuries."

Lena's eyes narrowed. "Someone summoned it?"

Rowan nodded. "Or worse—someone is experimenting with magic they do not understand."

The room fell silent. Elliot processed the information carefully. Someone was playing with powers beyond their control. That meant more attacks. More dangers.

And, likely, more eyes watching them.

Rowan's voice turned grave. "I do not believe this was random. Someone targeted you."

Elliot stiffened. "Us specifically?"

"Your group. Your growing strength. Someone wanted to see how you'd handle it."

Lena muttered a curse under her breath. "And what do we do now?"

Rowan stood, his presence imposing. "You will continue as normal. Train, study, grow stronger. But remain vigilant."

Aldric nodded. "The moment we discover who is behind this, we will act."

Elliot's jaw tightened. It wasn't the answer he wanted, but it was the one he expected.

Rowan's gaze softened slightly. "I know you wish to do more. But patience, Elliot. Patience, Lena. The enemy wants you to act recklessly."

Lena sighed, leaning back in her chair. "Fine. We'll wait."

Rowan gave a small nod, signaling the end of the meeting. "You are dismissed."

As Elliot and Lena left the office, the weight of the conversation settled in. The academy was no longer just a place of learning.

It was a battlefield.

And the war had only just begun.

The corridors of the academy felt different after the meeting with Headmaster Rowan. Elliot couldn't shake the feeling that eyes were on him, lurking in the shadows just beyond his vision. Lena walked beside him, her usual sharp energy muted, lost in thought.

"You're quiet," he remarked.

She exhaled through her nose. "I'm thinking."

Elliot smirked. "Dangerous habit."

Lena shot him a look but didn't argue. "If someone really is targeting us, we need to be ready."

Elliot nodded. "Agreed. But how?"

Lena hesitated before speaking. "We need to test something. The next time we're attacked, we go on the offensive. We find out who's behind this."

Elliot frowned. "And how exactly do we do that? It's not like they'll hand over their name and motives on a silver platter."

Lena's eyes glinted. "They don't have to. We just need a lead."

Before Elliot could respond, a voice interrupted them.

"Well, well, if it isn't the academy's rising stars."

They turned to see a figure leaning casually against the stone wall. Dark hair, sharp green eyes, a smirk that never quite reached them.

Lucas Veyne.

Elliot groaned internally. Of all the people to run into.

Lucas pushed off the wall, strolling toward them. "Heard about your little adventure last night. Exciting stuff."

Lena folded her arms. "And?"

Lucas chuckled. "And I might know a thing or two about weird things happening around here."

Elliot's skepticism flared. "You? Since when?"

Lucas shrugged. "Since I have a tendency to be in the wrong place at the right time." He tilted his head. "Interested?"

Lena and Elliot exchanged a glance.

Elliot sighed. "What's the catch?"

Lucas grinned. "Smart. Always a catch, isn't there? But let's just say… I have a vested interest in keeping this academy standing."

Lena narrowed her eyes. "We're listening."

Lucas leaned in slightly. "Meet me in the old library tonight. Midnight."

Elliot raised an eyebrow. "Mysterious."

Lucas winked. "It's part of my charm."

With that, he walked past them, disappearing around the corner.

Lena exhaled. "This is a bad idea."

Elliot nodded. "Absolutely."

A pause.

"…We're still going, right?"

Lena smirked. "Obviously."

—

Midnight came quicker than expected. The old library, tucked away in a forgotten wing of the academy, was silent, dust settling in thick layers over untouched books. Moonlight filtered through broken windows, casting eerie patterns on the floor.

Elliot and Lena stepped inside, scanning the room.

"Lucas?" Lena called.

Silence.

Elliot frowned. "Typical."

Then, a whisper of movement.

Both of them spun around, weapons ready.

But the figure that emerged wasn't Lucas.

It was someone else. Hooded. Cloaked in darkness.

And watching them with an unsettling stillness.

Elliot's grip on his dagger tightened. "I take it you're not here to help with our studies."

The figure tilted its head, then raised a hand.

A spark of violet energy flickered to life.

And the fight began.

The moment the figure raised its hand, a surge of violet energy crackled through the air. Elliot reacted on instinct, shoving Lena to the side just as a bolt of magic struck the floor where they had been standing. The stone tiles hissed, leaving behind a faint scorch mark.

"Friendly conversation's off the table, then," Elliot muttered, drawing his dagger.

Lena didn't need any prompting. She rolled to the side, her hand already glowing with a faint golden light as she prepared to counterattack.

The hooded figure moved fast—too fast. With barely a flicker of motion, it appeared behind them. Elliot barely managed to twist out of the way as a second wave of magic lashed toward him.

Lena wasn't as lucky.

The attack struck her shoulder, sending her stumbling back against a bookshelf. She gritted her teeth, but Elliot could see the way her left arm hung limply at her side.

"Lena—"

"I'm fine," she snapped. "Focus."

Elliot forced himself to obey. The hooded figure stood in the center of the room, unmoving, as if studying them. Then, without a word, it raised a hand once more.

But this time, the energy didn't strike. Instead, the room itself shifted.

Bookshelves creaked. The shadows in the corners of the library stretched unnaturally, curling toward them like living tendrils. The temperature dropped. Elliot felt an invisible force pressing down on his chest, making it harder to breathe.

Lena's eyes darted around the room. "This isn't normal magic."

"No kidding," Elliot gritted out.

Then, for the first time, the figure spoke.

"You shouldn't have come."

The voice was distorted, layered with something inhuman beneath the surface. It sent a shiver down Elliot's spine.

"And yet," Lena said, forcing herself upright, "here we are."

The figure tilted its head. "Foolish."

Before Elliot could respond, the shadows surged forward.

They moved like liquid, curling around his arms and legs before he could react. He struggled, but the more he fought, the tighter they gripped.

Lena wasn't faring much better. The shadows wrapped around her, pulling her toward the ground. Her golden light flared for a moment, pushing them back, but it wasn't enough.

Elliot clenched his teeth. Think.

He couldn't move. Couldn't fight. The shadows were too strong.

But there was one thing he could do.

He closed his eyes and reached inward.

It was a gamble—one he hadn't tested before. But if the alternative was being dragged into the void by some shadowy stranger, he'd take his chances.

The moment he focused, something within him responded.

A pulse.

A rush of energy, different from magic, different from anything he had felt before. It burned through his veins, hot and cold at the same time. The shadows recoiled.

The hooded figure took a step back. "What…?"

Elliot didn't wait for an explanation. He let the energy surge outward.

The shadows shattered. The library trembled.

And then, just as suddenly as it had started, the figure vanished—dispersing into mist.

Silence.

Lena let out a sharp breath. "That… was new."

Elliot, still catching his breath, nodded. "Yeah."

Lena glanced at him, eyes sharp. "We need to figure out what just happened."

Elliot flexed his fingers. The strange energy had already faded, leaving behind only a lingering warmth.

"Agreed," he said. "But first—"

A slow clap echoed through the library.

Both of them turned.

Lucas Veyne stood in the doorway, looking far too amused for someone who had just watched them nearly die.

"Well," he said, grinning. "That was dramatic."

Elliot groaned. "Of course you were watching."

Lucas shrugged. "What can I say? I enjoy a good show."

Lena narrowed her eyes. "What do you know?"

Lucas leaned against the doorway. "Enough."

Elliot exchanged a glance with Lena.

Somehow, they had a feeling things were only getting started.