Chapter 16 – Eyes in the Dark

Covert Surveillance

The next morning, Ethan awoke before dawn. The recently acquired fragment pulsed faintly in his bag, even though it emitted no light. Since his encounter with Gorthun, something had shifted—the forest no longer seemed the same.

During breakfast, he noticed it. A glance. Perhaps it was paranoia… but three times his eyes met those of a student he had never seen before. A tall boy with cold features, dark hair, and gray eyes. He was always alone. He didn't eat, only observed.

New Beast, New Partnership

In the training field, the instructors introduced a new activity in pairs. Ethan was paired with a girl named Lira, known for her calm and intelligence. Her beast, a Nebulous Serpent, was rare: its scales resembled glass, and it could vanish into mist.

"It seems we have similar styles," Lira remarked as she observed the Ancestral Forest Deer walking gracefully beside her serpent.

Ethan only smiled, but his eyes returned to search for the boy from earlier. He was not among the students. As if he had never existed.

Unusual Shadow

During the exercise, while synchronizing with their beasts, the Deer suddenly halted. Its ears pricked up and its eyes fixed on a point among the distant trees. A whisper rippled through the forest. The Nebulous Serpent coiled, agitated.

Lira frowned.

"There is something… watching. Do you feel it?"

Ethan nodded. He walked slowly to the edge of the clearing. And then he saw it—if only for a brief moment.

A hooded figure, dressed in black, standing among the tree trunks. It made no sound at all. Not even the rustle of leaves underfoot. And when it blinked… it was gone.

The Secret Meeting

That night, Ethan met his father in secret in one of the academy's old greenhouses, where they had studied together since before the exam.

"Father, I think I'm being watched. Ever since I found the second fragment." "It's too early for certainties," he murmured. "But if it's true, then you're closer than you imagine." "Closer to what?" "To awakening what slumbers. The fragments are not just artifacts. They are keys."

Ethan swallowed hard.

"Keys to what?" "To the truth that was buried beneath the very walls of the academy."

The Master's Warning

The next day, at the end of the strategy class, Alden called Ethan aside discreetly.

"The academy detected an unusual disturbance at the edge of the barrier. You were nearby when it happened." "Someone was watching me," Ethan stated bluntly. Alden narrowed his eyes.

"I need you to remain alert, but discreet. If someone is indeed interested in you… it's not time to confront them. It's time to understand."