Returning to the dormitory, the pungent smell of the Concealment Agent still buzzed in my mind, accompanied by a day full of exhaustion and humiliation.
Jasper eagerly tried to tell me about all the amusing events he had encountered today, but after Karen shot him a glare, he sulked off to take a shower.
Karen gave me a brief reminder to be careful before leaving, saying she had to deal with some secret family matters at the academy.
Finally, the room was mine alone.
I leaned against the closed door and let out a long breath. That breath carried a strong herbal aroma.
I looked down at my hands—Torian's hands—rough and powerful, but on the training grounds, they could not lift the weight befitting an Alpha.
Disguise, disguise, disguise—it was everywhere. My body was fake, my identity was fake, and even my scent was fake.
The Wolf Spirit within me was unusually silent due to the day's events, as though gathering its strength, or perhaps, fearful.
I could not mimic Torian's strength.
Master Sigurd's words, Ethan's glances, and Silas's scrutiny all warned me of this truth.
But that power, the one that faintly emerged in moments of crisis, different from the strength of an Alpha...
I walked over to the window. Night had fallen, and the academy was shrouded in shadows.
Dim light filtered through the window, casting distorted shadows on the ground and walls.
I sat down on a chair and took a deep breath, trying to clear my mind and focus inward.
I wasn't searching for the wild power of an Alpha but instead for something more restrained, more elusive.
The peculiar energy I had sensed on the edge of the Foggy Forest, an energy I could feel but not grasp.
The ability that heightened my perception of my surroundings in critical moments.
I closed my eyes and concentrated.
The sounds around me seemed to fade away, leaving only the echo of my heartbeat in my ears.
I tried to "feel" the shadows in the room, the darkness in the corners, beneath the furniture.
Not with my eyes but with something... deeper.
At first, there was nothing—only the cold air and the lingering scent of the Concealment Agent.
A hint of frustration crept in. Was it all an illusion? Did I even possess any special abilities?
Just as I was about to give up, I seemed to sense a faint response.
It didn't come from my body or the Wolf Spirit within me—it came from... the shadows in the room.
It was a weak, almost breathing-like ripple.
They seemed to be responding to my awareness, softly trembling.
A trace of excitement grew within me. I focused even more, trying to touch them.
I extended my hand and pointed my fingertip toward the shadow in the corner of the room.
My consciousness followed my fingertip, attempting to connect with that faint ripple.
Suddenly, the shadow in the corner seemed to "come alive."
It didn't disperse or vanish but moved in an unnatural, liquid-like manner, wriggling slightly before my fingertip.
I snapped my eyes open. The shadow had returned to normal.
But the sensation just now had been so real—that faint ripple, that peculiar writhing... My heartbeat quickened, not from fear but from exhilaration.
This was my power! It truly existed!
I closed my eyes again and attempted to sense the ripple once more.
This time, I tried to guide it.
I focused my consciousness on a small shadow on the floor near the window.
I wished for it… to move.
I felt a faint energy surge from within me, like a small stream flowing to my fingertip and then toward that little shadow. I "felt" the shadow, willing it to follow my command.
The shadow trembled slightly.
And then, as if out of control, it suddenly stretched sideways, forming a twisted shape, as if pulled by an invisible hand.
At the same time, the other shadows in the room quivered, and it seemed as though a faint whisper echoed in the air—one that only I could hear.
My body shuddered violently, and a wave of dizziness struck me. The energy had spiraled out of control!
I quickly severed my connection, halting the flow of energy.
The shadows in the room returned to normal, and the whisper vanished.
But the dizziness didn't fade right away; I even felt a faint, distinct scent emanating from me—one entirely different from the Concealment Agent. It was the scent of my special power!
I shot to my feet and hurried to the mirror.
The face of "Torian" in the reflection was pale, beads of sweat on his forehead, and his eyes carried a trace of panic.
I drew a deep breath and tried to sniff the scent on myself.
That unique, shadow-like elusive scent—it lingered faintly, even under the strong cover of the Concealment Agent.
This was too dangerous! Though I had touched upon my power, it was far too unstable, and any use or loss of control would release my unique scent—a scent even harder to explain than the scent of a disguised woman!
Ethan and Silas, especially Silas, who was incredibly perceptive to scents, would immediately notice such an anomaly!
I must learn to master this power, to hide it, and perhaps even use it to better disguise my existence!
It is my only hope, but if left unchecked, it will also become the very key to my exposure, hastening my downfall!