Gray winced as he stepped out of his dorm room, hand pressed against his ribs. His whole body ached.
He shut the door quietly behind him and leaned against the wall, breathing through clenched teeth. The hallway was silent, save for the faint hum of the lights.
"Maybe… stealing from the nurse's room wasn't the brightest idea," he muttered.
After the fight last night, he had slipped through the academy halls half-conscious, finding the medical wing deserted. He rummaged through drawers until he found a few rolls of bandages and some salves he didn't recognize. Without the faintest clue what to do with them, he had done his best, relying on sheer guesswork. The results were mixed. His side burned where the paste had probably reacted wrong.
"Common sense, huh?" He groaned, straightening up. "Never trusting that again."
He adjusted the fresh uniform he had swiped from the supply lockers. The old one was beyond repair, shredded and stained. If anyone saw it, there would be questions he wasn't ready to answer.
Gray's stomach growled, pulling him toward the canteen.
By the time he entered, the late morning light poured through the tall glass walls. The air buzzed with chatter, the smell of soup and bread lingering. He grabbed a tray mechanically and scanned the room.
There.
Renn, Korr, and Adel sat at a corner table near the windows. Korr was waving his hands animatedly as he talked, while Adel looked seconds away from throwing her drink at him. Renn was half-asleep, poking at his food.
Gray allowed himself a rare smile. He made his way over, dropping his tray down with a thud.
Korr grinned immediately. "Well, well, if it isn't ash hair. You look like someone threw you down the training pits and rolled you through glass."
Gray sat down heavily. "Close enough."
Adel raised an eyebrow. "What happened to you? You look exhausted."
"Just tripped on life," Gray muttered, stabbing at his food.
Renn chuckled softly. "That's one way to put it."
Korr leaned forward. "So, what are we eating today? Same flavorless soup? Or did the cooks finally learn what seasoning is?"
Adel smirked. "Maybe if you stopped inhaling everything before tasting it, you'd notice."
"Ha. Funny," Korr said, flicking a crumb at her.
She retaliated by smacking the back of his head with her spoon.
"Ow! What was that for?"
"For being you."
Gray couldn't help the small laugh that escaped. The sound surprised even him.
It had been too long since moments like this. For a while, it almost felt normal—just four students eating and joking, not fugitives hiding under false names or survivors of something monstrous.
But the illusion broke when Korr frowned. "Renn, you look awful. Even worse than Gray."
Adel nodded slowly. "And Gray looks… like he crawled out of a grave."
Gray blinked at them. "That's reassuring."
Before he could say more, Renn sighed and rubbed his temples. "I suppose I should explain."
"Explain what?" Adel asked.
"That we know," Renn said quietly. His voice carried weight.
Gray's fork froze midway to his mouth.
Korr frowned. "Know what?"
"The cult thing," Renn said, glancing at Gray. "I told them."
Gray closed his eyes, exhaling through his nose. "Of course you did."
Korr looked from one to the other. "You mean that weird group you mentioned before? The one hunting Gray?"
Adel's tone was sharper. "You couldn't tell us sooner? We could've helped."
Gray looked down at his food. "Because I didn't want you dragged into it too. You three don't deserve that kind of danger."
Korr leaned back, folding his arms. "You really think that'd stop us? Please. I'd take that cult on any day of the week."
Adel smacked him again. "You'd die before breakfast."
He scowled. "I'd take at least one of them with me."
Gray smiled faintly. "That's the problem. You'd still be dead."
Renn, trying not to laugh, sipped his drink. But when his eyes met Gray's, the humor faded.
"Gray," he said softly. "Did something happen last night?"
Gray's expression hardened. "Yeah. I was attacked."
The others froze.
Adel's eyes widened. "Attacked? By who?"
Gray pushed his tray aside. "The black-haired boy named Elian. He's one of the new students. Affinity's called Curse. It lets him set invisible traps and seals that block Vyre flow and blood circulation. I almost didn't make it out."
Adel paled. Korr clenched his jaw.
"That explains why you look like hell," Korr muttered. "So that's what all the damage was about."
Gray frowned. "Damage?"
Renn took a deep breath. "This morning, word spread. A classroom was found completely wrecked—walls broken, chandelier destroyed, the hallways cracked like someone dropped a bomb. The teachers said they're investigating. They're trying to find whoever did it."
Gray's stomach sank.
"They'll never believe it was self-defense," he murmured.
Renn nodded. "I figured as much. But… there's something else."
Korr leaned in. "What?"
Renn hesitated. His fingers tightened around his cup. "I saw something this morning."
The canteen noise faded as he spoke, his words pulling them all into the memory.
***
The hallway was quiet. Morning light bled through the high windows, scattering over shards of glass and broken wood.
Renn walked slowly, his boots crunching over debris. The air smelled faintly of metal and ash. He had been looking for the canteen when he heard it—a dull thud. Then another. And another.
A voice. Low, furious.
He followed it down a narrow corridor until he reached a half-open door. The sound came from inside—harsh breathing, the scrape of shoes, the sharp smack of a kick.
Renn's curiosity got the better of him. He peered through the crack.
Inside, Lucian stood over Elian's battered body. The younger boy lay curled on the floor, bruised and bloodied.
Lucian's boot connected again with his ribs. "This was an easy job and you failed! Why the hell did I take you in, you useless piece of trash!"
Elian didn't move. He didn't even try to block the hits.
Renn's heart pounded. He should have walked away—but his legs refused to move.
Lucian paused, breathing hard. Then, as if sensing something, he turned. His eyes met Renn's through the crack in the door.
For a second, the world stopped.
Lucian's eyes glowed faintly—a strange, deep red. His face was expressionless, but his gaze was pure malice.
Renn's breath caught in his throat. He forced his feet to move, turning away and walking as fast as he could down the hall. His palms were slick with sweat.
"Hey."
The word stopped him.
Lucian stepped into the hall, hands in his pockets. His tone was calm, almost casual. "Where do you think you're going?"
Renn swallowed hard and tried to smile. "Just heading to class. Didn't see anything."
Lucian's eyes narrowed. He stepped closer, his shadow stretching across the floor. "You sure?"
Renn's heart pounded. The man's hand lifted slightly—reaching for him.
But before Lucian could touch him, another hand shot out, grabbing his wrist midair.
Aurelle stood between them. His expression was unreadable, his dark sapphire eyes colder than steel.
The two locked eyes. The silence was suffocating.
Then Lucian clicked his tongue and pulled away. "Fine." He shoved his hands back into his pockets and walked off, muttering under his breath.
Aurelle didn't move until Lucian disappeared around the corner. Then, without a word, he turned and walked the other way.
Renn stood there, trembling.
***
Back in the present, Korr slammed his hand on the table. "That bastard. We should take him down right now."
Gray's tone was calm but firm. "No."
Korr looked at him incredulously. "What do you mean no? You heard Renn. The guy's a psychopath."
"I know," Gray said quietly. "But something about him isn't right. His strength, his presence… it's too odd. Picking a fight with him now would be too risky."
Silence settled over them.
'And Aurelle...what's his goal in all this? Why did he interfere, he's not the type of person to do such a thing. Or...is he?' Gray thought in the silence.
Adel crossed her arms. "So what now? Just wait until he makes a move?"
Before Gray could answer, Renn cleared his throat. "There's more. I asked Seraphine something yesterday."
Adel tilted her head. "About the computer restrictions?"
Renn nodded. "I wanted to see if she could help me bypass them."
Gray looked up sharply. "And?"
Renn hesitated. "She said she could. But there's a catch."
The tension at the table deepened.
"In a short while… the second expedition will happen..."
The words hung heavy in the air.
Korr's grin faded. Adel's fork dropped onto her tray.
Gray stared at the table, his reflection faint in the polished surface. His throat felt dry.
The first expedition had nearly killed them. Glacierfang was not a place for the weak.
If there was going to be another one…
Adel spoke first, her voice quiet. "Then that's why the systems are locked. High security."
Gray nodded slowly. "Yeah...makes sense,they'retrying to keep everything under control."
For a moment, none of them spoke. The clatter and chatter of the canteen around them felt distant, muted.
Finally, the bell rang, cutting through the heavy silence.
Gray stood up. "I have a fighting class."
Renn forced a smile. "Try not to get injured. "
Gray smirked faintly. "No promises."
Korr stretched and groaned. "Guess we're all doomed anyway. Might as well get strong before we die."
Adel rolled her eyes. "Inspirational as always."
They laughed softly, their voices carrying for a moment before fading into the noise of the crowd.
Gray turned to leave, heading toward the door.
But just as he stepped into the corridor, a hand gripped his arm.
He looked up.
A man stood before him, tall and composed, maybe in his late twenties. He wore a sharp black suit with a silver pin on the collar and a wristband identical to Gray's.
Except his wasn't a student model.
He flipped it over, revealing a holographic badge. An open, ancient tome. From the pages of the book, a gnarled, silver tree grows, its roots becoming ink that bleeds into the parchment and its branches reaching for a ring of seven stars..
"Gray," the man said evenly. "You need to come with me."
Gray's pulse spiked. "Council?"
The man nodded once. "Now."
Gray stared at him for a moment, his stomach sinking.
"Ah," he muttered under his breath. "Shit."
And before he could even think of resisting, the man turned and walked off, expecting Gray to follow.
The corridor lights flickered once, casting long shadows on the walls as Gray followed him in silence.