The clang of footsteps echoed across the marble walkway as Shade crossed the central courtyard of the Academy. Morning mist still clung to the ground like an uncertain breath, curling around her boots as she passed clusters of disciples.
She could feel their eyes.
Not their respect—just their curiosity, layered with mockery.
> "A scythe? Who still trains with that?"
"Looks like something a death sect disciple would carry."
"Tch. Must be trying to scare people off so she won't be challenged."
Shade ignored them. She didn't walk like she was avoiding a fight. She walked like someone hunting a better one.
No one got close.
---
Back in her small room a while ago near the cliffside, Shade stood still for a long time. The door was closed. Umbren curled in the corner, eyes open and alert.
She stared out the window, letting the silence stretch.
She had come here for revenge. For betrayal. For blood.
But what now?
Cassian was only the first.
And yet, she hadn't taken control. Not truly. The system whispered, commanded, twisted her path by the throat.
First it demanded survival. Then it demanded kills. Now, it asked her to steal from the Academy vaults—something that could get her executed if caught.
Each step forward didn't feel like a rise in power.
It felt like another piece being moved on a board she didn't control.
> "So that's what I am," she murmured, fingers tightening on the windowsill. "A piece. Dressed in black, wearing a borrowed name. I kill who they say. I grow when they allow it."
Umbren's tail thumped softly once.
> "But even pawns can reach the other side of the board," she whispered. "And when they do... they become queens."
The Grand Library stood like a forgotten palace—white marble, enormous domes, and cascading steps flanked by moss-covered lion statues. Its front plaza was nearly empty, save for two elders seated at either side of the entrance. One slept, snoring faintly. The other, a thin man with sharp eyes and a long pipe, watched the wind swirl leaves across the stone.
As Shade approached, his gaze flicked to her. His eyes didn't scan—they dissected.
He said nothing, but his pupils narrowed.
The pressure of his gaze pressed on her bones for just a moment. Not hostile. Just… assessing.
> "Strange flow," he muttered under his breath. "Darkness hidden beneath a gentle current… a creature in a silk veil."
But he leaned back and closed his eyes again. He had seen worse things pass through this library. And as long as she didn't stir trouble, she was no business of his.
Shade bowed her head briefly and stepped inside.
The library's interior stretched farther than expected—spiraling staircases, thousands of scrolls arranged in floating rings, and candlelight that never flickered.
Her boots made no sound as she walked.
The section marked Elemental Affinities lay toward the rear chamber, with alcoves dedicated to major and minor elements alike. She passed rows for Wind, then paused where Darkness met its twin—Shadow.
There were few scrolls here. Most were sealed. A nearby placard read:
> "These arts require compatibility beyond mere cultivation.
Fated scrolls will not respond to the unworthy."
Shade ran her fingers along the shelf edges until something caught her eye.
A scroll nestled behind two faded tomes. No plaque. No name. Dustless despite its concealment.
She reached toward it—and the moment her fingers brushed the outer layer, a soft vibration stirred the air.
Umbren uncurled slightly in her shadow.
> "It's… watching you."
The scroll's runes shimmered briefly—an invisible flicker. Not enough to glow. Just enough to whisper.
> "Break not with force, but with shadow."
Shade furrowed her brow. Her fingers tightened—but the scroll pulsed once more and fell still. It neither rejected nor embraced her.
She stared at it, uncertain. Was this resonance?
Or warning?
> "I'll take it," she muttered.
She slid the scroll into the inner layer of her robes and turned away.
But even as she walked, she felt something like a pulse in her blood. A rhythm not her own.
---
The Announcement
Just as she passed the outer steps of the library, the sky pulsed with golden light. A powerful voice rang through the entire Academy.
"Attention all disciples! The final selection for the Inner Disciples Ranking Tournament has concluded!"
"Only the top 100 applicants—each at or above Essence Vein Stage 6—have qualified to compete. All others have been removed through the disqualification trials."
"The first matches begin tomorrow at dawn. Venue: Spirit Flame Arena."
Dozens of disciples began flooding into the square. Light projected into the sky, displaying the full ranking list like celestial script across the clouds.
Shade didn't look at most of it.
Only two names held her gaze:
> Rank 8: Kael Ravenhart
Once her husband. Now her enemy. His blood arts and metal element made him a monster on the battlefield. She knew the cruelty behind his calm better than most.
> Rank 17: Alina Valen
Her sister. The girl whose betrayal helped destroy her.
Her expression didn't change. But her fingers curled into a fist by her side.
> "One day," she said under her breath. "Those names will vanish from the list."
She turned, vanishing into the crowd just as the cheers began.
---