Kael sat on the edge of his bunk, the dorm quiet around him. Most of the students had already gone home for their break, leaving the academy strangely hollow. No laughter in the halls, no sparring echoes in the Combat Dome. Just silence.
It gave him time to think. Too much time, maybe.
He turned his wrist slowly, the faint tattoo curling up his arm still glowing softly under the moonlight spilling through the narrow dorm window. The familiar flicker of shadow mist coiled faintly at his fingertips, then dissolved. He exhaled, steadying his breath.
"System," he whispered.
The world shimmered. A black-violet HUD opened before his eyes, sharp glyphs circling into neat panels of information.
[Nether Code Status]
Level: 10
Health: 92 / 100
Matter Reserve: 67 / 100
Stamina: 71 / 80
Shadow Blade: 100% Synced
Shadow Step: Learned (Basic)
Passive Buffs:
• Physical Retention +12%
• Reflex Integration +8%
• Matter Efficiency (Tier 1) – Active
[Shadow Vault]
Mask (Basic Tier)
• Effect: Harden (Slight defense boost against physical attacks)
Chest Plate (Basic Tier)
• Effect: Harden (Chest defense, reduces direct impact)
Storage Capacity: 3 / 10 slots occupied
Current Matter Drain: Minimal
Kael's eyes lingered on the Shadow Vault display. It still unsettled him — how his gear dissolved into smoke and reformed as if it had always been there. It felt real, but not real. A trick of shadows and code. Yet, it worked.
He flexed his hand, summoning the dagger. The blade formed instantly, dark steel glowing faintly with red and purple light, shadows dripping off it like molten glass. His chest tightened. He still wasn't used to the weight of it — not its size, but the meaning.
Nathan's voice drifted into his head, smooth as always.
"Your progress is steady. Too steady. You'll need to grow faster."
Kael scowled. "I'm doing everything you throw at me."
"And yet, you nearly broke in the cave. Power without control is chaos. You must train until the blade no longer feels like an extension of me, but of you."
Kael's grip tightened on the dagger. He didn't reply. He knew Nathan was right.
The HUD flickered away as he released the blade, letting it vanish into the Vault again. He lay back on the bunk, staring at the ceiling. His body was still sore from the last Shadow training session, bruises faint under the fresh bandages on his ribs.
He closed his eyes. For a moment, he let himself drift.
—
The sound of the door sliding open pulled him awake. Kael's eyes snapped open, adjusting quickly to the faint light.
Jorin stood in the doorway, his armor faintly humming with the static of stored lightning. He raised a hand, signaling Kael to stay quiet.
"Up," Jorin said in a low voice. "Now."
Kael sat up instantly, grabbing his boots and pulling them on. "It's the middle of the night," he muttered.
"Exactly," Jorin replied. His eyes scanned the hallway beyond before settling back on Kael. "No one needs to know where we're going."
Kael rose, his pulse quickening. "We're leaving?"
Jorin gave a single sharp nod. "Two weeks isn't rest for you, Strix. It's preparation. Follow me."
Kael slipped his mask from the Vault, fitting it over his face. The cool metal settled against his skin, changing his reflection in the faint mirror beside his bed. For once, the boy staring back didn't look like a blank.
He looked like someone ready for war.
As they slipped into the dark hallway, Nathan's voice whispered, almost amused.
"Finally. He's taking you where you need to be."
Kael didn't answer. He just followed Jorin into the shadows of the academy, the silence of the halls breaking under the faint hum of lightning at his teacher's back.
Tomorrow, it seemed, had come early.