"Never doubt the shadows, they arethe only ones who knows everything"
Entry One: The Bell's Echo
Malrik's shadow still clung to the air long after he vanished.
The courtyard was nearly empty now, but it felt smaller somehow, like the walls themselves had shifted closer. Kael's fingers were like iron around mine, the warmth of his fire bleeding into my skin.
"We need to move," he said, voice low but tight.
I nodded, though my legs felt heavy. My shadows hadn't gone back inside me yet—they twitched and curled along my arms like restless snakes, reluctant to release the tension.
"Let him think he's won something," Kael added, glancing over his shoulder toward the alley Malrik had disappeared into. "That's when we'll burn him."
I tried to smirk, but the pounding in my chest made it hard. "You sound awfully sure we'll get the chance."
Kael didn't answer—not with words. He tugged me forward, away from the alley and into the safer crush of students drifting toward the main halls. The night air was damp, tasting faintly of ash and iron—the smell that lingered after magic had been worked too hard.
Even with people around, I couldn't shake the feeling of being watched.
We didn't speak again until we reached the narrow stairwell that led to the western dorms. The flickering torches painted Kael's face in restless shadows, making the anger in his eyes even sharper.
"He knows something," Kael said finally.
"About… us?" I asked, my voice quieter than I intended.
"Maybe. Or maybe he's just guessing. Malrik's the type to throw stones until something cracks."
I leaned against the cold wall, my shadows sliding across the stones like spilled ink. "If he's guessing, he's too close. And Jaren—"
Kael's gaze sharpened. "What about Jaren?"
I hesitated. "He's been… watching me more. Asking questions he never used to."
His jaw tightened. "You think he suspects the bond?"
"I don't know. But if he ever finds out—"
"—he'll see you as dangerous," Kael finished, his tone flat. "And you know what the Academy does with dangerous things."
The silence between us was heavier than stone.
We decided to split before someone spotted us together. Kael left first, slipping down the side stairwell toward the training grounds. I waited, counting out slow breaths until the warmth of his presence faded from the bond.
Then I turned for the dorm corridor—and nearly collided with Jaren.
"Gods, you scared me," I said, forcing casualness into my voice.
He didn't smile. His eyes swept over me—too sharp, too thorough. That was when I realized I was still half-wrapped in shadow.
"Training late?" he asked, his tone unreadable.
I forced the shadows back inside, willing my heartbeat to slow. "Couldn't sleep. Needed to… clear my head."
His gaze lingered like he was peeling away layers I didn't want exposed. "I saw you in the courtyard earlier. With Kael."
My stomach twisted. "We were just talking."
"That's not what it looked like."
I straightened, meeting his eyes. "And what did it look like?"
For a moment, he didn't answer. Then he shook his head. "Just… be careful, Elara. People are talking."
Before I could ask what he meant, he was gone, leaving the corridor colder in his wake.
I didn't sleep that night.
Every creak in the walls sounded like footsteps. Every gust of wind through the tower made my heart lurch. The bond pulsed faintly in my chest, like Kael was still awake too.
By the time the sky started bleeding with the first pale threads of dawn, I gave up on sleep entirely and wandered down to the library.
The place was empty—the way I liked it. Rows of dust-heavy tomes lined the walls, their spines etched with fading gold. I pulled a book from the restricted history shelf: The Hollow Wars. The pages were brittle, the ink smudged with age, but the sketches made my stomach tighten—the creatures looked exactly like the Bone things we'd fought.
And in one corner of a page, barely visible unless you tilted the book toward the light, there was a note in spidery handwriting:
They seek the bonded first.
My throat went dry.
"You're up early."
I slammed the book shut before I could think, nearly toppling it off the table. Kael was leaning against the nearest shelf, his dark hair still mussed from sleep.
"You shouldn't sneak up on people like that," I muttered.
"You shouldn't be in the restricted section alone," he countered, but his voice was softer now. "Couldn't sleep?"
I shook my head. "Kept thinking about Malrik. And Jaren."
His gaze sharpened. "Did he say something to you?"
"He… warned me people are talking. Didn't say about what, but—"
"About us," Kael finished grimly. "They're going to find out eventually."
The bond thrummed, urgent and electric between us. I hated that he was right.
We sat together at the far table, our knees brushing under the wood. I showed him the note in the old book.
His fingers traced the words slowly, his brow furrowing. "If this is true… then the Bone Creatures aren't attacking at random."
"They're hunting us," I whispered.
"Not us," Kael corrected quietly. "You."
The weight of it settled like a stone in my gut.
The library doors creaked open, and Kael pulled back, all warmth gone from between us. I followed his gaze—and saw Nia and Lira strolling in, deep in conversation.
They spotted me and waved.
"You two hiding from breakfast?" Lira teased as she dropped into the chair across from me.
Kael made an excuse about needing to meet Professor Valen and slipped away. I could feel his reluctance in the bond, like a taut rope pulled too far.
Once he was gone, Nia's expression shifted. "You okay? You've been… different."
I tried to smile. "Just tired."
She didn't buy it. "Tired doesn't explain the way Jaren's been staring at you."
I blinked. "You noticed that?"
"Everyone has," Lira said, her voice quieter now. "And if we've noticed… Malrik's noticed."
Her words sent a chill down my spine.
The rest of the day passed in a haze of drills and forced conversation. Professor Valen pushed us harder than usual, focusing on joint-casting spells that drained the magic from my bones. But my mind kept drifting back to that one line—They seek the bonded first.
By evening, clouds had rolled in thick and low, turning the sky to a bruised purple. I met Kael in the old greenhouse—the one no one used anymore because of the cracked glass and creeping vines.
The moment the door shut behind me, he was there, his hands cupping my face.
"I don't like this," he said, his voice rough. "Jaren's circling, Malrik's circling, and now we know the Bone things might be after you."
I leaned into his touch despite the knot in my stomach. "Then we train harder. And we stop letting fear decide what we do."
For a second, I thought he'd argue. Instead, his lips brushed mine, light but fierce. "No more hiding from each other."
I nodded. "No more hiding."
But as the wind howled outside and the glass panes rattled, I couldn't shake the feeling that hiding was the only thing keeping us alive.
That night, I dreamed of bones—hundreds of them—clattering in the dark. I woke to find my shadows curled protectively around me like a living shield.
Somewhere in the distance, the academy's warning bell began to ring.