The moonlight streamed through the academy's grand windows, casting silver streaks on the polished floors. The events of the last few days still weighed heavily on Shin. The revelation about Jirou — his younger brother — being the head of the Hogosura clan still didn't sit right with him.
Shin sat in the library, pretending to read, but his mind was far away.
Umei: "You're reading the same page for fifteen minutes. Either it's a masterpiece… or you're not actually reading."
Shin (closing the book): "It's nothing. Just… sorting my thoughts."
Umei: "About Jirou?"
Shin: "…You really can't keep a secret, huh?"
Umei (smiling faintly): "I can. I just don't keep them from you."
Before Shin could answer, Haya's voice echoed from the hallway.
Haya: "Well, well… look at this. The rich little princess and the quiet shadow."
Haya strode in with two of her friends. Umei stiffened instantly.
Umei: "Go away, Haya. I'm not in the mood."
Haya: "Oh? Is this about your precious magic score? Such a shame — all that wealth, and yet your magic's as soft as whipped cream."
Her friends snickered. Shin's eyes narrowed, but he stayed quiet, observing.
Umei: "Better soft cream than a rotten mouth."
Haya: "Cute. But at least my 'rotten mouth' comes with skill. You wouldn't last two seconds against me in a duel."
Shin (calmly): "Do you have anything better to do than pick on people who didn't challenge you?"
Haya (smirking): "I fight those worth fighting. She's just… entertaining practice."
Haya stepped closer to Umei, but Shin subtly shifted his chair between them.
Shin: "Then maybe you should find someone else to 'practice' on. Before you regret it."
The air between them crackled. Haya held Shin's gaze for a moment, then gave a sharp laugh.
Haya: "You're starting to sound like Aojin. Watch yourself, Akehara."
She left, but the smirk she wore hinted this wasn't over.
---
Later That Night
Shin walked back to the dorms, but a flicker of movement in the shadows caught his eye. He turned — nothing. The corridors were empty, yet his instincts screamed otherwise.
Shin (thinking): They're still following me.
He pretended to ignore it and continued walking. Near the old west wing — long abandoned — a faint, cold gust brushed past him.
Voice in the shadows: "So… you're the Akehara heir. You hide your strength well."
Shin stopped, scanning the darkness.
Shin: "If you know who I am, come out."
Two cloaked figures stepped forward, their faces hidden.
Figure 1: "We serve the True Flame. We've been watching you."
Shin: "And?"
Figure 2: "You're wasted here in the academy. Your family doesn't understand the power you could wield."
Shin's tone turned cold.
Shin: "And you think you do?"
Before they could answer, a sudden, deliberate clap echoed from behind — Aojin appeared, his gaze sharp.
Aojin: "Tch. I should've known you pests were inside the walls."
The figures vanished in an instant, as if the shadows swallowed them.
Shin: "You knew they were here?"
Aojin: "I suspected. And now I know they've chosen you for something. Which means…"
Shin: "…which means I'm in their way, or part of their plan."
Aojin didn't deny it. Instead, he turned and walked away.
Aojin: "Be ready, Akehara. This game is bigger than you think."
---
Next morning, Umei noticed Shin was unusually quiet.
Umei: "You're planning something, aren't you?"
Shin (smiling faintly): "I'm planning to survive."
---