William did not go immediately.
That was the first change.
Before, he would have.
Curiosity, bad decisions, and a general lack of self-preservation usually worked together.
This time, he waited.
Not because he was scared.
Just… thinking.
---
The dorm quieted slowly.
Doors shut.
Voices faded.
Footsteps became less frequent.
Even Kai eventually stopped talking—which, more than anything else, confirmed how late it had gotten.
William lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling.
The card sat on the desk beside him.
Midnight. East Courtyard. Come alone.
No name.
No reason.
That bothered him more now than it had earlier.
"…Too clean," he muttered.
If this was just a fight, they would have said it.
If it was intimidation, it would have been louder.
This felt… intentional.
Like someone who didn't need to explain.
That narrowed it down in a very unhelpful way.
---
He sat up.
His body still ached from earlier.
Not sharp pain anymore.
Just a constant reminder.
He flexed his fingers.
His hand looked normal again.
No light.
No cracks in reality.
No collapsing floors.
Good.
Or maybe just quiet.
That thought stayed longer than he liked.
---
The hallway outside was dim.
Only a few lights remained active.
The academy at night felt different.
Less structured.
Less watched.
Or maybe just pretending to be.
William walked without rushing.
No reason to look suspicious when you already were.
He passed one corner and paused.
Someone stood at the far end of the corridor.
Leaning against the wall.
Serena.
Of course.
She didn't move when he stopped.
"Still going?" she asked.
William sighed quietly.
"Still here?"
"That wasn't the question."
"No, it wasn't."
She pushed off the wall and walked closer.
Not blocking him.
Just… there.
"That courtyard," she said, "people don't go there unless they have to."
"I've noticed people keep telling me not to go places," William replied.
"And you keep going anyway."
"Consistency matters."
She watched him for a second.
Then:
"Just don't assume it's about you."
That made him pause.
"…That's new."
"Everything isn't always a challenge," she added. "Sometimes it's something else."
"Helpful. Vague, but helpful."
She shrugged.
"That's all you're getting."
They stood there a moment longer.
No argument.
No jokes.
Then she stepped aside.
William walked past her.
"…If I don't come back," he said, not turning, "tell Kai he still owes me money."
"He doesn't owe you anything."
"He will."
That was enough.
---
The East Courtyard sat at the edge of the academy grounds.
William hadn't been there before.
Which, at this point, should have been a warning sign.
The path leading to it grew quieter the farther he walked.
Less light.
Fewer runes.
The academy's usual structure faded into something older.
The walls here were worn.
Not broken.
Just… used.
He stepped through the archway.
And stopped.
---
The courtyard was larger than expected.
Open sky above.
No central structure.
Just stone.
Cracked in places.
Uneven.
Like it had been repaired too many times.
Or not repaired at all.
No students.
No movement.
No sound.
William stepped further in.
"…This is where people come for illegal decisions," he said under his breath.
"Correct."
The voice came from behind him.
William didn't turn immediately.
"…You could've led with that earlier," he said.
Cassian stepped into view from the shadows near the wall.
Alone.
No seniors.
No audience.
Different from before.
Quieter.
More serious.
William turned fully now.
"So this isn't a group activity?"
"No."
"Good. I left my fans behind."
Cassian ignored that.
His expression wasn't amused this time.
It wasn't anything, really.
Just focused.
---
"You came," Cassian said.
"You wrote it like I didn't have a choice."
"You did."
William glanced around once more.
"…This doesn't look like a duel."
"It isn't."
That confirmed Serena's warning.
William crossed his arms slightly.
"Then what is it?"
Cassian didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he stepped forward.
Not aggressive.
Measured.
"You don't understand what you are yet."
William exhaled slowly.
"…I'm starting to hate that sentence."
"You should."
"Great."
Silence stretched between them.
Not uncomfortable.
Just… heavy.
---
Cassian stopped a few steps away.
"There are things in this academy that most students don't see."
William nodded once.
"I figured."
"There are also things outside this academy that most students never survive."
That got his attention.
"…You're getting to a point, right?"
Cassian studied him.
"You were attacked before you came here."
Not a question.
William's expression didn't change.
"Yeah."
"Not random."
"No."
Cassian nodded slightly.
"Then you already know."
William frowned.
"Know what?"
Cassian's voice lowered.
"That the academy isn't just protecting you."
A pause.
Then:
"It's containing you."
---
William didn't react immediately.
Didn't joke.
Didn't deflect.
He just looked at Cassian.
"…That's not new information."
Cassian tilted his head slightly.
"No?"
"I've met your teachers."
That almost got a smile.
Almost.
"But that's not the point," Cassian continued.
"Then what is?"
Another pause.
This one deliberate.
"You're not the only one they're watching."
William's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Explain."
Cassian looked toward the courtyard entrance.
Then back at him.
"Your aunt."
That landed.
Harder than expected.
William's posture shifted without him meaning to.
"What about her?"
Cassian held his gaze.
"She didn't just bring you here and leave."
"I know that."
"No," Cassian said quietly. "You don't."
---
Something in the air changed.
Subtle.
But real.
William felt it before he understood it.
The same way he felt fractures before movement.
This wasn't a physical attack.
But it wasn't nothing.
"…You're choosing your next words carefully," William said.
"Yes."
"That's concerning."
"It should be."
William took a step closer.
"Then say it properly."
Cassian didn't move.
"Your aunt is being watched by the same people who are watching you."
William frowned.
"That doesn't—"
"They're not all on the same side."
Silence.
The kind that settles into your chest.
---
William looked away briefly.
Processing.
Pieces shifting.
Things that didn't make sense before… starting to align in uncomfortable ways.
"…The Hunters," he said slowly.
"Not just them."
"Then who?"
Cassian didn't answer.
Not directly.
Instead:
"There are groups that existed before this academy."
"Everyone keeps saying that like it's normal."
"It is, for us."
William looked back at him.
"…And you're telling me this because?"
Cassian's expression didn't change.
"Because if you keep moving the way you are…"
A small pause.
"…you won't survive long enough to figure it out yourself."
---
William let out a quiet breath.
Not fear.
Not yet.
Just… awareness.
"Wow," he said softly. "You really don't like small talk."
Cassian didn't respond.
For once, William didn't push it.
---
From somewhere beyond the courtyard walls, a faint sound echoed.
Distant.
Metal.
Movement.
Both of them noticed.
Cassian's gaze shifted slightly.
William felt it again—
That subtle fracture.
Something was off.
"…You expecting someone else?" William asked.
"No."
"That's worse."
Cassian stepped back half a pace.
"Stay alert."
William gave a short, humorless laugh.
"I've been alert since yesterday."
"Not enough."
---
The sound came again.
Closer now.
Not loud.
But deliberate.
Like something moving where it shouldn't.
William's hand twitched slightly.
That familiar pulse—
faint.
Waiting.
"…Yeah," he muttered.
"This is going badly already."
Cassian didn't disagree.
And that was the worst part.