By the time the last bell rang, the academy halls had emptied except for a few stragglers and Emily. She moved silently, her footsteps light against the polished floors, eyes scanning the corners as she walked toward the library.
Something was off.
The air felt heavier, like it had been stretched tight over invisible threads. A faint whisper brushed past her ears, soft enough to be ignored—but she didn't ignore it. Her hand went to the small shard in her pocket, the faint red glow pulsing in response.
"Someone's here," she muttered under her breath.
---
A sudden movement caught her attention. At the far end of the corridor, a shadow darted behind the row of lockers. Emily froze, listening.
Then it lunged.
Her reaction was instinctive. A step to the side, a quick sweep of her arm, and the shadow slammed into the wall with a soft thud. She didn't pause. A single glance at the figure revealed it was not human. Its form wavered, black and smoky, almost liquid.
"Not today," she whispered, crouching low.
With precise movements, she forced it back step by step, guiding it toward the open windows at the end of the hallway. The creature hissed, recoiling from her calm, deliberate aura, until it finally dissipated in a swirl of smoke outside.
The corridor was silent again. Emily straightened, brushing a strand of hair from her face. No one had seen her, and she was fine with that.
---
Footsteps echoed behind her. She didn't turn immediately.
"Impressive."
Perry's voice was soft, casual, but there was an edge of amusement in it. Emily turned to see him leaning against the lockers, arms crossed, eyes scanning her as if she were a puzzle he enjoyed solving.
"You shouldn't be wandering alone," he said.
"I'm careful," she replied evenly, slipping the shard back into her pocket.
Perry's smirk widened slightly. "Careful isn't enough. Not with what's coming."
Emily raised an eyebrow. "And what is coming, exactly?"
He leaned closer, voice low. "Something, or someone, who isn't going to run like that shadow just did. You'll need to be ready."
Her lips curved faintly, almost a smile. "Then I'll be ready."
---
That evening, Emily returned to her dorm, but sleep didn't come easily. She couldn't shake the feeling of being watched—not just by shadows, but by eyes that were too clever, too deliberate to belong to anything normal.
From the corner of the room, her mirror reflected her own calm face… and just for a second, the faintest flicker of a smile that wasn't hers.
Emily's hand tightened around the shard. "Soon," she whispered softly. "I'll see who's really behind this."
Outside, the night pressed close, carrying the whispers of things that had waited a long time.
---
The sun hung low over the academy, casting long shadows across the courtyard. Students milled about, some laughing, some rushing to their clubs, and Emily moved quietly among them, her steps measured, her eyes scanning without seeming to.
It wasn't unusual for her to notice things that others didn't. Tiny details, subtle movements, small signs of trouble—habits ingrained from a life that had been far harsher than this.
---
"Watch out!"
The shout came suddenly from the basketball court. A younger student, clutching a notebook, had tripped over the edge of the concrete, sliding dangerously toward the steps that led to the gym.
Emily's reaction was instinctive. One step, a quick shift of her weight, and she was there before the student hit the ground. Her arms shot out, catching them with a firm but gentle grip.