Lina stood outside the infirmary door. She peeked through the small glass window.
Jax lay on the white bed. He looked very small. His skin was pale, and dark lines crawled up his neck. They looked like black cracks in old glass. He was the Vessel now. The deep thing beneath the academy was using his body.
Jax's eyes were closed, but his lips moved. Lina pressed her ear to the door.
"The cage is cracking," Jax whispered. His voice sounded like two people speaking at the same time. One was Jax. The other was something old and heavy. "The locks are breaking."
Lina backed away. Her hands were shaking. She could not help him. Not yet. She needed to understand what the Founder's book meant. She needed to know how to stop the thing beneath the stone.
She walked quickly to the grand library. It was late, and the tall rows of bookshelves were empty. The air smelled like dry paper and dust. Lina pulled a heavy book from the shelf. She opened it, searching for any mention of the Founder or the cage.
The library was completely silent.
Then, a soft footstep echoed behind her.
Lina froze. She slowly turned around.
The False Kai stood at the end of the aisle. He was not smiling this time. His face was perfectly calm. He took a slow step forward, blocking her path to the exit.
"You are working very hard, Lina," he said. His voice was gentle. It sounded exactly like the real Kai trying to comfort her. But the warmth was missing. It was just a copy of warmth.
"Move," Lina said. She held the heavy book against her chest like a shield.
He did not move. He tilted his head. "I just want to help you. We are friends, are we not? Friends ask each other questions to understand."
Lina's blood ran cold. She knew what was coming. The Three Question Trap. It was a rule to catch fakes. But now, the fake was using it. He was turning her own defense into a weapon.
"Let us play a game," the False Kai said softly. He took another step. He was close enough that she could see the empty, flat look in his eyes. "Answer me honestly, Lina. What do you fear most?"
Lina swallowed hard. She refused to answer.
He did not wait for her reply. He just continued, his voice smooth and steady. "Who do you miss when you are alone?"
Lina took a step back. Her back hit the wooden bookshelf. There was nowhere to run.
"And finally," he whispered, leaning in just a little bit. "What word do you hate being called?"
He knew. He was fishing for her weaknesses. He was gathering data to perfect his mask. If she answered, he would know exactly how to hurt her. If she did not answer, he would know she was afraid.
"I am not playing your game," Lina said. Her voice shook, but she forced the words out.
The False Kai stared at her for a long moment. Then, slowly, the corners of his mouth lifted. The empty, wrong smile returned.
"That is a very human reaction," he said. "Fear is so messy. But do not worry, Lina. I will learn. I have plenty of time."
He stepped aside, clearing the path to the door.
Lina did not wait. She ran past him, her heart pounding in her ears. She did not look back. But as she sprinted down the dark hallway, she could still feel his eyes on her back.
And she knew the countdown was still ticking.
To be Continued
© Kishtika., 2026
All rights reserved.
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Next Chapter Summary for Chapter 106: Seren's echo power spirals out of control, forcing her to hear the final words of a student who is still alive, while Lina discovers a hidden faction of students who also know the academy is a cage.