The air in the small office became physically heavy. To the normal students outside, it was just a quiet Tuesday, but inside, the fabric of reality was stretching.
The Family Heads:
Lord Kaelen Leonhart and Lady Elara Rosendel—the secret leaders of the world's most powerful underground organizations—glared at the boys. They were used to being treated as kings.
"Young man," Lord Kaelen hissed, his hand twitching toward a hidden relic in his robe. "Power without discipline is a curse. You may be blood, Allen, but you need to be disciplined properly for your insolence."
The Panic:
From the corner, Serina and Evelyn exchanged a look of pure terror. They weren't scared for Alex and Allen—they were scared of them. They had seen the vacuum of space; they knew that if Allen lost his patience, the Family Heads would be erased before they could blink.
The Intervention:
"Ahh, chill guys! 😅" Alex suddenly hopped between the stone-faced Allen and the furious Elders, waving his hands frantically. "Let's settle this in a calm and proper way, haha! No need for 'discipline' or 'secret society' punishments, right? We're all family here!"
Alex's tone was playful, but his shadow was behaving strangely. While he was smiling, his shadow on the floor had detached from his feet and was slowly creeping toward Lady Elara's throat like a silent cobra.
The Power Play:
Allen didn't move. He just stared at his "grandfather" with those bored, "IDC" eyes.
"Discipline?" Allen asked, his voice a low hum that made the windows rattle in their frames. "You want to discipline the one who wrote the laws you live by? Kaelen, you've grown arrogant in your old age."
The Principal, David, broke into a cold sweat. He knew that if this continued, the entire school building would be leveled. "My Lords! Please! We are in a civilian area. If the 'Normal' students see anything, the Secret Society's centuries of work will be undone in minutes!"
The Compromise:
Lady Elara Rosendel narrowed her eyes at Alex. "Fine. But the Association demands a report on the 'Anomaly' that destroyed the Level 5. If you won't give it, we will take you into custody for questioning at the Sanctuary."
Alex's smirk never faded, but he leaned in close to Elara, his voice dropping to a whisper that only she could hear: "The Sanctuary was built using my architecture, Elara. Do you really think you can hold the Shadow in a room made of its own dust?"
Elara froze. Her face went pale as she felt a sudden, crushing chill in her soul.
The Exit:
"Anyway!" Alex clapped his hands, breaking the tension. "We have History class, and I really need to copy Serina's notes. We'll talk about 'Gods' and 'Contracts' later, okay? Bye-bye!"
Without waiting for a response, Alex grabbed Allen by the collar and dragged him out of the office. Serina and Evelyn hurried after them, leaving the two most powerful people in the secret world standing in stunned, terrified silence.
After the Meeting:
As they walked down the hallway, past students who were just complaining about cafeteria food, the contrast was insane.
Serina: (Hissing) "Alex! You almost killed her! I saw your shadow move!"
Alex: "What? I was just being friendly! Besides, they started it with the 'discipline' talk. I'm way too old for a timeout."
Evelyn: (Looking at Allen) "What now? The Family Heads won't let this go. They'll send the 'Executioners' next."
Allen: (Stopping at a vending machine) "Let them. I need a soda. Does anyone have a spare coin? I spent my last one on that milk tea yesterday.