Chapter Twenty-Eight — Phase Two
Location:
Valerius Imperial Academy – Noble Dormitory District
Time: Midnight
The academy slept.
Moonlight washed over stone corridors and silent towers, but beneath the stillness, something moved—careful, practiced, lethal.
Celsius opened his eyes.
Too quiet.
The shadows in his room trembled, bending toward the door.
Eridiaries' voice did not warn him.
That meant one thing.
They want this to be clean.
Scene 1 — The First Death
A scream tore through the night.
Then—silence.
Celsius was already moving.
He slipped into the corridor as doors burst open, students spilling out in panic.
Blood stained the marble floor.
A body lay crumpled near the stairwell.
A noble first-year.
Throat cut.
Celsius knelt, eyes cold.
Celsius (thought): Not random.
A faint sigil glimmered on the corpse—quickly fading.
Celsius: "Contract killers."
Scene 2 — The Trap
The academy alarms rang again—short, sharp bursts.
False signals.
Guards scattered.
Exactly as intended.
Celsius felt it then.
A presence behind him.
He turned—
Steel flashed.
He caught the blade barehanded, shadow hardening around his palm.
Assassin (whisper): "Found you."
Three more emerged from the darkness.
No insignia. No hesitation.
Professionals.
Scene 3 — Shadow Unleashed
Celsius exhaled.
Shadows poured outward, swallowing sound.
The corridor darkened as if erased.
Students froze—unable to move, unable to scream.
Celsius stepped forward.
One strike.
One body fell.
Another lunged.
Shadow pierced through his chest.
The third tried to flee.
Celsius' eyes flickered gold.
The assassin collapsed, choking on his own shadow.
Silence returned.
The shadows retreated.
Bodies hit the floor.
Scene 4 — Lyra's Door
Celsius turned—
And felt his blood run cold.
Lyra's presence.
Down the west wing.
He moved faster than thought.
The door to her quarters was shattered.
Inside—chaos.
Furniture destroyed.
Blood on the wall.
Lyra stood with a blade in hand, breathing hard.
A masked man lay dead at her feet.
Lyra: "You were right."
Celsius scanned her quickly.
Uninjured.
He released a breath he didn't realize he was holding.
Celsius: "Kael."
Lyra nodded.
Lyra: "He wants you to move first."
Scene 5 — The Message
The walls trembled.
A rune ignited midair.
Kael's voice echoed throughout the dormitory.
Kael: "Little brother, congratulations."
Students screamed.
Kael: "You survived Phase Two."
Celsius' shadow rose.
Celsius: "Show yourself."
Kael laughed softly.
Kael: "Soon."
The rune shattered.
Scene 6 — Consequences
By dawn, the academy was sealed.
Five bodies.
No witnesses willing to speak.
Duke Magnus stood at the center of the dormitory ruins, face grim.
Magnus: "This has gone too far."
Celsius met his gaze.
Celsius: "You should've stopped him earlier."
Magnus said nothing.
That silence was answer enough.