Chapter 10 – The Man Behind the Shadows

The battlefield remained eerily silent long after the last traces of the Void portal disappeared. The academy's protective barrier continued humming softly overhead, but no one celebrated the retreat of the monsters. Soldiers stood frozen among the scorched earth, their weapons still drawn as though expecting another wave to emerge from the darkness at any moment. Professors hurried across the damaged walls, checking for casualties and reinforcing the weakened defensive arrays, while healers moved from one injured guard to another under Orion's direction. The smell of smoke and burnt mana lingered heavily in the air, carried by a cold wind that swept through the mountains surrounding Noctis Academy. I remained standing on the observation terrace, unable to tear my eyes away from the empty battlefield.

Everything had happened so quickly that my mind struggled to process it. The monsters had attacked with terrifying force, only to retreat without achieving anything. They had ignored countless opportunities to breach the academy after seeing... me. My fingers unconsciously tightened against the stone railing. The system's final message replayed repeatedly inside my mind. Recognition Event Successfully Prevented. Prevented by what? Or by whom? More importantly, what exactly had been prevented? Every answer only created more questions.

The Crown System flickered again, its familiar blue screen appearing before my eyes without warning. [Hidden Reward Available.] I blinked in surprise. "A reward?" I whispered. A new notification immediately replaced the previous one. [Memory Fragment Acquired.] [Viewing Recommended in a Secure Location.] Before I could investigate further, footsteps echoed behind me. I quickly dismissed the screen just as the Headmaster stepped onto the terrace, accompanied by Lucian, Kael, Azriel, Orion, and several senior professors. The elderly man's sharp golden eyes swept across the battlefield one last time before settling on me. "Miss Ashbourne," he said calmly, "for the safety of the academy, I will be placing you under temporary supervision." My heart skipped. Supervision? Before I could misunderstand, he continued, "This is not an accusation. Today's incident has raised more questions than answers. Until we determine why those creatures reacted the way they did, it would be irresponsible to leave you unprotected." Kael folded his arms with a crooked grin. "In other words..." He glanced toward me. "Congratulations. You're officially interesting." I sighed quietly. "That's somehow less comforting than you probably intended." His grin widened. Even Lucian's lips seemed to twitch ever so slightly before his usual expression returned.

The walk back toward the academy was far quieter than before. News of the attack had already spread throughout the campus, and students watched from windows and balconies as we passed. Their whispers followed us through every corridor. Some looked at the Crown Kings with admiration. Others stared openly at me, trying to understand why an ordinary first-year had been standing beside the academy's strongest protectors during a crisis. I lowered my head slightly, hoping to avoid their attention, but it was already too late. Rumors would spread before morning. As we entered the central administration building, Azriel suddenly slowed his pace until he was walking beside me. He didn't look at me immediately. Instead, his gaze remained fixed ahead as he spoke in his usual calm voice. "You're hiding something." I let out a tired laugh. "I've noticed everyone seems convinced of that." "No," he replied quietly. "They're convinced you're dangerous." His eyes finally met mine. "I think you're frightened." His words caught me completely off guard. For several seconds I couldn't respond.

Every professor, every student, even the Headmaster had looked at me with suspicion since arriving at the academy. Azriel was the first person to suggest that perhaps I wasn't controlling any of this. Before I could answer, he looked away again. "Fear leaves patterns," he murmured. "I've spent years learning how to read them." Then, as though he hadn't said anything unusual at all, he resumed walking toward the Headmaster's office. I stood frozen for a brief moment before hurrying after the others. Somewhere deep inside, I realized my opinion of the mysterious Shadow King had begun to change.

Far beyond the academy's borders, hidden beneath the ruins of an ancient fortress swallowed by endless darkness, silence ruled a vast underground chamber. Towering pillars carved with forgotten symbols stretched toward a ceiling that disappeared into shadow, while rivers of black mist flowed silently across the cracked stone floor. At the center of the chamber knelt the very Void Alpha that had attacked Noctis Academy. Its enormous body was covered in fresh wounds, and streams of dark energy leaked from the fractures across its armor. Despite its monstrous appearance, it remained completely motionless, as though awaiting judgment. Heavy footsteps echoed through the chamber. A tall man emerged from the darkness wearing a long black cloak embroidered with silver runes that glowed faintly beneath the mist. His face remained hidden beneath a hood, but the oppressive aura surrounding him surpassed even the terrifying presence of the Void Alpha. He stopped several meters away from the kneeling creature. "You failed," he said calmly. His voice carried neither anger nor disappointment. It was simply... absolute.

The Alpha lowered its head even further. "The... interference..." it growled painfully. "The Crown..." The cloaked man raised one hand, silencing it instantly. "I expected as much." Slowly, he turned toward a massive crystal suspended above the chamber. Within its dark surface shimmered the image of a young girl standing on a terrace beneath the moonlight.  The man's hidden lips curved into the faintest smile. "So..." he murmured. "You've finally returned." His fingers brushed lightly against the crystal before he spoke again, this time almost affectionately. "Sleep a little longer, Your Majesty." The image vanished. The chamber fell silent once more. Then the man issued a single command that sent an invisible wave through the darkness. "Prepare the next trial." Across the underground kingdom, thousands of crimson eyes slowly opened in unison.