The moment Liam spotted Ember and Gordon, his gut twisted in panic. Instinct took over before reason could catch up. He triggered Shadow Passage, disappearing in a blur of myst and reappearing at the first location his mind grasped—the last place his eyes had landed.
Now, he crouched behind a wide, stone pillar that overlooked the open core of the academy's central atrium—three floors up. It was a terrible position. If he lost balance for even a second, he'd plummet to his death. He steadied himself, pressing flat against the cold surface of the column, heart pounding, limbs tense with adrenaline.
Dammit... now I really don't wanna be here, he cursed inwardly, adjusting slightly to ease the shaking in his legs. It makes sense that two hybrids would meet... but I wasn't expecting this. Not now.
His chances of surviving a confrontation with Ember were already slim—barely 10% by his own estimate. Add Gordon to the mix, and there was no chance. If they noticed him now, it wouldn't be a fight—it would be an execution.
He pushed those thoughts away, forcing himself to breathe steadily and listen.
"You said you'd bring her today, didn't you? But I don't see her anywhere," Gordon said, his tone sharp with irritation.
"Yeah, no kidding. I can see that too," Ember snapped back.
"Then what the hell stopped you? You know the sooner we get her to Lord Sylvathar, the faster his grand plan unfolds."
"Hey, asshole, I'm not an idiot. Don't act like you're the only one who knows what's at stake," Ember replied, the temperature in her voice dropping.
"Call me 'asshole' again," Gordon warned, stepping closer. His blue eyes shimmered, touched by a faint green glow. "And I'll remind you why I was chosen for the transformation before you."
Ember didn't flinch. Her icy eyes burned with the same green hue. "Don't let seniority get to your head. We may both be hybrids, but I'd still fold you in a fight. Get that straight, you muscle-bound waste."
The tension hung in the air like a blade between them. For a moment, neither spoke, until Gordon finally exhaled, brushing his hair from his face.
"What a pain…" he muttered under his breath. "Anyway, what happened? Why didn't you bring Sheila?"
"I was bringing her. Everything was going fine until we ran into two of her friends. That threw the whole plan off."
"And why should that matter? Didn't you tell her it was urgent?"
"I did," Ember said, her tone laced with scorn. "But if she suddenly disappeared and the last person she was seen with was me—in front of her friends—how long do you think it'd take for the academy to start asking questions? Our cover would blow."
"Fair point," Gordon admitted, rubbing his temple in frustration. "By the way, these 'friends' of hers... was there a boy with red eyes? Cold stare? Kind of looks at you the same way Galen does?"
"Yeah, he was there. Why?" Ember asked, eyebrows narrowing.
"No reason. Just hate him," Gordon said with a bitter sneer. "He looks at me with the same smug gaze that arrogant bastard Galen has. Makes me want to tear his face off."
Behind the pillar, Liam's mind raced at full speed. Why Sheila? He didn't have a clue what Ember and Gordon wanted with her, but he knew one thing—it wasn't anything good.
'Think, Liam. What could they possibly need her for?' He pressed tighter against the cold stone, trying to steady his breath. 'No. This isn't the time or place to start overthinking. I need to move.'
Just as he decided to retreat, his boot slipped slightly on the ledge. A sharp scrape echoed—faint, but enough to be heard.
Not a scream. Just the soft sound of leather against stone.
From the side, Ember and Gordon froze. Their eyes met. Without a word, Ember gestured silently—Gordon moved to circle from one side of the pillar, Ember from the other.
They moved in sync, silent, eyes sharp, both weaving spells beneath their breath—ready to strike at whatever dared eavesdrop. The air grew tense, charged with myst. Their steps were cautious but deliberate.
And then they struck.
They rounded the pillar in perfect unison—only to find nothing.
No figure. No body. Not even a single sign of someone falling from the third floor.
"The hell was that?" Ember muttered, narrowing her eyes.
"Maybe a bird?" Gordon offered weakly.
Ember shot him a glare. "Birds wear boots now?"
"There's no trace of anyone," Gordon said, scanning the ground below. "Even if they teleported, we would've noticed the myst surge."
"You're right…" Ember said slowly, though doubt clung to her voice. Something didn't sit right.
Then it hit her. "Wait—did you cast a Silent Spell before I got here?"
Gordon blinked. "No... I didn't."
"You idiot," Ember hissed, the realization dawning. "We don't know who or what was just up here, and you didn't think to cloak the damn area?"
"Don't raise your voice at me," Gordon snapped. "And why didn't you cast it when you showed up?"
"I assumed that, as my senior hybrid, you'd have the brain cells to handle that." Ember's words dripped venom. "Clearly, I gave you too much credit."
She turned with a sharp movement. "Forget it. I'll find whoever it was myself. So much for being the one transformed first." Her boots clicked sharply against the stone as she stormed off.
Gordon watched her go, scowling. "Ever since she got turned, that shy girl vanished. Now she's just a damn headache."
But her words lingered in his mind. 'She's right… We can't brush this off.'
He stepped closer to the ledge, eyes narrowing as he peered down.
'Whoever was here… I'll find them.'
Meanwhile, back in his room, Liam lay sprawled on the floor, flat on his back like someone who had just plummeted from a great height—because, well, he had.
When he slipped by the pillar, instinct screamed at him to use his flames to break the fall and dash away. It would've been clean, fast, and precise. But too flashy. Fire was bright. Obvious. And in that moment, stealth was everything.
So instead, he made a split-second call.
Just before hitting the ground, Liam activated Shadow Passage, his mind locking onto the image of his room's ceiling. The lights were off. The sun was dipping below the horizon. He knew shadows would stretch deep across the space—just enough for what he needed.
In the blink before impact, his body sank into the shadow beneath him and warped through the veil, reappearing from the darkness high above his own room.
He slammed into the floor with a painful grunt.
"Never doing that again," he muttered, dragging himself upright with a wince.
'Damn… that was close. Really close. But maybe worth it.' His mind replayed the conversation between Ember and Gordon. 'This whole hybrid mess… I'm curious, but at the same time, I couldn't care less.'
Still, Liam couldn't ignore what he'd heard. Valuable intel. Dangerous, yes—but valuable.
'With this much leverage,' he thought, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth, 'I might just ask for more than a catalyst for my ascension.'