Gordon stood still, unmoving for a long second. His breath came slow and heavy, fists clenched at his sides as his sharp gaze swept across the corridor. He reached out with his senses, attuning himself to the ambient Myst—searching for lingering traces of movement, spellwork, or presence.
Just a faint ripple in the current of Myst, like the wake of something fast and unnatural passing through.
"…This signature… it feels like Spatial magic," he muttered, eyes narrowing. "But that can't be. Or… can it?"
He paused, mind racing.
"No," he said more firmly. "The academy records only list fire affinity. Not even a hint of Spatial. So either he's hiding something… or someone's helping him."
His frown melted into a sly, cold smirk.
"Well, well… Liam Hunter. Looks like you're finally becoming interesting."
From the folds of his coat, Gordon drew a small obsidian shard etched with faint green veins—a Tracker Shard, attuned to the Myst trail of a marked target. He pressed two fingers against it and murmured a quiet incantation.
The shard glowed faintly… then cracked in his hand.
"Tch. Nothing." His frown deepened. "Someone's cloaking him. Either it's him… or someone powerful is doing it for him."
He pocketed the broken shard and turned to leave. But just as he stepped away, he heard hurried footsteps echoing toward him.
"Find that bastard!" came Chris's voice, angry and ragged with exertion.
Chris and Logan turned the corner at full speed, skidding to a halt when they spotted Gordon ahead.
"Gordon?" Chris asked, blinking. "What the hell are you doing here?"
Gordon quickly composed himself, replacing the sharpness in his eyes with a warm, practiced smile. He gave a slight bow.
"My prince. What a pleasant surprise. I was just making my way to the Alchemist Department for… research purposes."
"Right," Chris muttered, clearly unconvinced. "Anyway—have you seen a guy my age? Dark hair, strands of red, and a face that makes you want to punch it?"
Gordon's jaw tightened, though the flicker of emotion never reached his mask. He gave the faintest, most imperceptible twitch… but kept his smile intact.
"I'm afraid not, my prince. But should I see such a person… I'll be sure to bring him to you."
Chris huffed. "Great. Even father's personal mage isn't as helpful as he looks."
Gordon's smile faltered just a fraction as the whisper reached his enhanced hearing.
"Thank you, Gordon," Chris added. "If you catch him… don't kill him. Just drag him to me."
"Of course," Gordon said smoothly. "I'll make sure of it."
With that, he turned and walked off into the distance.
Chris and Logan remained in the middle of the corridor, scanning both ends with frustration. Chris clenched his fists.
"Dammit… I swear I'm going to kill that bastard Hunter."
"Uh, boss?" Logan muttered carefully.
Chris turned, scowling. "What now, Logan?"
"Well… the guy just said he was heading to the Alchemist Department, right? But isn't that the opposite direction?" he asked, pointing.
Chris looked, then shrugged with a glare. "Yeah, and? Whatever that creep is up to isn't my business. Your job is to find me Liam freakin' Hunter."
"S-sure thing, boss. I'm on it!" Logan squeaked, running off.
Meanwhile, Liam was nearing the cafeteria, heart still pounding—not just from the sprint, but from the chaos that had just unfolded. His breaths came sharp and heavy, but it wasn't fatigue. It was the adrenaline, the confusion, the voice.
'That voice… that instinctive pull... That wasn't me. It guided me, took control...'
He slowed down as he reached a corridor filled with students chatting in casual clusters, laughter echoing lightly through the space. Steadying his breath, Liam slipped into the crowd, schooling his expression back to its usual unreadable calm, and detached.
'Alright... think. Gordon came for me, and Ember was nowhere to be found. That spike of danger I sensed earlier—she was definitely the source. Which means whatever is going on... I'm either being targeted for elimination, or they're trying to use me to get to Sheila. Lure her out.'
He weaved through the bodies, eyes scanning for threats, even as he kept his pace calm and casual.
'Either way… I don't like it. And I don't want to stick around long enough to find out which it is.'
Grabbing a tray and moving through the line, he picked his food with practiced efficiency, then turned—eyes searching for familiar faces.
'And then there's that voice… whoever—or whatever—they are, they warned me again. Took control of my body. Spoke words I didn't mean to say. That wasn't me. It was like… like something was speaking through me.
'I get that it saved me… but possession? Yeah, that's not something I'm thrilled about. Still... if it could warn me… can I talk to it back?'
His train of thought paused as he spotted his group across the room.
"Hey! It's Liam. Where've you been, man?" Dylan called out, waving him over.
"Hey," Liam said simply as he walked up.
"Tch. I thought you'd beat me here," Asher muttered. "Turns out, once a slowpoke, always a slowpoke."
"I had to run an errand," Liam replied as he took the empty seat beside Ariana.
"Mmm~ For who?" Charlotte chimed in, flashing a teasing smile. "Lady Seraphina? I swear, that woman loves to keep you close. Honestly, I'm starting to think you have a thing for older women."
Liam gave her a flat look, lifting his fork. "Not the time for your antics, Charlotte."
"Oof. Cold as ever," Dylan said, laughing. Max chuckled along.
"You should aim your charm at Asher next," Max suggested. "He'd love the attention."
"I promise you, you'll regret it," Asher said darkly, shooting Charlotte a glare.
"Oh, c'mon man," Dylan grinned. "You know you want it."
Charlotte grinned, leaning in just enough to make Asher flinch, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "Careful, flame boy. I love a challenge."
Asher's eyes narrowed. "You try anything, and your face'll be the next bonfire I light."
"Ooo, fiery and flirty," Charlotte purred. "Knew you had it in you."
Max and Dylan burst out laughing, nearly choking on their food. Ariana, ever composed, just shook her head with a soft smile, adjusting her glasses.
Liam, however, stayed silent—methodically eating, his movements precise. His eyes drifted across the cafeteria every so often, scanning.
She leaned toward him slightly, voice low and private. "Hey… are you alright?"
Liam glanced at her, his face unreadable. "Yeah. Just tired, that's all."
She frowned, unconvinced. "Liam, we spent two weeks at the academy together. I was getting close to you—I know when something's off."
Her words struck him—not because of the care behind them, but because of what they revealed.
'Two weeks… Was I really that vulnerable? That easy to read? Damn it. How exposed was I during that time?'
Liam held her gaze, then replied smoothly, "Trust me, Ariana. I'm good. You might just be overthinking it… but thanks for checking in."
She blinked, a little flustered, then gave a soft smile and turned back to her food. "Alright. No problem."
"By the way," Liam asked quietly, "do you know where Sheila is? It's not like her to skip a meal."
"Oh, right," Ariana said, poking at her plate. "Sir Magnus has her running around like a training dummy. Poor girl hasn't had a second to breathe—apparently, he just 'felt like having fun' and she was the first person unlucky enough to cross his path."
She shrugged. "Honestly, kind of weird."
'Magnus is here? That makes things much more better to understand …'
His mind started piecing things together rapidly.
'If Magnus is nearby. That would explain everything —Ember and Gordon aren't just targeting me to kill me—hopefully. Nor are their planning to use me to Lure Sheila out. But they want to make me a distraction to get Magnus occupied so they can get Sheila without much stress.'
'But why would Magnus be personally tailing her? He doesn't seem to be the type to usually meddle unless it matters. Well, I guess Sheila's life matters.'
His eyes softened slightly.
'I'm Mystica sent him to watch over Sheila after that talk we had. This saves me the stress of endangering me life. But it doesn't change the fact that I'm on the hybrids' wanted list.'
'I gotta find Magnus.'
"Hey, Ariana," Liam said calmly, turning to her. "Any idea where Sir Magnus might be? I need to speak with him."
Ariana tapped her chin in thought. "Hmm... not entirely sure, but I think he might be in the Light Magic Department. Maybe."
Liam gave a small nod. "Got it. Thanks."
He rose from his seat, glancing at the others. "I'll be back soon."
Without waiting for a reply, he turned and walked off, slipping into the flow of students.
Max watched him go, raising a brow. "Man really knows how to vanish with zero context."
Dylan snorted, mouth half-full. "Come on, Maxie. You should be used to it by now. Liam's the king of vague exits."