Liam stood just outside the cafeteria doors, his steps halting.
'Walking out to find Magnus alone is a terrible idea with Gordon likely tracking me,' he thought, his eyes scanning the hallway.
'Something feels off. I'm not walking alone. I don't know where Gordon is right now, maybe still scrambling to locate me—but he's smart. He'll make his way to the cafeteria soon enough. The real problem… is Lady Ember.'
'I assumed she'd be here already, but I sensed no hostility in the cafeteria. Which means… the only place she could be is wherever Magnus and Sheila are. Probably counting on Gordon to flush me out—create a distraction and make it easier to take Sheila.'
His hand clenched tightly.
"What to do…" he muttered under his breath. "Dammit, I've never felt this blank before." He sighed, frustration creeping into his voice.
"I need help," he admitted.
'Hey… voice inside me?' he called out mentally. 'I know you can hear me. Listen—I need help. My strength isn't enough to handle this. So…' He hesitated. 'Please help me again, and I guess I'll be indebted to y—'
The word indebted echoed in his mind, triggering a sharp memory.
"You know what, forget it. I take it back. I don't need your help. Not when I barely know what you are or what you want." His voice firmed with resolve. "Lady Seraphina will do just fine."
He pivoted and began making his way to the Tactical Espionage classroom.
Liam reached the class without incident—neither Gordon nor Ember in sight. He pushed one side of the double door open and stepped inside.
Just as he closed the door behind him—shhk!—a dagger flew past his face, grazing his cheek before embedding itself firmly in the wood.
Liam stared at it for a moment before pulling it free. "Was that necessary?"
"Mm~ Of course not," came Seraphina's silky voice. "I wasn't aiming at you, darling. You just happened to walk right into the path of my target."
He walked calmly toward her, eyes unfazed. Seraphina sat perched atop the desk, legs crossed, watching him like a cat toying with prey.
"So… tell me, sweetie~," she purred, "what brings you to class early? Don't tell me you missed me already?"
Liam sighed internally. 'Why does she always have to be ?'
"I need your help with something."
"Ooh~ you need my help?" she perked up, a playful gleam lighting her eyes. "I knew this day would come." She leaned forward, pushing her bosom out—her shirt's top three buttons undone. "Let's make a deal. I help you, and in return… you'll have to plea—"
"Don't worry about it," Liam cut in sharply. "I'll find another way. But thanks anyway." He turned to leave.
Seraphina tilted her head, amused. "Fine, fine. If you're rejecting that offer, then I'll ask for nothing." She reclined back against the desk, smirking. "Guess I'll help you for free—since you're the only one who knows how to entertain me in this dreadfully boring class."
Liam stopped, then turned back to face her.
"So… sweetie~" Seraphina teased, a wicked smile curling her lips, "what does mama need to do for you today?"
"I need to talk to Mystica," Liam said, stepping forward. "And since you two are clearly close, I assume you have a way to reach her when she's not around."
"Hm? Mystica?" Seraphina hummed, a sly grin forming. "Aw, does the little one miss his mother?"
"She's not my mother," Liam replied flatly.
"Relax, tiger. I know," she purred. "Besides, I'm the only one you'd want to call that anyway. I just prefer mama. No—mommy sounds better."
Liam stared at her, unmoved. "Please. This is urgent." His voice was calm, but internally his patience was thinning.
"I know, sweetie. And so are my desires." She gave a lazy stretch. "So I think you should just accept my offer and—"
Liam turned toward the door without another word.
"Alright, fine," Seraphina said with a smirk. "You can fulfill your duties later."
Liam turned back. Seraphina tapped three times on the light green rune crystal hanging from her necklace. It blinked softly a few times before Mystica's figure shimmered into view, seated elegantly in a projection.
"Kind of in an important meeting right now, Sera," Mystica said in her usual calm voice.
"No shock there, darling. But I'm not the one who wants to talk," Seraphina replied, rotating the projection to face Liam. "Your precious little shadow does."
Mystica's expression shifted slightly. "Liam?"
"Hey," he said. "There's something we need to talk about. It's important."
"Alright, I'm listening."
"Yeah, before I begin… is it okay for her to still be here? Since…" Liam began.
Mystica raised a hand gently. "It's fine. I planned to tell her everything anyway. Go on."
Liam nodded once. "Lady Seraphina, would you mind casting a Silent Spell?"
"Already did, hun. Now spill some tea for me to sip," Seraphina said with a grin.
"It's about the Sheila situation," Liam said, turning back to Mystica.
"She's already covered," Mystica replied. "Magnus is keeping an eye on her. You don't need to worry about protecting her."
"Sorry," Liam said. "But Sheila's safety isn't what I'm worried about right now. And yeah, I know Magnus is watching her. He's not exactly being subtle. Not that it matters—only I seem to understand what's really going on."
Mystica's expression turned more focused. "If it's not about her, then why bring it up?"
"Because, somehow… I've become a target," Liam said. "Gordon and Ember are circling me. I think they're want to use me to pull Magnus away from Sheila. But honestly, I don't think I'm just a distraction."
Mystica's eyes darkened. "They might try to kill you."
"Yeah," Liam said softly. "That's what I think too. So right now… I need your help."
"Are they both after you at the same time?" Mystica asked.
"No. Right now, it's just Gordon," Liam replied.
"…What?" Liam blinked, slightly thrown off.
"Honestly, this is the perfect opportunity to catch a hybrid," Mystica said with a sly smile.
"Catch? And how exactly is that supposed to happen?" Liam asked.
"Simple. Use his motive against him. If you go about your day like normal, Gordon will try to snatch you the moment he sees a chance."
"And you're so sure of that because?" Liam asked calmly.
"Because unlike you, Gordon doesn't stay calm under pressure. He's smart and cunning, I'll give him that. But when he believes his opponent doesn't stand a chance, he drops his guard. He underestimates people—and that's his biggest weakness. He exploits openings without thinking twice."
"I see. So instead of letting them use me to bait Magnus, I flip it and use myself to bait Gordon instead," Liam said. "Sounds doable. But how exactly do we capture him? Because frankly, today's been annoying enough. I'd rather not add another headache."
"That's where Seraphina comes in," Mystica said, gesturing toward her.
"She'll be watching you from the shadows. With her stealth and strength, I promise—nothing will touch you."
Liam glanced at Seraphina, who gave him a slow, seductive wave. "Well… that's comforting," he muttered with faint irritation.
"You're going to love me watching over you, sweetie~," Seraphina teased.
"Anyway, how's this supposed to play out?" Liam asked. "I can't just wander around aimlessly waiting for a maniac to jump me while I act clueless until something happens. We need an actual plan."
A quiet pause followed.
Then Seraphina smirked.
Liam stared at them both. "You two can't be serious."
"Oh, but we are," Seraphina purred, sliding off the desk with feline grace. "I've always wanted an excuse to stalk you in silence."
"Great," Liam muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Right," Mystica chimed in, amusement still on her face. "We're not asking you to walk around completely aimlessly. Just move like you normally would—your usual pace, your usual attitude. Go to a few key places: the training hall, the gardens, maybe stop by the Archives. Gordon's probably already tracking your movement patterns, hoping you slip."
"And while I'm doing that, you're just going to what… hover around and pounce when he gets too close?" Liam asked Seraphina skeptically.
Seraphina smiled. "Sweetie, I'm not just going to 'hover.' I'll be your shadow. You won't even know I'm there."
"I'm sure that's what makes it worse," Liam muttered again.
Mystica leaned forward slightly in her seat. "The key is making Gordon believe he's in control of the situation. He wants to use you as a distraction, so let him think it's working. When he moves to strike, Seraphina incapacitates him. Fast. Clean. No chance to recover."
"And what if he doesn't fall for it?" Liam asked. "What if he figures out it's a trap?"
"He won't," Seraphina said with confidence. "Because you'll sell it. You're good at acting detached and unaware. Play the part. Act like you have no idea he's stalking you. That'll keep him confident."
Liam looked between the two women, their expressions calm, smug, and terrifyingly in sync.
"You two really enjoy this kind of thing, don't you?" he asked.
"Oh, absolutely," Seraphina said with a wink.
"Maybe a little too much," Mystica added with a small laugh.
Liam exhaled, his gaze sharpening. "Alright. I'll do it. But if this goes sideways…"
"It won't," Mystica assured.
"And if it does," Seraphina added, licking her lips slightly, "I'll make sure he regrets it."
Liam turned toward the door. "Then I guess it's time I take a walk."