The door burst open with a violent crash.
Three senior students stormed into the room, their eyes blazing. The girl among them narrowed her gaze when she spotted Sera peeking out from behind Zane.
"There she is!" one of the boys growled, sparks of magic flickering in his clenched fist.
Sera tensed. Zane stepped in front of her without thinking.
"What's your problem?" he asked coolly.
"You think you can hide her? She was spying on a classified meeting," the lead senior barked. "That's grounds for punishment."
Zane's fingers twitched. He could feel the Void humming at the edge of his senses, waiting—eager.
"I really didn't mean to listen," Sera whispered from behind him. "I was just... passing by..."
But the seniors weren't interested in explanations.
"You've got three seconds to step aside."
Zane's gaze turned cold. "Make me."
A pulse of Void energy surged through the floor as Zane's body was instantly enveloped in Shadow Armor—the dark tendrils wrapping around his limbs like living smoke. A low hum filled the air as the armor's face-mask sealed over his head, glowing purple eyes emerging.
The seniors hesitated, caught off guard.
From beneath their feet, shadows snapped alive—stretching unnaturally, like they had a will of their own. Chains forged of pure darkness erupted from the ground, slamming into their legs and arms, binding them in place before they could even react.
"What the—?!" the girl gasped, struggling against the constriction.
"You're not the only ones with tricks," Zane said. He reached back, grabbed Sera's hand. "Hold tight."
With a pulse of Void energy, the shadows around their feet curled upward—swallowing them whole.
In an instant, they vanished from the room, leaving the three stunned seniors behind, still trapped in chains of shadow that slowly began to fade.