Zane pinched the bridge of his nose as the shaky "leader" boy finished his explanation.
"So, let me get this straight…" Zane sighed. "You're all trembling like wet cats because the seniors said there are 'higher-ups' hiding in town, waiting to roast you alive if you get caught?"
The boy nodded nervously.
"Yeah. That's… not comforting. At all." Zane dropped his hand and rubbed his forehead. "Alright. Fine. Let's meet these mysterious seniors of yours before my brain leaks out from secondhand stupidity."
The group followed the self-proclaimed leader through a side path lined with overgrown shrubs, their footsteps crunching in unison. Zane dragged behind, muttering, I could be napping right now. Or eating. Or literally anywhere else.
When they reached the spot, the air shimmered. Out of nothingness, a girl stepped forward. She had that classic "I'm-too-cool-to-care" aura, her expression calm to the point of being icy.
Her voice was equally frosty. "I hope you didn't tell anyone about the plan. And I hope no one followed you."
Before Zane could even blink, she snapped her fingers. A gust of wind blasted over the group, rustling cloaks and hair.
From behind them, a boy emerged, apparently conjured by the breeze itself. "No teachers in sight," he reported casually. "They're clean."
"Wow," Zane said, clapping slowly. "Ten out of ten for dramatic entrances. Very 'secret agent.' Love the whole swoosh-from-air thing."
The seniors ignored him.
Zane raised his hand anyway. "Hi, me again. Zane. Quick question: why bother with a sketchy hole in the wall? You literally have a walking security scanner here. Wouldn't it be easier to, I dunno, just teleport us out and back? Problem solved, no holes, no sneaking."
The leader's jaw dropped. "He just—"
Before he could finish, the senior girl's head snapped toward Zane. Her calm expression cracked into irritation. "Oh, we've got a smart one. Everyone, clap."
A couple of the juniors gave weak, confused claps.
The girl's tone dropped, sharp as ice. "Listen, genius. The academy has a power barrier. If we use movement or transportation abilities, the whole place lights up like a bonfire, and the teachers will be up our asses before we take two steps. Got it?"
Zane blinked. "...That's fair. Still doesn't explain why your backup plan involves dragging half the nervous population of the school through a glowing hole in the wall."
That did it. Her eyes narrowed.
"You think you're clever? You think you're funny? Newsflash: I don't like mouthy little nobodies. So here's what's going to happen—" she stepped closer, the chill in her aura pressing down like a winter storm. "—you're not going with us. And to make sure you don't ruin things for the rest of us…"
Her smile was razor-thin. "We'll just have to take care of you."
The juniors gasped. One even squeaked, "Wait, what?"
Zane spread his arms, blindfold still covering his eyes. "Fantastic. My first official day of class, and I'm already on the assassination menu. At least let me finish my break before you ice me, yeah?"
The wind picked up around them, the boy who'd scanned earlier flexing his fingers.
Zane muttered under his breath, "...And Mira said today would be a normal day. Figures.