The Academy's hallways were quieter than usual tonight. Too quiet.
Neo walked through them with his hood low, footsteps echoing against marble tiles that seemed to stretch endlessly. He had learned to listen—not just to words, but to the silence between them. Tonight, the silence was screaming.
> *Trust fades fastest in the places built on secrets.*
Riko's words from earlier clung to him. A warning? A confession? He couldn't decide. Every look, every subtle movement of his so-called allies felt sharpened with intent.
Elin's shadow passed him once in the corridor. Her eyes lingered, cold and calculating, though her lips curled with a smile that almost convinced him. Almost.
In his mind, Echo Step pulsed—an itch in the back of his thoughts, as if urging him to move, to see beyond the illusions wrapped around him. But each time he tried to push it further, he felt resistance, like someone—or something—was pushing back.
Neo stopped near the window overlooking the courtyard. The moon painted the world silver, but even that light felt distorted, fragile. Beneath the glow, two figures exchanged an envelope quickly before vanishing into the shadows.
His hands tightened into fists.
If trust was fading, he needed to decide: would he cling to the fragments left… or tear the mask off everyone around him?
For the first time, Neo whispered the words aloud, a vow to himself:
"Whatever storm comes… I'll be the eye that never breaks."
And somewhere in the dark, unseen eyes were already watching him.
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