Ren woke with a start, the soft glow of the bedside clock confirming his dread: two days. Only two days remained until the midterms.
The realization hit him like a physical blow, cutting through the lingering unease of the previous night.
He had spent hours wrestling with the bizarre reality of the shadow at the window, the chilling whispers, and Li Wei's arcane display. But now, the mundane, yet equally daunting, challenge of academic survival loomed.
He couldn't afford distractions. Not now. His mind, accustomed to prioritizing threats, made a cold, swift decision.
The shadows, Valerius's machinations, Sakura's twisted devotion, Itami's unsettling change – they would have to wait. He would deal with them later. His immediate objective was the midterms. He had to perform, to maintain his disguise, to prove to Valerius that he could not be so easily broken, even on this unfamiliar battlefield.
He dressed quickly, the scent of Li Wei's room, a faint, clean fragrance, a strange comfort. He found Li Wei already in the kitchen, preparing a simple breakfast, her usual composure firmly back in place. Maya, however, was still a formidable presence, perched at the kitchen table, nursing a cup of tea, her eyes narrowed in a perpetual state of suspicion.
"Good morning, Emperor," Li Wei greeted, her voice even. She glanced at Maya, a subtle warning in her eyes.
"Morning," Ren replied, his gaze flickering to Maya. The memory of her furious shriek, the slap, and Li Wei's flustered reaction, brought a faint, weary smile to his lips.
After a quick, tense breakfast, Ren prepared to leave for school. He expected Li Wei to join him, but Maya suddenly stood up, blocking the door.
"I'm walking with you, Li Wei," Maya declared, her tone leaving no room for argument.
Her eyes, however, were fixed on Ren, a clear message: I'm keeping an eye on her, and on you.
Li Wei sighed, a barely audible sound of resignation. "Maya, it is unnecessary. I can walk alone."
"No, it's not!" Maya insisted, her chin jutting out. "You're the one who said there's some 'shadow' following Ren. And since you're apparently his 'official partner' now"—she stressed the word with venomous sarcasm—"then I'm coming with you. To make sure you both stay out of trouble. And to make sure you don't 'accidentally' hold hands again."
Li Wei's cheeks flushed faintly, but she simply nodded, accepting her fate. Ren, seeing the futility of arguing with his sister in this mood, merely offered a silent, sympathetic glance to Li Wei.
They stepped out into the crisp morning air. As they approached the school gate, Ren saw Kenji Tanaka waiting, a friendly smile on his face.
"Hey, Ren! Morning!" Kenji called out, falling into step beside him. He glanced at Maya and Li Wei, his smile faltering slightly at Maya's stern expression, but he quickly recovered. "Ready for the midterm grind? I was just thinking about that history essay. The one on the impact of industrialization? I'm still trying to figure out how to make it sound less like a textbook and more like... well, something interesting."
Ren welcomed the distraction. He pushed aside the lingering fear of the shadow, the worry for Itami, and the awkwardness of Maya's presence. He forced his mind to focus on the mundane, on the academic challenge.
"Indeed," Ren replied, trying to sound casual. "The complexities of societal change are often understated in simplified narratives.
Perhaps focusing on the human cost, the displacement of traditional labor, rather than merely the economic output, would yield a more compelling argument."
Kenji blinked, then grinned. "Whoa, Ren. Deep. I like it! You always come up with the most... unique angles. You're going to ace this, aren't you?"
As Ren and Kenji continued their discussion, their voices blending into the general hum of the arriving students, the focus shifted.
Maya walked a few paces behind them, Li Wei beside her, a reluctant captive.
"So," Maya began, her voice low, a conspiratorial whisper, "about last night. What exactly was that 'shadow' thing? And don't give me any more of that 'ancient entity' nonsense. I want details. Like, real details."
Li Wei sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Maya, it is not nonsense. It is a very real threat. And the details are not for casual discussion on a public street."
"Oh, so now you're worried about 'public discussion'?" Maya retorted, her eyes narrowing. "But you're not worried about bringing my brother to your house when your parents aren't home? And holding his hand?"
Li Wei stopped, turning to face Maya, her composure finally cracking. "Maya! We were in danger! Ren was being actively pursued by a malevolent force! My primary concern was his safety, not your... your teenage romantic dramas!"
"My 'teenage romantic dramas'?" Maya scoffed, planting her hands on her hips. "This is my brother we're talking about! And you were totally blushing when he called you 'official'!"
Li Wei's face flushed again, a furious crimson. "That was a misunderstanding! He was trying to use modern terminology and chose the wrong word! We are not 'official'! We are allies in a very dangerous, very ancient conflict!"
"Sure, sure," Maya muttered, clearly unconvinced, but a flicker of fear still lingered in her eyes. She looked towards Ren and Kenji, who were now deep in a discussion about the pros and cons of the factory system. "So, this 'shadow' thing... it's really after Ren? And it's why Itami's been acting so weird?"
Li Wei nodded, her expression grim. "Yes. Itami is under its influence. He is being used to gather information on Ren. And Sakura... she is a direct threat, twisted by the same entity."
Maya fell silent, her gaze distant, a new kind of worry settling over her features. The outlandish story, combined with the tangible changes in Itami and Sakura, and the genuine fear she'd witnessed in Li Wei, was slowly, reluctantly, chipping away at her skepticism. She still didn't fully believe it, not entirely, but the seed of doubt, of genuine concern, had been planted. She walked beside Li Wei, her usual chatter replaced by a thoughtful, uneasy silence, her eyes occasionally darting towards Ren, a newfound protectiveness mingling with her lingering suspicion.