By evening, the academy halls were quiet. As Emily returned to her dorm, she passed the mirror-lined corridor. For a moment, she froze.
Her reflection moved first. A small, subtle tilt of the head — not her own movement.
Her pulse quickened.
She leaned closer, studying it. The whisper came again, faint, almost lost in the hum of the hallway:
> "You're being watched… more than you know."
Emily's lips curved faintly, calm and unreadable. "I know."
The shadow of a figure appeared at the far end of the hall — silent, unmoving. Perry. Observing. Waiting.
Emily smiled softly. The game had begun.
The late afternoon sun slanted across the academy courtyard, casting long shadows between the old stone buildings. Emily walked quietly, her gaze scanning the students as they left for clubs or practice sessions. Her steps were calm, controlled, but her senses were alert.
She had learned that danger rarely announced itself.
---
"Did you see that?" a student whispered behind her.
Emily turned her head slightly. A group of younger students huddled near the fountain, pointing toward the trees that bordered the academy grounds. "See what?" she asked softly, her voice even, unhurried.
"There… there was someone there! A shadow, I think!"
Emily's violet eyes narrowed faintly. She felt it too — a faint chill, like something had passed by just beyond perception. Nothing obvious. Nothing corporeal.
"Stay calm," she said softly. "Nothing will touch you if you don't panic."
The students looked at her, unsure. Her calm tone didn't comfort them — it unsettled them.
---
By the edge of the courtyard, a dark, indistinct figure flitted among the trees. Emily moved without drawing attention, her steps silent on the stone. She didn't need to rush; she only needed to be precise.
The shadow moved faster, and then, suddenly, it lunged toward one of the younger students.
Before anyone could react, Emily was there. A subtle sweep of her arm sent the attacker sprawling harmlessly into the fountain, leaving behind only a ripple of dark smoke.
The student screamed, frozen in shock, while the shadow vanished into the trees.
Emily turned back calmly, brushing water from her sleeve. "Are you all right?" she asked.
The students stared at her, wide-eyed. "You… you saved him!" one finally managed to say.
Emily's lips curved faintly. "Yes. But do not stare. Fear is what they feed on."
---
A familiar voice drew her attention. Perry had appeared silently at the courtyard edge, his gray eyes scanning the perimeter. "Impressive," he said softly, almost approvingly.
Emily raised an eyebrow. "Was that necessary?"
"No," he said, his smirk faint but knowing. "But I wanted to see how you handle yourself."
"Then you saw," she replied, her voice steady.
He walked closer, leaning slightly against the fountain's edge. "Your classmates… they're still wary of you. But after this? Maybe a few will start paying attention in a different way."
Emily glanced at the frightened students, still huddled together. "They may notice. They will not understand. That's fine."
"Good," Perry said, straightening. "Keep it that way. Not everyone deserves to know everything you can do."
---
As the sun dipped lower, shadows stretched across the academy grounds. Emily's eyes flicked toward the treeline again, where the faintest hint of movement suggested the shadow had not fully retreated.
She touched the small shard from the shattered mirror in her pocket. A soft red glow pulsed faintly in response.
> They are watching… and testing.
Emily's fingers tightened. Her lips curved into a calm, unreadable smile. "Then let them watch."
And from the shadows, unseen eyes followed her every move.