Chapter 3 — The Shadows That Hunt

The rain had stopped by morning, but the air still held that damp, heavy feeling that made the academy’s stone walls smell faintly of moss.

Jack and Kirito were walking toward the southern training grounds, half-listening to Rem explain the differences between “controlled sparring” and “combat field simulations.”

“The difference,” Rem said pointedly, “is that in sparring, the instructors stop you before you kill each other. In simulation training…” She glanced at Jack. “…well, just don’t do anything flashy.”

“Relax,” Jack said, rolling his shoulders. “It’s just a drill.”

Dio padded along beside him, tail flicking lazily. You really think drills stay drills when someone wants you dead?

Jack shot him a look. You’ve been tense since last night.

Because the air smells wrong.

The Southern Grounds

The training field was a massive, open space ringed by stone pillars carved with runes. The enchanted sand from the indoor arena was here too, but the scale was bigger — the terrain could shift into forests, canyons, even simulated cities.

Today, the instructors had set it to “Ruined Village.” Half-collapsed wooden huts, broken carts, and scattered debris filled the field.

Professor Drenn stood at the center, arms crossed. “Today’s exercise is simple. Teams of three will navigate the terrain and neutralize roaming constructs. First team to clear their zone wins.”

Jack looked at Rem and Kirito. “Guess that’s us.”

Kirito smirked. “Try to keep up.”

The simulation began with a low hum, the air shimmering as the terrain stabilized. Somewhere ahead, a mechanical roar echoed.

Kirito drew his sword, Rem readied a spell, and Jack… just listened.

There was movement — heavy footsteps — coming from the left.

“Construct,” Rem whispered.

But as the shape emerged from behind a ruined wall, Jack’s stomach tightened.

It wasn’t a training construct.

Its body was plated in black chitin, its arms ending in curved, blade-like talons. Its eyes glowed blood-red.

“That’s… not academy issue,” Kirito muttered.

The thing let out a screech and charged.

The Fight

Kirito intercepted the first blow, his sword ringing against the creature’s talons. Rem fired a blast of compressed air, knocking it back — but it recovered too fast, skittering sideways like an insect.

Jack stepped forward, letting mana gather in his palm. He tried to keep it blue. He really did.

But the violet bled through anyway.

The creature seemed to react to it, freezing for half a second before lunging at him directly.

Dio’s voice ripped through his head. Don’t hold back.

Jack thrust his hand forward. The mana circle formed instantly, not just glowing but crackling with something deeper, older. A wave of force slammed into the creature, shattering part of its armor and sending it crashing into a wall.

Kirito stared. “Jack—”

“No time!” Jack shouted as the thing got back up.

This time, it didn’t attack. It just… looked at him. And then, with a shriek, it turned and leapt away, vanishing into the simulated ruins.

The Aftermath

The instructors ended the simulation early. Students whispered in clusters while staff searched the area.

“That was no construct,” Professor Drenn said grimly, looking at the broken shards left behind. “Someone tampered with the training field.”

Jack stayed quiet.

Rem, however, wasn’t having it. “That thing went straight for you.”

Kirito crossed his arms. “And it froze when you used… that mana.”

Jack glanced at Dio, who was sitting a few feet away, washing his paw like nothing had happened.

That wasn’t random, was it? Jack asked silently.

No, Dio replied. It was a probe. Someone wanted to see how you’d react.

Jack swallowed. Someone like Rusof?

The cat didn’t answer.

That Night

The academy tightened security, but Jack couldn’t shake the feeling that eyes were on him.

He sat by the window in his dorm, watching the moonlight spill across the courtyard. Kirito had gone back to his own room, but Rem had stayed — claiming she had “research” to do on unusual mana types.

“Jack,” she said quietly, looking up from a book. “You’ve been different since that first mana flare. More… intense.”

Jack didn’t look at her. “Maybe I’m just getting better at magic.”

Rem closed the book. “Or maybe you’re hiding something.”

Before Jack could reply, Dio lifted his head, ears pricking. Company.

A faint tap came at the window.

Jack stood, pulling it open — and found a small, black-feathered dart embedded in the frame. A tiny crystal was tied to it, glowing faintly red.

Dio hissed. Hunter’s mark.

Jack’s pulse quickened. “Meaning?”

Meaning someone just told the wrong people exactly where you sleep.

And somewhere beyond the academy walls, in the deep shadows of the forest, a pair of crimson eyes opened.

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