"Just the usual pre-trial panic," I lie, grateful for her concern but unwilling to burden her with the truth. My shadows betray me, however, a small tendril reaching toward her with what I'm sure broadcasts my actual anxiety.
"Hmm." She gives me a look that says she doesn't believe me but won't push further. "Well, I've been working on a calming projection that might help during the Labyrinth tomorrow. Want to test it?"
Before I can answer, Seraphina suddenly stands, approaching with deliberate casualness. "Mind if I join? A light-shadow balance exercise might benefit us all."
I'd agree, except my shadows are practicallyscreaming warnings, detecting something in her aura beyond mere academic interest. She's carrying something—a small crystal pendant hidden in her palm that pulses with detection magic.
"Actually," I say, gathering my practice materials, "I was about to take a short break. Need some air before the last planning session."
Marcus looks up, eyes narrowing slightly. "We're supposed to stay together for evening preparations."
"I'll just be in the corridor," I insist, already moving toward the door. "Five minutes of quiet to center myself."
Seraphina's expression remains neutral, but her fingers close more tightly around whatever she's holding. "I wouldn't recommend leaving. Hunter patrols are vigilant tonight."
The implied threat isn't subtle. She suspects something, has probably been reporting to her sister or directly to Thorne. My shadows coil defensively around my ankles, responding to the spike in my anxiety.
Iris, bless her empathic heart, intervenes. "Let her breathe, guys. We're all handling pre-trial stress differently." She gives me a tiny nod. "Five minutes, though, okay? Constantine will be back soon for the strategy session."
I slip into the corridor, my shadows immediately extending to check for nearby presences. They report the area is temporarily clear, though a Hunter patrol passed recently enough that its energy signature lingers in the air.
Leaning against the cool stone wall, I take several deep breaths, trying to regain control of both my emotions and my increasingly reactive shadows. Bael's training helped with combat applications, but I'm still struggling with basic suppression when under stress—exactly what I'll need most during tomorrow's Trial.
"Tough crowd in there," comes Constantine's voice as herounds the corner. He carries several scrolls tucked under one arm, his expression carefully neutral in case of observers.
"Seraphina's definitely suspicious," I reply quietly. "She brought a kind of detection crystal to the preparation."
Constantine nods slightly, unsurprised. "Light Nephilim are often equipped with shadow detection tools before Trials. Standard procedure."
"It doesn't feel standard when it's pointed at me specifically."
He glances up and down the corridor before stepping closer, lowering his voice. "Walk with me to gather the reference materials. It will look more natural than talking in the hallway."
I fall into step beside him as he leads us toward the library wing. My shadows extend ahead, scouting for approaching patrols or potential eavesdroppers. The corridor stretches long and gothic before us, lined with stained glass windows that cast multicolored patterns across the flagstone floor. Enchanted torches flicker to life as the sunlight fades completely, their flames an unnatural blue that provides light without fully dispelling shadows.
"Your shadows are too active," Constantine observes once we're alone in a side passage. "They're extending independently, monitoring surroundings without your direct command."
I sigh, forcing them to retract closer. "I know. They've been extra vigilant since last night."
He gives me a questioning look but doesn't press for details about what happened after curfew. Instead, he places his scrolls on a window ledge and turns to face me directly.
"May I?" he asks, hands hovering near but not touching my shoulders.
I nod, and he positions himself behind me, much as Bael did during our training session—close enough that I can feel his warmth but not quite making contact. Unlike Bael's cool shadowpresence, Constantine radiates heat, his fire energy creating a different but equally potent connection.
"Shadow tells are your biggest vulnerability," he explains, voice low near my ear. "Micro-extensions that respond to emotional spikes before you can control them."
"I've been trying to suppress them completely," I admit. "But that just makes them more reactive when my concentration slips."
"Exactly. Complete suppression creates pressure that eventually breaks through." His hands finally make contact with my shoulders, the touch sending a current of fire energy that my shadows immediately respond to. "Instead, try controlled release."
"Release? Won't that make them more noticeable?"
He shakes his head. "Not if done strategically. Watch."
Constantine summons a small flame to his palm, holding it where I can see it over my shoulder. "Most magical energy follows predictable patterns. Hunters and Light Nephilim know these patterns and look for deviations."
The flame in his hand shifts, becoming more fluid, less structured—still clearly fire but moving in a way that seems almost shadow-like.
