"Well?" Torric demands. "How bad?"
"Corrupted shadow constructs," I reply, watching his expression darken. "Darian's using them for the trial."
"Using them?" Aspen pushes off from the wall. "Or being forced to?"
"Does it matter?" Torric growls, but his anger isn't directed at us. "Either way, we're walking into a trap."
Finn steps forward, his usual grin sharp with purpose. "Then we set a better one."
In an empty classroom, my shadows seal the door while the twins lay out the arena's structure. Aspen breaks down strategies while Torric points out vulnerabilities in the magical barriers.
"The viewing areas here and here," Aspen explains, marking points on his quick diagram. "If—when—something goes wrong, we'll spot it from these vantage points."
"They're warded against shadow magic," he adds quietly. "That's why we should be there. If these constructs are corrupted, they can't reach us."
"Which means we can get word to Lira if things go really wrong," Torric finishes.
My shadows swell with approval—Bob actually salutes the twins while Patricia incorporates their strategy into her endless notes.
"Watch for shadows moving against the current," Aspen tells me softly. "Corrupted constructs can't maintain a natural flow. They'll always move slightly wrong."
As we head for the arena, the Heart of Eternity pulses warmly. Whatever Thorne has planned, whatever trap Darian's been forced to set—we're as ready as we'll ever be.
"Ready?" I ask Malrik and Finn.
Finn's grin is pure mischief. "To face certain death? Always."
Malrik's hand finds mine, squeezing once. "Together."
I catch Aspen and Torric watching us, something unreadable in their expressions. The air feels charged with potential and things unsaid—like unspoken fears of failure, or the weight of truths we’re all too afraid to voice. Aspen's blue eyes hold mine for a moment too long, while Torric's usual intensity seems to burn brighter.
"Be careful in there," Aspen says softly, his hand brushing my arm.
"Show them what you're made of," Torric adds, voice rough with emotion he's trying to hide.
My shadows swirl around all five of us for a moment, as if reluctant to break the connection. Then we separate—three toface the trial, two to guard our backs. But the energy between us lingers, full of possibility and unspoken promises.
Chapter 68
Kaia
The arena feels wrong the moment I step inside. The air hangs thick with a metallic tang, each sound echoing unnaturally in the eerie stillness. Shadows pool in the corners, shifting like living things, while my own shadows coil tight around my ankles. Mouse's low growl reverberates off the stone walls. Ahead, Darian stands with Professor Thorne, their practiced calm setting my nerves on edge.
"Our star pupil arrives," Thorne says, voice carrying across the empty space. "With such... interesting companions."
Finn shifts closer on my left, his usual grin hardened to something dangerous. On my right, Malrik's silver eyes narrow as he tracks my shadows' agitated movements.
"Where is everyone?" The emptiness of the arena makes my skin crawl.
"The final trial is more... intimate." Darian steps forward, smile cold and empty. "Just our dark little corner of the academy."
Mouse's growl deepens as Bob surges forward, his edges sharpening with quiet menace. Malrik's hand twitches at his side, the silver of his eyes flashing with cold intensity.
"Funny." Finn's voice lacks its usual warmth. "Don't remember that being in the rules."
"Rules change." Thorne raises his hand, dark energy crackling around his fingers. "Much like loyalties."
Magic thickens the air as my shadows writhe in response. When Darian's eyes track their movements with calculated precision, understanding cuts through me like a blade. "The training sessions," I whisper. "All those times you helped me 'control' them. You weren't teaching me. You were studying them."
