The atmosphere in the Zephyrus Academy cafeteria felt quiet that day, not because there was another fight or because they were eating. The tables in the cafeteria, which were usually crowded, were now quiet because the students did not dare eat in the cafeteria because of one student.
In the corner, Nero Valtzreid sat alone. His plate was still full, and there had been no movement from him since he sat on the cafeteria chair. A group of students stood not far away, talking about Nero in a fairly loud voice, so that Nero heard the voice:
"They said the one who kidnapped Kyle had shadow powers like him."
"In this world, a power like his should only be possessed by one person, because that power is Affinity."
"It's him who kidnapped Kyle, but he just pretended not to know."
"No wonder, his aura is like a criminal."
"I don't want to get close."
Damian sat not far from Nero, and Damian could also hear the voices of the students. Liam looked at the crowd of students with sharp eyes, his hands on the table as if ready to disperse them. Damian sighed. "The atmosphere is getting chaotic," he muttered.
Liam looked down, "They are afraid and need certainty, so they can feel safer. And they need a scapegoat to get that certainty. Coincidentally, Nero's shadow power is similar to the kidnapper's; that's why they pointed at Nero."
Damian looked at Nero. Nero's face was flat, but the look in his eyes showed disappointment, not anger or arrogance. Damian stood up.
"Master Damian?" Liam turned his head.
"I just… want to sit next to Nero, I think the air there is colder than here," Damian answered while pulling his uniform collar forward.
Liam hesitated, "But he—"
"Still a Zephyrus student. I'm not sure he's the culprit and what's in it for him either." Said Damian
Damian walked to Nero's table, pulled out a chair, and sat across from him. In an instant, the cafeteria went silent. Several students stopped chewing. Nero turned his head slowly and said, "What are you doing?"
Damian smiled slightly. "Lunch. The air here is cooler than the table there." While pointing towards the table he had previously occupied
Nero was silent for a few seconds, then lifted his spoon and took the first bite. They ate without much talk. For Damian, that was more than enough.
Damian ate heartily because he was hungry. Liam took a seat beside Damian, still vigilantly observing his surroundings. The cafeteria atmosphere that was previously filled with the sound of discussions about Nero was now only filled with the sound of spoons bouncing against plates.
Damian chewed slowly, turning his head occasionally towards Nero. Every time Nero glanced, Damian just smiled, showing that his intention was really to talk nicely with Nero.
At the end of the cafeteria, whispers were still heard, but the intensity decreased when the other students saw Damian and Nero sitting together. Some curious faces turned to fear, then slowly turned around and returned to their respective tables.
Liam finally spoke softly, "Master Damian, are you sure this is the right move?"
Damian looked at Nero, who now glanced at Liam. "Everyone needs a chance to explain themselves," Damian replied shortly.
After a few minutes of silence, their plates were empty. Suddenly, the bell rang, signaling the end of the break. The students hurriedly got up and left the cafeteria.
Damian stood up, straightening his uniform. "Come on, let's go back to class," he invited.
"Yes, Master Damian," Liam replied.
Nero stared at Damian sharply. Suddenly, he stood up and thanked Damian, then walked towards the exit first, leaving Damian and Liam behind.
That night, the hallway outside the dormitory was quiet. Footsteps were heard softly. Nero Valtzreid walked out of the main building, wearing a dark jacket and a hood that covered his face. His movements were careful; he jumped over the Academy fence with his shadow power, and he immediately walked into the forest outside the campus.
From behind the shadow of the dormitory pillar, Elric Blazekraal peeked out. The magic communication crystal in his hand vibrated softly. "Target moving," he muttered.
From within the crystal, Professor Limbert's voice was heard giving instructions, "Do not make direct contact. Just monitor. And do not involve Damian in this matter."
Elric nodded even though he was talking to himself, "Yes, yes… I know. He's too easily carried away by emotions."
A few seconds later, another figure appeared: Lucien, who appeared from beside Elric and said, "Elric, is the school sure that he is the one who kidnapped Kyle?"
Elric aligned his steps with Lucien. "I don't know, but this is a direct assignment from Prof. Limbert. So I didn't dare refuse, for fear that I would be expelled from school. He told me to find out what Nero was doing… and where he was going."
They followed Nero from a safe distance, using the darkness of the night as a disguise. The leaves of the tall trees around the school rustled in the night wind, and only the moonlight guided their steps.
Suddenly, Nero stopped. He looked forward, his body stopping for a moment before slowly dissolving into the shadows on the ground, as if he had become one with the shadows.
"He's gone?!" Lucien whispered and immediately ran towards the last position Nero was seen.
Elric immediately activated the communication crystal. "Report. Nero is missing from our surveillance. Last location: Forest west of the Academy. Most likely using a shadow technique to merge with his shadow."
After that incident, Elric and Lucien could only look at each other. They knew that tonight was just the first step to uncovering the secret that Nero was hiding.
That morning, Zephyrus Academy was in an uproar. On the main magic board, an official notification was displayed: Kyle Ardent was reported missing, and the initial investigation pointed to the name Nero Valtzreid. Although there was no final decision on whether Nero did it or not. The students had gathered and were arguing with each other:
"He's definitely the culprit…"
"They said he likes to disappear at night and walk into the forest outside the academy."
"Why didn't the academy just arrest him?"
In the middle of the crowd, Damian stood in front of the bulletin board, staring at the announcement in confusion. Beside him, Liam looked around Damian to ensure Damian's safety, his face serious.
Damian turned his head slowly. "So… Elric reported it?"
Liam nodded. "Yes. He and Lucien followed Nero last night. But when they were following Nero, he suddenly disappeared."
Damian clenched his fists, his heart pounding. In his mind, doubts still lurked. "Nero isn't necessarily the culprit, but one question keeps bothering me: why did Nero leave the dormitory at night and head to the forest outside the school and then disappear?"
The hallways echoed with panicked whispers, but Damian held his breath, promising himself to find answers to this problem before the rumors ruined everything.
Inside the room, the room was completely dark and silent. Kyle Ardent hung with chains filled with anti-magic spells binding both his hands and feet, his body swaying slowly in the darkness. The cold air made him shiver, and every time he took a breath, the sound of his breathing was audible.
He could feel the pressure around him, like thousands of hidden eyes watching from behind the shadows. Suddenly, a soft voice broke the silence.
"Everything went… very smoothly," the voice whispered.
Footsteps approached, stepping on the invisible black floor. "Second rank. Power of fire. The academy's pride," he continued, his tone filled with veiled contempt.
Kyle clenched his jaw, feeling the hot belt of anxiety. "Who… are you?" his voice was soft as if frightened.
The voice only laughed softly—a cold, empty laugh. "You will help me… open the eyes of the world."
The shadow moved in front of Kyle, a tall figure with a blurry contour. He stopped, staring at Kyle. "...Time to welcome the fall of the false gods," he said before the laughter echoed again.
Then the room was again covered in darkness.