Thud!
Jace collapsed right beside him.
Seven clenched his eyes shut, burying his face deeper into his elbow as the deafening bang sent a sharp ringing through his ears.
"That damned thing... Can you make it any louder? Maybe alert the entire campus while you're at it? Look, you startled him," a female voice cut through the commotion.
Slowly, Seven lifted his head. In place of the abomination that had been out for his life, he now saw a figure approaching.
To the side, poor Jace trembled violently, his body wracked with uncontrollable shivers, like he was having a seizure.
Seven shifted his gaze back to the approaching figure—a woman dressed in black, her hoodie pulled low over her face. Her presence, shadowed in mystery, gave him little reassurance.
"You're welcome!" a male voice called from a distance.
'They're two of them,' Seven noted, pushing himself up to meet the hooded woman, who was already kneeling in front of him.
"Are you okay?" she asked, her voice steady.
As she crouched lower, he caught sight of a mask covering the lower half of her face. Yet, from beneath the hood, a pair of amber eyes met his—glowing like embers in the dim light.
Her hand found his palm, and though he instinctively wanted to pull away, a wave of warmth spread through him, soothing, almost intoxicating. His brows furrowed in confusion.
Why did her touch feel like this? What was happening?
He squinted his eyes, trying to make sense of it, but his thoughts remained muddled. He parted his lips to ask, hesitated, then decided against it.
Too late. He withdrew his hand anyway.
Through the only visible part of her face, he sensed a smile forming behind the mask.
"No wounds," she murmured. "You can relax now."
Then, tilting her head, she studied him intently. Her almond-shaped eyes gleamed with curiosity, their amber color burning bright against the darkness of the night. Yet, despite their intensity, they exuded a cool, almost calming presence.
"What were you doing here?" she asked, her gaze unwavering.
For a fleeting moment, Seven felt compelled to answer. But his better judgment kicked in. Was she trying to control him?
The thought nearly made him laugh. But it did confirm something…
The mere idea that someone like him existed was oddly exhilarating. A strange relief settled over him and—
There were simply no words.
"I could be asking you the same question..." he countered.
"Phantom freak," a voice called from beyond the fog. The thick mist made it impossible to pinpoint the speaker, but one thing was clear—they weren't alone, and they could mask their presence.
More footsteps followed, confirming his suspicion. They had company. More than he had initially thought.
Emerging from the haze, a group of figures dressed in black stepped forward, their presence amplifying the ominous atmosphere. Twelve in total. The fog swirled around them like restless specters.
He pulled himself up from the ground to meet them.
"Did I get that right?" the voice from before continued. Seven turned his focus to the speaker, a tall woman standing at the forefront.
From his vantage point on the staircase, he had a slight height advantage over her, but the aura she radiated was overwhelming.
"Living up to your name, I see," she said. "Except, this isn't just a game you can turn on and off at will. Don't get involved. It's beyond you. A risk I'm sure you're not prepared to take."
Behind her, the one who had likely done something to Jace nodded. He held an oversized cannon gun, his stance rigid. At his signal, two others stepped forward, grabbed Jace's limp body, and dragged him away.
Seven remained silent, watching as they disappeared into the night. Then, glancing over his shoulder, his eyes landed on the massive dent in the library door. He exhaled sharply, kissing his teeth in frustration. Just what he needed—another mess to deal with.
Letting out a deep breath, exhausted from the rather eventful night, he turned to leave, only to be startled by another sight. Except this was more annoying…
"That was a close call, wasn't it?" Zephyr chuckled.
Seven's glare could have frozen hell over.
Zephyr, usually unfazed by anything, knew better than to push further. Even he could sense that Seven was teetering on the edge.
"Come on, Sev... Don't look at me like that. Would you believe me if I told you I knew they were coming?"
Seven inhaled sharply, holding his breath before releasing it in exasperation. Sometimes, he truly wondered if God realized the guardian He had sent him was the very weapon fashioned against him.
'There's no way,' he thought, shaking his head as he turned to leave.
"Relax, Seven!" Zephyr's tone shifted as he grabbed Seven's wrist.
If looks could kill…
Tension crackled between them.
Seven's gaze dropped to Zephyr's hand before slowly traveling back up to meet his eyes. His voice, low and deliberate, cut through the air:
"Let. Go. Of. Me."
Zephyr held his stare for a moment before relenting. Seven wasted no time walking away.
"Aren't you curious about Miss Sparkling Eyes?" Zephyr called out, stopping him in his tracks.
Seven turned back reluctantly, eyes narrowing as Zephyr held up an ancient-looking key.
"Urim?" Seven's breath hitched. "You marked her?"
The luminescent stone glowed faintly, its ghostly light illuminating the space around them.
"Yup!" Zephyr smirked. "And she's embedded with Thummim. This sister stone is dying to reunite with its other half."
As if in response, the Urim pulsed, its glow intensifying.
---
Meanwhile, the mysterious group moved through the shadows, carrying the now-unconscious Jace toward their lair.
Unbeknownst to them, a faint dark shimmer flickered at the neck of one of their members, obscured by her black hair.
Cordis, the clairsentient girl who had reached out to Seven, felt a subtle prickle at the back of her neck. She instinctively touched the spot, only to be interrupted by a voice beside her.
"Cordis, your ability… It didn't work on him, did it?"
She hesitated before pulling down her mask and exhaling softly.
"I wasn't even sure it would."
"I told you guys already, didn't I?" another voice snapped, frustration lacing his tone. "Seven is special. Master said so. What are we waiting for? Why not just bring him in?"
"Master isn't here to confirm anything," the tall female leader—Zed—interjected, her green eyes sharp with authority.
"We already have enough clues! C'mon, I can't be the only one seeing the handwriting on the wall, it's as clear as day!"
"I didn't notice anything special about him except…" Cordis murmured, but her voice wavered as the others turned their attention towards her. She lowered her head, avoiding their gazes that threatened to bore holes into her soul.
"Denial much?" the male voice shot back.
"Listen," Zed sighed. "What we're involved in is extremely dangerous. If we are roping him in this, we do so carefully. We can't afford mistakes! Master left me in charge, and I say we observe him a little more. Understood?"
The male looked away, jaw tightening. "But all the signs are there! His hair, the incidents surrounding him, my-my ability..."
"His eyes..." Cordis added softly, earning her another look.
"Is that what this is about?" Zed asked, refocusing on him.
"Just this one time..." He responded devastatingly.
"...I thought I would be able to contribute to this group rather than stay safely locked up inside to play with my toys. Oh right, you needed one of them..."
"Don't be like…"
He clenched his fists. "Isn't that what this is all about? I thought I'd be useful to this team. Instead, you only involve me when you need my gadgets."
His voice cracked.
With that, he turned and walked away.
"Don't go!" the group called in unison.
"Elias!"
---
Sitting on the stairs, exhausted, Seven rubbed his palm and sighed;
"So much for wanting a normal school life! Can I still pull this off?!"
Unknown to him...or rather known, the universe will always have something bad cooking for him.
Soon...he would have an answer, and it won't be nice.