The days leading up to the midterms were a delicate dance for Li Wei. She maintained her facade flawlessly, effortlessly juggling student council duties, academic expectations, and the casual camaraderie of her friends. She helped Hana with cheerleading routines, offered Kenji critiques on his sketches, and engaged Mika in spirited debates about school policy. To them, she was simply Li Wei, their capable, approachable friend.
Yet, beneath the surface, the general was always vigilant. Her senses, honed by a lifetime of strategic observation, were constantly sifting through the mundane, searching for anomalies. She felt the faint, chilling presence of Valerius, a cold undercurrent in the school's vibrant energy. She observed Hiroshi, noting his subtle shifts in demeanor, the moments when the puppet master's true nature almost bled through the boy's calm exterior.
Her primary focus, however, remained on the search for others like herself and Ren – the scattered fragments of their old world, the potential allies in the looming war. She paid close attention to anyone who seemed "different," whose eyes held a depth beyond their years, whose reactions to the ordinary seemed subtly out of place.
It was during this heightened state of awareness that she began to notice Sakura.
Sakura. The quiet, intelligent girl who had approached Ren in the library. Li Wei had dismissed her initially as a fleeting curiosity, a minor social interaction for Ren to navigate. But then, patterns began to emerge.
She first noticed it in the library. Li Wei was observing Ren and Itami from a discreet distance, watching Ren struggle with a physics problem, when she saw Sakura at a nearby table. Sakura wasn't overtly staring, but her gaze would subtly drift towards Ren and Itami, lingering a moment too long before returning to her own book. It was a casual observation, easily dismissed.
Then, in the cafeteria. Li Wei was discussing the upcoming school festival budget with Mika when she saw Ren and Itami enter. A few tables away, Sakura, who had already been seated, seemed to subtly shift her position, turning slightly so she had a clearer view of their table. She didn't engage, didn't approach. She just... watched.
The pattern continued. During a break, Li Wei saw Ren and Itami talking near the lockers. A moment later, Sakura appeared, seemingly on her way to the water fountain, but her path took her directly past them, her head slightly inclined as if listening. She never stopped, never acknowledged them, but her presence felt... too coincidental.
Li Wei's general's mind began to connect the dots. Sakura was always there. Not overtly, not aggressively, but consistently within earshot, within sight. It wasn't the casual proximity of a classmate; it felt more deliberate, more calculated. It was the way an intelligence operative would position themselves, subtly gathering information without raising suspicion.
She recalled Ren's account of their first meeting in the library, how Sakura had immediately picked up on his anachronistic comment about history. A keen observer, yes. But perhaps too keen.
One afternoon, Li Wei was in the student council office, reviewing security camera footage (ostensibly for "vandalism prevention," but truly for any unusual activity). She fast-forwarded through the lunch break footage, looking for any sign of Hiroshi, of Valerius. Her eyes caught a familiar figure.
Sakura. She was sitting alone, eating her lunch, but her eyes were not on her food, nor on her phone. They were fixed, with an unsettling intensity, on Ren and Itami's table. A cold knot formed in Li Wei's stomach. This wasn't casual observation. This was surveillance.
Her mind raced. Was Sakura another Awakened, a new pawn of Valerius, sent to spy on Kaelen and his nascent alliance? Or was she something else entirely? Another reincarnated soul, perhaps, but one whose intentions were unclear? Her quiet, unassuming demeanor, her seemingly genuine interest in history, her polite offer of friendship – it could all be a carefully crafted deception.
Li Wei closed the laptop, the screen reflecting her own serious, calculating expression. The school, once a simple cover, was proving to be far more complex, far more dangerous. Valerius was playing a deeper game than she had initially anticipated, or perhaps, there were other players on this board.
She had to know. She had to understand Sakura's true nature. The midterms were approaching, a looming academic hurdle. But a new, more immediate threat had emerged from the shadows of the student body. Li Wei, the general, knew that in any war, understanding the enemy, and indeed, every potential player, was paramount. She would observe Sakura more closely. And if necessary, she would confront her. The game of chess had just gained another, unsettling piece.