Night fell over Twilight Academy, but in Han Li's quarters, candles flickered unnaturally. He sat cross-legged, eyes half-closed, meditating—not for power, but for information.
The Academy grounds weren't silent.
In the shadows, watchers moved—spies from noble families, informants of rival sects, even ancient bloodlines masking themselves as students.
The moment Lian Xue and Bai Zhen entered Class D, the balance had shifted.
"They're testing the waters," Han Li muttered. "Trying to see what I'm grooming."
Suddenly, his jade token glowed.
A secret message.
From the Headmaster.
> "Rumors of Class D's rise have reached the Council. Be careful—someone wants you to fail. And not all enemies will face you directly."
Han Li crushed the token. "I never expected them to."
Elsewhere, in the lavish Noble Dorms, Yu Qian—heir of the Yu Merchant Syndicate—sat with other elite students.
"They dare mock us by placing royal and high-blooded heirs in Class D?" Yu Qian spat. "This is an insult."
"We should challenge them formally," growled another. "Force a duel. Humiliate them."
"No," Yu Qian said coldly. "That janitor-turned-teacher will only use it to raise their fame. We need subtlety."
Meanwhile, back in Class D, Bai Zhen sewed strange talismans into his gloves while Lian Xue practiced blindfolded.
Mei Lian frowned. "Why are you two even helping us?"
Bai Zhen answered without looking up. "Because failure means death—for you and for us."
Han Li arrived then, holding a scroll.
"Enough warm-ups. The Academy Trials are coming sooner than expected."
The students stiffened.
Han Li smirked.
"The war's already begun. You just can't see it yet."
Outside, across the high walls, masked men gathered.
They weren't here for a tournament.
They were here to kill.