Arcane arts ordinarily required a mana core, the arcane heart as most called it, a vessel that collected and rationed power. The Gifted usually drained those reserves, collapsed into sleep, then waited for the well to refill. Yet every law has its exception.

Athena was one such exception.

Power never deserted her, yet forcing it into silence demanded discipline.

Rule one: avoid eye contact.

Rule two… She glanced down at her diamond-studded Tank watch—a gift from Adrian. Her brother was such a showman, and the thought made her smile.

Tick-tick-tick.

The sound grew louder in the hush of the meeting room.

The presidency of the Student Council looked prestigious on paper; in practice it was meetings, paperwork, disciplinary hearings, more meetings—lather, rinse, repeat.

Athena's golden eyes had secured the election for her. People wanted what she had, provided they never had to meet her gaze. A window into the darkest corners of the human soul; and sometimes she longed to shutter them.

She had seen too much, too early. The secrets of the supposedly virtuous didn't whisper; they screamed, they demanded her attention.

Then there was Theo.

He met her stare without flinching, as though he held nothing to hide. He didn't. To him she was only a girl, not a Gift, and for a while that felt like clean air in her lungs.

Part of her hoped he might win the presidency. But heart alone wasn't enough when she walked into a room and made everyone forget he was even standing in it.

Theo had never been short on admirers, but he preferred the library to their attention. Theo had never lacked admirers, but he preferred the library to their adoration. Lately, though, his visits seemed less an escape and more a hunt, as if he searched for something, or someone, he would not name.

Now he was late, a first. Athena reread her morning message to him and to Astra. Meeting room at 12:00 sharp. Urgent.

Tick-tick-tick.

A sneeze.

Athena turned her head toward the window.

Astra? Sneezing?

The silver-haired girl cleared her throat, face still turned toward the pane, eyes fixed on The Eye outside. Whether she found it fascinating or simply a handy excuse to dodge eye contact was anyone's guess.

"Bless you?"

"Thanks," came the curt reply. Astra had offered no greeting on arrival. Normal for her perhaps, yet something felt—

Theo entered in a rush, placed two coffees and a chai latte on the table, then took a seat beside Athena. "Sorry I'm late. Lost track of things."

Athena held back a frown. Both Theo and Astra seemed only half-present. Perhaps the smoke-monster incident still unsettled them.

She thumbed her tablet and a hologram sprang up. "Let's get started."

"This is Tiffany's duel with Natalia," Theo said. "How is it captured?"

Athena sipped her chai. "It was uploaded to Tweeter last week. People dismissed it as a film student's prank until this followed." She flicked to a photo of a candle-lit vigil, Tiffany's portrait ringed with flowers.

"Tiffany isn't... dead, is she?" Theo asked.

"No. Thomas Blackwood set up the vigil to pray for her recovery," Athena said. "Adrian tried to bury the supernatural angle, but the clip spread too fast. Now people are linking the dots. The whole campus is buzzing about some shadow creeping through Alchymia."

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

"Sooner or later the truth leaks. Our fight with that thing was all over school social."

"School social's locked to students and staff," Athena reminded him. "Encrypted. We wiped every post tied to the creature. That should have bought us time, but someone had other ideas."

Astra finally spoke. "Only Gifted were in the Sanctuary. One of us leaked it."

Eydis had been there too, though she arrived too late to film the entire battle. Even so, she left an impression: her composure, the way she watched Astra's intervention with curiosity rather than fear.

Mrs. Henderson had been ready to assign detention, but Athena intervened. Eydis fascinated her. Not for her marks, though she was clearly bright, but for the keenness of her observation. During their brief one-on-one, Athena had tested boundaries, perhaps attempted intimidation; the attempt reversed. It was Eydis who seemed to be doing the reading.

"Why leak it?" Theo asked. "The NDA spelled out expulsion. Missing students, leaked footage, blood in the freezer…it stacks higher every day."

She turned to him. "About the blood… we're still analysing it. It wasn't enough to suggest a fatal injury, but it's definitely not normal. Adrian's running DNA against the database. Until he finishes, it stays quiet."

"But the truth's already out, isn't it? No matter what we do. No matter what Adrian tries."

Before Athena could answer, Astra moved. She flung open the door, stood tense, then shut it and returned to the window, saying only, "I thought I sensed something."

She didn't meet anyone's eyes.

"There's another mystery you're missing, Theo," Athena said, then turned toward Astra. "You believe there are two of these entities?"

"Yes," Astra confirmed.

"And this," Athena continued, "is what the public can't know. The Council's already on thin ice with the Eye and the Tiffany incident. Another anomaly would push the city into full-blown panic."

"We have no leads," Theo said. "Adrian thinks they came through the Eye, like it's some kind of portal… to another dimension. Something hostile."

Athena nodded. "That's the Council's current theory. Their focus is containment. Ours is neutralisation, since this involves our own students. And we might have a lead."

"A lead?"

"Every missing student ties back to Tiffany. Her Gifted awakening wasn't just unusual. Perhaps these creatures confer dark Gifts."

Theo's eyes widened. "Wait—Tiffany's already… so it's Thomas then? With the election coming up…"

"His sudden popularity is convenient, isn't it?" She projected a news clip advertising a gala. "He hosts a masquerade fundraiser next week. My only chance at a private conversation, a mind read."

"A masquerade?" Theo raised an eyebrow.

"It's Blackwood's 'Final Stretch' fundraiser," Athena said.

"Thena, going alone is dangerous. If he's tied to the Smoke Monster—"

"I'm not. We're all in this together." Athena glanced toward the window. "Astra?"

Astra slowly turned, distracted. "Yes."

"Are you sure? You look… overheated," Athena said.

Astra immediately looked away, then covered part of her face. "A cat jumped me. Thought I was a pillow."

Theo stared, eyes darting to Athena. "A cat."

Athena just shrugged, equally thrown by the rare display of… emotion? In all the time they'd known her, when had Astra ever smiled?

Astra's flustered state was… unexpected. Oddly cute, if she were being honest.

"Did you cuddle it all night?" Athena asked. "Didn't think that was your thing."

"It's not," Astra said quickly. "It would not move."

"And you did not fight back?"

"It's just a cold," Astra snapped, and then sneezed violently, as if trying to prove the point. "I'll be fine."

Athena and Theo exchanged a glance. Astra's edges had softened into something almost human. A puzzle, yet she guarded this one fiercely.

Sensing scrutiny, Astra scowled, seized her coffee, and took a long draught. "Thanks, Theo."

"You're welcome," Theo said, still surprised by Astra's uncharacteristic behaviour. "About the Gala, I'll get myself invited. You can be Thena's plus-one."

Athena tilted her head. "And who will you be escorting, Theo?"

"I could attend solo," he said. "Involving someone else is risky."

"Not at this party," Athena said. "Thomas is obsessed with optics. Guest list is strictly plus-ones."

Theo hesitated. "What about Adrian? My parents wouldn't exactly be thrilled about flying halfway across the globe for this."

"Too risky," Athena said, shaking her head. "If Thomas sees both of us there, it might tip him off. Adrian's had a brush with him already, and if Thomas really is hiding something, he might bolt."

Theo sighed and took a reluctant sip of his lukewarm espresso. "My social circle here is… minimal. I may have been a little too committed to council work."

Athena tapped her pen against her lips. Theo, as the sole heir, typically prioritised responsibility over personal connections. More precisely, unnecessary connections.

His days were rigid: class, training, meetings. He had always chosen responsibility over anything else. Over anyone else.

But now… Athena wasn't so sure. "You haunt the library often. Surely an acquaintance?" she asked.

"No one," he said, eyes downward. He never avoided her gaze; now he did.

She observed the set of his shoulders, the palimpsest of micro-expressions. Unease? She prided herself on reading these signs without the crutch of her Gift. Her fingers stilled on the pen she hadn't realised she was clutching.

Was it her place to push?

"Absolutely no one you could ask?" she pushed.

"My loyalty is to you, Athena." His reply came swift, almost affronted.

She blinked, surprised by the edge in his tone. "I never questioned your loyalty, did I?" She paused for a few seconds before adding: "Or perhaps I should have?"

Theo's eyes flicked back to hers, then dropped away again.

Tick-tick-tick.

Focus. Listen. Control.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.