TBATE: The Rook

(Next day)

*hisssssssss*

The soft glow of dawn filtered through the curtains, casting gentle patterns on the bedroom wall. The alarm snake hissed insistently. With a reluctant groan, I reached out to silence the noise, my fingers brushing against the smooth surface of the snake, effectively choking it .

"I'm awake, Orochi, so be quiet. Where is your snooze button?" I asked, my voice still thick with sleep.

I lay there for a moment, eyes still closed, savoring the warmth of my blankets and the lingering remnants of slumber. But the day awaited, and I knew I had to rise. With a deep breath, I swung my legs over the side of the bed, feeling the coolness of the wooden floor beneath my feet.

"Good morning, Orochi."

"Hiss."

After a quick stretch, I shuffled to the bathroom, the tiles cold against my skin. The mirror reflected a tousled head of hair and sleepy eyes. I splashed cold water on my face, the shock jolting me awake.

Next, I brushed my teeth, the minty freshness invigorating me further. I glanced at the clock—time was ticking. I took a shower, letting the warm water wash away the remnants of sleep. The steam filled the room, and I took a moment to enjoy the solitude, the sound of water cascading a soothing backdrop.

Dressed in comfortable clothes, I made my way to the kitchen and brewed a pot of coffee. I poured myself a steaming cup, savoring the rich aroma. Standing by the window, I watched the world wake up outside. Birds chirped, and the sun began to rise higher, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink.

As the sun climbed, Orochi stirred, its forked tongue flicking in and out, tasting the air. "Hiss," it called, before coiling around my body and resting on my shoulders.

After we emerged from the dungeon, I instructed Alea to explain everything to the director—except for our interaction and explained to her what to say exactly .

 I also outlined the missions I wanted her to prioritize, emphasizing the importance of her training. Finally, I carved out some time to talk and understand her better.

I had noticed that as my mana core evolved, my sensitivity to mana increased. I could even say I was becoming more attuned to the mana surrounding me.

I recalled the first time I sensed mana. Back then, I wasn't nearly as sensitive, but I could still perceive how the mana fluctuated around serene individuals, moving to accommodate their presence.

Though both my grandfather and Director Goodsky were wind attribute mages, their influence on the mana around them was vastly different. For Director Goodsky, the mana formed light breezes that danced around her; for Gramps, it was the opposite. The mana around him expelled any wind, creating a stillness that was almost palpable. It wasn't always apparent, but when he switched into fighting mode, it felt as if even the air was afraid to move near him.

If such phenomena occurred naturally from a silver core mage, I couldn't help but wonder what it would be like if I broke through to the white stage.

Pulling myself out of my thoughts , I realized I needed to focus on my next task: eliminating the rat.

_____________________________________

CYNTHIA GOODSKY'S POV:

Standing before the heavy iron doors, I took a deep breath. Beyond this entrance were the six former kings and queens of this continent. It wasn't their titles that were making me apprehensive, but more so the fact that they were ultimately the ones who would shape or destroy the future of this continent.

Even with an augmented hearing spell, I was unable to clearly hear what was being discussed on the other side, leaving me to wonder what their course of action might be .

What was I to tell them?

What was I able to tell them? I truly had to be meticulous in the words and actions lused .

I'd only gotten a glimpse of the consequences I would face if I didn't abide and I knew there was no way around it.

It just wasn't worth it...not at this point.

Was there really no other way to avoid this? Was I to just sit and watch this peaceful continent that l'd grown to love crumble without being able to do anything?

It couldn't be helped; I'd deviated too far from what I was originally supposed to do .

My hopes in establishing myself and the foundations of Xyrus Academy up to what it was today was for the sake of this continent. 

That we might have some hope...

It'd been too long since the time of war, though. Students wanted to get strong; not to protect and fight for what was right but for their own conceited pride. It'd been an ongoing struggle to not only shape up the level of magic in this continent, but also instill proper values .

The only thing I could do for this country now was prepare the next generation as well as get rid of anything that might hinder their plans. I'd been personally getting rid of more and more spies that were being sent out from my homeland .

They were getting impatient. I could tell by some of the toxic traces affecting the dungeons that they were beginning their next phase.

It was beginning to become rather difficult for me to keep up my current pace, though. I could tell Arthur was becoming rather suspicious at times. I had been careless in exposing the wound I received from one of the affected mana beasts. I was just not sure anymore...

Was I doing the right thing? Would what I was doing even give us a chance?

I once thought so, but I wasn't so optimistic anymore.

Sigh...

The two mages standing guard on either side of the door were carefully observing me, probably wondering why I wasn't going in. I noticed one was at the Initial Silver core stage while the other, slightly thinner mage, was at the Mid-Silver core stage; they would be considered peaks in this continent, but only in this continent.

I signaled to the guards that I was ready to go inside, letting them inform The Council.

"You may enter," the knights announced, opening the doors fully .

"—AND I SAID THAT WE CAN'T JUST BE LYING HERE ON OUR ASSES WAITING FOR MORE DEATHS! ALDUIN, MERIAL, WHY AREN'T YOU SAYING ANYTHING?!ONE OF YOUR LANCES IS Almo....!" I saw Dawsid Greysunders, former king of the dwarves, standing up with his finger pointed at Alduin Eralith, former king of the elves, who was seated with his arms crossed and eyes closed.

_____________________________________

Walking through the bright, sun-lit hallways, I made my way towards one of the advanced classes.

While this was not customary, I was allowed to take classes from upper courses which first years generally don't have access to. The reason being was because I asked Director Goodsky for it. Spending time in lower classes was not beneficial at all. In fact, it was an utter waste of time.

As things stood, time was the last thing I wanted to waste.There was something off-putting about the coming war.I had never participated in such an activity. It was an entirely new challenge for me.

I could choose not to participate or even defect to another continent if I deemed it necessary for my own benefit. However, the ramifications of such a decision were unclear. 

What if there was a new continent that hadn't been mentioned in the novel? Perhaps I could... No, I needed to stop thinking about that. I took a deep breath, steadied myself, and opened the door to my lecture

( after the lecture )

Walking down the hallway I know that her disappearance had emboldened this radical group to create chaos openly. That was the problem with a school so heavily funded by the parents of its students; the only one with the authority to confront them directly was Director Goodsky.

I finally reached the training rooms, climbing the stairs as the sounds of combat grew louder. The commotion was coming from Arthur's room, and he wasn't alone.

"Things are escalating faster than I thought," I mused, pushing the door open. "This group is trying to stir up as much trouble as possible before Director Goodsky returns, planning to go into hiding afterward."

As a responsible student, I knew I had to handle this myself.

(After one hour)

I had just finished my stretching routine and warm-up. Forming a shadowy graphic of a rabbit with my hands, I summoned Rabbit Escape. As it materialized from my shadow, I commanded, "Find me Kai Crestless. I marked him a week ago, and don't forget the people near him." The rabbit dashed into the shadows. 

"Now we play the waiting game ." I muttered 

Finally, after thirty minutes of waiting , my rabbit signaled me. They were somewhere underground.

 "Perfect," I muttered under my breath as I sank into my shadow.

KAI CRESTLESS POV:

After five long years of waiting and spying, it was finally time for my last task. Soon, I would return home.

I glanced at my comrades, their faces tense with anticipation. "Has anyone sent the message to Lucas Wykes?"

"Don't worry about it; I sent it yesterday," Carl replied, his voice steady but his eyes betraying his anxiety.

"Good. We can't mess this up today. The Disciplinary Committee has a meeting. I'll feed them false information. During the attack on Xyrus Academy, I'll convince them to enlarge the training barrier, trapping the rest of the Committee members and allowing Draneeve and the radicals to wreak havoc on school grounds."

"Please don't miss this opportunity. I'm sick of this continent; I want to reunite with my blood family and friends," one of my comrades said, desperation creeping into his voice.

"Don't worry; everything will work out fine," Fin muttered, trying to reassure us. "Just relax and take it easy." Everyone nodded in agreement, but the tension in the air was palpable.

"You're right; I think I'm getting stressed…"

Suddenly, a voice came out of nowhere. "Ohhhh, what do we have here? A bunch of rats hiding."

I didn't sense him approaching, nor did I hear him. How? When? He seemed to materialize out of nowhere, like a specter, for just moments ago, there had been no one and nothing ahead of me. 

Panic surged through me. "Kai, stay calm; he's just an unfortunate soul who stumbled upon us," I reassured myself, though my heart raced.

As I turned around, I saw glowing purple eyes piercing through the darkness. They belonged to Ellis Rose—the enigmatic figure I knew little about. Had the commanders coerced his family into switching sides? If that were the case, perhaps I could inquire indirectly.

"You must be Ellis Rose! My name is Kai Crestless, a fourth-year. Just call me Kai. What brings you down here?" I said, forcing a smile that felt more like a grimace.

"Who do you think you are, talking to us like that? Do you know who we ar—" one of my men shouted, anger bubbling to the surface.

Thud!

"So noisy," he said, his voice unnervingly calm, devoid of emotion.

I felt no mana movement from his spell! How was that even possible? Is he that strong? My smile faltered, replaced by dread.

"What do you want?" I asked, my voice cracking.

"Nothing really. I'm just trying out my new tricks. See this? It's called Dismantle." With a single swift motion.

Thud!

Another one fell, and a wave of terror washed over me.

"Ahhhh!"

Thud!

"Will you be screaming the whole time? If so, let me turn off the volume."

Clap!

He clapped, and suddenly, everything went silent. I couldn't hear my comrades or even move my body.

"Now, let's try this again."

Thud!

"Stop!" I screamed, but nothing came out.

Thud!

"Please, stop!" With every movement of his hand one of us lose his head .

Thud!

"I'm begging you, please!" I pleaded, desperation clawing at my throat.

With a sudden burst of energy, Ellis vanished from sight only to materialize in front of Carl with a speed that defied comprehension.

In one fluid motion, he drove his knee into Carl ' torso, causing his body to cave in and drool to spill from the corners of his mouth. With a vice-like grip on Carls' neck, Ellis slammed his head forcefully against the wall, lifting him slightly off the ground.

"Let's try something new." His eyes, as purple as sapphires, glistened with an insatiable and primal bloodlust, yet his features remained stoic and detached.

Carl, despite the pain and the suffocating grip around his neck, defiantly spat out his trash talk , touching him lightly while muttering, "Cleave." In a low but clear tone, just like that, Carl was cut into cubes, he screamed but nothing was heard .

"And for the last one…" he said, turning towards me, a sinister smile creeping across his face as I felt a chill run down my spine.

"Please," I gasped, finally able to speak again, "please don't kill me! I'll do anything you want! I will tell you about the plan—anything! Please just say it! I'll do whatever you ask for, but don't kill me! I'm begging you…"

"Nothing personal; it's just war, and people die in war," he said, standing in front of me, his fingers pressed together as he raised them to my neck level, drawing an imaginary line in the air.

Suddenly, my body felt weightless, and the world began to spin around me. Was that my body? I questioned, cursing my luck.

I was so close—so close to completing my mission and returning to my family. Why was my fortune so cruel? I'm sorry, Mother. I'm sorry, sister.

The last thing I saw was his face, twisted in disgust as if he were looking at a bug.

THUD!

_____________________________________

The echo of the final thud reverberated through the air. That was surprisingly easy. Am I that strong, or were they just too weak? As I surveyed the bodies scattered around me, I muttered under my breath , "It's finally starting."