The wooden ledge cracked under his weight.
Noel lost his grip.
He didn’t scream. There wasn’t ti.
His body dropped from the third floor like a stone, and he barely managed to twist mid-air before crashing onto a pile of trash bags and broken crates. Pain shot through his back and ribs as he rolled onto the ground, coughing dust and filth from his lungs.
But he didn’t stop.
He sprang to his feet and ran.
"Shit, shit, shit."
His heartbeat was deafening, echoing in his skull louder than his footsteps on the stone.
’Lereus is the demon. That’s confird. That bastard’s not just playing gas—he’s feeding on students. I saw where they’re being held, and now I know what happened to Laziel...’
He turned a corner and nearly slipped on the wet pavent.
’He was trembling... When he told him to kneel, he dropped like a puppet. He’s being controlled. That’s why he obeyed—why he doesn’t seem like himself anymore.’
A low buzz rang in his ears as adrenaline surged through his veins.
’I can’t act without a plan. I need ti. If I screw this up, everyone on that list dies. Marcus. Clara. Elyra. Garron. Everyone.’
The buildings blurred as he ran. The academy’s outer spires ca into view in the distance.
’Tomorrow I have class. With him. I’ll have to look that monster in the eyes.’
He didn’t slow down and kept running.
Behind him, a door creaked open.
Noel didn’t dare look back—but he felt it. That presence. That wrongness.
Footsteps echoed faintly, precise and clean.
He glanced quickly over his shoulder and saw a figure erge from the abandoned building.
Lereus.
But now... human again.
His hair was neatly combed, every strand in place. His robes were immaculate, smooth and dark, the fabric rippling just slightly with each asured step.
And his eyes—icy blue, focused and sterile. Not like a person’s. More like surveillance crystals, scanning for the smallest detail, tracking motion, heat, fear.
Noel pulled his hood lower, making sure his blond hair was hidden. His cloak was thick enough to mask his silhouette, but he knew that wouldn’t be enough if he stood still.
So he moved.
Fast.
First a walk.
Then a jog.
Then a sprint.
He could hear the steps behind him, soft but growing closer.
’Shit. He’s following.’
He tore through the side streets, weaving through garbage piles and broken fences. His mind raced, every alley rembered, every turn calculated.
’Co on, almost there.’
Finally—he burst out onto the main road.
The harsh silence of the alley gave way to the warm hum of life. Lanterns glowed above shopfronts. People laughed, argued, moved in waves. Street vendors shouted over one another, carts clattered against stone.
Noel didn’t stop.
He yanked off his cloak and tucked it under his arm, slipping into the crowd with practiced ease. A few turned at the sudden movent, but no one paid him real attention.
’I know this street... Elyra brought here once. The day of the date.’
He caught himself and clenched his jaw.
’Not the ti for fond mories.’
He kept moving, breathing as steadily as he could.
No glance back.
No sudden steps.
Just the rhythm of the city covering his escape.
’Looks like I lost him.’
Lereus stepped out of the building, the door creaking softly behind him as it shut.
He paused in the darkness of the alleyway, lifting his chin slightly, like a hound catching a scent on the wind. The night air was still.
But sothing was off.
Sothing lingered.
His eyes—icy and sharp—narrowed as they scanned the rooftops, the corners, the walls. Every movent of his head was smooth.
"Soone was watching..."
He said it softly, not as a question—but as a truth.
He clicked his tongue.
"I don’t like cockroaches."
His expression didn’t change, but his pace quickened.
"I think I’ll go squash this one."
Lereus began to move—no longer the elegant teacher walking the halls, but sothing else beneath the skin. Each step was precise, his feet barely making a sound as he followed the trail through the back streets.
"Hmm... Fast little thing," he muttered. "But probably not fast enough."
He reached the end of the alley just in ti to see a cloak disappear around the corner.
He turned after it, quick and silent.
Then stopped.
His eyes widened slightly.
The street was full—dozens, maybe hundreds of people, walking shoulder to shoulder, lanternlight dancing across their faces.
He scanned them all in seconds.
Too late.
"...Shit."
He stood there a mont longer, shoulders tight.
"Too many. Impossible to find him now."
He turned back into the shadows, voice low, almost amused.
"But now I know soone’s watching. Let’s see how long they can hide."
The door clicked shut behind him.
Noel stood in the middle of his dorm room, breathing hard. The silence felt heavier now—almost oppressive. As if the walls themselves were holding their breath.
He took a slow step forward, then another. His legs felt shaky. His back ached from the fall, and his clothes still carried the sll of alley rot and city dust.
"Shit... I really don’t like seeing that kind of stuff."
He didn’t bother taking off his boots.
He went straight to the bathroom.
Turned on the light.
Lifted the lid.
And vomited.
His hands gripped the edge of the sink as he coughed and gasped, eyes stinging—not from the acid in his throat, but from what his mind refused to let go.
Blood.
Chains.
A girl’s muffled scream.
Laziel’s blank stare.
He rinsed his mouth twice, then splashed cold water on his face.
Stared into the mirror.
His reflection stared back—pale, tense, haunted.
"Pull it together," he muttered.
He stumbled back into the room, sat on the edge of his bed, ran both hands through his hair. The mattress creaked beneath his weight.
But he didn’t lie down.
Didn’t rest.
After a long pause, he stood again.
’No ti for comfort. I need to find Elena. Now.’
Noel didn’t have to go far.
Both he and Elena were in the Class S dormitories, and as luck had it, her room was just one floor below his. He left his room in silence, descending the stairs two steps at a ti. The hallway was quiet, the stone floors cold beneath his boots.
He stopped at her door, knocked once—firm, sharp.
Monts later, it opened. Elena stood there, holding a book in one hand, her long hair tied in a low braid. She looked surprised, but not alard.
"Noel?"
He didn’t answer right away. He reached into his coat, pulled out a folded sheet of paper, and handed it to her.
"Tomorrow. After classes. Go to this location. Bring Nicolas there, please."
She blinked, then opened the paper. "What is this?"
"You’ll see when you get there. But promise —you go right after class. Not a minute before."
"...Okay?" she said cautiously. "Wait, you found sothing, didn’t you? About the incident. Why won’t you tell more?"
"I don’t want anyone getting hurt," Noel said, voice low. "Acting too soon would be a mistake. Just trust . We wait. I’ve got a plan."
Elena frowned, but nodded slowly.
"Fine... only because you helped during the Hunt."
"Thanks." He stepped back, already turning toward the stairs. "I need to get ready."
He paused at the edge of the hallway.
"Please—inform the headmaster and everyone else after classes. Not before. If anyone acts early... sothing bad could happen."
Then he was gone.
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