It was 8:30 p.m. when I began heading back to my room after spending so ti in the cafeteria for dinner.
To be honest, the food had surprised —it was unusually good. It had been a long while since I had last eaten there.
Normally, I preferred to prepare my als myself in my room, where I could control everything, but that habit had beco increasingly risky.
Lately, staying in my room for extended periods had turned into a gamble. There was always the chance that other students could strike without warning, especially when I was distracted—cooking, organizing my things, or simply lost in thought.
I wasn’t unprepared by weakness; I was cautious because the environnt demanded it.
The thought of being attacked while unready was enough to make abandon my old routine and opt for the cafeteria instead.
As I made my way through the nearly empty corridors, my unease only grew.
Each step seed amplified in the silence, echoing faintly against the walls.
Shadows flickered in my peripheral vision, cast by the dim overhead lights, and I found myself glancing back far more than necessary.
What if soone were waiting for ? What if my presence had already been noted, and they were preparing to strike at the perfect mont?
My senses were on high alert. I could hear the faintest creak of a floorboard, the softest rustle in the air, and the subtle hum of the ventilation system.
Every sound seed like a possible warning, every shadow a threat. I moved carefully, each step deliberate, muscles tense, ready to react.
My heart pounded, but I forced myself to breathe evenly, steadying my nerves as I approached my room.
...
By the ti I reached the door, it was already past 9:30 p.m.
I had spent far longer than necessary getting there, not because the distance was great, but because I had stopped repeatedly, scanning the hall, alert to the slightest movent or sound.
Every ti I paused, a question struck with persistent insistence
Would it be safer not to enter the room at all?
For a brief mont, the idea tempted , but I quickly dismissed it.
Running away wouldn’t solve anything, and lingering in the corridors would leave exposed.
I clenched my fist and forced myself to continue, step by step, despite the growing tension that gnawed at .
Finally, I stood before my door, stopping just short of touching it. Sothing felt off. My eyes locked on the door as I noticed a subtle irregularity—it had moved.
Just one centiter from where I had left it. To anyone else, it might have seed insignificant, but not to .
I had intentionally left the door slightly ajar, one precise centiter, a small but deliberate gap. It was a silent warning system, a trap that only I would notice.
Anyone entering my room without my knowledge would imdiately trigger my awareness, even without leaving a trace.
My heart thumped violently at the confirmation that sothing—or soone—had indeed been there.
I remained motionless, focusing all my attention on the door.
My mind raced with worst-case scenarios, not from paranoia but from experience.
Danger rarely announces itself politely; it strikes quietly, often when least expected.
And I knew this. One thing was certain: opening that door could an facing a direct attack from students hiding inside.
ك
At that mont, fear didn’t control . It was preparation, calculation, and focus. Every muscle in my body was coiled, every nerve alert.
I took slow, deliberate breaths, keeping my mind sharp, my senses stretched to their limits.
The seconds stretched as I waited for the perfect mont to act, fully aware that the next instant could determine everything.
"Tch..."
I drew a deep breath and slowly pushed the door open.
— Click —
Darkness swallowed the room. The faint light from the corridor barely penetrated the gloom.
I could see nothing beyond vague outlines, but my breathing—controlled and asured—was the only sound in the silence. Yet even in that dark, I knew with certainty: soone was inside.
I had no choice but to act. I had to appear exhausted, indifferent, like I had noticed nothing unusual.
"Haaah... I’m really worn out from everything happening at the academy lately... I think I need so sleep."
I spoke quietly, almost to myself, letting my words carry the impression of fatigue.
While keeping my composure, I began quietly spreading the Altaria threads through the room.
The threads glided through the air, slipping into corners, over furniture, silent and unseen.
— Foom! —
I moved slowly toward the bed, deliberately exposing my side, my movents casual but calculated.
Then—
Four shadows lunged at simultaneously, erging from different directions.
— Whoosh!
— Whoosh!
They were faster than I anticipated—by a fraction of a second—but not enough to catch entirely unprepared.
A sharp pain tore through my shoulder as one struck, followed by a burning sting along my side. I gritted my teeth and staggered slightly, but I held my ground.
I didn’t allow the pain to break my focus. The mont my body steadied, I directed my willpower through the threads.
Now.
The Altaria threads responded instantly, almost as if they had been waiting for the signal.
They surged, wrapping tightly around limbs and joints, coiling with precision. Then they rose to restrain necks and torsos, locking all four intruders in place before they could launch another attack.
Frozen, immobilized, they could neither move nor speak. Every effort to struggle against the threads failed.
I observed them, each motion of their bodies constrained by my control. My heart was still racing, but my mind was clear.
Every calculation, every precaution I had taken, had paid off.
I remained still for a mont, letting them adjust to their sudden helplessness. The threads didn’t harm them—they simply restrained. It was enough.
I looked at them and saw that they were staring at with intense anger. I didn’t fully understand why, but I didn’t pay it much attention.
This was the second ti students had attacked , ever since the academy had implicitly allowed us to confront each other.
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