The cobblestone streets of the academy were eerily quiet.
Noah and Ariana made their way through the narrow paths.
A cloth-lined bag slung over Noah's shoulder.
The old leather straps creaked softly with each step.
But otherwise, the pair moved silently under the cover of the night.
The setting sun bathed the horizon in a rich gradient of orange and purple, soon giving way to the pale glow of the moon.
Noah adjusted his black hoodie, pulling it further down over his face as Ariana glanced around nervously.
"Are you sure we're not being followed?"
She whispered, her voice barely audible.
Noah scoffed lightly.
"Relax. It's late.
No one's going to notice—"
"Oi! You two!"
A sharp voice cut through the quiet.
Ariana froze mid-step, her breath catching.
From a shadowed corner ahead, two knights in polished academy-issued armor stepped into view.
Their halberds gleaming faintly in the moonlight.
Their expressions were a mix of suspicion and curiosity as they eyed the cloaked figure of Noah.
"You there..."
One of the knights barked, gesturing with his weapon.
"What are you doing out here at this hour?
And why are you skulking about like that?"
Noah muttered something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like a curse.
Ariana forced a nervous smile, stepping forward to speak.
"Oh, um, good evening, sirs.
We were just, uh, coming back from... the training grounds!
You know, practicing for upcoming assessments!"
The knights exchanged skeptical glances.
"The training grounds are on the other side of the academy..."
The other knight pointed out, his tone dripping with doubt.
"What's in the bag?"
Ariana opened her mouth to answer, but Noah beat her to it.
"Laundry."
He said flatly, the deadpan delivery making Ariana nearly choke on her own breath.
"Laundry?"
The first knight repeated, incredulity evident in his voice.
"At this hour?"
Noah shrugged nonchalantly.
"I like clean clothes. Sue me."
The knight frowned, clearly unimpressed.
His gaze shifted to Noah's hoodie.
"Take that off...why do you even have it on...
Let's see your face."
"Uh, no thanks..."
Noah replied, his tone icy but casual.
"I'm not really into public unveilings.
You know, bad hair day and all."
Ariana groaned internally, sensing where this was going.
The knights weren't going to let this go.
"Bad hair day, huh?"
The first knight said, narrowing his eyes.
"Or are you hiding something?
You know, there's been talk of a missing student matching your height and—"
Noah cut him off with a dramatic sigh.
"Alright, fine. You caught me."
He reached up slowly, making as if to pull down his hood.
The knights leaned in, anticipation written all over their faces.
Just as Noah's fingers brushed the edge of his hood, Buddy, Ariana's spirit bear, materialized out of nowhere.
Plopping down in front of them with a loud thud.
The knights recoiled in shock, their halberds raised.
"WHAT IN THE NAME OF THE EMPEROR—"
One of them yelped, stumbling backward.
Ariana seized the moment, stepping forward with a bright, overly enthusiastic smile.
"Oh, you startled poor Buddy! He's very sensitive, you see.
He doesn't like strangers staring at him.
"Good evening, Mr. Wilfred."
He ignored her greeting, fixing me with a piercing stare.
"You'd better watch your backs.
There was someone here earlier—Professor Scarlett, no less.
Been snooping around, asking about you, boy."
He jabbed a finger in my direction.
"Wanted to know if I'd seen you."
I tensed, my mind racing.
Continue your journey with empire
Professor Scarlett. Of course.
The academy wasn't going to let me just vanish without making a fuss.
"What'd you tell her?"
I asked, keeping my tone casual, though my hands instinctively clenched at my sides.
"Nothing,."
Wilfred said with a shrug, his gruff voice carrying a hint of pride.
"Played dumb. Pretended I didn't give a damn.
But you should know, the academy's not letting up
They've got some sharp people looking for you now.
Won't be long before they sniff you out."
His words didn't surprise me.
If anything, I'd been expecting this.
Still, hearing it confirmed made my stomach twist.
I glanced at Ariana, who looked visibly uneasy.
Her hands were clasped tightly in front of her, and her lips pressed into a thin line.
I turned my gaze back to Wilfred, giving him a short nod.
"No worries...
I'll handle it."
He snorted, clearly unimpressed by my confidence.
"You'd better.
This shop doesn't need any trouble."
As Wilfred turned back to his work, I leaned against the counter, letting my hood fall slightly over my face.
My thoughts churned, a chaotic mess of plans and calculations.
The truth was, it didn't really matter anymore.
The first act of this story was about to kick off, and hiding wouldn't make much of a difference.
The princess would soon get possessed, and with her, chaos would follow.
That was how the script went.
All I had to do was stay out of the way and survive until the weekend.
Then, with all eyes on the princess and Draven, I'd have some breathing room.
For now, I just needed to keep my head down.
I straightened, turning to Ariana.
"Listen, we won't be meeting again until sometime next week.
I need to lay low, and so do you.
Don't come to the shop unless it's absolutely necessary.
It'll look suspicious if anyone notices you visiting too often."
Her eyes widened slightly, but she nodded after a moment.
"Alright. If that's what you think is best."
"It is."
I glanced at Wilfred.
"You'll let her know if anything important comes up, right?"
He grunted, not looking up.
"I'm not your messenger, boy.
But sure, if it keeps you two from making a mess of things."
I rolled my eyes but didn't press the matter.
Ariana stepped toward the door, giving me a small, uncertain smile.
"G-goodnight, Noah..."
She said softly, before turning to Wilfred.
"And thank you, Mr. Wilfred."
Wilfred waved her off with a muttered.
"Yeah, yeah."
As she slipped out the back door.
The soft click of the latch echoed in the quiet shop, leaving me alone with my thoughts once more.
I stared at the bag on the counter, the weight of everything pressing down on me.
The clock was ticking, and the storm was coming.
All I could do was prepare and hope I didn't get caught in the crossfire.
'Alright...time to farm a few [plot points]...'