The gothic architecture of the halls was bathed in the late morning sun's warm light as I stepped through the Humanities building's entrance hall, the marble floors and the stained-glass windows were polished to perfection. The halls of the academy were busy, with students rushing to and from class.

It was surreal to be back in school after an exciting week, to say the least. But that's life for you. The chaos event had been a major thing, as short as it was, and it had left the entire city on edge.

I glanced to the side as a group of girls glared at me from a distance. It wasn't a look of hate, more like curiosity mixed in with suspicion.

But still. I wasn't used to this.

Raven black hair like mine was a rarity on Terra, as were dark-brown eyes. It was relatively common in Asian populations, but most East Asians here seemed to have eye colors like purple and red. I was aware I stuck out as much as someone with purple hair would back on Earth.

It was annoying, but I had to get used to it.

I wasn't exactly used to getting this much attention from strangers. And it made me a bit nervous. I could see people pointing and talking about me time to time, and I really didn't want to get caught up in more drama than I had to. I was a poor kid from a parallel world surrounded by the elite. The last thing I needed was to be a target.

"Ahem! Is that young Ikazuchi I see?"

I turned towards the person who had suddenly called out to me. He was an older gentleman, probably in his fifties or so. His face was lined with age and wisdom, his eyes were sharp, and he had a mustache that was a little too bushy for my tastes. His hair was a salt and pepper.... navy blue, and nearly entirely white with age.

He was with a chubby woman in a blue pantsuit with red, borderline pink hair. It was probably natural, but it reminded me a little of a cherry blossom tree. I vaguely recognized her as the woman who'd been refereeing Midori's exhibition bout with Ranjika. She was standing off to the side with a keen and curious expression. She seemed like she was amused by my situation, which made me feel even more awkward. She looked like she was in her late twenties or early thirties.

I bowed, trying not to feel embarrassed.

They looked like faculty of some sort, but I was new here so it wasn't like I knew everyone's name or face.

"Can I help you, sir?" I asked, hoping to be polite and move along.

"Indeed. You are Ikazuchi from Earth, are you not?" the gentleman said. His voice was deep and rich. It wasn't particularly loud, but he spoke with authority, and there was an undertone of nobility.

"I am," I said, trying not to sound as awkward as I felt.

The gentleman flashed me a slight smile and a polite bow, while the woman seemed to do a double-take when I turned to face them.

"I am the Dean of the Humanities department — Sir Armand Blackwater," he said, introducing himself.

The woman next to him gave a small nod of her head. Her eyes seemed to be scanning me.

"I am very sorry for any distress our student body or the administration have put you through," he apologized.

"Oh... uh..."

"I understand you are here under a scholarship and apprenticeship with the Magitech Institute, and robotics team," the Dean explained. "And that you stepped up to offer critical assistance during the chaos event that occurred several days prior. As a staff and a representative of the Academy, I would like to personally thank you."

"Oh... it's okay," I stammered. "It was nothing really. It was the right thing to do, after all. Thank you all for giving me this opportunity to be here."

He chuckled. "No need to be so formal. You've made quite the splash at our little academy. I was impressed with your examination results when we evaluated your eligibility to attend the school, and with the acumen you've displayed in dealing with the chaos event, it seems we made a good decision."

The woman beside him let out an amused giggled.

"So, this is the boy that Lady Escathos singled out, hm?" She asked with a gleam in her eyes. There was something about her cadence that felt almost devilish.

The Dean turned to the woman. "Ah yes, of course," he said with a smile. "This is Miss Clara Roth. She is a history teacher, as well as a volunteer coach and trainer for the athletic department."

The woman, Miss Clara Roth, nodded in greeting. Her pinkish-red eyes bore into mine and she almost looked like she wanted to burst out laughing. It felt unnerving and I couldn't put my finger on why.

I bowed again. "Pleased to make your acquaintance."

She gave me a playful wink.

"You're a polite young man." Miss Roth said, smiling warmly. "You've been quite the talk of the school, lately. It's good to finally put a face to the name."

Rumors? Oh boy. This can't be good.

"The first student from Earth to attend a Global Academy..." The Dean mused, his voice sounding a little more whimsical than I would have expected from someone with his stature and appearance. "It's an exciting time we live in."

Miss Roth's eyes twinkled as she gave me another appraising look.

"I agree, Sir," she said with a nod.

"Well," the Dean said. "If there's ever anything the academy or the faculty can do for you, please don't hesitate to ask."

I gulped, my eyes drifting briefly to some of the students who were pretending not to watch us in curiosity.

"I... I appreciate it, sir. Ma'am."

With that, he and Miss Roth left. They continued chatting amongst themselves, walking off together and disappearing into the crowd of students and staff.

"Phew... that was..."

Someone tapped me on the shoulder.

I jolted, turning around to see that the pink haired woman had doubled back, her expression amused but friendly. "Hey kiddo," she whispered.

"Uh, yes ma'am?" I said.

It was unnerving how she'd just appeared back behind me without a sound.

"I'm going to cut right to the chase. I know you're probably stacked to the brim with extracurriculars and duties with the magitech crew, but would you be interested in trying out for the fencing team?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh, I uh, I dunno..."

"We're not as strict on training or practice times, given the club's focus on self improvement, discipline and fundamentals. Look, I'm always the type to look out for the little guy, and I know for a fact some of the snot-nosed aristocrats around here are probably going to give you trouble because you're different," she said, giving me a sympathetic look.

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She was giving me the same vibe I'd seen in teachers and counselors back in Philadelphia, the ones who tried to reach out to the kids from rough neighborhoods to try to keep them out of trouble. I appreciated it, but I didn't feel like I was being targeted by bullies just because of my heritage.

Yet. At least.

And there was only so much violence and a stick could do for someone like me. The image of Caroline turning into a walking blizzard as she had a public meltdown was fresh in my mind. I doubted I was ever going to forget that image for the rest of my life.

But that was a thought for another time, and I needed to give this teacher some kind of response. I didn't want to be rude, but I also didn't know how much free time I'd have to spare.

"Well..." I said. I wasn't sure how to respond to that.

"If you're nervous, you don't have to worry. We don't bite, and I can assure you that the rest of the team won't give you any grief. I promise. If you're here on a standard scholarship, fees for athletics are also covered," she said.

I bit my lip. I'd always wanted to give fencing or kendo a try as a kid, but I didn't know if I had enough time to juggle that on top of everything else I was doing. Not only did I have to worry about the magitech team, but I also had a whole bunch of classes I needed to keep up with.

Plus I didn't have a source of income yet, so I had to figure that part of my life out.

But... if the fees were covered, maybe it wasn't the worst idea to at least check it out and try.

And it would help me burn off some steam. As long as it didn't take too much of my time.

"I'm... I'm not sure, to be honest," I said, scratching the back of my head. "I've always been interested in martial arts and stuff like that, and I like to think I'm decently athletic, but I'm not sure how much free time I'm going to have. But, maybe... it's something to consider, if the hours are reasonable and it's not going to cost me anything?"

She gave me another wink, as if she were a devil tempting a soul into a deal.

"Perfect. The team leader will be thrilled," Miss Roth said. "And if anyone gives you trouble because of your background or heritage, feel free to come find me. I'll find a way to keep those kids in check."

I nodded, smiling at her. I wondered if Midori put her up to this, or if she'd come to me of her own volition. "I'll consider checking it out. Thank you very much, Miss Roth."

She patted my shoulder, before heading back the way she came, leaving me to wonder what that was all about. Maybe it was a cultural thing.

I continued down the hallway towards my class, but a nagging thought kept bothering me.

Where are you, Natasha?

I was supposed to meet up with Natasha earlier in the day, before classes started. She'd shared her schedule with me last night and we'd agreed to meet up after Classics.

...But I couldn't find her. And she hadn't responded to my texts.

Maybe I was worrying too much, or thinking too hard about it, but the fact that I was supposed to meet up with her and she no-showed, made me a little concerned.

Was she sick? She'd seemed fine yesterday by the time we talked again at the end of the day.

Or was she...

I shook my head. No. I shouldn't be jumping to conclusions. What were the chances she had yet another bad run-in with Caroline?

The chances were pretty low, I'd wager, but... the chances of a massive evil research institute in my neighborhood and high magnitude chaos event happening in one week was pretty low, too. The world was full of improbable things. Like teenage girls that can fly at hypersonic speeds or create localized hurricane.

Maybe it was nothing.

But maybe I'd look around a bit more during the lunch hour and make sure everything was fine.

Suddenly, I felt a strange tug at the back of my neck.

I blinked, glancing over my shoulder to see if someone had bumped into me or if I had accidentally hit something. I found no such thing.

I felt a similar sensation a second later.

"What the...?" I murmured to myself.

The sensation came a third time. I turned my head again to find nothing out of the ordinary.

A prickling at the back of my neck, just like I'd felt before Hellhound tried to hit me with a stun gun on Saturday. Like I could feel the presence of someone who wasn't there.

"Is that you, Rai-chan?" I whispered quietly. I knew no one else could hear her.

"Huh? What's up?"

"Nothing, I just..."

I trailed off. Something didn't feel right.

There was a small crowd of students around me. It seemed like it was mostly made up of upperclassmen.

I walked over to an empty classroom, where no one else was, and leaned against a wall. The feeling didn't go away. Instead, it grew more intense.

"Hey. Are you messing with me?" I whispered again.

"No. What's wrong, Ikki?"

I focused, closing my eyes.

It wasn't a sense of being watched like you might get when being stared at.

I was sensing someone, or something, nearby, like the sensation of a sixth sense or the feeling you got when you knew someone was there, even if you couldn't see them.

A presence. Or, perhaps, a shadow, hiding in plain sight.

I concentrated on that feeling, letting it wash over me and guide me forward.

And then I started walking. Slowly, carefully. I didn't know where I was going. But something told me this was where I needed to be.

It was a feeling of intuition, the kind you get from knowing someone for a long time and picking up on their habits and patterns. I didn't understand how it worked or what it meant. All I knew is that something in the air was making my hair stand on end and the skin on my arms tingle, and I needed to get to the bottom of it.

The feeling led me out of the humanities building and across the courtyard towards the mazelike sprawl of gardens and academic halls, until it finally stopped in a small corridor just off of a narrow passage, next to the music halls.

The sensation was coming from a room with an open door, with no light streaming through. The corridor itself was empty and devoid of students.

The sign above the door had a small plaque that read "Storage - Authorized Personnel Only."

But the door was ajar, which meant it had either been opened recently, or was going to be.

I crept forward, listening carefully, trying to pinpoint the source of the sensation.

There.

In the dark.

Something was inside. Something I couldn't see.

And I didn't want to risk getting any closer to investigate, but the tingling in the air was so intense now that I was afraid I was going to lose it.

I slipped into the storage room.

It was pitch black.

And it was empty, except for a few boxes, a stack of chairs, and some old instruments.

But I wasn't alone. I knew I wasn't. I could sense something in here with me.

Something was lurking, just out of view. Something that didn't want to be found. I crept deeper into the room, trying to be quiet. The presence was stronger than before. I could feel it now, like an electric charge in my bones.

Something that didn't want to be found. Something dangerous.

I didn't know how I knew this. I didn't understand it. But I couldn't deny it.

Suddenly I felt my phone buzz, and I reached down to see the message that was displayed on my screen.

It was from Natasha, but she didn't reply to any of my texts. Instead, she had sent a message with a picture attached. I opened the file and was surprised at what I saw.

It was a picture of the very room I was currently in. And it looked exactly like how I was seeing it right now. There was a time stamp, too, from only a minute ago.

"What the hell...?"

I looked around. I didn't see anything out of the ordinary in here. But that picture had been taken only moments ago, and the presence was still here.

Suddenly, my head started pounding. It felt like my brain was about to burst, and my body felt weak. My vision began to swim and I felt a throbbing in my skull that was growing more and more painful.

And then, I saw a silhouette fall in the darkness, like it'd just been cut down from a rope tied to the ceiling. I jerked back in surprise.

What was that?!

I fumbled with my phone, activating the flashlight.

I felt a surge of adrenaline course through me and my breath caught in my throat as the light landed on the figure.

Natasha was lying in a pool of her own blood.

She had a huge gash on the side of her head, her slate black hair matted and stained a dark crimson, and a dark stain seeping through the middle of her abdomen. Her glasses were shattered and on the floor.

There was so much blood.

I rushed to her, my heart pounding in my chest.

I crouched beside her and shook her. She didn't stir. I looked at the rope burns around her neck. It looked deep and jagged. Her left arm was twisted in a way it shouldn't have been.

I scrambled to check for a pulse, pressing two fingers to her neck. She was still alive, but her skin was cool to the touch and her breathing was shallow.

I pulled off my hoodie, bundling it up and pressing it against her wound, hoping to staunch the bleeding. Her blood was seeping into my hands.

She needed help. Now. But I didn't want to leave her here and go running around looking for someone else.

I reached for my phone to dial an emergency number and—

...

"Ikki!"

I blinked, snapping back to reality.

Natasha was nowhere to be seen. The sound of students bustling through the main hallway of the humanities building filled my ears. I looked around, my eyes wide and panicked.

"Rai...chan?"

"Ikki! I was calling out to you, but you kept staring into the hallway. What happened?! Your vitals were spiking and you weren't responding!" Rai-chan said.

"Did... did I just black out?"

"I think you zoned out. But you kept staring at something, your eyes were darting back and forth. I kept asking you what was going on but you wouldn't say anythingl."

"I..."

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I saw... I saw..."

"Ikki... you're starting to worry me. Again. What's going on?!"

I took a deep breath. Then, I quickly flipped open my phone and glanced at the time.

I felt my heart leap into my throat.

"No time to explain, Rai-chan. I'll fill you in on the way!"

"W-Wait! Where are you going?!"

And with that, I sprinted down the hallway without another word.

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