Chapter 23: Shadows of Betrayal
The next morning, the Academy was alive with a buzz of tension. Whispers moved through the halls like a storm, and Lahsiv could feel the eyes of the other students on him wherever he went. It was clear now that something was coming, something bigger than just the usual rivalries between the top contenders of the Apex class. Valen’s plans were in motion, and the instructors, always watchful, had begun to subtly tighten their grip.
Lahsiv, however, remained calm. The warning from the shadowed man still echoed in his mind: The Umbral Circle will come for you. He understood now that this was no ordinary power struggle. This was a conflict rooted in the secrets of the Abyss itself, and he was at the center of it.
But Lahsiv was not one to sit idly by while others plotted against him. He had already begun preparing for his confrontation with Valen, but first, he needed more information. If Valen had allied with the Umbral Circle, there had to be a way to exploit that connection.
As the sun began to set, Lahsiv slipped away from the main Academy grounds, heading toward one of the older wings of the fortress where few students ventured. It was here, in the forgotten corners of the Academy, that secrets were kept—and where Valen often met with his allies.
Lahsiv’s shadow moved with him, cloaking his presence as he navigated through the labyrinth of halls. The deeper he ventured, the more he could feel the pull of Dark Karma around him, growing stronger with each step. Whatever Valen was planning, it was connected to this place.
Eventually, Lahsiv found what he was looking for. In a dimly lit corridor, hidden away from prying eyes, Valen stood with two other students. One of them was Lira, a top student who had always been close to Valen, and the other was a figure Lahsiv didn’t recognize—a tall man with sharp, angular features and an air of authority about him. His presence radiated something darker than the other students—something that hinted at an allegiance beyond the Academy.
The Umbral Circle, Lahsiv realized. This man wasn’t a student—he was one of them.
Lahsiv listened, staying hidden in the shadows as their voices carried through the hall.
“This is taking too long,” the stranger said, his voice low and impatient. “The Circle is growing restless. You promised them results, Valen.”
Valen’s tone was confident, but there was an edge of nervousness in it. “I know. But Lahsiv is more powerful than I anticipated. He’s connected to the Abyss in ways we didn’t expect. If we move too soon, we risk exposing ourselves before we’re ready.”
The man’s eyes narrowed. “The Circle doesn’t care about your fears. They want what they were promised. If you can’t deliver, they’ll find someone who can.”
Lira, standing beside Valen, spoke up. “We’re close. Once Lahsiv is isolated, we’ll make our move. The instructors are already suspicious of him. We just need to push them a little further, and they’ll deal with him for us.”
Lahsiv’s jaw tightened as he listened. So that was their plan. Valen wasn’t just trying to defeat him—he was trying to manipulate the instructors into believing Lahsiv was a threat, using the Academy’s rules against him. And with the Umbral Circle backing him, Valen thought he had an unbeatable advantage.
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The stranger leaned in closer, his voice turning cold. “You’d better hope your plan works, Valen. The Circle has no patience for failure.”
Valen nodded quickly, though Lahsiv could see the tension in his shoulders. “It will. Once Lahsiv is out of the way, the power of the Abyss will be ours to control.”
Lahsiv’s eyes narrowed. Valen was more desperate than he had realized. But now that Lahsiv knew the full extent of their plan, he had the advantage. He would not wait for them to strike—he would act first.
Silently, Lahsiv retreated into the shadows, his mind racing with possibilities. He had heard enough. Valen and the Umbral Circle thought they could manipulate the Academy’s system and use the instructors to take him down, but they had underestimated him. Lahsiv had no intention of playing their game.
He would strike first, but it had to be carefully executed. Valen had allies, both in the Academy and beyond, and a reckless move could turn the full force of the instructors against Lahsiv. But there were always ways to turn the tables, to exploit the weaknesses of those who thought they were in control.
That night, Lahsiv returned to his quarters, his mind racing with strategies. He had spent months building his power, mastering the Abyss, and now it was time to use it. But he couldn’t act alone. If Valen had managed to rally some of the other top students, Lahsiv would need his own allies.
Elira.
Lahsiv hadn’t fully trusted her before, but she had proven her loyalty by warning him about Valen’s moves. She was resourceful, and more importantly, she was afraid. That fear would make her easy to manipulate.
The next morning, Lahsiv found Elira waiting for him in the courtyard. She seemed tense, her eyes scanning the surroundings as if expecting something to happen at any moment.
“Elira,” Lahsiv said quietly, stepping up beside her. “I need your help.”
She turned to face him, her expression wary. “What’s going on? Did you find out what Valen’s planning?”
Lahsiv nodded. “Valen’s made a deal with an organization called the Umbral Circle. They’re powerful, and they want the Abyss’s power. Valen’s promised to deliver me to them.”
Elira’s eyes widened, and she stepped closer. “What are you going to do?”
Lahsiv’s gaze was cold, calculating. “We can’t wait for them to act. We strike first, but I need to know I can count on you. You’ve proven yourself before, but this will be dangerous. Are you in?”
Elira hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “I’m with you, Lahsiv. But how are we going to take them down?”
Lahsiv’s lips curled into a faint smile. “We don’t just fight them. We turn their own plan against them. Valen thinks he can manipulate the instructors into seeing me as a threat, but we’ll give them a reason to believe he’s the threat. We expose his connection to the Umbral Circle.”
Elira’s eyes widened with understanding. “If the instructors find out about that, Valen won’t stand a chance.”
Lahsiv nodded. “Exactly. But we have to be careful. The instructors are already watching me closely. We need proof, something that ties Valen directly to the Umbral Circle.”
Elira frowned. “But how do we get that? The Umbral Circle is a secret organization. They don’t leave evidence lying around.”
Lahsiv’s mind raced. He had already anticipated that. Valen and his allies were too careful to leave physical proof of their dealings, but Lahsiv had something else—his connection to the Abyss. The shadows were more than just tools for combat. They could reveal secrets, uncover hidden truths.
“I’ll find a way,” Lahsiv said quietly. “The Abyss has shown me things before. It will show me this.”
Elira nodded, though her expression remained tense. “I’ll do what I can. But be careful, Lahsiv. If Valen finds out what you’re planning…”
Lahsiv cut her off, his voice cold. “He won’t. And when this is over, Valen will be the one the Academy turns on.”
That night, after the Academy had quieted, Lahsiv returned to the hidden chambers beneath the school—the same ones where he had first encountered the black crystal. The air here was thick with dark energy, and the shadows seemed to pulse in rhythm with his heartbeat.
He stood in the center of the chamber, his mind focused on the task ahead. The Abyss had tested him before, and now he would ask something of it. He needed to find the connection between Valen and the Umbral Circle, something that would expose them.
Lahsiv closed his eyes and extended his senses into the darkness around him. The shadows responded instantly, swirling around him like smoke. He reached deeper, drawing on the Abyss’s power, letting it guide him.
And then, he saw it.
Faint images began to form in the darkness—fragments of conversations, glimpses of faces, moments hidden from the rest of the world. Lahsiv focused, pulling the images closer, sharpening them into clarity.
There was Valen, standing in the same hidden corridor where Lahsiv had overheard him. And beside him, the man from the Umbral Circle, his face now clear. They were discussing the plan, the exchange of power, and Valen’s promise to deliver Lahsiv to them. It was all there.
Lahsiv smiled. This was the proof he needed.
The shadows began to fade, and Lahsiv opened his eyes, his heart pounding with the thrill of victory. He had everything he needed to bring Valen down.
Now, it was time to act.