One hour earlier
Nothing seemed out of order in the school, yet Zmeron could still not shake off the unsettling feeling of something going terribly wrong. Maybe he was just getting more nervous because Trixan was not here. She always made the school feel safe with her mere presence. Besides, he couldn’t get his mind off that feeling of being watched yesterday. He had not felt it anymore, but it still made him feel uneasy. He had always trusted his instincts, so he didn’t take this lightly. Even after ensuring that everything was running smoothly, he headed to the control room.
“Zemeron.” Daneed, the supervisor of the control room, nodded at him. Missions for vanquishers all came to the control room, and Daneed and his team were responsible for dispatching the right vanquishers for the job. “Is everything alright?” asked Daneed.
Zemeron gazed at the numerous screens on the wall. He wasn’t exactly sure what he was looking for, but if there was a spy in the school, they couldn’t stay hidden forever. “Have you noticed anything odd?”
“No. “ Daneed rapidly typed something on his keyboard, and live videos of various parts of the school zoomed in on the largest screen on the wall. “There’s nothing to worry about.”
A few vanquishers trained in the various classrooms of the Academy. Some vanquishers chatted by the water fountain right outside the Junior Quarters. Two rookies sat on the stairs eating some snacks.
“Go to Rahsun,” he said.
Daneed complied.
Zemeron raised a brow. So that’s where those kids went, he thought. Early in the morning, Zemeron had seen Yanivrrak, Pheera, and Narvari hurrying off somewhere. It seemed they had come to the forest and from how silently they stood listening to the shirtless Servin Rahalan, it was clear that Servin was teaching them. This was still normal. Maybe he was indeed being paranoid.
“Zemeron, look.”
There, on the screen, someone stood right outside the High Sepulchre. Daneed zoomed the video.
“Is that Edicles?” asked Daneed. “What’s he doing there?”
Zemeron frowned. The High Sepulchre was the only place in Draghein School forbidden to everyone but the Elder. The entire security system of Draghein School was in the High Sepulchre and only Trixan Yvis had the means to enter. Why would Edicles Hogmen go there? He was a class three vanquisher. He should know better.
Edicles fished out a black device from his pocket and pressed it on the security scanner affixed beside the large door.
“What’s he doing?” Zemeron whispered.
His questions were answered a few seconds later when the giant doors swung wide open and Edicles walked inside.
Zemeron’s face paled. “What in the seven hells.”
“He breached it,” said Daneed. “But how?”
The same questions baffled Zemeron’s mind. Whatever device Edicles had used must have imitated Trixan’s DNA. What was Edicles up to? No need to think about that. He had to stop Edicles now.
“Keep an eye out, Daneed.”
With that said, Zemeron quickly activated the portal function on his xuul and the portal appeared before him. He stepped through, suddenly appearing just outside the High Sepulchre. He slipped inside the tower just before the door shut.
Zemeron shielded his eyes to get accustomed to the onslaught of brilliant shield rays surging through the crystal shield beam. The red, white, and blue lights traveled to the top of the tower, out of the glass dome ceiling.
“Edicles.” Zemeron glared at the young man. Why was Edicles next to the controls of the shield beam, his hand flaming with green sacros? What the hell was he trying to do? “What’s this? You’re not supposed to be here.”
Edicles slowly turned around, glowering at Zemeron.
Zemeron clenched his jaws as that familiar murderous intent chilled his spine. It was Edicles? How could Edicles be the one spying on him all this while? “Who are you? What do you want?”
Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.
Not saying a word, Edicles smashed a sacred fist into the screen, shattering it. Suddenly, the shield rays vanished inside the crystal shield beam.
“No.” Zemeron’s eyes widened.
Edicles lunged towards him, armed with Trinity. But Zemeron splashed his water elema at Edicles pinning him to the wall. When Zemeron was sure that Edicles could not break free of his elema, he ran to the control screen. Zemeron was no engineer but he could tell that the screen was beyond repair. He stared at the empty oval stand that used to house the shield beam. Zemeron glared at Edicles.
Edicles laughed. He was no longer struggling on the wall. “Your school is doomed. You are all doomed.”
“What is wrong with you?” Zemeron snarled. Edicles Hogmen was a vanquisher of Draghein School long before Zemeron even transferred here. Why would he take down the only thing protecting the school from unwanted intruders?
Zemeron instantly froze. Intruders. He quickly pulled the alarm, the sound blaring across the school. That should warn everyone about what was going on. If there were intruders, they would take care of it.
“What are you up to?” Zemeron tightened his water elema around Edicles’s neck. The man’s eyes reddened as he choked. Zemeron loosened his hold around Edicles’s neck. “Answer me now, Edicles. Who are you trying to get inside?”
Edicles inhaled sharply. He coughed. “I’m not telling you anything, you fucking idiot.”
“Are you sure you’d rather not tell me instead?” Zemeron folded his arms.
Edicles clenched his jaws, the hate deepening in his eyes.
Zemeron nodded. “Hmm, alright then.”
Edicles thrashed widely as Zemeron’s elema levitated him in the air, choking him into unconsciousness. He dropped the man to the floor violently and walked up to his limp body.
“You will soon tell Trixan everything.” Zemeron almost felt sorry for him.
----------------------------------------
Azmel was in his room when he suddenly heard the alarm. He ran outside where a few vanquishers and rookies stood, obviously looking confused. Everyone perked up when Zemeron dashed towards them, utterly pissed.
Zemeron stopped, his cold blue eyes accessing them.
“What’s going on?” asked Azmel.
“Someone destroyed the shield beam.”
“What?” Murmurs of panic arose among the vanquishers.
Azmel however asked rather casually, “Are we under attack?”
“I don’t know yet,” said Zemeron. “But we can’t let our guard down. We need to protect the school.” He paused, commanding total silence from everyone. “Rogil and Fray,” Zemeron pointed to the class four vanquishers standing next to Azmel, “you two will stay right here. Paiah, you take the east wing, Harish will take the west wing. Azmel, look after the rookies.”
Azmel nodded.
“What about the junior vanquishers outside the dormitories?” Rogil asked.
“Servin’s with them. They’ll be fine,” said Zemeron. “Now get to your posts.”
Azmel didn’t have to go anywhere. All four rookies of Draghein School were already standing with him, watching him expectantly. Right now, Azmel had only one purpose in life — to protect these young ones with his life.
----------------------------------------
“Demons,” Zemeron muttered to himself as he stood atop the watchtower, observing everything below with his binoculars. A few vanquishers in various parts of the school engaged in intense battles with demons.
Given the strong demon energy pervading the atmosphere, Zemeron knew those were greater demons. The majority of them were seventh-order demons, but he could still sense a few ninth-order demons. He clenched his jaws, gripping the binoculars. Had Edicles, a vanquisher, helped demons invade their school? Why would he do something like that?
Zemeron directed his gaze towards the forest. Despite the trees and thick foliage, Zemeron saw Yanvirrak and Pheera racing through the forest like two streaks of blue and purple lights. His blood ran cold at the sight of the shadowy demonic form lunging after them.
“Pheera.” Zemeron’s heart hammered in his chest.
He clenched his fist. He had to protect his sister.
Suddenly, however, his body moved by sheer reflexes as he sensed something coming at him with force. He leaped from the top of the watchtower, landing on the ground. But while he was graceful with his landing, the binoculars suffered a different fate, shattering into pieces on the hard stony ground. Zemeron balled his fist.
Staring right at him with a sinister smirk on their face was a tall pale person who had probably never stepped in the sun until today. The person’s hair was the color of the sky, and their eyes were the color of lavender. They may look human, but Zemeron could tell it was a demon. Even though they had not revealed their demon energy, Zemeron could sense how powerful the demon was.
As if to confirm Zemeron’s thoughts, the demon slipped a sliver of their demon energy. A cold shudder ran through Zemeron’s spine. Eleventh-order. He narrowed his eyes. What was a royal demon doing here?
“There you are.” They seemed amused by something. “I was looking for the strongest in the school and I sensed you. Consuming you will be a real treat.”
Zemeron dug his hands in his pocket, not for a second taking his eyes off them. This demon had strategically attacked their school while Trixan was in Rhodine. They could only have known about that from an insider. Edicles. But what could a vanquisher possibly gain from working with demons? There was something bigger going on here, Zemeron could feel it. But for now, he had to take care of the eleventh-order demon.
“You look pale,” said the demon. “Are you afraid? You should be.”
Fire danced in Zemeron’s eyes. “Afraid?” He chuckled mirthlessly.
From within him, he felt a great surge of water burst out like an ocean. The roaring water engulfed him as he stood right in its center like one would stand on a carpet.
“I’m just thrilled I will be killing a royal demon today.” Zemeron’s eyes instantly turned deadly. “Do you have any last words, demon?”
After a moment of silence, the demon suddenly burst into manic laughter. “Now there’s the spirit. I can’t wait to crush it.”