Queen vs.

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Oblivious to the chaos behind him, Adam swallowed hard. He leaned down, closer to her, whispering, "You are the Queen of Shadows, aren't you?"

The gentle rustling of pages and the distant clicks of keyboards in the library receded as Eydis's mind raced, thoughts aligning with the speed and accuracy of a chess grandmaster predicting an opponent's every move. Time seemed to slow, the outside world fading into nothingness.

This revelation made absolutely no sense. Her true identity was not something plastered on billboards, unlike in this reality where politicians apparently live-streamed their breakfast muffins.

How could this boy, a stranger in every sense of the word, possibly know her secret?

Eydis examined Adam's face, noting his gentle features and the intelligent gleam in his eyes. Handsome, in an understated way, he stood eye-to-eye with her. Not a dazzling unicorn like Damien or Theo (now that she thought about it, those two did share a certain... similarity), but definitely not a forgettable face.

She prided herself on her exceptional memory, effortlessly cataloguing the countless faces she encountered. Unless... an unsettling possibility crept in.. Unless Adam was also a fragment of her stolen memories.

But if that were the case, why hadn't he approached her sooner, if he was indeed an ally? And if he was an enemy, why hadn't he exploited her vulnerability when she was powerless, given their prior encounter?

Amber eyes locked with crystal-clear blue. Eydis searched for the usual signs – malice, envy, unwilling admiration, or tainted terror. These were the reactions she was accustomed to evoking in her realm. But in Adam's gaze, there was none of that.

Only a depth of curiosity, a mirror to her own.

Perhaps human goodness was truly a foreign language to her, as baffling (and frankly, as dull) as Theo's unwavering chivalry. Yet, human darkness? That was a dialect she spoke fluently. And she sensed no malevolence from Adam.

This meant only one thing: He did not truly know who she was. Then, only one possibility remained…

The gold flecks in Eydis's eyes flared with intensity as she finished her assessment. The ambient sounds of the library—soft murmurs, the quiet shuffle of footsteps, even the distant groan of her fallen victim—returned to her awareness.

“You have my attention. Care to elaborate?” she said, her voice deceptively calm.

Adam glanced around nervously before whispering in her ear. "Your handle, I mean. Obsidian Legion. You were quite active in the forum until your sudden disappearance about a month ago. Since the... Tiffany incident, was it?"

Eydis's frown deepened. His words were a riddle. Obsidian Legion? Forum? Was this some secret cult that her teenage self had been involved in? The way Adam said it implied she had chosen this ‘handle’ herself. Then, did this Eydis know something?

The existence of the Queen of Shadows?

The teenage version of herself was an enigma. No one seemed to truly know her, not even Natalia or Astra, save for a few cryptic comments and a disconcertingly unwavering affection for her roommate. Humiliating, to be sure.

But Eydis couldn't quite explain why she no longer found that idea... entirely repulsive.

Anyway, aside from her... questionable taste in romantic interests, this teenage Eydis possessed an intellect on par with the Queen herself. A near-eidetic memory, a sharp mind. Yet, her grades always landed squarely in the middle of the Talented group.

Right. At. The. Middle. Always. It was as if she was actively trying to blend in, to avoid drawing attention. But that hadn't stopped Tiffany's attack.

The question was why? Why suppress her talents? The Queen found herself at a loss without more information. Teenage Eydis left no personal touch in her dorm room. No diaries, no sentimental trinkets, just a barren, lifeless phone.

But then again, who needed a diary when you could chronicle your life on the internet? Perhaps that was where the teenage Eydis truly revealed herself, under the invisible cloak of digital anonymity.

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Adam's reaction confirmed he didn't expect her to know him, not his full name, at least. A perfect opportunity for her to probe further, carefully weaving a web of riddles to conceal her true ignorance. Her amber eyes twinkled with wide-eyed innocence as she tossed one of the "bestseller" romances on the counter.

"Obsidian Legion?" Eydis adopted a teasing tone, tapping a finger playfully against her lips. "Is that a new brand of eyeliner? Or perhaps a secret coven for those who dabble in the black magic, preferring their coffee black and their humour even darker?"

Adam glanced at the cover of a fashionable, angst-ridden teen couple locked in an embrace under the moonlight.

"Coven? Black magic? You mean ‘black hat,’ right? I wouldn't exactly call us that... more like..." He paused, searching for the right words as he processed her rapid-fire question, then chuckled sheepishly. "Well, when you put it that way, it does sound a bit dramatic.”

Eydis arched an eyebrow. Black hats? This definitely warranted further investigation. "That's why I haven't been around much lately," she lied smoothly, "Just a phase I'm growing out of."

Adam's voice hitched in his throat. "A phase? But you're brilliant at it,” he whispered. "One of our best. What could possibly make you walk away? How could it be just a—"

"Adam," a deep voice interrupted.

Eydis and Adam's heads snapped towards Elias as he approached, a cascade of emerald hair framing a face so striking it seemed almost otherworldly. Though he shared Theo's height, Elias possessed a leaner build, his shirt casually unbuttoned to reveal a tribal necklace adorned with sizeable, rhombus-shaped emerald gems.

Eydis suppressed a growl rising in her throat. This peacock, who barely acknowledged her existence with a glance, was quickly becoming a thorn in her side. Just as she was about to unleash a taste of her royal displeasure, a glint of metal caught her eye as it reflected off the green blazer draped over his arm.

‘Black pin, another D-Class Gifted student. Wonderful. Just what I need.’ How many of these so-called ‘Gifted’ individuals were there?

Eydis sharpened her senses, subtly drawing upon Cerberus's power to taste the essence of the newcomer. Her eyes widened slightly as a surge of unexpected power crackled beneath Elias's skin. Intriguing. This world was full of surprises, it seemed. A D-Class student, indeed.

"Elias... just a moment, I—" Adam's protest was cut short by Elias's impatient hand on his shoulder.

Cold emerald eyes raked over Eydis before settling on the tower of books teetering on the counter. Elias scooped them up, murmuring to Adam, "Come on, Adam, training in five. Surely this trivial conversation can wait?”

The Queen leaned forward against the counter, closer to Elias. In such proximity, she could clearly detect the scent of pine needles and damp forest floor clinging to him.

A mischievous glint danced in Eydis's eyes, but her velvety voice sharpened to a dagger's edge as she spoke. "You're absolutely right. Such trivial chatter shouldn't interfere with your Gifted Training." She paused dramatically.

"However," she continued, "perhaps it would be prudent for me to thoroughly scan these tomes before you make your grand exit. It would be a most unfortunate incident if any... unauthorised information were to accidentally slip past these library doors, wouldn't it, Elias Kivi?"

Elias blinked, clearly caught off guard by her use of his full name. A dangerous gleam crossed his eyes as he perceptively narrowed them.

‘Did I strike a nerve? How intriguing.’ Eydis bit her lip to suppress a grin, her mind already cataloguing this reaction for future exploitation.

Elias placed the books back on the counter, his hands clenching into fists. "By all means, do your job," he retorted, his eyes flicking pointedly to her name tag, then back at her face. "Eydis."

Sensing the escalating tension, Adam intervened, handing his student ID to Eydis for scanning. Once the task was complete, he offered a kind smile. "We'll chat later, alright? I promise I'll be around."

Elias tossed his long green hair over his shoulder, barely containing his annoyance, before stalking out of the library. Adam scrambled to follow, muttering an apology over his shoulder, leaving Eydis alone with a mountain of unanswered questions.

She settled back into her chair, her fingers hovering over the keyboard. She knew better than to prod Adam further without a clearer understanding of this "Obsidian Legion." One misstep, and she could blow her cover, and she had a feeling this "Legion" was more than just a group of rebellious teenagers.

And frankly, her amnesia act was starting to wear thin. One thing was clear: her teenage counterpart was far more complex than the innocent bookworm she had initially assumed.

Perhaps neither Tiffany's nor Damien's attack was the true catalyst for her arrival in this world. Perhaps this body's original owner, this enigmatic teenage Eydis, had played a role. But why? And to what end?

Eydis's fingers flew across the keyboard, a sly smile playing on her lips. "Aren't you fascinating, my dear self?"

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Thomas Blackwood's phone pinged with a private message from Chimera. 12:00 p.m. on the dot. Punctual as ever. Setting down his utensils and dabbing his lips with a napkin, he opened the message and tapped the attachment, his eyes scanning the information within.

"Theo Whitlock, ice mage," Thomas murmured to himself. This was expected; the Silverkeep lineage, nestled in the icy alpines, was renowned for its hereditary mastery of the water element.

He clicked on a second attachment, his jaw tightening. "A mind reader?"

As if summoned by his words, a wisp of purple smoke materialised beside him, swirling and coiling as if trying to peer over the message on his phone.

A low, inhuman voice rumbled through the smoke. "How... intriguing. I was not aware that this realm harboured so many with the power to manipulate the mind. Perhaps this Athena is related to that meddlesome golden-eyed boy who interfered with our plans."

Thomas's head snapped up, his composure crumbling to reveal raw panic. "That's... that's beside the point!" he sputtered. "Are you certain it's wise to invite Athena? She could blow our entire operation!"

The mist erupted in a booming laughter. "Not if you expose yourself first."

"Excuse me?" Thomas's mouth hung open.

"Prepare for a press conference tomorrow," the purple mist commanded sharply. "It's time for the next phase of our plan."