Ryu was feeling uneasy. Ever since the news of the Phoenix Brigade's attack on Le Wolfe had spread throughout the academy, he couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off. He had been spending his free time trying to gather more information on the group, but so far, all he had found were rumors and half-truths.
One afternoon, he was on his way to the library to do more research when he noticed a shadowy figure following him. He tried to quicken his pace, but the figure only seemed to draw closer. Ryu's hand instinctively went to the hilt of his sword as he turned to face the stranger.
To his surprise, the person behind him was a girl, not much younger than him. She was dressed in black, with her hood pulled up, making it impossible to see her face. "Who are you?" Ryu demanded, keeping his guard up.
The girl didn't answer. Instead, she stepped forward and handed him a piece of paper. Ryu hesitated for a moment before taking it from her. It was a message, written in a language he didn't recognize.
This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
"What is this?" he asked, but the girl had already disappeared into the shadows.
Ryu was confused and a little unnerved. He had never seen this girl before, and he didn't know what to make of the message. He decided to seek out Kirin and ask her for help with the translation.
As he made his way to Kirin's dorm, Ryu couldn't shake off the feeling that he was being watched. He turned around, but there was no one there. He shook his head, telling himself he was being paranoid, and continued on his way.
When he arrived at Kirin's room, he found her studying at her desk. She looked up as he entered. "Hey, Ryu, what's up?" she asked.
Ryu handed her the message. "Can you tell me what this says?" he asked.
Kirin took the paper and examined it closely. "This is written in code," she said after a moment. "I think I can crack it, but it'll take some time."
Ryu nodded and took a seat on Kirin's bed, his thoughts still on the mysterious girl who had given him the message. He couldn't shake off the feeling that something was not right.