บท 24: Chapter 24: Shadows in the Code
The corridors of the academy felt colder than usual as Lio made his way back to his dorm, his mind still reeling from the encounter in the Vault of the Veil. The Whisper, the orb, Selene's warnings—all of it weighed heavily on him. There was no turning back now, not after he had taken that first step into the depths of the Code.
The shadows from the Vault lingered in his thoughts, and the sense that he wasn't alone—that someone or something was watching—made his skin crawl.
When he finally reached his room, the quiet hum of the wrist device brought him back to the present. The orb Selene had given him was resting on his desk, glowing faintly in the darkened room. Lio sat down and stared at it for a long moment, trying to make sense of everything that had happened.
Who was watching him?
The presence he'd felt back in the Vault was unlike anything he had experienced before. It wasn't just a physical threat—there was something deeper, something connected to the Whisper itself.
Lio placed his hand on the orb, and immediately, the strange symbols began to swirl in his mind once again. He felt the energy of the Code flow through him, pulsing in time with his heartbeat. The Whisper was louder now, more insistent, but still just out of reach.
As the glow of the orb intensified, Lio's wrist device vibrated with a new notification. He hesitated before opening it, his pulse quickening as he tapped the screen.
"The shadow walks with you. Beware of the Hunter."
Lio's breath caught in his throat. The message was brief, but the weight of its meaning pressed down on him. The Hunter? He had no idea who—or what—that could be, but the very name sent a shiver through him.
Was this who Selene had warned him about?
Lio stood up abruptly, pacing his room as his mind raced. He couldn't shake the feeling of being hunted, of being part of something much larger and more dangerous than he had anticipated. He had always thought that mastering magic-tech was about enhancing his abilities on the field, but now it was becoming clear that it was much more than that.
He was caught in a game that stretched beyond football, beyond the academy. And the stakes were higher than he could have imagined.
---
The next day, Lio found it difficult to focus in class. Professor Idris was giving another lecture on advanced magic-tech integration, but Lio's thoughts were far from the lesson. His mind kept drifting back to the Vault, to the warning Selene had given him, and to the mysterious message about the Hunter.
As the professor droned on about the intricacies of mana conductivity in magic-tech devices, Lio's eyes wandered to the window. Outside, the campus seemed peaceful enough—students going about their daily routines, unaware of the shadows lurking beneath the surface. But Lio knew better now. He could feel the Whisper, faint but ever-present, like a low hum in the back of his mind.
Suddenly, Lio's wrist device buzzed again, and he glanced down, his heart pounding as another message appeared:
"The Hunter watches. Do not let them find you unprepared."
Lio felt a cold sweat break out on his forehead. This wasn't just a random message—someone was tracking his every move, and they knew more about him than he was comfortable with. He clenched his fists, frustration bubbling to the surface.
Why had no one told him about this before?
If there was truly a threat, why had Selene been so cryptic about it?
"Lio? You with us?"
Professor Idris's voice cut through the fog of his thoughts, and Lio blinked, realizing that the entire class was staring at him. He straightened up, forcing himself to focus. "Yeah, sorry. Just... lost in thought."
The professor gave him a hard look, then continued the lecture, but Lio could feel the curious eyes of his classmates lingering on him. He had to get out of here—he needed answers.
---
After class, Lio slipped away, avoiding the usual after-class chatter. His instincts told him to head back to the Vault, but something held him back. The feeling of being watched was stronger now, and he wasn't sure if heading into the academy's hidden depths was the wisest move just yet.
Instead, he found himself heading toward the library—a place where he could lose himself in research, in the hopes of finding something that could explain the Hunter. The ancient texts and hidden archives there had already helped him once, and maybe they held the answers he needed now.
The library was nearly empty when he arrived, its vast rows of books and digital archives stretching into the distance. Lio made his way to the back, where the older, less frequented sections of the library housed rare manuscripts on magic and technology.
As he scanned the shelves, something caught his eye. A worn book, its cover faded and barely legible, seemed to pulse faintly with an energy that felt strangely familiar. Lio reached for it, and as soon as his fingers touched the cover, a sharp pain shot through his hand.
He yanked his hand back, staring at the book in shock. The pain faded quickly, but the energy remained—stronger now, almost like a heartbeat.
Curiosity getting the better of him, Lio gingerly picked up the book again, opening it to the first page. The text was written in an ancient script, but the symbols were similar to those he had seen in the Vault. As he flipped through the pages, he began to realize that the book wasn't just a record of magic-tech—it was a guide to something much older, much more dangerous.
And then he saw it: a page that mentioned the Hunter, written in the same cryptic language he had seen in Selene's scroll.
"Beware the Hunter, for they walk between worlds. They are drawn to the Whisper and will stop at nothing to claim it."
Lio's blood ran cold. The Hunter wasn't just watching him—they were hunting him because of the Whisper, because of his connection to the Code.
Suddenly, the lights in the library flickered, and the air grew heavy with an oppressive energy. Lio froze, his pulse racing. He could feel the presence again—stronger this time, closer. The Hunter was near.
His wrist device buzzed, and without looking, Lio knew what the message would say.
"Run."
---
Lio didn't hesitate. He slammed the book shut and bolted from the library, his heart pounding in his chest. The feeling of being hunted was no longer a distant threat—it was real, tangible, and closing in fast.
As he sprinted through the empty halls of the academy, he could feel the shadows shifting around him, a cold presence following in his wake. The Whisper pulsed in his mind, louder than ever, urging him to move faster, to escape.
But no matter how fast he ran, Lio couldn't shake the feeling that the Hunter was already one step ahead.
---
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