Lurking Shadow

The room fell silent, feeling slightly unsettling with only the sound of breathing audible. On such a bright day, for some reason, the room seemed so dark that it felt a bit cold.

Their hearts raced faster, feeling restless. As if something was watching from behind the shadows.

However, they knew, there was nothing like that here. Especially not when Sarah, a user of dark magic, was in the room. She could even level an academy as easily as turning her hand.

No one, neither person nor creature, wanted to mess with her.

Rayven took a deep breath again, preparing to share something that might be a little disturbing. Just imagining it made all the hairs on his neck stand on end.

"In Fernova, there's a rumor going around that someone, something, is kidnapping people. But, not just anyone. They'll only abduct someone with a certain reputation. Someone who suddenly appears and causes a commotion in Fernova.

No one can find them. No one can find their traces. As if they have truly vanished from the world. Every possible method has been used, even the elite forces of Fernova have intervened.

What's even more surprising, some of their members have disappeared without a trace as well. This has become an agreement among the city's residents to never cause any commotion again, lest the same thing happen once more.

But, that's not the worst part."

Rayven leaned in, lowering his voice as he glanced around, checking if they were truly alone in the room.

"In certain places, they will find the word 'HIVE' written in red. And the substance used is blood."

They fell silent.

Until Ryssa finally spoke up, "And then?"

"And then?" Rayven repeated. "This means there's a force beyond the Heretics who are currently hiding in the shadows. This is a significant discovery that could change the state of Alterra! Just imagine if we could find them."

"You want us to search for them?" Sheila asked incredulously. "You want us to invite trouble with a clearly dangerous group?"

"We have Zent," Rayven replied.

Sheila's forehead creased deeply upon hearing Rayven's response. She glanced at Zent, who had remained silent all this time, about to ask for his opinion but refrained upon seeing the man's face.

They all turned their attention to Zent, surprised to find him looking startled, with a hint of fear starting to creep up. It was evident from his red eyes; he knew about this.

"Zent, are you okay?" Celine asked softly.

Zent jerked in surprise, hastily shaking his head with his characteristic smile. "Ah, I'm fine. It's nothing. I just got reminded of something."

"You can tell us, if you want," Rayven added, concern evident in his voice.

This was the first time he had seen Zent wounded again. The last time was when Zent had cried in Celine's embrace three months ago.

What had really happened during that time?

"HIVE... Didn't we also see it when we were in Elecya?" Z asked.

No, we didn't see it, we only heard stories about them. The fact that they destroyed every shop there without a clear reason, then wrote that word on the walls using the same color.

Could it be that it's blood too?

"The soldiers didn't mention anything about blood. It's possible that the HIVE here and there are different. Or perhaps, they belong to the same group but have different missions," Z explained, trying to assist.

However, he knew deep down that something was amiss. There was something they were overlooking that made his heart uneasy.

"I... I will tell you something," Zent finally spoke.

He wasn't sure if he could handle this alone without help. Moreover, he wasn't particularly smart, only skilled in using violence rather than intellect.

"While in Elecya... I also heard news that the shops there were destroyed by them. By the HIVE."

Those who had initially thought this story was just a mere rumor now began to believe, each hair on their skin standing on end. They realized that something was truly happening behind the scenes, unbeknownst to them.

"I don't know if it's the same group or not. But they also scribble the same name in red. It's just that, I don't know if it's blood or just some kind of paint or ink."

The room fell silent again.

Not a single one of them spoke. They were all pondering whether it was possible that not just one group was operating in the shadows.

However, if that was the case, why had they never heard of this group called HIVE before? It was as if they only revealed themselves to intimidate. They didn't seem to have a clear purpose like the Heretics who wanted to bring that creature here.

Was all of this just a coincidence?

"Well, we'll never know unless we find out, right?" Rayven said with a meaningful smile.

"Are you crazy? You want all of us to find out about that group?" Sheila questioned indignantly. "The fact is, we could all end up dead. We don't know who they are. There's absolutely no information about them. And let me remind you, I don't possess any powers."

Ah, they had forgotten that Sheila was just an ordinary human. Not someone with a flow within her body or someone who had fused her soul with Glory.

Somehow, she had managed to survive until now.

"Hey, that reminds me of something. How come you're not turn-"

Unfortunately, Zent's question was cut short as they heard commotion outside. They could also sense the presence of a powerful figure, almost as strong as Celine. Just slightly taller than Rayven and Rio.

Because Zent had created a mosquito-sized surveillance camera just outside the room, he only needed to create a large screen on the adjacent wall, displaying a horse-drawn carriage with a multitude of guards.

This carriage was far more grand than Duke's and was not being pulled by a flying tiger anymore. Instead, it was being pulled by two beautiful white Wyverns with stunning blue eyes.

So many knights surrounded the horse-drawn carriage. Knights in grand white armor that appeared more impressive than the standard armor of Alfcity. Not to mention, they came in various sizes, ranging from small to large. Because Fernova was the first Hybrid kingdom, they needed armor suitable for each race.

And this was also the first time Zent had seen a Dwarf race.

Looking at the screen in front of them, they were no longer surprised, considering it a usual occurrence whenever they spent time with Zent. They even grabbed their respective snacks to watch what was happening outside.

"Bring the student named Zent to me," commanded a handsome man who seemed to be the Crown Prince. It was evident from his magnificent white uniform and his long, beautifully maintained blonde hair.

It was unlikely for an ordinary person to have such hair without intensive care. Even in his own world before, only the affluent could possess such hair.

Zent stood up, feeling summoned. "It seems he's looking for me. As a good academy guest, I should definitely meet him, right?"

"You don't need to—THIS IS MY DAMN ROOM!"

However, Zent just laughed after shattering Rayven's wall, where he stood staring directly at the Prince, who was also looking at him with an unhappy expression.

He waved his hand, retorting, "YOU WERE LOOKING FOR ME, WEREN'T YOU!?"

Suddenly, Zent had leaped down and was running towards the Prince, who appeared wary of his approach.

"He always acts so recklessly," Rayven sighed while lamenting the large hole in his room's wall. Don't know how, he rest through the night without freezing.

Even so, Celine and Sarah sensed that Zent was hiding something from them. His hands remained clenched tightly, suppressing the turmoil within him, leaving them wondering.

Could this possibly be related to the HIVE?

Or to something that happened in Elecya?

In their hearts, they vowed to make Zent talk later. Because they knew he was suffering and trying to keep it hidden from all of them. Trying to remain strong and not cause them worry.

Despite the possibility of receiving Zent's scolding or having to face his anger, they couldn't allow him to keep hurting himself like this.