Chapter 13: Bloody Murder

As the sun dipped below the horizon, the Argentum Magic Academy was bathed in the soft glow of moonlight.

Roderick, after a long day of addressing staff and students, was finally able to retire to his quarters. His mind was abuzz with plans and ideas for the academy's future, but he knew he needed a good night's sleep to tackle the challenges ahead.

Unbeknownst to Roderick, the infiltrator had been waiting for the opportune moment to strike. Now, as the academy slept, the would-be assassin stealthily slipped through the darkened halls with practiced ease.

They eventually reached Roderick's quarters where, after disabling all manners of magical defenses and wards without raising the alarm, he picked the lock, silently opening the door.

In truth, this wasn`t his first time doing this, soon after Roderick had entered the coma, he had tried putting an end to his life, however, the stasis field made it impossible to do anything to him.

Roderick, in a deep slumber, did not hear the door creak open. The infiltrator crept closer, a sharp dagger in hand, poised to plunge it into his heart. Thanks to a night vision spell, he could see the various objects on the floor, avoiding them with ease and reached Roderick's bed without making a sound.

However, Roderick's subconscious picked up on the faintest sound of footsteps and snapped him awake. As the moonlight glared off the blade, his instincts kicked in, and he rolled off the bed just as the dagger pierced the mattress where he had been lying moments before.

"Who are you?" Roderick demanded, his voice tinged in fear as his heart galloped.

The infiltrator hesitated, momentarily surprised, but quickly regained their composure. "You should have stayed dead," they hissed, lunging at Roderick with the dagger. "Yah!" He roared.

His heart pounded in his chest as he scrambled to his feet, shaking off the last vestiges of sleep. Roderick may not have had a weapon on him, but he knew how to defend himself.

He drew upon his previous life's experience in martial arts, using proper footwork to create distance between himself and the attacker. The infiltrator, momentarily stunned by Roderick's quick reaction, quickly recovered and lunged at him again.

Roderick narrowly dodged the dagger's deadly arc, countering with a well-placed punch to the infiltrator's face. The assassin staggered backward, slightly dizzy, but quickly recovered from the blow.

Dodging blow after blow, Roderick attempted casting a spell, however, his inexperience made it hard for him to calm down and focus on his core long enough to cast one. Fury and fear mixed themselves, pulling at his mind in every direction.

Every time he began forming a hand sigil, focusing on channeling his mana as quickly as possible, the infiltrator, sensing Roderick's intentions, moved to interrupt the spell.

Thus, Roderick was forced to use his self-defense training to keep the attacker at bay, incorporating kicks and punches to fend them off. But if not for his muscle memory and the instincts of the real Roderick`s time in the army subtly guiding him, he would have no doubt died there and then.

After a tense exchange, he finally completed the hand sigil for a basic fire spell and released it with a fierce shout.

The flames narrowly missed their target as the assassin evaded the attack. The fire caught the room's curtains, quickly spreading and setting off an alarm. The infiltrator, blinded by the flames and realizing their cover had been blown, smashed through the window and disappeared into the night.

Roderick, panting and covered in sweat, looked around at the burning room. He knew he had to extinguish the fire before it spread any further.

His heart still racing, Roderick realized that he had just survived an assassination attempt. He couldn't help but wonder who was behind it and what they wanted.

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Elara and Thane, working late in the academy's library, rushed to Roderick's room when they heard the alarm. They arrived just in time to see Roderick struggling with the flames, which Elara quickly extinguished with a water spell. The room was a mess of charred and soaked furniture, with broken glass from the shattered window scattered across the floor.

"Roderick, are you alright?" Elara asked, her emerald-green eyes wide with worry.

Roderick nodded, relief washing over him as his friends arrived. "I'm fine, just a bit shaken. Someone tried to kill me," he explained, recounting the harrowing ordeal.

Thane's brown eyes narrowed, and his fists clenched in anger. As Roderick's closest friend and right-hand man, he took any threat against him personally. "We need to find out who's responsible for this and make sure they never try this again," he declared, his voice stern and determined.

In a second, he moved his broad-shouldered frame clad in dark leather armor to the broken window and peered into the night, searching for any sign of the attacker. "We need to find them before they can try again," he said, his deep brown eyes narrowing in determination.

Elara, ever the calm presence, placed a reassuring hand on Roderick's shoulder. "We'll find the person responsible for this, Roderick. You can count on us."

Thus, the trio quickly ventured out into the moonlit night. Thane led the way, using his earth magic to sense any disturbances in the ground that might reveal the assassin's path.

As they searched, their minds raced with questions. Who was this mysterious infiltrator, and what was their motive? Was this merely an isolated incident, or was there a larger conspiracy at work?

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Hours had passed, and Roderick, Thane, and Elara pursued the infiltrator into the dark forest.

The forest was an enchanting maze of ancient trees, their gnarled branches reaching out like twisted arms, while their roots snaked through the moss-covered ground. Shadows danced along the forest floor, cast by the silvery moonlight that filtered through the dense canopy above.

The air was heavy with the scent of damp earth and decaying leaves, and the quiet rustling of nocturnal creatures served as the forest's eerie lullaby.

As the trio ventured deeper, they noticed the forest's unique flora, with luminescent mushrooms and clusters of ghostly white flowers dotting the undergrowth. Twisted, thorny vines clung to the tree trunks, creating natural barriers that made their pursuit even more challenging.

The forest around the academy was thankfully safer than most, the general lack of mana from Roderick`s accident had spread to the surrounding area, making most big animals flee for greener pastures.

Yet, they couldn`t help but feel anxious, especially Roderick and Elara that didn`t have much experience with battle or spooky forests at night. As for Thane, he kept touching his face, where the scar he wore had been earned in a similar situation.

The forest seemed to close in around them, making every step more perilous. The once-distant whispers of the wind now seemed to carry the screams and pleadings of innocent victims in the darkness.

As they finally caught up, they were met with a surprising and intense scene: the assassin was under attack by a large, fearsome Shadowstalker.

The Shadowstalker was a massive feline predator, measuring up to 9 feet in length and standing 4.5 feet at the shoulder. Its dark, mottled fur provided excellent camouflage in the shadows of the forest, making it nearly invisible in the dim light. The beast's large eyes, adapted for low-light conditions, gleamed eerily as it stalked its prey. Despite its size, it moved with fluid agility, a testament to its predatory prowess.

The Shadowstalker's powerful jaws were clamped around the assassin's arm, drawing copious amounts of blood as its claws raved his chest as if he was a toy. The infiltrator screamed in pain, his desperate pleas for help echoing through the forest.

For a brief moment, the trio hesitated, quickly realizing that they needed to capture the assassin to uncover the truth behind the attack. Roderick's voice was determined, even as the chaos unfolded before them. "We need to capture him. I want to know who sent him."

Thane, understanding the urgency, moved forward, his earth magic forming a solid barrier between the Shadowstalker and the injured assassin.

The force of the barrier pushed the predator away, releasing its grip on the infiltrator. Meanwhile, Elara used her water magic to conjure a torrent of water that slammed into the Shadowstalker, sending it tumbling further back into the forest.

As the Shadowstalker momentarily retreated, Roderick sprang into action.

With a flash of determination in his eyes, he charged towards the injured assassin, grabbing and dragging away his screaming would-be assassin. Thane and Elara stood guard, ready to repel the Shadowstalker if it dared to return.

Just as they began to retreat, the Shadowstalker, fueled by anger and determination, lunged at them. Thane quickly summoned a barrier of stone, blocking the beast's path. Elara, meanwhile, unleashed another powerful torrent of water, knocking the predator off. The two worked great together, like the gears of a clock, one would defend, and the other attack.

"We need to get out of here," Roderick said urgently, as he wrapped the bleeding arm with his bel, blocking the circulation to the limb. "The Shadowstalker won't stay away for long."

They retreated from the forest, the captured assassin in tow, his whimpers of pain serving as a constant reminder of the ordeal they had just faced.

As they moved quickly through the trees, they could feel the predator's piercing gaze following them, a palpable sense of menace lingering in the air. The presence of the Shadowstalker, a creature they had never before encountered near the academy, served as a stark reminder of the dangers lurking in the shadows.