WE HAVE TEN MINUTES

Mira and I hid in the classroom that Mr. Vlad led us to. The room was packed with over fifty students, including some upper-year students. Among them was the girl who had accused me of being the Shadow Dancer. Her name escaped me as the thought of James hunting me clouded my mind. Despite my fear, a part of me was oddly relieved that James didn't die because of me. Maybe Barton was right – he always said I didn't have the guts to take the necessary steps to move forward in life. Apparently, to do that, I'd need to lose my humanity and common sense.

I glanced out the window and saw the guards, their spears ready, positioned at the school's entrance. They moved like professionals, coordinating their actions and planning how they would engage with their district captain.

"Why is he coming this way?" an upper-year student asked, his confusion evident. "That doesn't make any sense."

"Yeah," his friend replied. "The Shadow Dancer would just escape, not come here."

"Everyone, calm down," Mr. Vlad said, though his voice was barely audible over the murmurs. "Everything is fine. We have the best teachers here in this school. No need to be afraid."

'New Quest… There's no way I can kill someone,' I thought. 'No. Impossible. Never.'

A massive explosion rocked the entrance of the school, blasting the gates off their hinges and sending debris flying. The guards raised their shields, deflecting the incoming shrapnel and preventing injury. They held their positions steadfastly, waiting for James to reveal himself, not budging an inch.

I retreated to the far end of the classroom, leaning against the wall near another window, trying to stay out of the line of fire. There was no way James could defeat the highly trained city guards. Yes, he was strong, but not invincible.

"Where is he?" a student asked, scanning the chaotic scene.

"Yeah, the gates exploded, but he isn't there."

"Did he escape?"

"Did he change his mind?"

"Oh my god, we are going to die…"

"Calm down!" Mr. Vlad commanded. "Do not panic, students. He won't be able to get past the guards. And if, by some miracle, he does, the teachers and I will take him down in seconds."

I heard something outside and turned to the window, but saw nothing. The paranoia was getting to me. Great – as if I didn't have enough problems, now a maniac was hunting me.

"He probably ran away," a teacher said, keeping an eye on the front entrance. "He isn't attacking."

"Why would he attack this school, though?" a girl asked.

Again, I heard noises outside the window overlooking the back garden. I checked but saw no one.

"Hmm…"

Another explosion came from the front entrance. This time, two guards were hit by debris and staggered backward. It wasn't serious; they quickly regained their positions and raised their shields again. It seemed James was too afraid to face them head-on and was using spells to break their formation, hoping to slip past easily.

Mira found me in the crowd and came to my side, shaking her head. She didn't seem scared, just annoyed. Even she knew the likelihood of James getting to me was close to zero.

"This idiot," she muttered. "Attacking a school in broad daylight? What's he thinking…"

"He's out for blood," I replied. "He wants me because he probably figured out I was the one who planted that evidence."

Just as I finished my sentence, a hand smashed through the window and grabbed me by the mouth. My eyes widened in fear as the hand pulled me, causing me to fall to the ground. I managed to roll, minimizing the impact, and looked up. James was hanging by the window sill, a dagger in hand.

"You fuck!" he snarled, his eyes blazing with fury. "I'll fucking kill you!"

"Shit."

James jumped down, aiming his dagger as he descended. I sidestepped and began to run, I was fast enough to escape if I used spells. But doing that would break the facade of me being 'weak and pathetic,' and then they would question me, leading to all sorts of complications.

I sprinted toward the guards, waving my arms frantically to signal for help. As I got closer, the ground beneath me shifted, and a wall made of mud rose up, blocking my path. There was no way I could get past it without a teleportation spell.

James swung his dagger at me, and I backed away just in time. He tried again, and I grabbed some mud from the wall and flung it at him.

"You are the Shadow Dancer!" he shouted. "He's the real Shadow Dancer! I saw him use weird spells! I saw him with his mask on!"

"You moronic idiot," I whispered. "You think they'd believe you? Yell all you want."

He lunged forward, and I darted toward the training grounds. My plan was to use the rows of seats as stepping stones to jump over the school walls and lose him in the back alleys. Then maybe I'd watch his public execution for the hell of it. I didn't want him to die at first, but seeing the hate in his eyes... maybe Mira was right. He deserved to be hanged.

As we both entered the training grounds, a translucent wall encircled the area, trapping us inside. I pressed against it, but it was impenetrable.

James slowed his pace, eventually stopping about five meters away. "Got you now."

"What is this?" I shouted, still trying to push past the wall. "You maniac! Let me go!"

"It's the training grounds' secret key," he explained. "A teacher I know gave it to me…"

"A key?"

"Yep. It locks the arena during a fight. It prevents spells from getting out or in."

James revealed a hidden necklace with a key attached to it. Holding it in the air, the key glowed yellow and vanished, leaving the metal necklace to clatter to the ground.

"We have ten minutes," he said, licking his lips. "We should enjoy it while it lasts, isn't that right, Shadow Dancer?"