Chapter 28: Cornered

The courtyard felt like it had shrunk around Lio, the once-open space now suffocating under the presence of the Hunter. Every instinct told him to flee, but he was frozen in place, the figure's cold, glowing eyes locked onto him from beneath their hood.

"You've been playing a dangerous game," the Hunter continued, their voice low and smooth, each word dripping with menace. "And now it's time to face the consequences."

Lio's mind raced, weighing his options. He couldn't afford to engage in a direct confrontation. Not here, not with the Hunter this close. Whoever this person was, they clearly had the upper hand. He needed to get away, regroup, and think.

But how?

"Why are you after me?" Lio asked, stalling for time, his voice sharper than he intended. His eyes darted around, searching for an escape route. "What do you want?"

The Hunter tilted their head, almost amused by the question. "It's not about what I want. It's about what you possess—the knowledge, the power… The Code. It's already begun to wake inside you, Lio. The Veil recognizes you as a threat, and I've been sent to neutralize you before it's too late."

Lio clenched his fists. The Code. It all came back to that. The strange symbols, the hidden layers in the magic-tech algorithms—he had only scratched the surface, but it was clear that there was much more at stake. Far more than he had realized.

The Hunter took a step closer, their shadow stretching across the courtyard like a dark cloud. Lio's heart pounded in his chest. He had to move. Now.

Without another word, Lio turned on his heel and sprinted toward the nearest building, his muscles burning as he pushed himself faster. He heard the Hunter's footsteps behind him—silent but relentless, closing in with every passing second.

As he rounded a corner, Lio's wrist device buzzed again. He barely glanced at the screen, catching just enough of Mia's message to see the words:

"Where are you? Hurry!"

His breath came in ragged gasps as he darted through the narrow hallways of the academy. His mind raced, trying to form a plan. He had to lose the Hunter. But how? They seemed to be tracking him with unnerving precision.

Just as Lio was about to make another sharp turn, something flashed past him—a blur of motion that he barely registered before a sharp, electric crackle filled the air. He stumbled, instinctively throwing himself to the side as a bolt of energy slammed into the wall where he had just been standing.

The Hunter had unleashed some kind of attack.

Lio skidded to a halt, his eyes widening as he saw the scorch mark left behind. This wasn't just a chase anymore. The Hunter was out for blood.

His heart raced as he ducked into a nearby stairwell, his footsteps echoing off the stone walls. He could still hear the Hunter behind him, their pursuit steady and unyielding. But Lio knew he had to think fast—he couldn't keep running forever.

At the top of the stairs, he found a small window. It was narrow, but it was his only option. Without hesitation, Lio braced himself and dove through it, landing hard on the rooftop outside.

The night air hit him like a shock to the system, the wind whipping through his hair as he rolled to his feet. He was on the academy's upper levels now, the rooftop offering a bird's-eye view of the sprawling campus below. For a brief moment, Lio thought he had gained the upper hand.

But then the Hunter emerged from the shadows behind him, stepping through the window as if they had been expecting this move all along.

Lio's heart sank. He was cornered.

"You can't run forever, Lio," the Hunter said again, their voice colder now. "There's nowhere left to hide."

Lio gritted his teeth, his mind scrambling for a solution. He wasn't going down like this. Not without a fight.

He quickly glanced around, searching for anything he could use to his advantage. The rooftop was mostly bare, save for a few ventilation units and the distant ledge that dropped into darkness. No easy escape. No weapons. Nothing.

But then his eyes landed on the wrist device—on the glowing chip Selene had given him. The scroll, the data—he hadn't had time to fully understand it yet. But maybe, just maybe, there was something there that could help.

With no other options, Lio tapped the screen, activating the chip's interface. Symbols and code flashed before his eyes, unfamiliar and strange, but something deep inside him recognized them. The Code.

A low hum filled the air, the symbols on the screen glowing brighter. Lio felt a surge of energy ripple through his body, something awakening in him as the ancient magic-tech responded to his touch.

The Hunter paused, their eyes narrowing beneath the hood as they sensed the shift in the air.

"What are you doing?" the Hunter demanded, their voice laced with suspicion.

Lio didn't answer. He couldn't. His focus was on the Code, on the way it seemed to bend reality around him, making the rooftop shimmer and pulse with a faint, otherworldly glow. He didn't fully understand it yet, but he didn't need to. He just had to trust it.

With a burst of instinct, Lio slammed his hand against the wrist device, channeling the raw energy of the Code into the rooftop. The ground beneath him trembled, the air vibrating with power.

The Hunter's eyes widened in surprise. "No..."

Before they could react, the rooftop cracked open, a wave of force rippling outward and sending the Hunter stumbling back. Lio seized the opportunity and leapt to the edge, his heart pounding as he took one final look at the Hunter.

"I don't have time to play games," Lio muttered under his breath.

And with that, he jumped.

The world seemed to slow for a moment as Lio plummeted toward the ground, the wind rushing past him. He didn't know if he would survive the fall, but it was better than facing the Hunter unprepared.

But just as the ground rushed up to meet him, the air around Lio shimmered, the Code reacting once again. A pulse of energy cushioned his fall, slowing his descent just enough for him to land with a soft thud on the grass below.

Lio lay there for a moment, breathing hard, his body trembling from the adrenaline. The Hunter was still up there, but he had bought himself some time. Just enough to get away.

As he slowly got to his feet, his wrist device buzzed once more. Mia's message flashed on the screen:

"Lio, I'm in the archives. Hurry. We need to talk."

Lio wiped the sweat from his brow, glancing up at the rooftop where the Hunter had been moments ago. He knew this wasn't over. The Hunter would find him again, sooner rather than later.

But right now, he needed answers. And Mia might be the only one who could help him find them.

With a deep breath, Lio took off toward the archives, the weight of the Code pressing heavy on his shoulders.

The Hunter would be back. And this time.....

HE

WANT'S

LIO'S

HEAD.