Chapter 25: A Friend in the Shadows

Lio didn't stop running until he reached the edge of the courtyard, his lungs burning and his heart pounding in his chest. The cold presence that had been chasing him seemed to fade into the distance, but the feeling of being hunted still lingered, gnawing at his nerves.

His wrist device buzzed again, but this time it wasn't another cryptic message. Instead, it was a familiar voice call.

Mia.

Lio hesitated, still catching his breath, before answering. "Mia? What's up?"

"You sound out of breath. Where are you? I've been looking for you," Mia's voice came through, her tone filled with concern.

"I, uh…" Lio glanced around, realizing he couldn't exactly tell her about the Hunter, the Vault, or the Whisper without sounding crazy. "Just... running some laps around the campus."

"Lio, I'm not stupid. What's really going on?" Mia pressed, her voice firm.

Lio sighed, wiping sweat from his brow. "It's… complicated. I can't explain it right now."

There was a pause on the other end of the line, followed by Mia's voice softening. "Where are you? Let's talk. I don't care if it's complicated, just tell me what's going on. You've been acting weird lately."

Lio felt a pang of guilt. He hadn't been himself lately, not since he had been drawn into the mysteries of the Code and everything that had come with it. He didn't want to drag Mia into this, but at the same time, he couldn't keep avoiding her. She was his friend—one of the few people he trusted.

"I'm near the courtyard," Lio finally said. "By the east wing. Meet me here?"

"On my way," Mia said without hesitation, and the call ended.

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Lio stood by the fountain in the courtyard, his mind racing as he tried to piece together what had just happened. The Hunter was real, and they were after him. But why? What exactly was the Whisper? And how was he supposed to stay ahead of this threat?

Before he could spiral further into his thoughts, Mia appeared, jogging lightly towards him. Her short brown hair bounced with each step, and her bright eyes locked onto him as she approached.

"Alright, spill," she said as she came to a stop in front of him. "What's going on?"

Lio ran a hand through his hair, trying to figure out how much to tell her. "There's… something happening. Something connected to the research I've been doing. It's bigger than I thought."

Mia crossed her arms, tilting her head. "Bigger how? You're talking about magic-tech, right? I know you've been obsessed with it lately, but what's changed?"

Lio sighed, shaking his head. "It's not just about magic-tech anymore. There's this... secret. Something called the Whisper. It's connected to the Code, the very foundation of magic-tech. I think I've uncovered something dangerous, and now I'm being hunted because of it."

Mia's eyes widened, and for a moment, she said nothing. Then she stepped closer, her expression serious. "Hunted? By who?"

"I don't know exactly. Someone called the Hunter. They're after me because of my connection to the Whisper."

Mia stared at him, processing everything he had just said. She uncrossed her arms and took a deep breath. "Alright. Let's say I believe you—what's your plan?"

Lio blinked. He had expected her to push back, to ask more questions or maybe even laugh at how insane this all sounded. But Mia just stared at him, waiting for an answer.

"I... I don't have a plan yet," Lio admitted. "I was trying to figure things out, but the Hunter is moving faster than I expected."

Mia frowned, her eyes narrowing in thought. "So you're telling me you're being hunted by some dangerous person or group, and you don't have a plan? Lio, you can't just wing this. You need help."

"I can't get anyone else involved," Lio said quickly. "It's too dangerous."

Mia rolled her eyes. "Well, too bad. You're already involved, and so am I. You should know by now that I'm not the type to sit on the sidelines while my friends are in trouble." She stepped forward, her voice softening. "You don't have to do this alone, Lio."

Lio looked at her, conflicted. A part of him wanted to keep Mia out of this, to protect her from whatever the Hunter was. But another part of him, the part that was tired of carrying this burden alone, knew she was right.

"Alright," he said, letting out a breath. "But I don't even know where to start. This whole thing is way bigger than me."

Mia smiled slightly, the corners of her lips curving up. "We start by figuring out who the Hunter is and why they're after you. Maybe they left some kind of trail. You said they're after the Whisper, right? We can start there."

Lio nodded, feeling a bit of the weight lift off his shoulders. "Yeah, the Whisper. It's connected to the Code, the foundation of magic-tech. There's something about it that the Hunter wants."

Mia tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Okay. So we need to find out what the Whisper actually is and why it's so important. Maybe there's something in the academy's archives that can help us."

Lio was about to agree when his wrist device buzzed again, sending a chill down his spine. He glanced at it, expecting another ominous message from the Hunter. But instead, it was a simple, automated message from the academy.

"Reminder: Mandatory assembly in the Main Hall. All students are required to attend."

Lio frowned. An assembly? Now?

Mia glanced at her own wrist device and raised an eyebrow. "Looks like we don't have a choice. Let's go, we can figure out our next move after the assembly."

Lio hesitated, still feeling the weight of the warning about the Hunter. But Mia was right—they needed more information, and if this assembly was connected to recent events, it might be their best chance to find out more.

"Alright," he said, his voice steadying. "Let's see what's going on."

As they walked toward the Main Hall, Lio couldn't shake the feeling that the Hunter wasn't far behind. And the more he thought about it, the more he realized that the answers he was seeking might be closer than he had imagined.

But the assembly would bring them all together—and that, he realized, might be exactly what the Hunter was waiting for.

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