Chapter 6: Theo

Theo knew he was being followed. It started early that morning; he caught the whiff of faint perfume and saw the wisp of a shadow in the corner of his vision. Yet each time he tried to find it; it was gone. He wondered if he was going crazy. 

After leaving the cafeteria, Theo used shadow magics to try and mask his presence. He wasn't skilled enough to fully shroud himself, not unless he had direct visual contact, but he could bend the shadows to try and cover him. 

Direct visual stagnation was his preferred technique. He learned it instinctively as a child, and used it repeatedly for pranks, and gaining a hint of maturity. With a single glance, if he looked someone in the eye, he had the power to trick their brain that he wasn't there. Their minds simply couldn't register his presence. It was short term, and taxing on his mana, but he had gotten rather good at it over the years. But without another pair of eyes to look directly into, all his other skills were more general. 

Shadow bending was only useful if there were shadows to bend, and for some reason, his own refused to cooperate. There were plenty to work with here on the campus grounds, but even while doing so, he continued to feel like someone was nearby, watching him.

He thought it was just his own paranoia. He hoped it was just his own paranoia. But after a while, the feeling persisted to the point where his mind started to race. 

Thunder echoed overhead, looking up he could see the billowing clouds. The wind inside the campus was less severe, but still, it was strong enough to cause his coat to flutter, and his tie to flap in the wind. He could sense it, the static electricity in the air, the turbulent winds impacting the shield, the smothering sense of dread. There were cyclones near, one was likely right outside the walls.

He sighed to himself, rolling his shoulders. Theo shifted the weight of his backpack, and wiped the sweat from his brow. He still had lectures on calculus that afternoon, and an exotic literature course immediately after. This time they were going to cover the romantic epics of harpy's. He hoped it was more legible than the war ballads of the Dragonkin, which read more like sword and shield porn than anything else. 

That brought back a memory. It was then that he had an idea of who might be following him.

Damn, that vampire better not have set my book on fire too. He could already picture seeing her rush to his side from the bushes, offering a charred-up book in her hands, her mouth feigning a smile while the corners quivered. 

"Vampire, I swear if you're following me…" He turned around to find nothing out of the ordinary. He certainly didn't hear the scurrying of leaves from someone hiding amongst the trees.

Theo scanned the surroundings, not sure what to make of it. He figured if he called her out, she would give up the charade and own up to her mistake. But there was no one there.

Strange? His brow was raised. He searched for only a few minutes longer, before finally giving up, deciding to accept that he had grown paranoid.

Theo shrugged, turning around, and continued on his way to class. Meanwhile, Lorelei continued hugging the branches, watching him with keen interest.