Chapter 34: The core

The night was still as Lio and Kaito made their way back to Rosario High. Their footsteps echoed through the empty hallways, each step louder in the heavy silence. The cloaked figure's ominous words replayed in Lio's mind, their weight settling in his chest. They had disturbed something beyond their comprehension—a force entwined with the Code, lurking in the shadows.

As they neared the dormitories, Kaito finally broke the silence. "You think that shadow guy was bluffing? Trying to freak us out?"

Lio hesitated, his gaze lingering on the darkness pooling in the hallway corners, shadows seeming to shift like they were alive. "Maybe… but it felt real. The Hunter was just the beginning of whatever we're dealing with." His voice was low, tinged with the chill that now clung to his bones.

Kaito sighed, worry dampening his usually carefree expression. "Then I guess we'd better get stronger. Whatever's coming next… we need to be ready."