Liam stepped back into the hallway, the low hum of student chatter already rising as lunch break neared its end. He checked the time—five minutes left. Any moment now, the halls would flood with students returning to their classes.
'Damn it… this really isn't a plan I'm comfortable with.' His thoughts were steady, but his unease simmered beneath the surface.
It wasn't Mystica's plan to trap Gordon that bothered him. It was the uncertainty of his own mind—of it. That voice. That other presence. He still didn't fully understand what it was, only that it stirred when danger approached, taking partial control like a shadow sharing his skin. It hadn't acted since the last incident, but Liam couldn't ignore the pattern. It always emerged at the edge of chaos.
The academy bell rang, piercing his thoughts. Doors swung open, and students began spilling into the halls, laughter and hurried footsteps echoing around him. Liam moved with them, slow and deliberate, blending into the current.
