Chapter 398: Mayhem |
Chapter 398 - Mayhem
A ripple crossed the arrays woven through the walls of the lounge. Kai strained his ears. Mana tingled at his fingers; his body flexed, angled for the door. Faint screams and shouts echoed.
Fear? Panic? Surprise? Shock?
Unable to make them out, he reached for the spellblade in his ring. Reason caught up with instincts, and he held his hand.
Stop and assess.
Thoughts stretched between racing beats of his heart. When chaos broke loose, the right course mattered more than blind speed. Drawing a weapon inside Raelion’s walls broke half a dozen rules—students got expelled for less. Elijah’s sword remained one thought away. Ready. Hallowed Intuition hummed. There was danger, but not immediate, at least not to him.
“Someone must have disconnected the sound wards and made people panic.” Valela tugged her dress free from the armchair. “It’s probably nothing.”
“You think it’s a prank?”
“What else could it be? Raelion’s arrays don’t just malfunction.”
“That… Those were newly engraved.” Valela moved toward the door. “The towers are different. The central structures all link to the academy’s nexus, enchanted over centuries. Even professors can't tamper with them.”
“Weren’t there other malfun—” The crystal teardrops of the chandelier flared, blinding him. “Ugh!” Kai flinched and rubbed the bright spots seared into his vision. Shouts reverberated, stuttered, and distorted like the lights. “That doesn’t look intentional.”
“I…” Biting her lip, Valela pressed the rune beside the brass pommel. Then tapped twice more. Her frown deepened. “The lock… it isn’t responding.”
Naturally… At least we’re safe—
As screams rang again, he channeled mana to augment his hearing. The party was the only gathering nearby. Flynn and Hobbes were there. So were Rowan and Alden. And thankfully, Rain too. The siren’s presence helped him keep his cool.
They’ll be alright. He won’t let anything happen.
Squaring up beside Valela, Kai swallowed the impulse to kick down the door and run. If the tower’s wards were compromised, a forceful approach could have unpredictable and deadly consequences.
Think.
Hallowed Intuition whispered, calm for now. Inhaling a forceful lungful of air, another presence buzzed at him—Hobbes.
I’m such an idiot.
Reaching through the bond, his familiar’s mind flooded him. A blur of electric color. Golden flashes and burning crimson. Crackling uproar. Panicked jerks and shouts. The stampede of feet. Wariness and protectiveness for his young charge. Annoyance and smoldering indignation. Who dared endanger his pets and servants! Commandering their pretty trinkets and clawing their eyes wouldn’t—
Kai jerked back from the rush of impressions. Since the last specialization the bond had grown stronger, but also unpredictable. He couldn’t get tangled in those currents now. Something went wrong at the party. But if Hobbes was plotting petty vengeance, Flynn and the others should be relatively safe.
“Maybe it’s some kind of test?” Valela squeezed out with little conviction, glaring at the lock. “The academy won’t let students be harmed in the towers’ walls.”
Kai smiled unconvincingly, his attention on Mana Observer.
Expecting the usual layers of cloaking, he winced when the tapestry arrays blazed into sharp focus. Thousands of tiny runes encased just their room, shifting in incomprehensible patterns. Overwhelmed, a headache steadily throbbed behind his eyes. He couldn’t pierce the wall, let alone extend his senses to the party.
Calm down. Narrow your focus. Just like in the Sanctuary. You did this before. Except for the ludicrously dense runework burning my mental retinas… and you have seconds instead of weeks… but you know the symbols this time. That’s something.
Sweat beaded on his forehead. The arrays felt somewhat off. He couldn’t tell what or why. When meddling with trigger-happy wards, gut instincts were his best guide and shield. Discordant notes twisted the script. A tug and pull as the tower shuddered to reassert control.
For an instant, he thought he glimpsed shadows lacing the bright runework in his periphery. Though that might also be his overworked skills frying his brain.
Focus on the lock. Just the lock.
Beneath the lines of the door, it was a simple mechanism. Half magic, half mechanical. If he could just—
Click. Click.
The lock released.
Kai staggered back, sight blurry, the smooth door panel under his palm. Pain lanced his head. “What—”
“The control rune worked!” Valela beamed, then noticed him with a slightly sheepish look. He hadn’t realized they now stood just a palm from each other. “It must have been a misalignment in the script.”
“That’s… good.” Kai pinched the bridge of his nose to stave off the headache. “Stay here. I’ll check what’s happening.” Reaching for the door, her hand brushed his forearm.
“I’m coming with you.” Valela met his gaze defiantly. “I’m a mage too. I have real combat experience. And my friends are also there.”
Seeing the stubborn line of her lips, Kai swallowed his first objection. His stomach knotted at the idea of leading her into danger. Here was safe. Outside? Spirits knew. “Whatever happened at the party, people will be panicking.” He kept his tone level and practical. “Will you be able to run in that dress?”
Her mouth opened, then pursed. She scowled at the aquamarine gown flowing to brush the floor. “I can manage. I’ll follow behind you. Most likely, the academy will have already resolved the issue by now.”
The chandelier buzzed and dimmed to embers.
Right… No time.
Kai nodded. “Alright. Just stay close to me and keep your spells ready.”
“I’ll watch your back.” Valela fell in behind him.
His hand closed on the brass pommel and turned. Peeking out, the dim chandelier cast their shadows onto the dark corridor. Unnaturally quiet. The door shut behind them, casting them in darkness.
Not eerie at all.
Mana let them see, a single turn away from the hall. The arrays within the walls rippled. Shouts tore the air. The crystals overhead flashed like strobe lights, tinged orange and red from farther in. Tensed for action, he angled to shield Valela.
Suddenly, it was silent again.
The ceiling sizzled and sparked, leaving the dark deeper in the wake of the glare.
Something was profoundly wrong. Urgency pressed him to rush, but Valela’s presence kept his caution. As he leaned past the corner, a whisper hummed above the din. Lights flashed. Warped shouts and stomping.
Damn—
He shoved Valela against the wall just as a group of students rounded the corner, sprinting with ragged breaths. Eyes widened upon seeing them. Faces shadowed, a red-haired boy in the lead shouldered Kai at full speed without slowing.
His back slammed into the wall. “Wait! What’s… going on?” Kai forced out a yell, but none of the stampeding students answered. A girl with a pink tress threw back an apologetic glance, hesitant, but then followed her companions.
Thanks a lot.
Kai scowled and spun to check on Valela. Flattened against the wall, she looked a little dazed but unharmed. “Sorry for shoving you. There wasn’t time. Are you hurt?“
“Mat. I’m fine. Thank you for not letting me get trampled.” She stumbled with her gown and bent to slip off the heeled slippers hidden beneath her hem. “You had a point about this dress. Just…” Her focus snapped on him, searching. “Are you okay? That student—”
“I’m good. Here.” Kai stored her shoes. Rolling his shoulders, he bit back a wince. From the throb in his shoulder, that guy must’ve been from Martial Studies or flushed with some mana empowerment. Pity he hadn’t caught his face.
What a jerk.
“We must hurry to the halls,” Valela shuffled forward. “What if Lys and Rena—”
“They’ll be fine.” Kai squeezed confidence into his voice; Hobbes was almost certain he saw them. Though he paid little attention to snack-less humans. “Aside from crumpled clothes and the smell of smoke, none of them were injured or burned. You were right, probably some silly prank that got out of hand.”
She blinked. “You noticed all that as they passed?”
“Habit and practice.” Kai shrugged, scanning the corridor. “Come on.”
Past the corner, they faced the passage to the party hall. The doorway rippled like a pane of foggy glass. Shapes contoured with dark lines blurred, the colors bleeding into each other. Distorted shouts reverberated, reigniting his urgency.
If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
The arrays’ shudders intensified as they drew closer, yet they still hampered his senses.
Wary of another trampling group, Kai reached for the threshold. His hand probed the surface with no resistance. He offered a hand back to Valela and shared a nod.
The wards slid over him with a chill touch, then they were through.
Raw shouts and flames stunned him. Kai resisted protecting his ears, he needed his hands, squinting through the brightness to take in the scene. Waves of heat dried his skin. Acrid smoke stung his nose. Students huddled in the corners and beneath tables—those not burning.
What the…
A sea of orange and golden flames stuck to the ceiling, where the suffused wisps had once filled the vault. He crouched down on instinct. Sweat already drenched his shirt. The fire churned as if liquid, thankfully contained within a web of glowing lines.
The wards aren’t completely useless.
Kai pulled them away from the doorway. Strangely, no one else was running for that exit; the central floor was entirely clear too. A glance back stilled his body. The doorway was gone. Smooth marble and floral etchings ran along the wall with no seams. Jarred, he pressed his hand on the doorway. His fingers sank into the wall.
The passage was still there, just camouflaged behind an illusion. A bit random, but not the worst array that could’ve activated. Was that something all Raelion's doors could do?
Kai archived the thought for later.
Explains why there are still dozens of students here…
How long would it take to direct a crowd of frightened people to the exit? Even if he managed, he risked causing a stampede. Little more than a minute had already passed since the first flicker. Aside from some smoked clothes and crispy hair, he saw no serious injuries around the hall. The wards were holding fine here; he needed to find his friends.
“We have to move!” Kai looked for paths.
Valela didn’t seem to hear, her eyes transfixed by the flames. “This… this shouldn’t be possible.”
“Let’s debate later.” Kai tugged her hand. He was tempted to throw her back through the door if he wasn’t sure she’d come right back. “I’m sure the professors will be here soon. But we have to find our friends.”
Better to act a hundred times for nothing than leave their safety up to chance.
“I… yes!” She shuffled closer, her gaze focused, motioning him to lead. Mana tingled between their entwined hands. A chill breath spread to shield them against the scalding heat.
Only the passages to the red and yellow halls remained visible on opposite walls. Hobbes’ presence thrummed with grumpiness, closer to the right, but his instincts guided him left.
“Do you know where Lys and Rena are?”
“They were mingling in the green hall earlier. But they probably moved. I’ll sense their signatures if we enter the same hall. ”
Kai gave her a nod. “Let’s go for yellow.”
As he made to cross the hall, the runic tapestry covering the ceiling shuddered. Flames spilled through the glowing net. An arc of liquid fire whipped the flooring a stride from him, leaving a charred mark. Further toward the center, two dozen more adorned the marble.
And that explains why they’re all in the corners…
The wards seemed to wrangle against distortion to suppress the flames. Kai couldn’t tell which one was winning and had no time to study them.
He glanced at Valela. “Do you trust me?”
“I do.” Her swift response put a genuine smile on his lips.
“Stay close. We’ll take the shortcut.” Without hurry, Kai strolled toward the yellow hall. His intuition whispered. Pulling on Valela’s arm, they sidestepped an arching plume of fire. Her emerald eyes widened, but her steps didn’t falter.
“Just follow my lead. We’re fine.” Kai smiled, keeping an easy tone.
Even with all the unintelligible suggestions, I still love Hallowed Intuition.
Valela gave him a stiff nod, leaning closer as flames spilled behind them. “Are you sure this is safe?”
“Definitely!” If his highest skill failed, he had the Water mana to quench a couple flames. “Decently confident.”
“Wait! What does that—”
“Left.” Kai drew her against him as an incandescent arc licked their side; the cold barrier swept away the stray sparks. “They must react to whatever moves on the dance floor. That’s too much of a coincidence.”
Valela didn’t speak, but squeezed his other hand.
“Don’t worry, we’re almost out.”
Two more steps to the side and a spin, then they reached the yellow passage. Too soon. One of the students huddled there gaped at them; Kai paid no heed to them or the Guide notification that silently blinked.
“That… that was crazy.” Valela released the hold on his arm, short of breath.
“I know. Wanna do it again?” He offered his hand with a small flair and a grin. “We have a few more halls to pass.”
Her lips formed soundless words, then pressed into a firm line. “Let’s hurry for the others.”
“We’ll find them.” Kai pushed through the confused students, taking cover in the passage. The yellow hall opened to an identical scene: terrified teenagers packed the walls; liquid fire churned over the vault, sunflower bronze. The waves swelled beneath the glowing net, perhaps a little angrier.
Before Valela could hesitate, he led them forward. Step right. Two forward and turn. He didn’t need sight to guide them across. Her magic held back the heat and ash. Their pristine clothes stood out even more in the charred hall.
She chewed her lip. “Even if it’s night, the professors should have already been here. The internal alerts must be compromised too. What if—”
“It’ll be fine.” He made them sway below a blast of heat. “Keep your eyes on me and focus on what we can control. I’ll get jealous if you keep looking around.” Kai winked, burying his worries to present a calm front.
“You—” Her attention snapped to him, one eyebrow arched, and successfully distracted. “Is this the time for nonsense?”
“What? We’re dancing, and you’re staring at other people.”
“We’re not—” Her arms tightened on his side as they spun around an arc of fire. Her gown fanned, narrowly missing the flames. “There isn’t even music.”
“What? Does the roar of fire not count? And do you really need music to dance?”
“Well… no.” Her cheeks puffed. “Though you were supposed to bow before you asked me to dance.”
“How demanding. I’ve never been great with etiquette. Maybe you can tutor me?”
She rolled her eyes, pulling closer to evade a molten plume. “I don’t pick lost battles.”
“Ouch! Hurtful.” Kai pouted, reaching the next passage. Without halting, he strode through the gawking students with Valela behind him. No doubt more rumors would sweep the academy, but right now, he didn’t care. Hobbes was getting close.
Green and silver flames stormed against the glowing web overhead. Dimmer than the others at points. Large char marks blackened the floor. Was this the epicenter of whatever went wrong? There were also fewer students, though some had severe burns. No signatures that he recognized. Following his own advice, he saved the details for later.
Just one more hall.
Stepping inside, Kai gave Valela a mock bow and set off for the blue hall. Two left. Right. Forward. The whispers seemed easy to parse tonight. “You know… I always imagined my first dance with someone would be memorable. That part worked out, though these are not the kind of fireworks I had in mind.”
Valela snorted a laugh. “Wait…” Her face scrunched as they spun deeper into the hall. “Is it truly your first time dancing with a partner?"
“It is.” He smiled. “Blazing fire aside, how am I doing?” He drew her close to avoid two particularly large arcs. “I’m a little worried about my steps.”
“Hmm… given the extenuating circumstances, not too badly.” Valela blew on a puff of incandescent green flames laced with gold. “Really, they’re quite pretty. Setting aside the potential for harrowing burns.”
“Truly a minor issue. Alas, it looks like we’re here.” He gently let go of her waist now that they were out of the worst of it. The passage to the blue hall looked oddly empty. Both their expressions quickly lost their mirth. “They should be here.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, unless they moved. Hobbes went snooping around.”
Crossing through, he immediately sensed several familiar presences. Relief meshed with apprehension at being so close. The damage to the hall was even more extensive than the last. Large portions of the floor were blackened, though the flames on the ceiling looked thinner, probably extinguished when they burst through.
From the mayhem of the students shouting and darting around, there must be no incandescent spews here. The raw screams of several injured spiked his heartbeat. Still, his gaze remained trained on his friends’ position, grouped across the hall.
Moving in front of Valela, he slipped and elbowed his way through the panicked throng. Whispers spurred him on with churning urgency despite the apparent absence of threat.
What is it?
His thoughts fell back when he spotted them. Rain’s platinum head and ivory suit stood out, still pristine among the ash-coated people. Beside him, Flynn’s tall frame stood above Rowan, who sat with her back to the wall. Minor burns on her right arm and shoulder.
Alden loomed a meter further, beside a miraculously intact refreshment table, his black silk shirt with purple accents, similarly without a smudge of ash.
“They’re here!” Valela pointed to a group of girls in the corner. Rena and Lys snapped toward the call with glee and surprise, their voices climbing in turn.
“Wait a second. Please." Kai scanned the shuffling crowds for threats. Murky murmurs kept buzzing and rising. Despite their intensity, they lacked the sharp notes of imminent danger to his life.
Valela hesitated and frowned. “What is it?”
“I’m… I’m not sure. Hopefully nothing. Just…” Hallowed Intuition pressed against his calm. He took an uncertain step, his mind darting, desperate for clues. If he couldn’t figure out the threat, perhaps he could prepare for it. “Hey, Rain!”
Lifting his arm to call his friend’s attention, Kai felt the jolt of adrenaline. Whispers coalesced with purpose. Mana flooded his veins, weaving a spell before thought took over. His head jerked toward Alden.
A darkly shrouded figure darted behind his roommate, carrying the gleam of a dagger.
“Watch out!” Kai yelled as his body flexed to dash. Too far. He would never close the gap in time, even with Spatial Shift. A chunk of mana condensed into a spear of ice—the fastest spell he could cast. Clear ice glimmered, already flying a third of the distance between them. Another chunk of his mana flowed to adjust its trajectory.
Alden’s purple eyes widened and flickered. His body jerked aside at an impossible
angle.
Metal Magic.
Ice spell shattered against the concealed attacker. The dagger went wide.
Still, Hallowed Intuition rose sharply.
He was close enough to blink now. Iridescent mana already rushed through his channels when the shrouded assassin vanished. No sounds, no ripples. Just gone.
Where—
Kai hesitated, bringing his momentum back into balance. The whispers hadn’t quietened yet.
“Mat! Above you!”
His head tilted in time to see a thick plume of blue fire spew directly on his position, too close to dodge.
His arms rose to protect his head. Before he could cast a spell, a shield of ice froze into a shell around him. He crumpled to the ground as the liquid flames washed over him with a sharp hiss, desperately channeling his own mana to reinforce the shield.
Cold and heat clashed. Steam fogged his vision before the fire finally extinguished and the barrier opened.
“Are you alright?” Valela and his friends crowded over him.
“Yeah… I’m fine. I just… Thanks for the help. Seriously,” Kai said with gratitude. He could have probably shifted away, but he was glad to keep his ace hidden.
“Don’t mention it.” Valela scanned him for injuries. “I promised to watch your back.”
“Thanks still.” Kai accepted a hand to stand, not sure from whom. His thoughts were a tangled mess. He muttered reassurances that he was unhurt, unsure of the exact words. Overhead, the fire whirled, tightly contained beneath the wards. How did liquid flames burst right on top of him in a supposedly safe hall? He didn’t believe in such a coincidence. His mind pulled in a thousand directions, on the cusp of drawing connections and numbly blank at the same time.
What a crazy night.
“Is Alden—” Peering through the bodies, Kai saw his roommate surrounded by a similar circle.
“Hey, stand back!” Rob shoved past the crowd, rushing to his side and barking at the onlookers. “Let him breathe!”
Before Kai could move to speak with them, an authoritative, voice thundered in the hall.
“Make silence and remain calm, students!”
The blue flames extinguished at once, plunging the halls into momentary darkness.