the secret society's shadow...

The day finally came to an end, and I was more than ready to retreat into solitude. After grabbing my dorm card from the front center, I made my way through the winding hallways of Seiran Academy, searching for my assigned room.

When I reached the door, I unlocked it and stepped inside, only to find Toki already there. He sat on the edge of his bed, a glass of water in hand, focused intently on manipulating it. The water floated and twisted in midair, a testament to his control over his Zen Energy.

Great. A roommate. Just what I needed.

Suppressing a sigh, I closed the door behind me and dropped my bag on the floor. Toki barely acknowledged my presence, his eyes locked on the water as it moved in intricate patterns. He was clearly practicing, trying to perfect his control. His intense focus made it clear he wasn’t interested in conversation, which suited me just fine.

Still, curiosity got the better of me. "So, your main ability is manipulating water," I said, leaning against the wall. "What’s your secondary ability?"

Toki glanced at me briefly, his expression unreadable. Without saying a word, he made a fist with his hand. In an instant, the floating water transformed into sharp, crystalline ice spears, hovering menacingly in the air. The temperature in the room seemed to drop slightly, the sharp edges of the ice glinting in the dim light.

I raised an eyebrow, mildly impressed despite myself. "Ice, huh? Not bad."

Toki didn’t respond, simply letting the ice dissolve back into water, which he poured back into the glass. He placed it on the table and leaned back, his expression as stoic as ever.

I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of annoyance at the situation. A roommate wasn’t part of my plan, especially not one as focused as Toki. But there was something about his quiet determination that resonated with me. Maybe, just maybe, this wouldn’t be as unbearable as I thought.

Without another word, I unpacked my things, trying to ignore the presence of my new roommate. The room settled into an uncomfortable silence, each of us lost in our own thoughts, preparing for whatever challenges tomorrow might bring.As Toki and I lay silently on our beds, staring at the ceiling, the calm was shattered by a sudden, deafening blast outside. Both of us sprang to our feet, our instincts kicking in. Without exchanging a word, we bolted out the door and into the night.

The courtyard was chaos. A group of students, cloaked in black with hoods obscuring their faces, stood in the center. They exuded an ominous aura, their Zen Energy crackling in the air. At the forefront of the group, one hooded figure clutched something tightly—a glowing artifact that pulsed with an otherworldly energy.

To my surprise, the professor from the train was there, engaged in a fierce battle with them. His usual calm demeanor was gone, replaced by a desperate urgency. “Give me back that Zen artifact!” he shouted, his voice echoing across the field. “It’s too powerful in your hands!”

The hooded leader’s voice was cold and resolute. “And it’s too weak in yours. We’ll put it to good use.”

One of the cloaked figures raised their hand, summoning flames that erupted across the field, creating a blazing barrier. It was a clear attempt to cover their escape.

Toki didn’t hesitate. “Oh no, you don’t, you little cowards!” he shouted, pulling out the glass of water he had brought from the dorm. He focused, directing the water towards the flames. The fire hissed and sizzled, dimming slightly under his control.

“Come on, use more water!” I urged, frustration creeping into my voice.

“I can’t!” Toki snapped back. “Because of Zen affinities, I can’t use that much water in this environment.”

Before we could react further, the hooded students vanished into the shadows, leaving behind only the faint traces of their presence.

We rushed over to the professor, who was kneeling on the ground, catching his breath. “We must get that Zen artifact back,” he panted. “Those hooded students don’t understand its power. That artifact was held by a powerful Zen master—it’s incredibly dangerous.”

Toki, still catching his breath, asked, “Who are those students?”

The professor shook his head. “I don’t know exactly, but they’ve been causing trouble here for years. There’s a secret society within the school, working on some massive conspiracy. Every year, they recruit new members. Their intentions are unclear, but they’re up to something big. We have to stop them.”

I exchanged a glance with Toki. The gravity of the situation was clear. This was bigger than either of us had anticipated.

Taking a deep breath, I turned to him. “Listen, Toki. I know you and I aren’t friends, but I think we need to work together to deal with these hooded thugs.”

Toki raised an eyebrow. “Like a team?”

“Yeah,” I nodded. “We’ll figure out this case together.”

I extended my hand, and after a moment of hesitation, Toki shook it firmly. “Tomorrow, we’ll start gathering as much information as we can about these people,” he said.

“Let’s do this,” I agreed, determination hardening in my voice. Together, we were going to uncover the truth and stop this secret society—no matter what it took.

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