The two weeks before midterms were a collective descent into academic anxiety for the student body. For Li Wei, however, the exams were a triviality. Her mind, honed by lifetimes of strategic planning, was fixed on the true battlefield: the subtle currents of power shifting within the school, the chilling presence of Valerius, and the unsettling anomaly that was Sakura.
Li Wei's instincts, sharper than any modern surveillance system, screamed a warning every time she saw the girl. Sakura was always there. Not overtly, not aggressively, but consistently within earshot, within sight of Ren and Itami. In the library, her gaze would subtly drift towards them. In the cafeteria, she'd shift her position for a clearer view. During breaks, her path would take her directly past their hushed conversations, her head slightly inclined as if listening. It wasn't the innocent curiosity of a classmate; it felt deliberate, calculated, like an intelligence operative positioning herself.
Li Wei had even reviewed security camera footage – ostensibly for "vandalism prevention" – and found Sakura sitting alone, her eyes fixed with unsettling intensity on Ren and Itami's table. This was surveillance. A cold knot formed in Li Wei's stomach. Was Sakura another Awakened, a pawn of Valerius? Or something else entirely? Her quiet, unassuming demeanor, her seemingly genuine interest in history, her polite offer of friendship – it could all be a carefully crafted deception.
Li Wei decided to take matters into her own hands. A direct approach was necessary. Understanding Sakura's allegiance, or lack thereof, was paramount.
As the final bell shrieked, unleashing the usual torrent of students, Li Wei moved with purpose. She had observed Sakura's habits: the girl often lingered after school, sometimes in the library, sometimes in one of the quieter, less-used classrooms. Today, her target was Room 304, a small, forgotten classroom at the end of a seldom-used corridor.
Li Wei walked with a casual, unhurried pace, her school blazer draped over her arm, her pristine sneakers making no sound on the polished linoleum. The school emptied around her, the echoes of youthful chatter fading into silence. She reached Room 304. The door was ajar, a sliver of light escaping into the dim hallway.
She peered inside. Sakura was there, sitting alone at a desk near the window. Her head was tilted slightly, her gaze fixed on the empty blackboard, her face utterly blank, devoid of any emotion or thought. It was a stillness that was unsettling, unnatural for a teenager. She looked like a porcelain doll, perfectly formed but lifeless.
Li Wei's senses pricked. This was not mere daydreaming. This was a profound detachment, a mind elsewhere. It confirmed her suspicions: Sakura was not as she seemed.
She pushed the door open just enough to slip inside, her movements fluid and silent. Sakura did not stir. Li Wei's gaze swept the room, ensuring they were truly alone. The air felt heavy, charged with a latent energy that only she could perceive.
With a swift, almost imperceptible motion, Li Wei moved. One moment, she was by the door. The next, she materialized directly behind Sakura's chair, her presence sudden, a whisper of displaced air.
Sakura's body stiffened, a faint gasp escaping her lips. Her head snapped around, her eyes wide with shock, the blankness replaced by a flicker of raw alarm. She stared up at Li Wei, her face pale.
Li Wei leaned down, her voice a low, dangerous murmur, devoid of its usual modern lightness, imbued instead with the ancient authority of a general. "Who are you, Sakura? And to whom do you truly serve?"