— I'm leaving the academy.
The words remained on the paper, like a seal, like a vow, like a declaration of war. He was no longer a student. He was no longer just a child. The Academy was left behind, like an old shell shed by someone who was growing too fast.
The night had been difficult. The mansion still smelled of the incense from the funeral. The corridors echoed with footsteps, and every voice sounded muffled, as if the palace itself knew that death had taken one of its leaders. But in Kallen's underground chamber, where no one had access, darkness seethed.
Three of his shadows stood in front of him.
Ward is a dark knight with pulsating red patterns on his armor. His sword is always held point downwards, symbolizing his eternal readiness.
Tirk was the king of spiders. His shadow cast not only fear, but also an ancient hierarchy. Behind him, eighteen giant spiders constantly stirred, their limbs moving quietly.
And Beste is an ice witch. The cold came from her without words, and the silence she was in was worse than any scream.
"You heard him," Kalen said to them. "It's time to act."
The shadows bowed their heads.
"What do you command?" Vard asked.
"Mother. Alesia. She's not just a snake; she's a snake with a crown. And for some reason, all these years, no one noticed how she was slowly taking over.
I'm not going to attack head-on. I'm going to bring her to justice.
I'll make her make a mistake.
Beste crossed her arms and chuckled.
"She's smart. Smarter than you think."
"Yes. But she doesn't have me," Kalen said calmly. "She doesn't have... you."
He opened the map of the mansion, then the map of the capital. He had already started. Several letters had been intercepted. Through one of the former servants, he had planted observers in the royal chancellery. Some of his father's old mages, who had sworn allegiance to Velmut, were now working for him.
"Tirk," he said to the spider, "you will enter the vault of her papers. From below. No one must see you."
"Of course, King," Tyrk replied, his voice scraping like stone.
"Ward. I need someone to be there for me. On the nights when I doubt. If I stumble, strike first."
Wardes nodded.
"I am your shadow. And I will not let you break."
— Best. Freeze all communication channels between her and the outside world. Slowly. So she doesn't notice right away.
"I'll freeze you," the icy voice was short.
Kalen stood up slowly. The tattoo on his back—still the same, ancient one—now covered half of his shoulder blade. Its lines pulsed slightly, reacting to the call of the shadows.
He left the underground room and went into the shadows of the night. He needed to be the first to arrive at the artifact vault, where his mother had hidden not only ancient relics but also information.
After making his way through the inner corridors, he reached an old well known only to his late grandmother's maid. From there, an old passageway led. The stones crumbled beneath his feet, but he knew the route by heart—his father had once shown it to him as a child, calling it a "secret exit in case of siege."
Now it was an entrance. To the keys.
At dawn, he returned. There was dirt under his fingernails. A bruise on his cheek from a stone. A piece of paper in his hand.
It had Alessia's seal on it.
"When everything starts to fall apart, I'll step out of the shadows. Then he'll realize that he lost before it even started."
Kalen chuckled.
"It's already started, Mother. Only now... I'm playing black."