The Universitix atrium stretched above me like something out of another world. Platforms floated midair, holographic runes pulsed along the walls, and the ceiling arched into a translucent dome shimmering like captured starlight. Alien-tech energy hummed through every surface. Students drifted along the platforms, enchanted quills in hand, whispering about last week's incident.
Tedor's flames flared higher, heat licking the polished platforms. Floating runes scanned my aura like impatient eyes. The Truth Evaluator orb hovered closer, a sphere of silver light crisscrossed with golden circuits. It hummed, scanning for deceit but I smirked behind the mask. Didn't bother me.
"Nox Warner! The shadow you summoned explain its nature." Tedor's voice boomed, echoing through the alien-structure atrium.
I leaned back casually against the edge of a platform, arms crossed, mask glinting in the shimmering light. "Nature? Oh… it's complicated," I said lazily, tilting my head. "Part of me, part of… something else. Kinda like a really shy cat. Won't do anything unless provoked."
Gasps rippled through the floating students. Huskar's crimson hair practically flared with annoyance, and Aleah drifted near, amber eyes sparkling with curiosity.
Tedor's flames surged, whipping around him like living fire. "A cat that could destroy sections of this academy! How is that not provocation?!"
"Easy," I said, hands raised like surrendering to an invisible audience. "It doesn't move on its own. I have to… politely ask. This guy is very well-behaved."
The orb pulsed golden, trying to detect dishonesty. I chuckled softly behind the mask. Truth Evaluator? Cute little toy.
Huskar muttered to a lackey, voice low: "Impossible… he's impossible."
I tilted my head, eyes glinting behind the mask. "Maybe I'm just honest. Mostly. Sometimes."
Tedor's gaze pierced me, flames reflecting off the dome. "I cannot risk an uncontrolled anomaly. If this shadow whatever it is acts without your command again, you face immediate expulsion. Understood?"
"Crystal clear, Professor." I gave a playful salute. "Don't worry I won't let it run wild. Its shy, remember?" I chuckled.
Aleah drifted closer, a sly smile on her face. "You really don't act like someone scared of the academy breathing down your neck."
I shrugged. "Why would I be?"
The floating students tittered nervously. Even Huskar's lackeys exchanged uneasy glances. Crimson hair flaring, Huskar leaned forward, voice tense. "You think you can just… do whatever you want without consequences?"
I smirked, tilting my head. "Maybe. But it's more fun this way."
Tedor exhaled, flames dimming slightly. "Control it, Nox. Or… do not summon again until you understand it."
I nodded lightly, spinning to face the atrium. Platforms shifted, alien-tech lights glimmered, runes pulsing beneath each step. "Understood, Professor. Consider it… on pause. For now."
Aleah's amber eyes caught mine. "Nox" she said softly, teasing but genuine, "you're… not what I expected."
I leaned back, legs dangling off the platform edge. "That's the whole point, isn't it?"
The shadow curled silently at my feet, obedient, a subtle reminder that the academy, with its alien-tech halls and floating structures, was my playground. I was far from the extra everyone expected.
I hopped onto a drifting platform, alien-tech flooring adjusting to my weight. Lights shifted under my boots, holographic glyphs pulsing in response. Students scattered around atrium bridges, floating corridors, and spiraling lifts, eyes wide in awe.
Huskar's crimson glare followed me. "You really think you can just wander around like you own this place?"
I smirked under the mask. "Well… I've got options. You? Trying to catch me?"
The orb hovered over me, flickering indecisively. I waved lazily.
Aleah drifted beside me, eyes sparkling. "You really know how to make everyone watch you," she said, amused.
"Half the fun," I replied, tilting my head. "And my shadow's far too shy to jump out without permission. Totally safe."
Huskar's fist clenched. "You're lucky this platform's solid, Nox… or I'd—"
I leaned closer to the railing, grinning behind the mask. "Or you'd what? Make a scene? Come on, that's way too easy."
Platforms rose higher, lights casting alien reflections across the atrium. Students whispered, some nervously taking notes, others staring like I was untouchable.
The shadow stirred at my feet, curling around the platform base like a living scarf. Tendrils sharp, invisible to all but me. One flick, it could ruin Huskar's day—or not.
I tapped the platform edge, drifting toward the central atrium, floating bridges twisting overhead like a web of luminous metal. "Seriously… built like a giant alien puzzle, and everyone's too busy being serious to notice it's basically a playground."
Aleah laughed softly. "You treat it like it belongs to you."
"Oh hell nah I don't own this place" I said, playful.
Huskar stomped the platform below, face red. "Nox! You're not getting away this time!"
I spun casually on the railing, mask glinting. "We'll see, won't we? Until then… try to keep up, prince charming."
Aleah's laughter followed me as I floated across alien-tech hallways, shadow obedient at my heels. Huskar's fury trailed like smoke. I grinned behind the mask this academy wasn't a prison. It was a stage. And I was ready to play.
I drifted onto a higher platform, Aleah floating just a few steps beside me. Her amber eyes studied me with that same curiosity that made me feel… oddly exposed. I tilted my head, voice low, just for her.
"To be honest, Aleah… I can't really control my shadow," I admitted, the playful smirk in my tone barely masking the truth. "All that 'shy cat' act? Total bluff."
Her golden curls lifted slightly in the artificial breeze of the atrium. She blinked, surprise mingling with amusement. "Wait… so everything you said…?"
"Yup," I said with a lazy shrug. "Mostly harmless… unless I decide otherwise. Or unless it decides otherwise. Which, well… happens sometimes."
Aleah's eyes widened, and I caught a flicker of worry cross her face. "So… it's dangerous?"
I smirked behind the mask, leaning closer. "Dangerous is… subjective. But it's under wraps. Usually."
That's when I felt it: Huskar's crimson gaze slicing across the floating platforms like a blade. He'd seen the momentary hesitation in my stance the tiny, almost imperceptible twitch as I let slip my weakness.
"You lying coward!" he roared, leaping onto a platform beside me, aura flaring crimson. His lackeys scrambled behind him, hands raised, ready to intervene. "I'm going to crush your as* this time!"
I grinned lazily. "Oh? You gonna prove it?"
Before I could react, Huskar lunged, fists aimed at my midsection. I twisted midair, letting the alien-tech platform respond to my weight, dodging fluidly but the slightest gap in my guard let him graze my shoulder. A spark of energy flared where his fist connected, just enough to make me smirk through the mask.
"Please... Don't hurt me good sir~" I said, voice teasing, though my body tensed to brace the next strike.
Huskar's eyes burned with victory. "Finally! Thought I'd never catch a break against you, mask-boy!" He struck again, faster this time, testing my defenses.
Aleah floated above, hands pressed together in worry, amber eyes wide. "Nox… be careful!"
I winked at her, letting my playful grin show despite the adrenaline. "Relax… I can handle this."
But inwardly, I felt it the thrill of a fight, the tiny weight of vulnerability. My shadow curled at my feet, ready to spring, but I didn't give it permission yet. Let Huskar think he'd found a crack… it made the game far more interesting.
Huskar's fists slammed into my guard again and again, each blow forcing me back a step. He wasn't just swinging wild he was testing me, watching how I moved, where I flinched. And for a split second, I knew he might've caught the smallest slip in my defense.
"Not bad… prince charming," I muttered under my breath, tone teasing, letting him feel like the predator for once. "But you're going to need more than that to beat me."
And with that, the clash for dominance in the floating atrium began—not some graceful "dance," but a brutal test of timing, speed, and control. Students crowded the platforms, their whispers dying down as fists and feet cut the air. Aleah hovered above, biting her lip, torn between worry and fascination.
Huskar's crimson aura flared hotter with every breath. He lunged in with a jab-cross combo, sharp and practiced, forcing me to twist my shoulders just enough for the strikes to whistle past my mask. His follow-up came fast—a roundhouse kick that cut the air like a blade.
I snapped my arm down, forearm braced against my ribs, letting the kick crash against my guard. The impact rattled my bones, driving me back a half step, but I didn't flinch.
Huskar's eyes narrowed. "Still standing, huh?"
He pressed harder, fists and elbows whipping forward in a relentless flurry. I bent at the waist, weaving under a hook, then pivoted sideways as another kick tore through the space where my head had been. My feet slid across the platform, movements sharp and efficient—just enough to avoid every strike without wasting motion.
Not once did I swing back. My hands stayed up, my guard tight, my body shifting in the smallest, cleanest movements. Dodging, deflecting, redirecting. Letting him wear himself out.
"You really think brute force is going to do it?" I called, my voice steady, almost bored, even as his shin slammed against my block with enough force to make the platform tremble.
Huskar's teeth clenched, sweat flicking off his jaw. "I don't need brute force to trample you, idiot!"
He spun into another roundhouse, aura blazing, leg slicing toward my head. At the last second, I dipped under, the kick passing harmlessly overhead. I straightened slowly, mask tilted so my eyes caught his in open amusement.
"You'll have to do better than that."
He lunged again, faster this time. I parried, ducked, and dodged, but my shoulder twitched under the impact of a glancing blow just enough for him to smirk triumphantly.
"Gotcha, heh." he hissed.
I let out a soft laugh, leaning back on a railing, casually brushing a strand of hair from my face. "Nice one! you've got a keen eye, son of a b*tch."
Huskar's smirk faltered. "You're about to see what happens when you leave yourself exposed."
He struck again a quick left jab snapping toward my face, followed by a low kick aimed at my thigh. I slid back, slipping the jab by tilting my shoulder, then twisted at the waist just enough so the kick grazed air. His palm hand swung toward my chest as I dropped and weaved, feet light, balance tight.
A flicker of shadow pulsed at my feet. My breathing hitched behind the mask. Lip bitten hard. I swallowed the urge to unleash.
Aleah gasped, floating above, hands pressed together. "Nox… don't push it too far!"
I reassure her while panting "Im Fine."
Huskar pressed harder, his fists cutting the air in quick succession. Hooks, jabs, elbows—each one came faster than the last, relentless and precise. For the first time, I admitted to myself: if he slipped through my guard, he could actually hurt me.
Still, the grin never left my face. Adrenaline sang through my veins, and I leaned into the rhythm of it—the dance of inches, the game of survival.
Then he lunged, wide swing whipping toward my head. I sidestepped cleanly, but the bastard feinted. His real strike clipped my arm, just enough to throw me off balance. My boots skidded on the edge of the platform. The crowd gasped as I caught myself, one foot dangling over the void.
My shadow twitched, black tendrils flickering along the surface like cracks in glass. Instinct screamed to let it surge, but I bit it back, forcing control.
Huskar's eyes burned, teeth bared. "See that? You're not untouchable, you weak little sh*t!"
I straightened slowly, rolling my shoulder, mask tilted to catch the glow of the runes. My voice came calm, almost amused."Congratulations. You found a crack. Happy now?"
He growled, nostrils flaring, frustrated by how little it meant. "Don't get cocky. That was nothing."
I smirked behind the mask. "Everything's something—depends how you use it. But fine… we'll call that a warm-up."
The students floating above us whispered in waves, their voices like ripples across still water. Aleah's amber eyes gleamed with both worry and fascination. Even Huskar's lackeys shifted uneasily, their confidence shaken.
The fight wasn't over. Not even close.
My shadow curled at my feet, tendrils flicking like a coiled predator tasting the air. Huskar didn't notice. I did. I smiled. Maybe letting him think he'd found a weakness wasn't such a bad move.
I exhaled slowly, the tension buzzing in my chest. Standing tall on the edge of the platform, I let out a lazy sigh, exaggerating it just enough for him to hear.
"Alright," I drawled, eyes flicking between Huskar and the restless shadow at my feet. "Playtime's over. You—" I nudged the shadow with a thought. "And you—" I tilted my chin at Huskar. "Take a nap."
The shadow pulsed once, obeying. Huskar's crimson aura spiked—he lunged, fist cocked to crush me.
but I snapped my fingers.
A sharp crack echoed. Huskar's momentum stalled, body jerking as if he'd run into an invisible wall. His grin faltered, eyes wide with confusion. A heartbeat later, his knees buckled, and he crashed onto the platform, aura sputtering out like a dying flame.
My shadow twitched once more, curling neatly at my feet like a cat curling into its favorite spot. It obeyed. I exhaled, stretching my arms over my head, letting the tension from the fight melt away.
Aleah floated closer, a mix of awe and apprehension on her face. "Nox What happened to him"
I tilted my head, voice soft but teasing. "Well… about that, I don't really know either. But if I were you, I'd be worried about me I'm the one who just took the beating and I'm still standing." I chuckled.
Silence swallowed the atrium. The low hum of alien-tech energy thrummed underfoot. The floating platforms glowed with shifting runes, light dancing across shocked faces. My shadow lay still, obedient at my feet. Huskar lay prostrate, limp.
I leaned back, legs dangling over the edge. Behind the mask, a grin widened. "Now… that's what I call finishing a game."
I sighed, tilting my head to stare out at the hovering students. "I'm finally done playing… with both of you."
At my words, the black tendrils curled inwards. The shadow stiffened, then folded into a compact coil, pulsing faintly before fading into stillness. Quiet. Obedient. As if lulled to rest.
Gasps broke out. Students leaned forward, eyes darting between me and Huskar. Whispers floated:
"Did Nox just knock him out?"
"He didn't even touch him… how is that possible?"
"Huskar's Aura… it vanished like flame blown out."
"Who was that mask guy anyway?"
"Just what the hell happened to huskar to suddenly collapsed like that!"
"Probably Overfatigue"
"Right! Overfatigue Mhmm! Agreed!" Huskar's lackeys echoed, nodding in unison like clueless idiots.
Aleah drifted closer to me, her curls lifting in the ambient breeze. Amber eyes wide, she asked, "So… you didn't break any rules, right?"
I shrugged, letting the moment stretch. "Technically? Nope. Just… enforcing the rule in my own way."
Professors rushed forward, checking Huskar—pulse, aura, vitals—exchanging concerned glances at me. Students murmured in hushed clusters, speculation rising.
I tilted my head, voice dropping low but clear enough for those near me. "Remember the Playground Rule. This academy isn't just halls and lectures. It's a stage. Platforms, bridges, corridors… they're part of the game. Students are allowed chaos… so long as the one causing it calls the shots."
Aleah's lips parted, cautious admiration shining in her eyes. "You really twist the rules until they bend, don't you?"
I leaned back against the railing as the crowd buzzed. The shadow stirred faintly at my feet, tethered tightly to my will. Huskar groaned, blinking upward, pressing a hand to his side, muttering under his breath about luck, and flukes. But the people watching didn't hear him—they hardly dared.
I straightened, shoulders back, fixing my mask. The academy, with its floating architecture, glowing runes, and strange rules, felt less like a cage now and more like my domain.