Chapter Seven: Shadows at the Gate
The Academy had never felt so still.
Even with students bustling in the morning corridors, a sense of major unease hung over Larkspire academy, like the calm right before a storm. Mira walked beside Elian, her hand brushing against his at times, each touch was a reminder of the bond they had forged in the halls of the their trial. Their recent success in the training halls had given them confidence, but it had also awakened a sense of purpose—and a large amount of quiet fear.
"Elian," Mira said softly, breaking the silence around them. "Do you feel it? Like something's… watching us?"
Elian looked around the courtyard, brow furrowed. "I felt it during breakfast," he admitted to her. "It's faint, but it's there. Not wards, not students—but something else."
Mira's fingers tightened slightly around his. "The messenger's warning. Shadows that listen. I think it's true what they said."
He nodded, a grim set to his jaw. "Then we need to be ready by the time it gets here."
By mid-morning, the warning became real.
The bell signaling the start of lessons rang loudly across the Academy, but before anyone could move to their classes, the massive gates at the Academy's entrance roared loudly, as if under the weight of something enormous. The students stopped in their tracks, and teachers appeared almost instantly, their robes swirling with authority and fear.
"Everyone, remain calm!" Professor Caelum's voice boomed. His eyes narrowed as he gazed across the horizon. Beyond the gates, the forest that bordered the Academy seemed a little too unnaturally still. Shadows moved between the trees—fast, deliberate, and unidentifiable.
Mira's stomach tightened. "W-what are those?" she whispered to Elian.
"Something… not human at all though," he said. His hand found hers instinctively, and the warmth of it gave her a flicker of courage. "Stay close to me."
The first sign of danger came in the form of murmurs carried on the wind. They weren't voices, exactly, but words formed of shadow and echo, swirling around the edges of their hearing: Mira… Mira…
The fuzz on the back of her neck stood on end. The wards around the Academy flickered, reacting to the unknown presence past the gates. Even the old stones seemed to buzz in warning.
Professor Lysandra stepped forward, her staff glowing softly as she chanted words of containment. "Keep to the courtyard!" she commanded to them. "The wards alone will not hold for much longer."
Mira's grip on Elian's hand tightened once again. "We need to help out," she said, almost instinctively.
"Not yet," he replied, though his jaw was tight . "We need a plan made. You've trained, yes—but we're still learning this stuff. We can't be reckless."
But before they could speak any further, the gates burst inward with a deafening boom. A shape stepped through the broken wood, looming and twisted, cloaked in shadows. It moved with unnatural haste, limbs long and angular, as if the darkness itself had taken form into some creature. Its eyes, when they opened, glowed a hard red, and Mira felt an immediate pull, like the darkness was trying to communicate, to probe her mind.
Elian stepped ahead of her instinctively. "Stay behind me," he said, even though his hand never let go of hers. "Whatever this is… we face it together and not alone."
The shadowed figure raised a clawed hand, and Mira felt a freezing cold, sickly tingle climb right up her spine. The wards around the courtyard flickered in response to the figure, shining in intricate patterns, but the creature seemed almost amazed. It circled them, slow, carefully, and deliberate, whispering words that made her chest tighten against her: Power… chosen one… fragile…
"You're not just testing the wards," Mira said, her voice shaking softly. "But instead Y-you're testing m-me."
The shadow seemed to pause, tilting its head almost as if acknowledging her words and presence. Then, with a sudden burst of energy, it lunged toward the center of the courtyard.
Elian reacted instantly, raising his hands, summoning a protective barrier. The wards around them pulsed, rippling outward, and Mira realized with a jolt that she could help. She stretched out her hands, letting the warmth and flow of her magic mingle with the Academy's wards. The shadow recoiled, its attack disrupted by the combined power of Mira and the protective enchantments.
"Good!" Elian shouted. "Keep it up!"
Mira focused, feeling her energy extend through the courtyard, connecting with every rune and glyph she had seen in her trials. The shadow screeched, an almost human sound of frustration, and backed away, hovering near the broken gate.
But it wasn't retreating. It was assessing, learning, and circling them like a predator.
"You're… different," Mira whispered. "They're learning from us."
"They'll adapt quicker than we think they can," Elian said. "But we will too."
Professor Caelum's voice shouted out over the chaos. "Students who cannot protect themselves, evacuate to the inner halls immediately!"
Mira shook her head. "No. We can help. I mean I can help."
"You're still learning," he said sternly, even though his eyes softened. "I know you can, but I'll be right here. Don't underestimate it's power."
They moved together, stepping forward in unison. Mira extended her arms and hands, feeling the wards respond to her will, intertwining with Elian's barrier. Light and energy twisted around them in intricate patterns, almost as if it were alive. The shadow recoiled again, its red eyes narrowing and darkening, and then it suddenly vanished with a sudden swirl of darkness, leaving behind only a cold empty feeling.
For a moment, silence rung out. The broken gate sagged, and the forest beyond seemed unnaturally quiet again. Mira's chest ponded, and she turned to Elian, whose eyes were wide with shock but steady.
"We did it," she said quietly, the words shaking with disbelief.
"No," he said, shaking his head. "We stopped it for now. That's all it will come back."
Professor Lysandra took a step toward them, her staff faintly glowing. "This is only the beginning," she said, her voice low. "You felt its probing, didn't you, Mira? That creature… it was testing you, and seeking your strength. There are more like it. And they will come back."
Mira swallowed, looking down at her hands, still trembling slightly from the exertion. "Then we'll be ready for it," she said, voice firmer now. "We'll get stronger. And together this time."
Elian grinned faintly, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Together," he agreed.
The other students were being rushed back inside, whispers of fear and awe passing through the crowd. But Mira and Elian stayed a moment longer, standing in the courtyard, looking at the damaged gate and the silent forest beyond. The world outside Larkspire Academy was larger, darker, and far more dangerous than they had imagined.
And for the first time, Mira realized that her destiny was not just about learning magic—it was about standing against the shadows, protecting those she cared about, and trusting someone completely, even when everything felt uncertain.
Elian's hand found hers again, warm and steady. "Whatever comes next," he said, "we'll face it. I promise."
Mira looked up at him, the fear and uncertainty in her chest tempered by something stronger: courage, trust, and a quiet certainty that whatever waited beyond the gates, they would face it side by side.
And as the Academy bells rang again, signaling the start of lessons, Mira knew that this was only the beginning. Shadows had come to the gates of Larkspire, but they had not yet claimed her. And with Elian by her side, she would not let them.
The first trial outside the walls had begun.