The tension between Kalem and his friends had reached its peak. While the trio tried to maintain their usual routines, the air was thick with unspoken suspicions. Kalem, for his part, was beginning to notice their odd behavior—whispered conversations that stopped when he entered the room, furtive glances exchanged when they thought he wasn't looking.
Kalem sat alone in his workshop late into the night. The gauntlets, still incomplete, lay on the table before him, their intricate runes glowing faintly in the dim light. His tools were scattered around, evidence of his relentless efforts.
His thoughts churned as he stared at the project. He didn't want to believe his friends doubted him, but their behavior said otherwise. He leaned back in his chair, the weight of his secrecy pressing down on him.
"Maybe I should just tell them," he muttered to himself. But then he shook his head. "No. Not yet. Not until it's ready."
Kalem turned his attention back to the gauntlets, pushing aside his doubts. He had work to do.
Meanwhile, Lyra, Jhaeros, and Nara gathered in the empty common room of Jhaeros' dorm. It was late, but none of them felt like sleeping.
"He knows we're onto him," Jhaeros said, pacing the room. "I can see it in the way he looks at us."
"Good," Nara said, crossing her arms. "Maybe he'll finally crack and tell us what he's hiding."
Lyra sighed, rubbing her temples. "Or he'll shut us out completely. This isn't helping. We need to find actual evidence, not just jump to conclusions."
"And how do you suggest we do that?" Nara asked, her tone sharp.
Lyra hesitated, then looked at Jhaeros. "You said you saw him with that crate in the storage building. Maybe we should check it out."
Jhaeros frowned. "That's risky. If he catches us—"
"He won't," Nara interrupted. "We'll do it when he's busy. He spends hours in his workshop every night. That's our window."
Lyra bit her lip, conflicted. "I don't like going behind his back, but… we need to know the truth."
The next evening, while Kalem was immersed in his work, the trio made their way to the storage building. The campus was quiet, the faint glow of the moon casting long shadows across the grounds.
Jhaeros led the way, his Ilvaar instincts keeping him alert for any signs of trouble. Lyra and Nara followed close behind, their footsteps muffled on the dirt path.
When they reached the building, Jhaeros carefully picked the lock—a skill he claimed was "useful for emergencies." The door creaked open, revealing the dimly lit interior.
"There," Jhaeros whispered, pointing to the crate he'd seen before.
They approached it cautiously. Lyra knelt beside the crate and examined the lock. It was enchanted, but the runes were crude—Kalem's work was far more sophisticated.
"This isn't his," Lyra murmured, her brow furrowing.
"Then whose is it?" Nara asked, crossing her arms.
Lyra managed to disable the enchantment, and together, they pried the crate open. Inside, they found an assortment of magical components—shards of enchanted crystal, runic tablets, and vials of glowing liquid.
"Some of these are banned," Lyra said, her voice hushed. "Where did this come from?"
Before they could investigate further, the sound of footsteps echoed outside.
"Someone's coming!" Jhaeros hissed.
They quickly hid behind a stack of barrels, holding their breath as the door creaked open.
A cloaked figure entered the building, their movements deliberate. They walked straight to the crate and began inspecting its contents, muttering to themselves.
Lyra's heart pounded as she strained to hear what they were saying.
"...shipment delayed… need to move quickly…"
The figure closed the crate and began to leave, but just as they reached the door, they paused and sniffed the air.
Jhaeros tensed. The Ilvaar's sharp senses told him they'd been detected.
The figure turned, pulling back their hood to reveal a face none of them recognized. It wasn't Kalem.
"Come out," the stranger said, their voice calm but commanding. "I know you're here."
The trio exchanged glances, unsure of what to do.
When they didn't respond, the stranger raised a hand, and a pulse of magic swept through the room. The barrels they were hiding behind were blasted aside, leaving them exposed.
"Well," the stranger said, a sly smile playing on their lips. "What do we have here?"
Nara was the first to react, stepping forward with a defiant glare. "Who the hell are you?" she demanded.
The stranger chuckled. "Someone who doesn't appreciate being spied on." They raised their hand again, magic crackling at their fingertips.
Before they could attack, Jhaeros lunged, his feline reflexes propelling him forward. He tackled the stranger, disrupting their spell, but they recovered quickly, throwing him off with a surge of energy.
"Run!" Jhaeros shouted as he scrambled to his feet.
The trio bolted for the door, the stranger's attacks narrowly missing them as they fled into the night.
Once they were safely back in Jhaeros' dorm, the group tried to make sense of what had happened.
"That wasn't Kalem," Lyra said, her voice trembling.
"No kidding," Nara snapped. "But whoever they are, they're dangerous."
"And they're using that crate for something illegal," Jhaeros added. "But how is Kalem connected to this?"
The question hung in the air, unanswered.
Lyra shook her head. "We need to talk to him. No more sneaking around. If we confront him directly, maybe we'll finally get some answers."
Nara crossed her arms. "And if he's involved in this?"
"Then we deal with it," Lyra said firmly.
But as they prepared to confront Kalem, none of them could shake the feeling that they were only scratching the surface of a much larger mystery.