Rise Of The Mirror King

Chapter 7: The Second Tear

Sleep refused to come.

I had been lying in bed for what felt like hours, staring at the ceiling; the same thoughts kept circling through my head.

The dead girl.

My name written in blood.

Symon's mana found on her body.

None of it made sense.

And somehow, every answer seemed to point back at me.

I rolled onto my side and closed my eyes.

Nothing.

I opened them again.

The room was dark except for the faint orange glow from the fireplace. The academy had gone quiet hours ago. I wasn't supposed to be awake, let alone outside. Zudrik had placed me under curfew after the council hearing, and after what happened earlier, I had no intention of giving anyone another reason to suspect me.

Still, something bothered me more than the accusations.

Symon was gone.

I hadn't heard his voice since earlier.

Not a single word.

I looked toward the space beside my bed.

“Grey.”

The familiar screen appeared.

"Yes, Lord Symon."

“Why haven't I heard him?”

“Who?”

“Symon.”

A pause.

“I cannot determine why.”

“You're supposed to be a mana guide. Can't you tell if he's still there?”

“His soul remains integrated with yours.”

“So he's still there?”

“Yes.”

“Then why can't I hear him?”

“I don't know.”

I frowned.

That answer was becoming Grey's favorite.

“Can he hear me?”

Another pause.

“I cannot confirm that.”

I fell back against the pillow.

“Great.”

The room went silent again.

I tried closing my eyes.

A few seconds passed.

Then—

A scream tore through the night.

I sat upright.

My heart slammed against my ribs.

Another scream followed.

A woman's voice.

I was already out of bed before I could think about it.

I grabbed my sword from beside the chair and threw my coat over my shoulders.

Grey appeared again.

“Lord Symon, I strongly advise against leaving your chambers.”

“It's past midnight.”

“Yes.”

“I'm under curfew.”

“Yes.”

“And someone just screamed.”

“Yes.”

I opened the door.

“Then I'm going.”

The corridor was empty.

I moved quietly through the academy, keeping to the shadows. Every instinct told me to turn around, but the scream had come from somewhere outside.

I reached the rear entrance and slipped through it.

Cold air struck my face.

The academy grounds stretched beneath the moonlight. Beyond the outer wall was a narrow stretch of trees and rocky ground.

And beyond that—

The cemetery.

I had seen it from the academy windows before, but never this close.

I moved toward it, sword still in hand.

The scream had stopped.

That worried me more than another one would have.

I passed between two rows of old gravestones.

Then I saw her.

I froze.

A girl hung from one of the large trees near the center of the cemetery.

Her body swayed gently in the wind.

My grip tightened around the sword.

Not again.

I took one step forward.

Then stopped.

Voices.

They were coming from behind me.

I ducked behind a stone monument and crouched low.

Footsteps hurried across the cemetery.

“Over here!”

It was Zudrik.

Several professors followed him, carrying lanterns. Their voices were low, tense, as they approached the tree.

I pressed myself against the stone.

If they found me here, I wouldn't have an explanation.

I wasn't supposed to be outside.

And another dead girl had appeared.

After the first body, my name had been written on the wall.

What would they find this time?

I didn't wait to find out.

Keeping low, I moved away from the cemetery, careful not to disturb the grass or loose stones beneath my feet.

A branch snapped somewhere behind me.

I froze.

Nobody called out.

I kept moving.

Once I reached the academy wall, I ran.

I didn't stop until I was back inside the castle.

The corridors were still empty.

I climbed the stairs two at a time, slipped into my room, closed the door and locked it behind me.

I stood there, breathing hard.

My sword was still in my hand.

I looked at the blade.

Then toward the window.

Two dead girls.

Both at the academy.

Both after someone had written my name beside the first body.

And now I'd been the one to discover the second.

I lowered the sword slowly.

“Grey.”

The screen appeared.

“What are the chances this is a coincidence?”

There was a long pause.

“Extremely low.”

I stared at the answer.

For once, Grey hadn't tried to soften it.

Someone was killing students.

And somehow, I kept ending up close to the bodies.

I sat on the edge of my bed.

Then another thought hit me.

I hadn't heard Symon.

Not when I saw the body.

Not when I heard the scream.

Not even when I was running back here.

Nothing.

I looked toward the dark room.

“Symon?”

Silence.

I swallowed.

For the first time, I wasn't worried about what Symon might do.

I was worried about why he wasn't answering.