The forsaken Code.

Chapter Seven: The Intrusion.

The academy was in chaos.

Noah, Killian, and Vance stepped out of the training chamber into a dimly lit hallway. The red emergency lights pulsed in rhythm with the blaring sirens, casting eerie shadows against the metallic walls.

Students and instructors rushed past them, their expressions a mix of fear and urgency. Some students were still in their uniforms, while others were in training gear—unprepared for whatever had breached the academy.

Noah turned to Vance. “Who could possibly break into a place like this?”

Vance’s expression was unreadable. “Few would dare. Fewer would succeed.”

Killian cracked his knuckles. “Whoever it is, they’re either insane or powerful. Either way, this could be interesting.”

Vance shot him a sharp look. “This isn’t a game, Killian.”

A sudden explosion rocked the building. The ground trembled beneath them, and the walls groaned under the force of the blast. Dust and debris rained from the ceiling.

Noah coughed, waving the dust away. “That sounded close.”

A voice crackled through the academy’s intercom.

“Security teams, report to the west wing. Hostile forces confirmed. Repeat, hostile forces confirmed.”

Vance’s gaze darkened. “West wing…” He turned sharply. “Stay here.”

Killian scoffed. “You’re kidding, right?”

But Vance was already moving, his coat billowing as he disappeared down the hall.

Noah exchanged glances with Killian.

“We’re not staying here, are we?” Noah asked.

Killian smirked. “Not a chance.”

—

The west wing of the academy was a war zone.

By the time Noah and Killian arrived, the hallways were filled with shattered walls, scorched floors, and the remnants of battle. Security officers in reinforced armor lay unconscious, their weapons scattered across the ground.

And at the center of the destruction stood three figures cloaked in black.

Their faces were hidden by masks, each one marked with a different symbol—a serpent, a raven, and a wolf.

The Serpent-masked intruder stepped forward, his voice smooth and confident. “Eastwood Academy… what a disappointment.”

A team of security enforcers charged forward, weapons raised. But they never got close.

The Raven-masked figure lifted a hand, and an invisible force sent the guards flying backward like ragdolls. They crashed against the walls, groaning in pain.

Noah’s breath hitched. These weren’t ordinary intruders.

Killian stepped forward, cracking his neck. “Alright, now I’m interested.”

The Wolf-masked figure tilted their head. “More students?” Their voice was female, laced with amusement. “I thought we were done here.”

Noah clenched his fists. His instincts screamed that these three were far above anything he had faced before.

But then—

One of the fallen security officers groaned, trying to rise. The Serpent-masked figure sighed.

“Tiresome.”

Then, without warning—

The air around them twisted.

Reality itself warped.

For a brief moment, Noah saw it—the way the space around the officer bent, the very rules of existence shifting.

And in the next second—

The officer vanished.

Not teleported. Not destroyed.

Erased.

Noah’s blood turned to ice.

He had seen something like this before—his own ability.

But this wasn’t just rewriting reality. It was something even deeper.

Something worse.

The Serpent-masked figure turned their head toward him, as if sensing his thoughts. “Ah… now this is interesting.”

Their masked eyes locked onto Noah.

“We’ve been looking for you.”

The air was suffocating.

Noah’s heart pounded as the Serpent-masked figure took a slow step toward him. His very presence felt wrong, as if the world itself was bending around him. The academy’s walls trembled slightly, reacting to something unseen.

Noah clenched his fists. How did they know about him?

Killian stepped forward, rolling his shoulders. “I don’t know who you are, but you’ve made a mistake coming here.” His aura flared—red-hot energy pulsing from his body. The ground beneath his feet cracked under the sheer force of his power.

The Raven-masked figure tilted their head. “Cocky.” They raised a single hand—not in a fist, not for an attack—just a simple gesture.

And Killian’s power vanished.

Like a candle snuffed out.

Killian staggered back, eyes wide. “What the hell?” He tried summoning his energy again. Nothing. It was as if his body had been disconnected from his power.

Noah froze. He had seen Killian’s strength firsthand. He had never seen anything shut it down so easily.

The Wolf-masked figure chuckled. “Fascinating, isn’t it? To stand in the presence of something you can’t comprehend.”

Killian gritted his teeth. “Yeah, fascinating. Let me get closer so I can punch it.”

The Serpent-masked figure let out an amused sigh. “This is a waste of time.” Their gaze returned to Noah. “We didn’t come here for small talk.”

Noah swallowed hard. “Who are you?”

The Serpent-masked figure placed a hand over their chest, mockingly polite. “We are the ones who should not exist.”

The words sent a chill down Noah’s spine.

The figure took another step. “And yet, here we are.”

The air twisted again. Noah barely noticed it at first, but the longer he focused, the more he felt it—like reality was being rewritten, subtle and precise.

Just like his own ability.

His fingers twitched. If he used his power, could he fight back? Could he stop whatever they were doing?

Before he could try, another explosion shook the academy.

BOOM!

The walls cracked. Flames erupted in the distance.

A blur of motion surged toward them. Vance.

His coat whipped around him as he landed between Noah and the masked intruders. His sharp eyes locked onto them. “You.”

The masked figures didn’t seem surprised.

The Wolf-masked figure laughed softly. “Well, if it isn’t Eastwood Academy’s prodigy. We were wondering when you’d show up.”

Vance’s aura flared, a cold, blue light shimmering around him. His expression remained unreadable, but Noah saw it—the slight tension in his stance.

Vance was always calm. Always in control.

But right now?

He was taking them seriously.

The Serpent-masked figure’s voice was smooth. “We have no quarrel with you, Vance.”

Vance’s response was immediate. “Leave. Now.”

The Raven-masked figure let out a quiet hum. “We could. But we won’t.”

Killian, regaining his footing, scoffed. “You guys talk too much.” He cracked his knuckles. “How about we skip to the part where I break your faces?”

The Serpent-masked figure sighed. “This is growing tedious.”

Then, the air shifted again.

Noah felt it in his bones—an invisible force rippling through the space around them. Something was about to happen.

But this time—

Noah reacted.

He pushed against whatever was being altered, instinctively rewriting reality to counteract the change.

The air stabilized.

The Serpent-masked figure froze.

Vance’s sharp gaze flicked to Noah. “You—”

The masked figures didn’t move, but Noah felt the change in their demeanor.

They were now… interested.

The Serpent-masked figure tilted their head slightly. “Ah… I see.”

A slow, deliberate chuckle escaped them. “So that’s how it is.”

Then, without another word—

The masked figures vanished.

Not through teleportation. Not through speed.

They simply ceased to be.

The pressure in the air lifted. The academy was still in ruins, but the suffocating wrongness was gone.

Vance let out a breath. His hands clenched at his sides.

Noah could still feel his pulse hammering in his ears. His skin prickled as if the world had just barely avoided something terrible.

Killian exhaled, rubbing his temple. “Okay. That was weird.”

Noah turned to Vance. “Who were they?”

Vance was silent for a moment before answering.

“They are something this world should not have.”

Noah’s fingers curled. “They knew about me.”

Vance’s gaze sharpened. “Yes. And that’s a problem.”

Silence stretched between them.

Then, Vance turned sharply. “We’re leaving. Now.”

“Where?” Killian asked.

Vance’s expression darkened.

“To get answers.”

The academy lay in ruins. Smoke still curled from the shattered walls, the remnants of fire lingering in the air. Emergency response teams were already working to stabilize the wreckage, but the damage had been done.

Noah, Killian, and Vance stood on the rooftop of a distant building, watching from above. They had left the scene the moment the masked figures vanished.

Vance's jaw was tight, his eyes fixed on the academy below. "They’re not just after you," he finally said. "They're after something much bigger."

Noah exhaled. "Then tell me the truth. Who were they?"

Vance was silent for a long moment.

Finally, he spoke. "They're called The Forgotten Order."

Killian frowned. "That name sounds like something out of a bad novel."

Vance didn’t acknowledge the joke. "They're not supposed to exist. Officially, they don’t. But they’ve been manipulating the world from the shadows for centuries." His gaze flickered to Noah. "And now, they’ve taken an interest in you."

Noah clenched his fists. "Because of my ability?"

Vance nodded. "They said something before they left—‘so that’s how it is.’ That means they recognized something about you. And that’s dangerous."

Killian leaned against the railing. "So what do we do? Wait around for them to show up again?"

Vance shook his head. "No. We make the first move."

Noah raised an eyebrow. "How?"

Vance turned, his expression set in stone. "By going to the one place they don’t want us to find—The Ruins of the First Awakening."

Killian blinked. "The what now?"

Vance crossed his arms. "The first recorded Awakening Ceremony in history didn’t take place in a controlled environment like our modern academies. It happened in the heart of an ancient city—a city that no longer exists on any map."

Noah’s pulse quickened. "Why was it erased?"

Vance met his gaze. "Because the people who awakened there... weren’t meant to exist either."

A heavy silence fell over them.

Killian let out a low whistle. "Well. That doesn’t sound ominous at all."

Noah’s mind raced. If The Forgotten Order was interested in him, and if the first awakenings were somehow connected to those who "shouldn’t exist," then—

Had he awakened something that wasn’t supposed to exist either?

Vance turned away. "We leave at dawn."

Noah inhaled deeply, forcing his nerves to settle. "Alright. Let’s find out what they’re hiding."

—

The Next Morning

They left the academy’s ruins behind, traveling under the cover of darkness. Vance led them through a network of hidden roads and old pathways, ones that didn’t appear on any digital map.

Hours passed.

Noah felt the change in the air before he even saw the ruins.

The closer they got, the heavier the world felt.

It was as if the very fabric of reality was bending around this place, resisting their presence.

Then—

The ruins emerged from the mist.

Massive stone pillars jutted from the ground, twisted and cracked as if they had been warped by something unnatural. The remnants of ancient buildings stood like broken teeth, half-swallowed by the land itself. Strange symbols glowed faintly along the remaining walls, pulsing with a rhythm that almost felt… alive.

Noah swallowed hard.

"This place is wrong," Killian muttered.

Vance stopped. "This is where it all began."

Noah stepped forward, his gaze sweeping the ruins. "And this is where we find the truth."

The ruins breathed.

The air shifted.

And then, the ground beneath them opened.