Chapter 111: Trust Fall
Eirin stared at the rough, firm stone wall of their hiding place, a silent testament to the academy’s ancient origins. Time stretched, each second a slow tick, as she sat in the empty silent area, doing nothing but waiting. The distant sounds of the frantic Manhunt game were barely audible, reduced to a faint, irrelevant hum.
"Until when are we going to stay here?" she finally asked, her voice a soft murmur in the stillness, boredom creeping into her tone.
Shade, rested his heads on his arms, propped behind him, his posture, relaxed, almost listless. "Until the bell starts ringing. It’ll start soon, don’t worry. Trix is probably killing them all out there." A faint, almost imperceptible smirk played on his lips, a hint of dark amusement.
Eirin’s eyes widened, a genuine alarm in their depths. "W-What? Is he allowed to do that? Kill them?" The naivety in her face and voice, the earnestness of her question, made Shade’s forehead crease, a faint line appearing between his brows. He looked at her as if she were a creature from another world, unacquainted with the brutal realities of their own.
Shade flicked Eirin’s forehead with his finger, a sharp, quick tap. Eirin let out a small groan of pain, her hand flaying to her forehead, rubbing the sting. She glared at Shade, disbelief coloring her eyes. "Why did you do that? What was that for?"
"You’re too gullible," Shade retorted, a hint of exasperation in his voice. "Are you that stupid? Of course he’s not killing them. It’s a game, Luxfield."
Eirin rolled her eyes, a familiar exasperation rising within her. "You could have just told me you were joking! Why did you—"
Before she could finish her protest, a deafening crack shattered the silence. The wall, old and thick, suddenly disintegrated into a shower of dust and stone, crumbling inward with a violent crash.
Shade reacted instantly, a blur of motion. He lunged forward, using his body to shield Eirin, pulling her close and covering her from the torrent of debris that rained down on them. The impact shook the very foundations of the room, and the sudden influx of light and noise was jarring.
"We found Shade Cromwell!" A triumphant shout pierced the air.