In a large room filled with luxurious furnishings, the windows were wide open, allowing the faint glow of the twin moons to spill in. Their pale light cast long shadows across the dormitory, illuminating the figure of a young woman with long, flowing red hair. She paced back and forth, her emerald-green eyes filled with unease, her fingers unconsciously fidgeting. Dressed in the official uniform of Aether Academy, she wore several brooches pinned to her chest—symbols of her high status as the student council president. Lilith moved restlessly, her gaze flickering toward the door every few seconds, as if expecting someone to walk in at any moment. But the night remained silent. Until— A shadow glided through the open window. It took the form of a young man, though it was in visible distress. The way it twisted and writhed set her nerves on edge. Seeing this, Lilith gritted her teeth. She did something highly unladylike—she leaped through the window. The ground was three stories below, but before she could touch it, a whirlpool of magical energy spiraled beneath her feet. Space twisted, swallowing her in an instant— And when she reappeared, she was already sprinting across the academy grounds. The shadow followed, gliding anxiously around her before attaching itself to her form. She didn’t hesitate. Taking a single step forward, space folded. The world around her blurred—her mana drained at an alarming rate, but she ignored it. She had no time to care. When the distortion settled, she was standing in front of the grand doors of the library. Without wasting a second, she teleported inside. The shadow at her feet detached, gesturing for her to follow. She ran. And then— She froze. Her breath hitched. There, lying in a pool of his own blood, was a young man with dark hair. His academy uniform was soaked in crimson, his body eerily still. Lilith’s face went pale. Her legs felt weak. A sickening twist wrenched at her heart. "No—" She dashed forward, falling to her knees beside him. "Damon… Damon, wake up!" She pressed her head against his chest, desperate to hear his pulse— Thump-thump. It was there—weak but steady. Her hands scrambled for a healing potion. She pulled a vial from her uniform with trembling fingers, but in her frantic state, she accidentally crushed it. The shimmering liquid spilled over his lips. Ignoring the blood soaking her uniform, she lifted his head onto her lap, watching with bated breath as his wounds began to close. Then— He gasped, his body jolting upright. Lilith let out a sigh of relief. And before she could stop herself— She hugged him. "Agh—ouch! That hurts! You’re crushing me!" She immediately pulled away, her face flushed with embarrassment. Then, her expression twisted into anger. "You… you fool! You ungrateful, crazy bastard!" Damon blinked at her in shock. He had never expected Lilith Astranova lose her composure like this. A grin tugged at his lips. "Heh… You should see your face right now." She stiffened. Her fingers twitched. Then, her eyes turned cold. "Didn’t I tell you not to leave my side?" she said icily. Damon stretched, feeling a lingering sting in his side and a dull ache in his head. His gaze shifted downward. "As we thought… they took my blood." Lilith bit her lip. Her emerald eyes narrowed. He was too calm. "Your plan worked," she admitted, her voice low. Then, her hands clenched into fists. "But that was too reckless." Lilith stared at the pool of blood, her expression unreadable. "I told you they would target you," she muttered. "And yet, you still insisted on letting it happen. I was more worried that you’d get yourself killed…" Damon smirked. "I didn’t," he said casually, though his pale face told a different story. "I guess that wasn’t Sylvia after all. I let my guard down." He glanced at the bloodstained floor before shaking his head. "But everything went well… It would’ve been better if they had taken me instead. That way, we could’ve used the magic artifact I swallowed to track my location." Lilith let out a long sigh, rubbing her temples. "You really don’t listen to me…" she murmured. "How did I even let you convince me that this was a feasible plan?" Damon smiled, but there was no humor in his dark eyes. "It worked," he said simply. "I acted as bait, and they took the bite." His fingers traced over the dried blood on his uniform, his voice calm despite the near-fatal encounter. "I drank the potion, so it should be in my blood now. The next time they attempt the summoning, they’ll be certain it’ll work. But instead of meeting their objective, the spirit will go on a small rampage." He leaned back against the chair, exhaling slowly. "And when the academy is forced to intervene, we’ll use the chaos to seize the soul fragment." His smirk widened despite his weakened state. "It’s a foolproof plan." Lilith pushed her red hair back, crossing her arms. "It’s a reckless plan," she corrected. "The potion might not even work—it’s experimental." Damon nodded, massaging his temples as he sat down. His head throbbed, and his limbs still felt sluggish. She observed him for a moment before speaking. Discover exclusive tales on freewebnovel "…Do you need another potion?" He shook his head. "No. It’s a waste of money." Another deep sigh escaped him. "Whoever it was… they knew about my shadow perception. They also knew exactly how to bypass it. They used light—or rather, an artifact—to banish all shadows, including mine." His voice dropped slightly. "That means they had knowledge of my abilities." Lilith frowned, bringing a hand to her chin. "Sylvia Moonveil isn’t strong enough to knock you out like that," she said. "We’ve already confirmed that it was a professor… Someone at the third-class advancement or higher." Damon’s smirk faded. A dark, killing intent flickered in his eyes. "If I find them…" His voice turned cold. "I’ll kill them." Lilith’s gaze met his, her expression unreadable once more. "You mean I will kill them." Damon chuckled. Right. He wasn’t even at first-class advancement yet. His opponent was likely far stronger. He was still weak. And that was exactly why he was taking such risks. But that was fine. Because he had a weapon—a powerful blade named Lilith Astranova. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂 And he was going to leverage her power to level up as much as possible. He stood up, stretching slightly. "I have your power at my disposal," he said with a knowing smirk. "So I’ll take full advantage of that." Lilith nodded, her emerald eyes glinting. "And I have yours."