The moonlight was strong as Keneric walked beneath it. His steps made almost no sound, like a predator roaming his territory, but his focus was completely occupied by his hands.
With just a thought, he could now turn his fingers into large, razor-sharp mandibles that resembled animal claws from a distance. Swinging them around made a noise as they cut through the air.
Keneric could still vividly remember how after waking up, the fire axe had merged into him that day he changed, and now these claw-like appendages had become the new weapons he could summon. But dwelling on it wasn't necessary now. What mattered was getting back to the stronghold to check on the girls and find out what was happening.
He had promised them he would return by night, but after finding the small club room and being attacked soon after, it already seemed like midnight—not that he had a watch to confirm it. If he had to guess, there were still some hours left before midnight finally descended.
Keneric's thoughts were interrupted as the arts building came into view, his improved eyesight helping him navigate the darkness. He increased his speed, becoming a shadow traveling with great speed to hide from any patrolling guards.
Finally reaching the back wall, he ran straight up it. When his momentum faltered, he grabbed the ledges of the first and second floors for an extra boost before his dominant hand caught Rune's windowsill. His second hand followed, and using little force, he pulled himself up, careful not to alert anyone if they weren't alone in the room.
Joy was already near the window, awake later than her usual sleeping time as if waiting for Keneric's return. She instantly gestured toward Rune, who was sitting on her makeshift bed, to close the door. When Keneric finally hopped inside, he felt a strange atmosphere between the two girls.
"What happened?" he asked instantly, his tone serious.
Joy was the first to sigh. "Melissa happened."
Keneric immediately thought of the previous night. Had Melissa seen him walking around the professor's room? Had she discovered something? Or had she been awake when he tried to leave the dean's office?
As if reading his thoughts, Joy quickly explained, "No, it's not what you think. When you left in the morning, we first found Melissa at the end of the corridor, and she forcefully searched us."
She glanced at Rune in the corner before looking back at Keneric. "It was a body search. They later searched all other students from the third to first floor."
Keneric raised an eyebrow. "Searched? For what?"
Rune spoke next. "Nobody knows the reason, but that wasn't the end of it. There are new orders from the professor for everyone to be searched at regular intervals. And by regular intervals, I mean at breakfast, lunch, and dinner—or you'll get no food."
Keneric pondered the professor's actions and the reasons behind them. The guy wasn't usually unreasonable. "Maybe something got stolen?" he suggested, just to extend the conversation.
Joy quickly disagreed. "But why would they search only our bodies and not our rooms?"
Rune also nodded, and Keneric realized this was new information that made him more concerned about what was happening and why they needed to be so secretive.
"Don't worry about it," Keneric finally said before adding, "It's well past dinner time, so you both were already searched. I'll sneak up to the fourth floor again tonight and try to find the reason—"
Before he could finish, Joy panicked. "No, you can't! Security is on high alert, and they're making rounds every ten minutes. What if you get caught?"
Keneric nodded at Joy but didn't agree with her. "I won't. Don't worry about it." He walked slowly toward a corner and sat down. "You guys should sleep," he added, picking up one of the books from the floor.
Still anxious, Joy got up from her bed and dragged it right beside Keneric's spot. Keneric looked at her strangely for a moment before pretending to read the book, though in truth, he was making a plan for tonight.
Joy, not content with the quiet atmosphere, asked, "So what did you find outside? And can I come next time? I don't like being here, and today felt too scary when the group of guards suddenly grabbed us."
Keneric nodded. "We can if you want, but it's dangerous out there—more dangerous than whatever Melissa and her gang can pose."
"Ken... why does it feel like you're hiding something?"
Keneric sighed. "Fine. I found a good place for a second base and dealt with a few spiders nearby, so we can go there if this place becomes unsafe."
Joy instantly moved a little away from Keneric, but Rune asked the pertinent question: "Spiders? How big?" It seemed she didn't like spiders.
Keneric didn't know how she had survived this long in Australia, but to distract them from the forced search situation, he told them everything about the fight...
Well, everything except that he got hurt. It was better to hide that part and avoid unnecessary panic. Nobody wanted that.