Morgan looked embarrassed. “It’s just that I keep believing rumors and end up humiliating myself because of it.”
“I think believing people isn’t a bad thing on its own.” Almark patted Morgan on the shoulder and steered the conversation back on track. “So, you saw the shadow between the schoolhouse and the dorm?”
“No, it was near the entrance to the woods.”
“The woods…”
Almark felt an ominous chill and frowned. The sound of the flute he’d heard the other night was still lingering in his mind.
“That’s a little concerning.” Almark then brought his face closer to Morgan and whispered, “What did that shadow look like?”
“I think it was a little bigger than me. Some bushes were shaking, and then I saw a large, dark shadow there. It really startled me.”
“Right.”
“So I was too scared to look any closer. I, um…” Morgan cast down his eyes. “Maybe I was just imagining things.”
“Morgan, you wouldn’t have imagined the bushes shaking. There must have been something there, and you saw it.”
Morgan looked up at Almark.
“I don’t think you were imagining things,” Almark told him again.
“I wasn’t imagining things…,” Morgan repeated. He looked perplexed. “You said that before, Almark. What makes you think that?”
“So earlier, you said you saw a shadow between the dorm and the schoolhouse for a split second.”
“Yeah.”
“And you saw it move from the corner of your eye, right?”
“That’s right.”
“How big was it?”
“I think that one was a little bigger than me, too.”
Almark smiled. “See? That’s what I mean.”
“Huh?” Morgan looked confused. “I don’t follow.”
“Normally, when you see something from the corner of your eye, you don’t really notice how big it is. You’ve got keen eyes, Morgan.”
Morgan blinked a few times. “That’s the first time someone’s ever said a thing like that about me.”
“Did you see anything else?”
“Not after that…,” Morgan began, but then he trailed off like he remembered something. “I saw…claws.”
“Claws?” Almark stared at Morgan, who hummed, trying to remember.
“The shadow I saw this time had long claws. I don’t think the first one I saw back then did, though.”
“I see… So the two shadows might be different, and you saw them in different places, too.”
“Yeah, I… Maybe. I think.” Morgan cocked his head, looking uncertain.
“Thanks for telling me, Morgan.” Almark smiled. “I’ll mention it to the teachers so that they can tell everyone to be careful.”
“No, no, don’t make a big deal out of it.” Morgan waved a hand. “You just lending me an ear is enough.”
“All right.”
“You really are strange, you know?” He looked at Almark with wonder. “Thanks for listening.”
Morgan returned to his seat, and Wendy showed up and elbowed Almark.
“Ooh, did Morgan come to you for advice?”
“It wasn’t anything serious” was Almark’s vague reply. “I think he’s just not confident enough in himself.”
“Huh?” Wendy blinked in confusion but eventually decided against pursuing the matter any further. “Yeah, you’re right. He’s a really nice boy.” Settling into her seat, she smiled at Morgan’s round back. “Maybe a little too nice, and that keeps him from stepping forward.”
“I can see that,” said Almark. “Listening to you makes everything make sense. Thanks.”
“Don’t exaggerate.” She shook her head. “You’re a fast learner, so I don’t think there’s a lot I can teach you, actually.”
Almark smiled at her. “You’re the one exaggerating here, Wendy.”
It was dusk, just as the early summer sun was beginning to dip into the sea in the horizon. Almark finished his supplementary lessons and left the magic training area. He was surprised to find that despite Illmis spending a great deal of time with him, there was still some afterglow in the western sky.
Despite this, with the canopy of the treetops obscuring the sun, the road back to the dorm was dark. Every day, Almark attended his classes and supplementary lessons before returning to his room to practice meditation and prepare for class—even if it meant cutting into his sleeping time. This routine was difficult for Almark, in a way that differed from the hardships of battle and travel. Bit by bit, the fatigue of grinding routine wore Almark down.
I’ve got plenty of work to do when I get back to my room…, Almark thought as he walked down the path with nothing to light the way.
Suddenly, he spotted a small ball of light approaching him from the direction of the dorms. It must have been a lantern, but it was being carried a bit too high to be in the hands of a student. Squinting through the darkness, Almark recognized a familiar face.
“Oh!” he called out. “Zeid!”
“Is that you, Almark?” Zeid approached him, only recognizing Almark in the dark once he heard his voice. His tone brightened instantly. “I haven’t seen you since you started classes. You been doing well?”
“I have.” Almark smiled. “Thank you for all your help back then.”
“Oh, not at all.” Zeid smiled back. “I’m glad you’re fitting in.”
Zeid stopped in his tracks, and Almark noted he was still in his guard uniform.
“Nighttime patrol?”
“Yeah, I’m on duty tonight. I need to go inspect the entrance to the woods.”
“All the way there?” Almark asked, surprised. “That must be rough.”
“Oh, it’s not too bad. Especially with the weather being nice recently,” Zeid said gently as he turned his lamp in the direction of the forest. “But recently there’s been some suspicious activity in the woods, so Professor Fia asked us to be extra vigilant about it.”
“Oh…” Almark nodded.