Shadow Being System

The next morning, after the usual breakfast in the cafeteria, William and his cohort made their way down the wide corridors to class, the air filled with lazy chatter and a few yawns from early risers. But as they approached the stairwell, a blaring alarm echoed through the academy, freezing everyone in place. The sharp, urgent tone was soon followed by an announcement over the speakers: "All students, report to the main hall immediately."

Glancing around, William noticed a flash of confusion among his friends, but deep down, he had a hunch. This sudden gathering—it had to be related to General Zhao's sudden departure. Without a word, the group shifted course and made their way towards the hall, joining the stream of students moving in the same direction.

The main hall loomed up ahead, its massive doors standing open to welcome thousands of students. As William stepped inside, he couldn't help but feel small; the hall seemed to stretch forever, every inch of it lined with sleek, polished walls and high ceilings adorned with hanging chandeliers. The air was thick with the low murmur of voices as students settled in, but soon, another set of doors opened, and from the opposite end, more students filed in.

William's eyes widened as he recognized them—the second years. They entered in disciplined rows, each student exuding an aura of strength and experience. Their expressions were hard, focused, as if they'd just come from a battlefield. A few first-years nearby began to whisper, and William overheard one of them say, "They look like they've been through war." Watching them, William found himself wondering: Would he be like that someday? Hardened, serious… a soldier, instead of a student?

Within minutes, the hall filled up, the crowd of students making the massive space feel cramped. As William looked around, he realized he hadn't seen any third-year students. Frowning, he leaned towards Gavin. "Where are the third-years? Aren't they supposed to be here too?"

Gavin shrugged casually. "Nah, they don't spend much time on campus anymore. Most of them are out on field assignments—real missions. By now, they're almost like full soldiers."

The thought sent a chill down William's spine. Field assignments meant real battles, real dangers. He tried to imagine himself, a third-year out there, fighting against Heretics and Beasts or worse. But the thought was interrupted by a sudden silence, broken only by the shuffling of boots as two imposing soldiers entered from the front, followed by a thin, scrawny man with a twisted mustache that seemed to curl up at the ends like some cartoon villain. William recognized him as Principal Argus, the head of Military Academy 4.

Principal Argus stepped to the center of the stage, his bony hand adjusting a spell-tech microphone that looked barely big enough to fit his long, spidery fingers. He glanced over the crowd with a calculating gaze, clearing his throat before speaking. His voice, amplified by the spell-tech, boomed through the hall, making every student sit up straight.

"I have gathered you here because of an urgent matter," he said, his tone smooth but laced with something sinister. "Last night, Military Base 5 was compromised by the Heretics."Nôv(el)B\\jnn

A collective gasp swept through the room, whispers rippling like waves. William felt a jolt of alarm, his fists clenching at his sides. So that's why General Zhao left, he thought, his mind racing. If the General himself had to go, the scale of the attack must have been massive. That means… students could be injured… or worse.

For a moment, faces from those from his school that are in Military Academy 5 flashed through his mind: friends, familiar faces he'd trained with, girls who giggled when they thought he wasn't looking. His chest tightened, anger boiling up within him. "Damn those Heretics".

On the stage, Principal Argus continued, his gaze sweeping over the crowd as if savoring their shock. "While the Heretics have retreated, the location of Military Base 5 has been compromised," he said. "The students stationed there can no longer stay, and the military has decided to relocate them to the other military academies temporarily."

The hall erupted in murmurs again. William caught snippets of confusion and worry from the students around him. Someone whispered nearby. "Where are they going to put another whole academy?"

"Silence!" Principal Argus barked, raising a skeletal finger. The hall fell quiet again. "I expect you to welcome these students and treat them as your own. They have fought to defend their post and deserve our respect."

With a curt nod, he saluted the students—an abrupt, almost theatrical motion—and then turned sharply, striding off the stage with his guards trailing behind him.

As the principal's ominous presence faded, the hall seemed to exhale collectively, whispers picking up once more as students exchanged reactions. William turned to Gavin, whose face was set in a hard line. "So… this is really happening. They're actually relocating a whole military base's worth of students here."

"Looks like it," Gavin replied, shrugging. "Guess we better get ready to make some new friends."

"Or enemies," William muttered under his breath, his eyes narrowing. He knew that the arrival of these students would shake up the academy—and in a place as competitive as this, tension was bound to rise. Still, there was something in him that was already set on going against anyone who mess with him or his friends.

__________________________

Later that day, the B10 reconvened in a dimly lit, secure room within the heart of the main military command center. The air felt heavy, tense with suspicion and urgency. Around a circular, polished metal table, the members took their seats, each donning expressions ranging from deep concern to barely concealed frustration.

A booming voice, belonging to the largest of the B10, broke the silence. "It doesn't sit right with me," he grumbled, his gaze sweeping across his fellow members. "The Heretics pulling back before we even got close? It's like they knew we were coming."

One of the women in the B10, her face partially shadowed, nodded, tapping her fingers restlessly on the table. "I agree. And more than that," she added, her voice low but firm, "how did they even know where Military Base 5 was located? That base is highly classified, and only the highest ranks would have access to that intel."

The members shifted in their seats, casting wary glances at one another. It was General Ivor, the head general, who broke the silence. He leaned forward, his fingers interlaced, brow furrowed in thought. "We're facing two alarming possibilities here," he began. "Either the Heretics have somehow gained access to our top-level intelligence systems—or there's a traitor in our ranks."

The room went cold, a collective realization dawning. The possibility of a spy in the military's upper ranks sent a ripple of unease through each member. For the B10, a group trusted to handle the highest levels of military strategy, the idea that one of their own might be leaking information was a direct assault on everything they stood for.

A tense silence stretched out, and then another member, a sharp-eyed woman with a piercing gaze, spoke up. "This wouldn't be the first time our intel has been compromised," she said slowly. "In fact, there have been other incidents in recent months—small, perhaps, but strange. Unexplained lapses, minor leaks. We brushed them off at the time, but…" She trailed off, her expression grim.

The head general, Ivor, glanced around the table, his eyes narrowing. "So, we're all in agreement, then?" he asked, his voice low, barely containing a smoldering fury. "There's a spy among the higher ranks."

The members nodded, their faces set with the weight of the decision they were about to make.

"What's our next move, then?" another B10 member, an older man with a salt-and-pepper beard, asked, leaning back in his chair. "We can't go accusing people left and right. Whoever this spy is, they're deeply embedded, and if they sense we're onto them, they'll disappear like a ghost."

Ivor's jaw tightened. "We need to keep this circle small," he replied. "Only those of us here know about this suspicion. We can't afford for anyone else to get a hint of our concerns—not until we've confirmed the traitor's identity."

The room was silent once more as the weight of the situation settled over them. They had always been a united front, bound by their loyalty to the cause. But now, with a possible traitor in their ranks, everything had shifted. Each glance carried a sliver of suspicion, each small gesture studied with newfound wariness.

General Ivor finally rose, breaking the somber stillness. "We have our orders, then. Until we root out this spy, no one outside of this room is to know about our suspicions. Keep close watch on your subordinates, monitor all intel, and trust no one—not even those you think are loyal."

The other members stood, exchanging grave nods before leaving the room one by one, each of them retreating with new burdens—and newfound doubts.

As the heavy doors closed behind them, the trust that had once held the B10 together was left in shadows.

Author's Note: Pls skip the next two chapters, continue reading from chapter 81