Chapter 10: Shadows in Uniform

[Scene - Royal Magic Academy – First Day, Morning]
The morning sun over Valerion was not merely a source of light; it was a testament to the False Peace that held the Ironwood Kingdom in a glittering, fragile embrace.
Sunlight bathed the sprawling grounds of the Royal Magic Academy, reflecting off the polished white stone and azure accents of the buildings—an architectural style designed to evoke a sense of purity and divine favor.
Students in crisp black uniforms moved like ink drops across a pristine canvas, their voices a low hum of excitement and youthful arrogance.
Near the towering iron gates, Kuro Velgrith stood motionless. His silver hair caught the light, shimmering with a brilliance that he found annoying—a biological marker of his new life that he couldn't yet fully suppress.
Beside him, Rei scanned the gathering crowd with her sharp purple eyes, her posture that of a gentle childhood friend, though her instincts remained those of a predator born in the Abyss.
At the entrance, two massive banners swayed in the morning breeze. 
The one for Class A was gold-trimmed, declaring: Excelling in Power and Prestige. 
The other, for Class B, was simpler: Potential Awaits. 
To the common eye, it was a tiered educational system. To Kuro, it was a crude psychological filter, a way for the First Hero’s establishment to separate the useful tools from the waste.
"Class B for us, right, Kuro-sama?" Rei asked, her voice a soft murmur that barely carried over the wind. She wore a half-smile, one that masked the tactical calculations she was making as she profiled every noble student walking past. 
"Was this arranged?"
Kuro glanced at her, his deep purple eyes devoid of the warmth one would expect from a boy his age. 
"Class A is arrogant. Noisy. They are predictable pieces on a board that haven't realized they’re being played," he replied, his voice a cold, measured cadence.
"Better to go unnoticed in the shadows of Class B until the right time. In a world built on deceptions, mediocrity is the most effective camouflage".
While Rei went ahead to finalize their dormitory arrangements, Kuro moved quietly through the main corridor. He walked with a slight slouch, his mana suppressed to the point of appearing pathetically weak—a Soul Veil that made him seem transparent to the scanning eyes of the elite.
However, his mind was anything but average. He was already mapping the structural weaknesses of the building, the positions of the guard posts, and the social hierarchy of the hallways.
His progress was abruptly halted. Three boys from Class A, their uniforms adorned with gilded family crests, blocked his path.
Zarkin, a tall boy with fiery orange hair that seemed to crackle with his internal fire magic, sneered as Kuro approached. 
Beside him stood Merron, a slim youth with a shifty gaze who specialized in shadow-signature magic, and Delin, a brutish earth-magic user with knuckles like stones.
"Well, look what we have here," Zarkin drawled, his voice loud enough to draw the attention of the surrounding students. 
"A Class B rat scurrying in our hall. You’re lost, aren't you, little commoner?"
Kuro blinked, his expression one of mild, empty confusion. 
"I'm just going to my class," he said softly, his tone carefully calibrated to sound non-threatening.
Zarkin stepped forward, invading Kuro’s personal space. 
"You bumped into my foot earlier. You didn't apologize."
Kuro tilted his head slightly, his Dark Psychology profiling the boy in seconds. 
Zarkin wasn't seeking justice; he was seeking an outlet for the pressure of his own high-status expectations.
"I don't think so," Kuro said, his voice trailing off as if he were losing his nerve.
"Are you calling me a liar?" Zarkin’s hand ignited with a small, controlled flame.
Bam!
Before Kuro could respond, Merron shoved him into a corner with a burst of shadow-kinetic force. Kuro allowed the momentum to carry him, falling to the ground with a dull thud. He remained there, his silver hair falling over his eyes to hide the absolute impassivity within them.
Delin cracked his heavy knuckles. 
"Time to warm up before class. Maybe a little discipline will help you remember your place."
Kuro looked up, his eyes wide in a practiced display of fear. 
"Oh… I'm sorry…" he whispered, his voice trembling perfectly. "Please… don't hurt me..."
Inside his mind, however, he was counting. 
Three targets. One fire, one shadow, one earth. I could sever their nervous systems with a thread of Abyss energy before their hearts beat again, he thought. 
But for now, I need to see who else is watching.
"Enough!"
A powerful gust of wind, sharp and commanding, tore through the corridor, forcing the three bullies to shield their faces.
Princess Alisa stood several steps away, her emerald eyes flashing with a royal fury that matched the swirling golden light in her hands.
Her blonde hair was pinned back in an intricate royal updo, and her presence alone seemed to command the air in the room.The three boys froze instantly. The fire in Zarkin’s hand died out as he realized who had intervened.
"Daring to disgrace your family names in front of a member of the royal family?" Alisa’s voice rang out, cold and sharp as a blade. 
"Bullying a new student on the very first day? Is this the prestige Class A prides itself on?"
"Your Highness," Zarkin stammered, his bravado replaced by terror. "He's from Class B. He shouldn't even be in this wing—"
Boom!
A streak of radiant light shot across the hallway, striking the wall inches from Zarkin’s head. The floor tiles cracked from the intensity. 
The three boys didn't wait for a second warning; they scrambled away, their footsteps echoing in a frantic retreat.
Kuro sat up slowly, brushing dust from his uniform. Alisa stepped toward him, her emerald eyes softening as she reached out a gloved hand.
"Princess... you saved me?" Kuro said, his voice small, as he accepted her hand.
Alisa smiled, a sincere and warm expression that stood in stark contrast to the cold calculation Kuro was used to.
"Yes. I am Alisa Ironwood, Student Council President and daughter of the Eastern King. And you are...?"
Kuro hesitated for a heartbeat, his mind processing the utility of a royal alliance. 
"Kuro... Kuro Velgrith."
Alisa blinked, her demeanor shifting for a moment. Her gaze searched his face, lingering on his silver hair and deep purple eyes. 
"Kuro...?" she murmured, her brow furrowing. "That name... those eyes... they feel strangely familiar."
She dismissed the thought with a shake of her head and helped him to his feet. 
"Come, let me show you around, Kuro-kun. Since you're a new transfer student, you shouldn't have to wander these halls alone."
As they walked, Alisa spoke with an earnestness that Kuro found both useful and boring. 
She took him to the Elemental Magic Spire, where the air hummed with the resonance of the four elements.
She showed him the Physical Combat Training Field, where armored knights trained under the watchful eyes of veteran instructors, and the Ancient Incantation Library, a place filled with the Propaganda that passed for the world's history.
"This place will be your second home, Kuro-kun," she said brightly as they reached the Dormitory Gardens. 
"The classes are tough, but with your potential, you'll improve quickly."
Kuro nodded, his internal chessboard now fully mapped with the academy's layout. 
"So this is how the kingdom molds its soldiers," he thought, his gaze lingering on the defensive runes etched into the garden walls. 
"Interesting."
---
From a high ledge overlooking the gardens, Rei watched them, her back against a glowing tree. Her fists were clenched, and her purple eyes narrowed at the sight of the Princess’s hand lingering on Kuro’s arm.
"Why is he with her...?" Rei whispered, her heart feeling a sharp, unfamiliar pang. She recognized Alisa’s smile—the same one the girl had worn years ago when Shujin had saved her from the carriage ambush.
"That smile... it's already so familiar."
She bit her lip, forcing her breath to steady. 
"No. I'm his follower. I am the one who knows his shadows. I am part of the plan. No one can get closer to Kuro-sama than me".
---
That night, in the quiet of Kuro’s dorm room, the moonlight painted silver streaks across the floor. Rei sat by the window, her arms crossed, her eyes fixed on Kuro as he silently flipped through an incantation book.
"Did you enjoy the tour with the Princess, Kuro-sama?" she asked, her voice laced with a subtle tease that masked her earlier jealousy.
Kuro raised an eyebrow without looking up. 
"She is useful. Her status provides a shield for my activities, and her trust allows us access to the inner workings of the royal family".
Rei hopped off the windowsill and stepped closer. 
"So I'm the Master's follower, and what is she now? A new piece on the board?"
Kuro closed the book and stood up. He stepped into her personal space, the air around him growing cold and heavy as he gently placed a hand on her shoulder. His voice dropped to a whisper, a tone he reserved only for her.
"You are the one who knows my shadow, Rei. You are the one who has seen the cracked pieces of my heart".
He glanced toward the window, toward the royal palace in the distance. "She... she only sees the light."
Rei’s face instantly brightened, the pink returning to her cheeks as she leaned into his touch. 
"Then I suppose I can share him... for now."
---
High above the stars, in a realm of infinite light, the Goddess Elmyria sat before a scrying pool. She watched the ink-black thread of Kuro's soul as it intertwined with the golden thread of Alisa Ironwood.
"Not ready yet…" the Goddess whispered, her voice like a chorus of bells. 
"He is still too divergent from the path I have written... the shadow is growing faster than the light".
---
Meanwhile, on the dark streets of Valerion, two cloaked figures blended in with the merchants and nobles. Their eyes, hidden beneath deep hoods, were fixed on the academy gates.
"Not even a trace of the shadow brat…" one of them growled, his voice a demonic rasp. "He is hiding amongst them, masked by the smell of human mediocrity".
They didn't notice the boy with silver hair passing by the gates, his presence as unremarkable as a shadow in the night.
---
✦ To be continued...