Magister Insanity

Waking up, I rubbed my eyes and pushed myself upright from the bed, stretching my limbs to shake off the lingering stiffness.

Then the memories of yesterday came rushing back.

I had killed someone. His name was Zephyr.

Well… not directly. I hadn't struck the final blow myself. Instead, I had used the Echo [Jingle Bell] — a seemingly harmless Christmas trinket with a disturbingly sinister chime — to draw the attention of nearby Scavengers.

The creatures were gaunt, wolf-like abominations, stretched unnaturally tall. Their skeletal frames were draped in patches of rotting flesh and coarse, blackened fur. Ribcages jutted outward, glowing faintly with a sickly green fire that flickered like dying embers. Their elongated jaws were lined with jagged, uneven teeth, dripping with black ichor. Where eyes should have been, only hollow sockets stared outward, veined with a heavy crimson hunger.

Their tails weren't furred but long, whip-like cords of sinew, tipped with barbed bone. They lashed with those grotesque appendages as easily as they tore with claws, their limbs stretched longer than a wolf's, forcing them into a spider-like gait when they ran.

Scavengers.

Ghouls of the Waking rank.

You can already imagine how much damage a Sleepless could do when surrounded by such horrors.

Not much.

Zephyr fought fiercely, managing to bring down one or maybe two, which I grudgingly considered impressive.

As an augmentor, he couldn't fling blades of air or whirlwinds like some grand mage. No — all he could do was wrap his body in the flow of wind, sharpening his movements, lending speed and force to every strike.

But he used it well.

When the first Scavenger lunged, its ribcage flared with that green fire. Zephyr twisted, wind lashing around his arm as he drove his fist like a hammer into the exposed ribs. The enhanced blow shattered brittle bone, and the sudden disruption caused the ghostly flame within to sputter and die. The beast collapsed in on itself with a guttural shriek.

The second came from behind, whip-tail hissing through the air. Zephyr ducked just in time, wind trailing his motions like a blur. With both hands gripping his blade, he launched upward in a clean, brutal arc. The gust at his back drove the strike deeper, cleaving through the beast's elongated jaw and snapping its skull apart. Black ichor sprayed, and the creature crumpled lifelessly.

It was an impressive performance. At first, I was surprised how he was able to slay a waking ghoul so easily then remembered that he was an Imperial. Though from a Lesser Clan, the wind manipulator was still an Imperial.

But against overwhelming numbers, it was ultimately meaningless.

He was ultimately dragged down, ripped apart mercilessly, and devoured. His organs were swallowed while he screamed.

At some point, the poor boy began crying for his mother. A pitiful sight, really. I almost leapt down to create a distraction, to give him even the smallest chance to escape. But in the end, I swallowed the impulse and stayed put.

What sense was there in killing someone only to save them afterward?

Even if he survived, he would have gone straight back to the academy and reported everything, dragging nothing but trouble onto me.

So I remained on that tree and simply watched it all play out, wordlessly like a coward.

After a while, one of the Scavengers decided to deliver the finishing blow. It was quick but certainly not a painless experience. The beast clamped its rotting jaws around Zephyr's neck. Its jagged teeth sank deep, with black ichor searing into the wound as a sickening crunch echoed through the clearing. With a violent twist, the beast snapped his neck cleanly, silencing his cries in an instant.

Following that, the boy's body went completely limp, his lifeless eyes still wide with terror and his mouth frozen half-open as though begging for a breath that would never come. The Scavenger gave a low, guttural growl of satisfaction before tearing away and dragging the carcass into the swarm.

The others followed like starving hounds: clawing, biting, feasting with reckless hunger. Flesh was stripped from bone, sinew torn and devoured, his remains vanishing into the frenzy. What once was Zephyr was reduced to scraps in less than a minute.

Every detail was seared into my memory. My eyes had captured the carnage, and my mind replayed it endlessly through the night. Rest had been shallow, fractured. At the very least, I learned one thing: killers don't rest easily.

I don't know about the others. But for me, sleep will never come without shadows.

Wait… wasn't I reborn from the shadows? The so-called Shadowborne. So why do they still haunt me?!

"Ugh. Somehow, I can already tell this is going to be a long day."

Maybe I'd also inherited the ability to sense misfortune, because the knot in my gut was far too strong to ignore. Still, what else could I do but endure?

With a yawn, I glanced around lazy and immediately noticed the absence of my shadow.

Don't tell me...

To confirm my suspicion, I activated [Shared Vision], and instantly a flood of indecent images filled my sight.

"That damn shadow!"

Flustered, I snapped my hands over my eyes, but the lewd visions lingered all the same. My jaw clenched as heat rushed to my face.

That perverted shadow had slipped into the female dormitory. Worse yet, into their bathroom!

Currently, it was hiding in the far corner of the steamy room, skulking along the tiled walls like some voyeuristic ghoul. The perfect view.

I caught glimpses through its eyes: bare shoulders, the sound of water dripping, soft laughter echoing in the mist. Everything was exposed leaving no room for the imagination.

My whole body went rigid.

"Cut it out! Get back here right now!" I hissed under my breath, as though the shadow could actually hear reason.

But the damn thing only crept closer, fascinated, like a moth to forbidden fire.

My temples throbbed. If it got caught… if even one of those girls noticed something off in the corner, then rumors would spread, investigations would follow, and before long my name would come up. Shadowborne or not, no amount of excuses would save me from that kind of scandal.

'Wait a minute…'

On closer inspection, the shadow had extended a dark limb, reaching toward one of the girls' bare thighs.

Grinding my teeth, I poured more willpower into the link, trying to forcefully pull the shadow back into me. It resisted, stretching itself thin like tar being peeled away.

"Stop struggling, you cursed little parasite!" I snarled, sweat forming on my brow.

Some time passed.

... In the end, the shadow lost our little tug-of-war and returned. But it made sure to show its displeasure by glaring at me in silent resentment.

† †

Upon entering the cafeteria, I ordered something light and found a seat. Strictly speaking, eating wasn't necessary anymore. As long as the shadow was fed, I never felt hunger or needed food to survive anymore.

...At least, organic food.

Still, it would look suspicious if I suddenly stopped showing up here. And besides, what else was there to do after survival class?

I enjoyed eating, too. Who didn't? No one came to mind. Even vegetarians liked food — They just preferred theirs without meat, though some were rather strange about it and caused trouble for others unnecessarily.

Even as I ate, my ears stayed alert, hoping to catch whispers of rumors or anything about Zephyr. Most of it was meaningless gossip.

Did none of them really know? Maybe I was just being paranoid.

Then something grabbed my attention. It was a name.

Zephyr.

My eyes flicked, careful not to draw attention.

A group of young guys sat together. Lancer's lackeys. Their voices were hushed, just beyond earshot.

"I can't hear them…"

Unease coiled tighter in my chest. I killed Zephyr. What if they knew?

No. Impossible. He'd been alone. The others were scattered around the academy, unaware.

Or were they?

The shadow, which had been idly shifting nearby, suddenly waved.

I was startled at first then my eyes narrowed in suspicion. What does this pervert want now?

The shadow seemed to be gesturing towards the lackeys and I understood what it was trying to say.

"You want to listen in?"

The shade of darkness nodded, quivering with eagerness.

I hesitated, chewing my nail. It was definitely risky. The cafeteria was crowded, and too many here had odd Legacies. Someone might notice.

Even so…

"Fine. Just don't get caught."

I needed to know.

The shadow saluted before slithering beneath the desks, melting into the morning light's natural darkness. My heart raced as I tried to keep calm, the air becoming thick with chatter.

'Please don't get caught. Please…'

Finally, the shadow returned, curling at my side. I leaned closer.

"Well? Do they know he's dead?"

It shook its head.

Relief loosened my chest. "So what are they saying?"

The shadow gestured, and I instinctively understood.

"They noticed he didn't return last night, and he's missing this today too…"

Another gesture.

"They tried calling his communicator, but there was no response. So they reported his absence to the academy officials… just in case."

My chest tightened again.

"Tch. How thoughtful of them," I muttered with bitterness. Narrowing my eyes, I added, "Let me guess, Xyler was the one suggested reporting to the instructors, right?"

The shadow nodded.

"Figured as much. Of the lot, he's the sharpest. Maybe he noticed something's amiss. How clever."

Xyler climbed higher on my list of potential problems. Should I silence him next, just to be safe?

No. That was too soon. Two students dead in quick succession would invite certainly scrutiny. Right now, I needed to exercise patience.

Everything was fine.

Gradually, the cafeteria fell silent. I wondered why everyone had suddenly stopped talking, but the thought didn't hold long. I kept eating, stress chewing to calm my nerves.

Tap. Tap.

Footsteps echoed, drawing closer. It seemed as though someone was coming this way.

Curious, I lifted my head, fork frozen mid-air, and saw the reason for the silence.

A young man stood before me with his golden hair and matching eyes gleaming, his presence radiating a knightly aura. He looked like the very sun illuminating the cafeteria.

"May I sit here?"

Gundric's voice was polite, but it didn't feel like a question.