Kael was tired.
Not in the usual "I need a nap" kind of way—though, let's be honest, that was always true—but more in the "everyone's staring at me again" kind of way. Everywhere he walked, students whispered like he was some ancient warlord who reincarnated into a tired seventeen-year-old.
He blamed the duel. And the trial. And the pressure test. And his accidental transformation of a wall into custard during breakfast.
One time. One mistake. Still not over it.
And now, somehow, people were calling him things like "Silent Monarch" and "The Shadow of the Academy."
So Kael had a new idea.
"I should do some villain stuff."
Lyra, seated across from him in the library, nearly dropped her book.
"W-what?!"
"Just a little," Kael shrugged, casually turning a page. "Glare more. Talk less. Maybe say something ominous like 'you wouldn't understand my path.' Should scare people off."
Lyra's lips quivered. "Th-that's… you're n-not a villain."
Kael nodded solemnly. "Exactly. That's why it'll work."
---
Operation: Be Slightly Evil
Kael started with small steps.
Step one: Wear a dark cloak. Simple, efficient. It even had a hood. Perfect for dramatic shadowing.
Step two: Stand on rooftops and look over the city with narrowed eyes.
This… went badly. Because Kael hated heights.
Step three: Walk silently through the halls at night, occasionally saying cryptic things.
At one point, he passed a group of second-year students near the greenhouse. He paused, looked over his shoulder, and whispered:
"Beware the moonless bloom. It bites."
He then walked away.
They screamed.
Kael frowned. "I just meant the plant behind them was dangerous…"
---
Elira Noticed
Elira watched him from the distance again.
Kael was standing perfectly still in the courtyard, back turned, cloak fluttering in the breeze. Students gave him a wide berth, whispering about his mysterious aura.
She approached.
"You're doing that on purpose."
Kael didn't move. "Doing what?"
"The whole shadow-lord-routine. You're leaning on a sword. You don't even carry a sword."
Kael glanced at the broomstick he borrowed from the janitor. "It's a prop."
Elira folded her arms. "Are you trying to look like a villain?"
"…No."
She raised an eyebrow.
"…Maybe a little."
Elira actually chuckled. "You're terrible at it."
Kael blinked. "What?"
"You don't have the eyes. Villains have burning ambition. You just look like you need sleep."
"That's the goal," Kael muttered.
---
A Real Villain Shows Up (Of Course)
During a regular class near the eastern sparring field, a rogue intruder breached the barrier—an expelled student from two years ago who'd gone missing.
He called himself "Shadefang."
Wore way too much eyeliner.
"Your weak academy has grown soft!" he shouted, conjuring a massive obsidian wolf from a black crystal core. "Tremble before—"
The wolf exploded.
Everyone blinked.
Kael was standing behind the guy, still chewing on a bread roll.
"Too loud," Kael muttered, brushing crumbs off his cloak.
Shadefang fainted.
Instructor Rehlan said nothing.
The students started applauding.
Kael looked mildly annoyed. "That wasn't villainous. That was just breakfast."
---
Meanwhile…
Lucien Drevarn had updated his chalkboard.
It now read:
> Kael Drayke – Possibly Evil. Definitely Pretending Not to Be Evil. Overthrows Villains Without Trying. Controls Shadows (and snack time).
"I must uncover his true plan," Lucien whispered dramatically. "Before he seduces the school with naps and quiet competence."
---
Later That Night
Kael stared at his ceiling.
"Why is being scary so hard?"
Lyra's voice came from her side of the dorm wall. "B-because you're not scary. Y-you're… warm. Like a blanket."
Kael sighed. "I'm going to get a pet crow. Evil people have crows."
There was a pause.
"…Name it Pillow?"
Kael smiled faintly.
"…Yeah. That works."
---
End of Chapter 24