25 Shadows in the gym (1/2)

Xin Fan silently crept out of bed. He slowly crawled out of the window making sure he did not even make a sound. He was afraid that Chilong would be woken up by him so he didn't bother getting changed into something warmer. The night was clear and Xin Fan could feel the cool air against his skin. Xin Fan was on his toes as he did not want to be caught by anyone.

To get the gym, he needed to go through the first building. The first building was already creepy as it is and with the added effect of being night time, that feeling was elevated to another level. With every step Xin Fan had to stop just in case he was being followed. He simply had a hunch. The footsteps would more often than not, echo beneath the floorboards.

As Xin Fan reached the end of the corridor, he saw a dim light. This was then followed by sets of footsteps slowly getting louder as the figure slowly approached. Just like that, he dashed in a nearby classroom and hid under the closest table. He closed the door as quietly as possible so he wouldn't get noticed. From the crack underneath the door, he could see the shadows of feet created from a dim candle. The figure stopped and another figure approached the first.

”Big Sis Wang I saw nobody.”

”Haa...I must be getting old. I swore I saw someone out there.”

”Big Sis is still young. Didn't you say you are forever 18.”

”Hahaha...You are right. Lu Xi go off back to the dorm and patrol. Make sure you get proper rest. Why does this stupid rule be at our expense?”

Xin Fan did not even breath during this exchange. He did not dare to. He felt as if even a single breath would instantly give his position away. He had no doubt that they would notice. After all, they are at least in the refinement realm. Their senses are probably honed to the maximum from training. Most of the staff in the academy after all, are ex soldiers who either retired or simply gave up the battlefields. Even the youngest would have had at least 3 years in service.

Xin Fan now could not hear sounds anymore. This was indication that he could proceed forwards. Xin Fan slowly climbed down the stairs and walked up to the gym entrance. He was quite nervous. Xin Fan slowly opened the door bit by bit. From simply a small gap, Xin Fan was blasted with a strong stench . It seemed like a mix between rotting wood and flowers. Xin Fan could not take it anymore and completely opened the door to let the air out.

*Bounce*

Xin Fan was greeted with the sound of balls bouncing. Due to the poor lighting, he could barely see anything. Ever so often, he would see small changes in the shadows. Xin Fan gathered Qi to his index finger and shot forwards. A small flicker of flame passed through the air creating a small ball of light. For a split second, Xin Fan could see some faint figures. They were featureless figures. Constructed completely out of shadows, they only seemed like a blob of black. It was strange. While they did not seem transparent, Xin Fan could see features that were behind them. It was as if they were one with their surroundings. As abruptly as they appeared, they disappeared. The sounds of bouncing were gone leaving Xin Fan all alone. Alone in a dark gymnasium. Where did the shadows go? Xin Fan simply did not know. He waited for at least 2 hours for something to change. However even then, nothing came and he was forced to go back to the dorm.

The trip back was considerably easier. There were no staff patrolling and he was free to move as he liked. It was well past midnight and there was only a couple of hours left until the first sun rises. Xin Fan had felt strangely calm. He already had a small idea on the secret behind the shadows. He simply needed to test something out before giving a definite answer to the puzzle. The door to the dorm was locked so he needed to get in the same way he got out, through the window. Xin Fan took a small step back and jumped up. The window to his room was on the second floor. Xin Fan materialized blades along his wrists and slid them in between the gaps in the wooden planks in the wall. Ever since he broke through to the third stage, he was able to materialize two blades instead of one. he did not want to leave any evidence and awkwardly used his blades as hooks to climb up. As Xin Fan climbed to the top, he could hear a voice.

”Who's there.”

A hand extended out from the window and Xin Fan frantically grabbed onto it and climbed back into his room. He could hear the sounds of footsteps from the outside.

”Is it a cat?”