Meanwhile, Arid strolled through the dimly lit hallway, his hands stuffed in his pockets. “Man, I’m so tired—” Before he could finish, a strong hand yanked him into a large janitor’s closet. The door slammed shut, and everything went dark.

  “Hello?!” Arid shouted, only to feel ropes tightening around his arms and legs. Suddenly, the flickering overhead light buzzed to life, illuminating the room. He saw Caius, Lumi, Sera, Anita, Renita, Lance, Clyde, Jake, Amara, Dontai, Lincoln, Cassius, and Bimoth—all tied up in chairs alongside him.

  “What’s happening?!” Lance barked, thrashing against his restraints.

  “I don’t know! Last thing I saw was some wolf dragging me in here!” Jake exclaimed, struggling against his ropes.

  “Wolf?” Renita repeated, her eyes narrowing.

  As if on cue, a figure stepped out of the shadows wearing a full wolf costume—Mel, still in disguise. The eerie glow of the flickering light cast long shadows across his face as he approached the group.

  “You?!” Clyde snarled, pulling against his restraints.

  “Quiet down!” Mel snapped, lightly slapping Clyde on the cheek, which only made him growl louder.

  “What do you want from us?!” Anita demanded, her voice shaking.

  Bimoth, however, sat unbothered, leaning casually in his chair. “What am I even doing here?” he muttered.

  “I just got back to school!” Lincoln yelled, his voice cracking as he fought to free himself. “Why am I tied up?!”

  Mel turned to him, sighing in frustration. “Quiet down!” he barked, giving Lincoln a light slap.

  Lincoln responded by kicking Mel in the shin.

  “OW!” Mel winced, hopping back and rubbing his leg.

  “Why are we here?!” Amara demanded, glaring up at Mel.

  Mel’s expression shifted into mock seriousness as he slowly walked over to her. “Because…” He leaned in close, his voice dropping ominously. “You’re all friends of Melanthius Shadowbane.” He straightened up, letting the words sink in.

  The group exchanged confused glances, except for Bimoth, who just sighed.

  “And…” Mel continued, dramatically pulling off his mask with a flourish. “Ta-da!” he cheered, grinning at them.

  The room erupted into chaos.

  “ZOMBIE!” the group screamed in unison, their voices overlapping.

  Before Mel could explain, Lance broke free of his restraints and threw a punch, but Mel quickly summoned a swirling cloud barrier to absorb the blow. “Whoa, WHOA! I’m not a zombie!” Mel yelled, stumbling back.

  “Prove it!” Arid yelled, attempting to kick Mel, who effortlessly blocked it with another swirling cloud barrier.

  “Arid,” Mel began, his voice firm. “I’m the one who sent you to the therapist I saved, remember?”

  Arid froze mid-struggle, his eyes narrowing as recognition flickered across his face.

  Turning to Amara, Mel reached into his pocket and revealed the delicate ice necklace she’d given him. “Amara,” he said softly, holding it out to her.

  Her breath caught as her hands instinctively went to her chest. “Mel?! Is it really you?” she gasped, her voice trembling.

  “Clyde, Lance!” Mel called out, shifting his focus to the pair. “Weapons #3—a bat with nails stuck inside. That’s from my personal inventory of dirty weapons. Sound familiar?”

  Both boys stopped struggling, their eyes widening in disbelief.

  “Lincoln,” Mel continued, his gaze locking on him. “I gave up my spot in the black cards for you and Dorian last school year. You know that.”

  Lincoln and Renita exchanged a stunned glance, their movements faltering.

  Finally, Mel turned to Anita, conjuring a vibrant flower from his webbing and holding it out to her. “Anita,” he said gently, “our best friend’s gift.”

  Anita’s eyes widened, and her heart dropped as she stared at the flower in awe. “It is you,” she whispered, tears welling up. “Only Mel would remember that.”

  The group slowly calmed down, the air thick with disbelief and emotion. Mel panted heavily, lowering his defenses as they stared at him.

  “It’s me,” he said, his voice steady but tired. “Don’t be alarmed—”

  Before he could finish, the group surged forward, crowding him and touching his shoulders, arms, and face as if to confirm he was real.

  “How are you back alive?!”

  “He’s really here!”

  “You’re actually alive?!”

  Mel stumbled slightly under the weight of their questions and excitement, overwhelmed but unable to stop a small, tired smile from forming. “Yeah, yeah, I’m back,” he said softly. “And I promise I’ll explain everything.”

  Moments later, Mel removed the entire costume, revealing himself fully to the group. They sat in stunned silence as he finished explaining.

  “Immortality?” Anita’s voice broke the stillness, trembling with disbelief. “You can’t die?” Her heart clenched as the weight of his words sank in. “Oh, Mel…” she whispered, stepping forward and wrapping her arms around him.

  Mel hesitated but then hugged her back, his voice steady but heavy with emotion. “It’s connected to my black lightning magic,” he said, glancing down at the gold-black plating that shimmered faintly on his arm.

  “I need all of you to promise me one thing,” he continued, his gaze sweeping across the group. “You can’t tell anyone about this. Not a soul.”

  The group exchanged uncertain looks but nodded in unison, understanding the gravity of his request.

  Dontai, sitting at the back, raised his hand hesitantly. “So… reliant immortality?” he asked, his brows furrowed. “Someone made you immortal?”

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  Mel turned to him, a flicker of something unreadable crossing his face. “Yes,” he replied simply, his tone carrying a weight that silenced any follow-up questions.

  "Tell them about me!" Shieka’s voice rang out, sharp and impatient.

  Mel groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I was getting to that!" he snapped back, his exasperation clear.

  The group exchanged puzzled glances, their confusion growing.

  Mel sighed heavily, rubbing the back of his neck. “Alright, here’s the deal. When I ate the leg of the Wild Storm Spider, it didn’t just give me her powers,” he explained. “Her soul got infused with mine after I killed her. Her name’s Shieka, and she’s…” He paused, glancing upward as if bracing himself. “...really sensitive and kind of mean,” he muttered under his breath.

  "Excuse me?!" Shieka’s indignant tone cut through the air, though only Mel could hear her.

  The group’s confusion only deepened as they looked around, clearly unable to see or hear anyone else.

  “Uh…” Anita frowned, tilting her head. “Who are you talking to?”

  Mel sighed again, waving his hand vaguely. “I know you can’t see her, but trust me—she’s there. And she’s really mean,” he said, his voice laced with both irritation and resignation.

  “I think being dead for so long has made him crazy,” Arid whispered, leaning toward Amara.

  Mel sighed, rubbing his temples. “I’m not crazy,” he muttered, exasperated.

  Before he could say more, Shieka materialized beside him, her spectral form glowing faintly as she leaned her head against his temple. The group watched as Mel twitched uncontrollably, his body jerking in sharp spasms before bending backward unnaturally.

  “Mel?!” Amara gasped, her voice trembling.

  Suddenly, Mel snapped upright, his movements unnervingly smooth, and his glowing purple eyes shifted to a piercing red. He glanced around the room with an air of arrogance and amusement.

  “Hello, children,” Shieka’s voice purred through Mel’s lips, her tone dripping with mischief. She turned her attention to Bimoth, giving him an appraising look. “And you... large man.”

  Bimoth raised an eyebrow and muttered, “I’m their age.”

  The group scrambled out of their chairs, panic rising.

  “What the hell is going on?!” Cassius shouted, his voice cracking.

  “What are you doing?” Shieka asked, cocking Mel’s head, her tone somewhere between amusement and annoyance.

  Dontai cleared his throat and raised a trembling hand. “Evil spirit, begone!” he declared dramatically, throwing a splash of water in her direction.

  Shieka wiped her arm, clearly unimpressed. “Evil spirit? Really? I’m a legendary monster, thank you very much. There’s a difference.” Her crimson eyes narrowed at him in mild disdain.

  Jake gulped, stepping forward hesitantly. “I’ve... I’ve seen you before. Back when you were alive. If you’re really inside of Mel, prove it.”

  Shieka raised an eyebrow, amused by the challenge. With a wave of her hand, the room darkened, and a sudden thunderstorm erupted, drenching everyone in a cold downpour. Just as quickly as it started, the storm vanished, leaving behind only a faint static charge in the air.

  Jake wiped his face, dripping with water. “Yep,” he coughed. “No doubt it’s her.”

  Ignoring the rest of the group, Shieka turned to a mirror on the wall and studied Mel’s reflection. “Not for nothing, Mel, but you have an incredible physique for a sixteen-year-old,” she mused aloud, lifting his shirt and flexing his abs.

  “Shieka!” Mel’s voice returned momentarily, panicked and embarrassed.

  Shieka grinned, unfazed. “What? I’m just stating facts,” she replied smugly, giving his abs an approving nod before letting the shirt drop back into place.

  “This is like some weird voodoo stuff,” Lumi muttered, her curiosity getting the better of her. She reached out tentatively to touch Shieka’s face.

  Before she could make contact, Shieka snapped playfully at her hand, making Lumi yelp and pull back.

  Shieka smirked and crossed her arms. “Oh, sorry about that,” she said, her tone dripping with faux innocence. She waved her hand, summoning a gentle breeze to dry the group off. The air grew warm, the dampness vanishing from their clothes.

  “Better?” she asked, earning a mix of wary nods and stunned silence.

  Shieka’s expression softened slightly as she glanced around the room. “Anyway, I can feel how much Mel cares about all of you. Everyone he considers a friend.”

  Dontai raised his hand with a deadpan expression. “Just so we’re clear, I’m not one of them. I’m friends with Caius, Sera, and Lumi. Mel kicked me. I’m definitely not his friend,” he said with exaggerated reassurance.

  Shieka tilted her head thoughtfully and nodded. “That checks out. The only memory I see of you is him kicking you... and the two of you sleep-fighting,” she added casually.

  “Oh, looks like Mel’s coming back,” Shieka remarked casually.

  Mel gasped for breath as he slowly regained consciousness. “Oh my gosh, that was awful!” He collapsed to the ground, coughing violently. “It felt like a million centipedes wriggling under my skin, taking control of everything!”

  Shieka rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. “Calm down, it wasn’t that bad,” she groaned, clearly unimpressed by his dramatic response.

  Mel shot her a half-dazed glare, still trying to catch his breath. “It’s like being mind controlled.”

  Mel took a deep breath, his gaze scanning the group. The weight of his thoughts seemed to settle in the room, thick and suffocating. Arid leaned forward in his chair, his expression both concerned and curious. "Mel, you’re alive. We’re all happy, but it feels like there’s something else on your mind.”

  Mel exhaled heavily, his shoulders sinking under an invisible burden. "The more I keep things from you, the more it feels like everything spirals out of control. I owe it to you all to be honest.” He paused, glancing at their expectant faces. “Goldman isn’t the only Renaissance King who’s still active. Former King Leonardo is out there somewhere. I don’t know her exact location, but I crossed paths with her assistant, Nomak, when I went to Ironclad.” His eyes shifted to Caius, Lumi, and Sera. “You were there—you saw what he’s capable of.”

  The mention of Nomak seemed to trigger something in Cassius. His mind flashed back to Fayhall. “Wait. When I was investigating that ring’s origin, Toby completely lost it when a name came up. He mentioned Nomak.”

  Mel turned sharply toward him, his interest piqued. “Did he have a wand?”

  Cassius nodded, recalling the image clearly. “Diamond-encrusted. It looked… expensive.”

  Mel groaned softly, rubbing his face in frustration. “That’s Nomak.”

  With a heavy sigh, Mel grabbed a chair and dragged it to the center of the group. Sitting down, he rested his elbows on his knees, his hands clasped tightly. His tone turned serious, a sharp contrast to his usual demeanor. “What I’m about to tell you isn’t just dangerous information—it’s life-changing. If you’re not ready to handle what this means, I need you to walk out right now. No judgment. No hard feelings. But once I say this, there’s no turning back.”

  The room fell silent as they exchanged uncertain glances. For a moment, it seemed like someone might leave. Dontai stood, but Caius grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back into his seat. Anita remained firmly in place, her loyalty unshaken. Lance and Clyde exchanged a nod, staying put alongside their brother. Bimoth leaned back, his unwavering allegiance to his king clear. Caius, Lumi, and Sera stayed out of familial duty, with Dontai reluctantly anchored by them. Renita’s gaze remained fixed on Mel, her reason for staying obvious to anyone paying attention. Lincoln crossed his arms, his pride driving his decision. Arid’s expression softened, staying out of friendship. Jake stayed for similar reasons, his bond with Mel too strong to ignore. Amara lingered, her loyalty steadfast, and Cassius, after a fleeting hesitation, chose to remain for her.

  No one left.

  Mel nodded slowly, the gravity of their silent decision settling over him. He took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling as if bracing for what he needed to say. His gaze swept over the group, pausing on a few faces. “Actually… I need Clyde, Lance, Anita, and Jake to leave.”

  The room stilled, the four exchanging puzzled looks. “What?” Lance stood abruptly, his tone laced with confusion.

  Jake stepped forward, his voice trembling. “I-if this is about not having magical techniques… you said magic doesn’t define you. You told us that.”

  Mel sat quietly in his chair, his hands clasped tightly, his eyes fixed on the floor. When he finally looked up, his expression was conflicted but resolute. “That was about school, about life outside of this.” He gestured vaguely, as though encompassing the battles and dangers they’d faced. “But this… this is different. I’ve faced these people—felt what it’s like to fight them. The three knights of Slesan. Former King Maren. The Jester. The Four Wardens. Leonardo and Nomak. Dorian. Ashley. King Liam. Goldman. These are not enemies you can face without being prepared to match their power.”

  He paused, letting the weight of his words settle over them. “If I truly believed magic didn’t matter in this fight, I wouldn’t have asked anyone to stand with me. I wouldn’t be asking this of you now. Please… just trust me on this. For your safety, I need you to leave.” His voice softened as he offered a faint, reassuring smile.

  The four hesitated, exchanging uncertain glances. The air grew heavy with unspoken protests and lingering doubt. But slowly, one by one, they nodded. Without another word, they turned and walked out of the room, the sound of their footsteps echoing softly in the silence left behind.