Suri waited until Kana was asleep.

  Only then did she cast [Doppelganger], shaping the illusion to mimic her sleeping form perfectly—rising breath, subtle twitches, a half-curled arm over the blanket. Convincing enough that even Kana’s heightened awareness wouldn’t catch it.

  She stepped quietly out into the hallway. The moonlight barely reached this part of the dorms, which made it easier. She cast a second illusion—a dome of shadow and blur that bent light to make her vanish into the scenery. It wasn’t perfect, especially during the day, but at night it was near seamless. A trick that had taken her months to master.

  She had a job to finish.

  Leaving the thieves alive had been a risk. One they couldn’t afford. Someone would talk eventually. Someone would ask questions. And eventually, someone would figure it out. Assassins didn’t strike by chance. She couldn’t let that happen. Not again.

  Suri pulled more mana from her core, shaping a third illusion—this one a wheeled cart, floating just off the ground. She stepped onto it, wrapping her body in a thin layer of spell-thread to hold her weight. The technique was inefficient, draining, and reckless. But it was fast.

  Faster was what she needed.

  The wind hit her face as she flew over the rooftops in silence, the cart barely whispering across air currents. Her mind, however, was far louder.

  She’d seen things. When she mapped the city through her illusion rats, she saw more than streets and alleys. She saw cruelty. Evil. People—nobles, merchants, soldiers, criminals, common people—doing things that haunted her still. A list had formed in her mind over time. The vault guards? They were on it. Criminals. Traffickers. Killers in nicer clothes. And tonight, the list would get shorter.

  She found them where they’d fallen. Still groaning, some twitching in pain. One was snoring—oblivious. The sleep poison Kana had used was still working. A few of them stirred at the subtle shift of air as she arrived, but they didn’t react. They were too broken to notice the slight fluctuation in her illusion.

  She stepped forward.

  A dagger in hand. Kana’s gift. A just in case kind of thing. This was the case.

  She crouched beside the nearest man. Her breath was steady. Her heart.. It did not matter.

  She whispered, “This could’ve been different.”

  Then, in one smooth motion, she dragged the blade across his throat.

  Blood sprayed. The body spasmed. The others jolted awake—just in time to see her drop the illusion.

  Let them see. Let them know.

  They tried to shout, intimated her. One reached for a weapon. Another crawled, desperate to escape. But they were slow. They were broken. They were guilty.

  And she was faster and stronger.

  It was over in moments. It was like Kana had told them. Their level was higher than most of the people.

  Suri stood in silence, her blade slick with red. Her cloak billowed in the wind. She said nothing. Didn’t weep. Didn’t cheer.

  This was necessary.

  The world would be at least a little peaceful now. A little better. And safer for her friends.

  …..

  A few days had passed, but the tension hadn’t eased.

  The trio remained on edge—not just because of the recent raid on the thief merchant vault, but because of the shadow man. He hadn’t reappeared, but his absence felt more dangerous than his presence.

  Still, no one was more alert than Suri.

  The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  When night came, she doubled her illusions. Phantom rats patrolled alleys. Shadows danced where none should. She’d mapped out half the district, tracking movements, and strategic vantage across rooftops. There was another result— someone from the thieves’ organization had begun looking into them—an investigator, perhaps, someone with a skill tailored to hunt them—the one who raided the organization’s merchant vault.

  Suri could handle thugs. Wounded ones, especially. But if it came to a direct confrontation with someone with their best condition? She wasn’t confident.

  Still, she wouldn’t tell Kana or Boris. Not yet. Not until she was absolutely certain they’d uncovered the truth and found their identity. Because if she did tell it to her friends… they might also discover what she’d done to those men.

  “Suri,” Rin said gently, tapping her shoulder, “next class is starting.”

  A sleepy moan was her only answer. Suri had earned a new nickname: the Sleeping Princess. She napped through lectures, group discussions, even lunch—and still managed to radiate an effortless elegance. Even with her head buried in her arms, she was a mystery the other students admired from afar.

  It wasn’t just exhaustion. The [Blue Eye Staff] helped with her mana reserves, but constant surveillance took its toll especially at night.

  Kana watched her with concern. She had a stack of books open on her desk—not on magic, but on land acquisition in the capital. Loopholes, and affordable districts marked with paper tabs.

  “You sure you’re going to be alright?” Kana asked.

  Suri snapped upright like a bolt springing loose. “Not stopping until we find him.”

  Rin was curious before who Suri was trying to find but all she got was a Shadow Friend. as an answer.

  The memory of the shadow man still burned in her mind. Who had hired him? Why them? Was Boris the true target? Was it a personal revenge? Maybe, their ancestors did something wrong with the man?

  She needed answers.

  Kana’s eyes shifted toward the classroom door. “That girl again.”

  There—peeking through the crack—was a student. As soon as their eyes met, the girl darted off.

  “She’s been watching us for days,” Kana muttered. “Do either of you know her?”

  Suri blinked and followed Kana’s gaze but didn’t say anything.

  Kana said, “But she looks familiar.”

  “Oh, her?” Rin chimed in, “She’s kind of a big deal. The only commoner student sponsored by the Academy who got into the Gold Class this year. No noble backing. Pure skill and talent.”

  That gave the room a brief pause.

  Then Boris stretched in his seat and yawned—loudly. “She’s not here to see you,” he said, flexing a bicep beneath his copper band. “Probably wants to see me. I’m getting pretty popular lately.”

  Kana, Suri, and Rin all grunted in unison and stood.

  They walked out of the room together, ignoring him completely.

  Behind them, Boris slumped in his seat. “Did I say something wrong?”

  Adam and Toby exchanged a look of pure pity. Then, without a word, they stood and walked away—leaving Boris alone with nothing but silence.

  ………

  It was the first busy day of the week when Leo and the trio crossed paths on their way to their respective classes.

  They paused in the corridor, exchanging casual greetings. Boris bumped fists with Leo—something that didn’t go unnoticed. A few of Leo’s well-dressed friends frowned behind his back, their eyes narrowing as if to silently ask, Why was he talking to them? Commoner? Copper class? Really? But none of them spoke. Each of them witnessed what the trio did to Valdis. No one wanted to be the next victim.

  Leo’s eyes landed on the stack of books Kana was carrying—each one thicker than the last, their titles all about property law and land ownership.

  “Are you… planning to buy land or something?” he asked with a grin, half-joking.

  “I am,” Kana replied.

  Leo studied her reaction. “Wait—seriously?”

  Kana gave a single nod.

  Suri leaned in with a smirk. “Yes, yes. Our dear Kana will soon be a landowner. How much property does one need to become a noble? Should we start calling her Lady Kana?”

  Kana didn’t respond, but the faintest hint of a twitch tugged at her mouth.

  “It’s a good investment,” Leo said, recovering. “Actually… I know someone who can help you with that. Reliable, trustworthy. Helped my father and my mother a few times.”

  Kana stepped closer, suddenly more intense. “Really? Where can I meet this person?”

  Leo took a half-step back, visibly flustered. “U-uhm… I can invite him to our house this weekend. If… if you’re free—”

  “We are free!” Suri cut in, eyes gleaming with sudden enthusiasm. “We’re going.”

  Kana and Boris gave her a slow, synchronized squint. They both knew that look. Suri’s stomach had a hidden agenda.

  They went with it anyway.