Zeke stood before the two bound prisoners. For a moment, he didn't speak, just stared off into the treeline. His silence stretched a little too long, making the nearby students shift uncomfortably, the earlier tension thinning out. Then he turned his back to the prisoners.
One of them assumed that Zeke didn't have it in him to kill him so he let out a breath, a sharp exhale of relief.
Whack.
Darius who was injured by one of them still clutching a cloth to his neck, smacked the prisoner on the back head. "Who said you could relax? Stay still."
The students nearby snickered, but the atmosphere was still without sound, tense, strained. Even the trees seemed to lean in, waiting for Zeke to end the awkward silence.
Zeke's gaze swept the forest like a blade back and forth. He wasn't just looking, he was trying to sense. The trees trembled slightly, responding to his gaze. The students seemed to realise something was wrong and followed Zeke's line of sight, They all turned their eyes toward the shadows, the trees, their unease growing and spreading. It was as if something was watching.
In the forest, the executioners who were hiding all shivered whenever Zeke's eyes crossed over them.
"No… I think he knows we're here," one whispered. His voice was muted, barely audible ontop of the breeze.
"Let's wait for the order. Don't move unless the captain says."
Another shadow leaned forward. "Look at the way he's commanding them, this shit is cool as fuck. These aren't students. They're a goddamn military unit."
Everyone got brought out of their thoughts as Zeke's voice thundered out rolling across the plain.
"Weapons ready. everyone get the hell up, keep your eyes on the shadows. Stay far away treeline."
The students moved instantly, all standing up facing towards the forest, as if Zeke's words had flipped a switch, they no longer joked around. In the span of moments, a defensive circle had formed, fluid and tight. Movement rustled like wind through leaves as blades and staves were drawn, bows notched, spells prepped.
Zeke turned his head slowly, eyes burning with intensity as he looked towards the treeline, as if he could see something the rest couldn't.
"Mages."
A row of students clad in mage cloaks stood a little taller responding to Zeke's call.
"If anything moves, burn it. Even if it's just the shadow of a leaf. Even if it's just the wind moving through the branches. Do you understand me?"
The mages froze under his gaze. His voice wasn't loud but it carried power. Power that settled into the bones, this was an order.
Zeke returned his attention back to the prisoners in front of him.
"How many of you are there?"
The silence among the students got heavier.
They all tensed. Not because of the question but because they understood what it implied.
There were more than just these two.
There were enemies already here. Watching.
And they hadn't even noticed.
That realization sent a cold shiver through them as they looked towards the tree's with renewed vigor.
Zeke raised his blade and pressed it towards one of the executioners, its surface catching a flicker of firelight from nearby torches making it look as if it was glowing.
"If you're not going to reply… then you have no use."
He stepped forward, hand tightened around the hilt of the blade.
One of the prisoners fell to the ground shaking, then a look of realisation flashed across his head.
"T-Tala!"
"huh" Zeke froze.
Kaito's voice cut in like a growl as he left his position in the defensive formation, turning towards the prisoners.
"What did you say?!"
He stormed over, eyes wide with fury, the blade strapped to the stump of his hand became visible as he got closer. The prisoners backed away instinctively as the beastlike man rushed towards them, the prisoners racked their brains trying to think of something to say.
"She was with us, but she left! She said something about the academy and disappeared! Sh-she's your sister, right?! And you"
He looked at Zeke hoping for a little protection.
"You're her boyfriend or something, right?!"
Zeke's face darkened "What the fuck are you talking about?"
Kaito was already a few meters away stomping towards them, drawing his blade.
"Shut the hell up! There's no way she'd be with trash like him. Don't say her name with your mouth."
His magic surged, blade glowing.
Zeke's hand shot out, catching Kaito by the arm.
"Kaito. Step back. They might know something, and also, Its not like I even wanted to date your sister, why did you call me trash."
Seeing that Kaito ignored his words he tightened his grip.
"Kaito," Zeke said again, his tone sharp. "If you keep this up, I will punch you. For real this time."
Kaito faltered, his eyes flashing as he recalled the last time he tried to fight Zeke.
"Tch… whatever, just give me a year or two I'll beat your ass."
He stepped back, arms folded, but his eyes never left the prisoners.
Zeke nodded once before turning back to the prisoner, he stepped right up to the one who just spoke and-
Slap.
A crisp sound rang out.
The forest hushed.
The prisoner whimpered slightly, unaware of the reason he was being abused. Zeke's voice came out quieter, tinged with disbelief, and irritation.
"Who the hell said she was my girlfriend?"
There was a pause.
Then chuckles broke out from nearby students. Even some of the professors watching above smiled.
But the mirth didn't last. Zeke's face was still hard as stone. His bloodied palm from earlier was still faintly red where the knife had touched him.
He looked at the two people before him, his yes colder than before.
"You're going to tell me where she went. Who sent you. How many more are in these woods. Or…"
His blade dipped forward again pressing against their skin.
The prisoners squirmed.
...
Above, high in the arcane veil where professors watched from a floating vantage point, the silence was thick.
Professor Lira frowned. "This isn't a just a group of students anymore, it's a militia."
Her remark earned a few disapproving nods from nearby professors but no one voiced out their agreement as the headmaster still hasn't spoken out yet.
Silence fell as they continued to watch, even the professors who were monitoring other students shifted their attention over waiting for a good fight.
...
Back on the ground, as the tension hung over the group like a storm about to break, seeing that these two prisoners weren't going to reply Zeke took one final breath.
He looked at the tree line.
Then, in a voice that rolled like thunder, echoing through the trunks and into the darkened edges of the forest, he spoke.
"Come out now… or we'll burn you out, you have ten seconds."
The forest shuddered.
Leaves rustled.
The flames of the campfires flickered.
And in the forest… the shadows started moving.