cheolsoo • The Society of The Shadow / Eng ver.

2. Dilemma

It had been getting dark throughout the entire dorm. All of the students remained in their rooms, and most of them had already fallen asleep. Joshua, as the watcher on duty, along with the other team members, kept an eye on the hallway.

A group of students arrived at 1 a.m. to take their shift. While others exchanged goodnight wishes and departed, Joshua turned his head and walked in a different direction. No one noticed, which was both fortunate and convenient for him.

Joshua walked step by step, bringing out his wand and casting charms along the wall to his left. As his fingers brushed the bricks, they softened, almost like cotton. He placed his foot against the wall and, after ensuring no one was nearby, stepped into it. He quickly vanished, and the wall returned to its normal state, undisturbed.

A massive new hallway appeared before him. Snow fell from above, yet there was no roof in sight—only dense, thundering smoke. Dust coated everything. The world seemed to have only black and white hues. His footsteps echoed down the dark passage as the temperature dropped sharply. At the far end, there were two doors, identical in color, material, and design. Hanging above them were signs reading "left" and "right." Without a moment's hesitation, Joshua moved toward the left.

The door led him into a room that resembled a library in some ways.

Joshua noticed a group of students seated near the fireplace. They were eerily quiet before he arrived. Minghao was the first to notice him and immediately stood to greet him. When their eyes met, Joshua could see the hint of desperation in Minghao's gaze.

As president of the secret society, Joshua had learned to read the expressions of those around him, understanding their unspoken emotions before they said a word. The advantage of this skill now was that, not only Minghao, but everyone in the room seemed downcast.

"This isn't good," he thought. Still, Joshua kept his tone even and asked, "Did something happen while I was on my shift?"

Jeonghan stepped forward, hands stuffed into his jeans pockets, speaking for everyone.

"Soo Ah has just left."

"Really? What exactly did she say?" Nothing positive. Joshua could already tell.

Jeonghan let out a sigh. "She's leaving. Dropping out of school to move to another realm with her family."

Joshua almost thought it was a joke. He wished it were, but judging by the looks on everyone's faces, he could see it wasn't. He realized he was the only one shocked. Everyone else had already come to terms with it—he was late for Soo Ah's farewell.

"Where can they go? I mean, there isn't much room for them in the world, especially for a foreign bloodline. Only Soo Ah in her family can use magic."

"We tried to convince her, but she was certain," Jihoon added.

Joshua sighed and looked around the room, noticing that some people were missing from the meeting. Jeonghan addressed him immediately, knowing what he was thinking.

"They said they wanted to quit."

Joshua felt a pang of discomfort. The thought of people abandoning everything to flee and hide troubled him deeply. What troubled him more was how the secret society seemed to be falling apart, its members abandoning ship out of fear of The Duke. Every week, they used to gather in this hidden room to practice magic and discuss new spells. Their bond had been unbreakable, or so he thought. Now, he had to face reality: it wasn't as solid as he had imagined.

"Did they tell you why I'm not the first to know? I mean, I keep my position as your president, right?"

"This is a sensitive time. They're all confused and anxious."