Legend of the juwels (Sonic Monster AU/ Knuxadow AU) [English]

Chapter 5: Apparition from his dreams

Knuckles entered the communal showers of the boarding school, letting the warm water cascade over his body. The soothing effect of the water helped him release the tension from the intense training and the emotional conversation with Tikal. As he lathered up and organized his thoughts, the conversation with Tikal continued to replay in his mind. The warm water droplets pelted his skin as he contemplated their next steps. Finitevus had mentioned that there might be information about everyone's abilities in the school records, providing his only lead. The red echidna was aware that he would likely be expelled if caught searching through the papers, but the desire for justice and the truth about their lost family drove him.Without much hesitation, he decided to search for the files that night when everyone at the school was asleep. After a few more seconds in the shower, he stepped out, began drying himself, and put on clean clothes – opting for a white top and black shorts. Slowly, he walked down the hallway towards his room when he heard voices coming from the opposite direction he was heading, specifically behind him. Though curious, he knew eavesdropping was not proper, or at least that's what he believed until he heard one of them mention the word 'Shadow.'
Once again, that name. Knuckles felt like it was a curse to constantly hear that name. However, his curiosity grew, gnawing at him like a constant companion. He couldn't resist the temptation to give in and learn more about this mysterious conversation. The fascination with the name 'Shadow' in the context of this mysterious hedgehog was too strong. Slowly and cautiously, he crept back, getting closer to the owners of the voices, making sure not to be noticed. His ears were perked to catch every word. The conversation of the two unknown individuals became clearer as he approached them unnoticed."
And are you sure he'll show up tonight?" one of the voices whispered.
Knuckles' heart began to beat faster.
Who was this Shadow, and why did his name seem to come up in secret conversations?
His curiosity was now driven by an insatiable desire for knowledge. He listened further, determined to find out more, even though he knew it wasn't the right way to obtain information. But the pull of the unknown was just too strong, and he couldn't resist unveiling the secrets surrounding 'Shadow.'
"I'm sure. It's going to be a full moon tonight. Most creatures will be active around that time. If I guess correctly... then Shadow is a siren..."
The red guardian hesitated.
A siren?He had read about mermaid-like creatures in pirate books. Sirens were supposed to be able to seduce anyone they wanted with their voices. Usually, they lured their entranced victims underwater, drowned them, and consumed them in the end. His eyes widened.
Could that be the reason why Shadow had tried to intimidate Knuckles with his intrusive and dominant behavior? Was he actually a siren?
"You're an idiot," the first voice growled a bit annoyed. "You seriously think Shadow is a siren?! Sirens care a lot about their appearance and love wearing jewelry. If you had looked closer, you would see that this edgelord has never worn any jewelry!"
'Pure speculation.' thought Knuckles with a loud sigh. Unfortunately, it was a bit too loud, and the voices had heard it.
"Who's there?!"
Knuckles didn't think twice. With nimble, quick steps, he ran towards his room and closed the door behind him.
"Damn it! We lost him!"
Breathing heavily and trembling a bit, the echidna sighed in relief.
Thank chaos! Sonic wasn't in their room yet.
"Fuck it! Whoever had the nerve to eavesdrop probably won't mind if we uncover Shadow's identity tonight!"
"You mean if he's a creature that comes out in full moon nights, like Sonic."
Still breathless, Knuckles listened at his room door as the voices of the unknown individuals in the hallway fell silent. His heart pounded wildly, and he tried to calm his breathing."
What kind of school did Tikal and I end up in...!?" he asked himself and moved toward his bed. Lying down, he took deep breaths.Searching for the records tonight was out of the question, as these strangers would surely be roaming the building. After a brief thought, he postponed his plan to Saturday night.

The night enveloped Shadow in a veil of darkness as he wearily made his way towards his room. Each step seemed to get heavier, as if an invisible burden weighed on his shoulders. The full moon in the sky cast its silver light across the corridor of the boarding school, allowing Shadows' figure to move slowly forward. As he walked through the shadowy halls, he felt an inexplicable restlessness spreading within him. A strange feeling of oppression surrounded him, as if something unspoken lingered in the air. Shadow tried to dismiss the thoughts and focus on his path.Finally standing in front of his room, he uttered the incantation "Maria Robotnik" to unlock the door, and a feeling of exhaustion washed over him. He wondered if it was the efforts of the day or something else causing his fatigue. With a sigh, he opened the door and entered the room.
Inside, silence prevailed, only the muted light of the moon filtering through the window. Tails slept curled up in his bed, snoring softly. Quietly, Shadow closed the door behind him and sank onto his bed. His thoughts circled around the events of the day and the task Madame Amunet had given him. It gave him a headache... an endless headache. He held his throbbing head. His body felt heavy and tired.Why, though?Was it the full moon night? Or perhaps something else-A sharp pain shot through Shadow's head to his stomach. The pain was so intense that he could barely move. His gaze fell on his backpack, placed on his chair.
"I... I must..." he hissed to himself softly, trying to reach the bag with his waning powers, but his magic faded.The air was heavy with tension, and the pressure in the environment seemed to increase. The hedgehog struggled against the diminishing magic, his fingers trembling as he desperately tried to reach the bag. Darkness surrounded him like an impenetrable veil, and the whispered tone of his words revealed the weakness that overcame him. They were seductive, insidious, trying to lure him deeper into the darkness, where the ebony hedgehog was certain he couldn't return.
A cold shiver ran down his spine as he felt his powers waning. The bag seemed unreachable, and the magic that had supported him so far faded. In the silence of the moment, he could hear the faint beating of his own heart, accompanied by an uncertain sense of threat. The surroundings seemed to change, and the shadows deepened. With one last desperate attempt, he reached out his hand, but the magic slipped through his fingers like fine sand.Shadow gasped quietly, growling. "No...!" He gathered all his strength and stood up. Shaky on his trembling legs, he leaned against the wall and approached his backpack step by step.
Occasionally, he glanced at his roommate's bed to make sure he was still sound asleep. After what felt like an eternity, he reached his goal, delved into the bag, and pulled out a small vial. The small glass container held a liquid. He didn't hesitate for another second, opened the vial, and drank its contents. He had to pull himself together not to drop the glass immediately.
Shadow could almost feel his pupils shrinking and his vision getting darker.
"Damn it..." he cursed, still holding his head. The pain that had tormented him lessened somewhat, but something else grew.
With every passing second, it became darker around him, the only thing he saw was the light of the moon. That was exactly where he wanted to go. Hissing and growling, he moved to the window, opened it shakily, and jumped out into the shimmering light of the night.