Intergalactic Academy (Book 2: 2ND Year)

Episode 10: "Regroup"

Raven’s POV

The hidden chamber beneath the academy buzzed with activity as we split into our assigned groups. Everyone was determined, but the unease lingered like a shadow over our heads. The memory of the Shadow Walkers’ attack and the sheer impossibility of their infiltration hung over me like a storm cloud. We didn’t just have to figure out what happened—we had to stop it from happening again.

Reese, Cherry, and I stayed back in the chamber, poring over the holographic map of the academy. Every line of defense, every security measure—it all seemed flawless, at least on the surface. But perfection doesn’t exist, and we were here to find the flaw.

Cherry tapped her finger against her chin, her sharp gaze fixed on the map. “What if the breach wasn’t physical at all? Could they have hacked the security system remotely? Used some kind of advanced tech to bypass everything?”

I shook my head, though the theory wasn’t entirely out of the question. “If it were just a tech hack, the system would’ve logged it. There’s no trace of interference in the logs. This was something else. Something… smarter.”

Reese, pacing nearby, suddenly stopped. “What if it’s someone on the inside? Someone who knows the system, who knows how to make sure no alarms go off.” His voice was low but steady, carrying a weight that made the words hit harder.

I froze. The idea had been floating in the back of my mind since the attack, but hearing it said out loud made it all the more real. An inside job. Someone we trusted could be working with the Shadow Walkers.

Cherry frowned. “That’s a hell of an accusation, Reese. Do you really think someone here—someone at this academy—would betray us like that?”

Reese shrugged, his face unreadable. “I don’t know. But if we want to stop the next attack, we can’t rule anything out.”

I exchanged a glance with Cherry, and I could tell she felt the same sinking dread I did. The thought of a traitor among us was terrifying, but Reese was right. We couldn’t ignore the possibility.

“Alright,” I said, taking a deep breath. “Let’s look for patterns. If someone’s working with the Shadow Walkers, there has to be a trail, no matter how small. Communication logs, movements around the academy—anything that seems off.”

Cherry nodded, already pulling up additional data on the holographic map. Reese stayed silent, his eyes scanning the room as if he could sense the traitor hiding in the shadows.

Adrian’s POV

Adrianna, Taylor, and I arrived at my dad’s workshop a few hours later. The place was exactly how I remembered it—organized chaos. Holographic blueprints hovered in the air, half-built security drones lined the walls, and sparks flew from a workbench where my dad was hunched over a project.

“Dad,” I called out, pulling his attention away from whatever he was working on.

He looked up, his eyes lighting up when he saw us. “Adrian! Adrianna! And Taylor, good to see you. What brings you three here? And don’t tell me it’s a social visit—I know that look.”

Adrianna stepped forward, all business. “We need your help. The academy was attacked by Shadow Walkers. They breached the defenses, and we have no idea how.”

The smile dropped from my dad’s face. He set down his tools, wiping his hands on his apron. “Shadow Walkers? At the Intergalactic Academy? That shouldn’t be possible.”

“It shouldn’t,” I agreed. “But it happened. We need to upgrade the academy’s defenses, figure out where the breach is, and make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

My dad nodded, his expression grim. “Alright. Show me what you’ve got so far.”

We spent the next hour walking him through everything we knew: the attack, the lack of alarms, the possibility of an inside job. He listened carefully, occasionally nodding or jotting something down on his tablet.

Finally, he leaned back, rubbing his temples. “This is bad. If they managed to get in without triggering anything, it means they’re using a method that’s either highly advanced or... something we haven’t seen before.”

“What do you mean?” Adrianna asked, her brow furrowed.

“I mean it could be a combination of technology and something else. Something… otherworldly,” he said carefully. “The Shadow Walkers are known for their dark energy manipulation. If they’ve figured out how to use that to disrupt security systems, we’re dealing with a whole new level of threat.”

His words sent a chill through me. Dark energy manipulation. It wasn’t the first time I’d heard of it, but the idea of it being used to breach our defenses was unsettling.

“So what do we do?” I asked.

“We start by reinforcing the academy’s defenses with countermeasures specifically designed to detect and block dark energy. It won’t be easy, but it’s our best shot,” he said. “And in the meantime, you need to figure out who’s behind this. If there’s someone on the inside, they’re the biggest threat.”

Sophia’s POV

Ethan, William, and I made our way through the academy, helping where we could. Students and staff were still shaken from the attack, and the aftermath was everywhere—broken walls, scorch marks, and a sense of unease that hung in the air.

We stopped to check on a group of younger students huddled in the corner of the library. They looked terrified, their eyes wide as they clung to each other.

“Hey,” I said softly, kneeling down to their level. “You’re safe now. We’re not going to let anything happen to you.”

One of the kids, a boy with tear-streaked cheeks, looked up at me. “But what if they come back? What if they hurt us again?”

“They won’t,” Ethan said firmly, stepping forward. “We’re going to stop them. You don’t have to worry about that.”

The kids nodded hesitantly, their fear slowly giving way to trust. It wasn’t much, but it was a start.

As we continued through the academy, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. It wasn’t just the damage or the fear—it was something deeper, something I couldn’t quite put my finger on.

“Do you feel that?” I asked Ethan and William as we walked through one of the deserted hallways.

“Feel what?” Ethan asked, glancing at me.

“I don’t know. It’s like… we’re being watched,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

William frowned, his eyes darting around. “I don’t see anything, but now that you mention it…”

Before he could finish, a low chuckle echoed through the hallway, sending a chill down my spine.

Unknown’s POV

Watching them scurry around like ants was almost amusing. They thought they were making progress, piecing together the puzzle. But they had no idea. Every move they made, every step they took, played right into my hands.

The academy was a maze, and I held the map. Soon, they would find the truth they were searching for—but by the time they did, it would be too late.

Adrian and Adrianna’s powers were the key, the final piece of the puzzle. And when the time came, I would take them for myself.

“Let them try,” I whispered into the darkness. “Let them hope. It makes their eventual defeat so much sweeter.”

The shadows around me seemed to tremble with anticipation, waiting for the moment when the game would finally reach its climax. The academy’s days were numbered, and there was nothing the R.S.C. could do to stop it.