ShadowBound: The Need For Power Chapter 309: Time To Reverse It

Liam stood just outside the cafeteria doors, his steps halting.

'Walking out to find Magnus alone is a terrible idea with Gordon likely tracking ,' he thought, his eyes scanning the hallway.

'Sothing feels off. I'm not walking alone. I don't know where Gordon is right now, maybe still scrambling to locate —but he's smart. He'll make his way to the cafeteria soon enough. The real problem… is Lady Ember.'

His gaze narrowed.

'I assud she'd be here already, but I sensed no hostility in the cafeteria. Which ans… the only place she could be is wherever Magnus and Sheila are. Probably counting on Gordon to flush out—create a distraction and make it easier to take Sheila.'

His hand clenched tightly.

"What to do…" he muttered under his breath. "Dammit, I've never felt this blank before." He sighed, frustration creeping into his voice.

"I need help," he admitted.

'Hey… voice inside ?' he called out ntally. 'I know you can hear . Listen—I need help. My strength isn't enough to handle this. So…' He hesitated. 'Please help again, and I guess I'll be indebted to y—'

The word indebted echoed in his mind, triggering a sharp mory.

"Lady Seraphina."

"You know what, forget it. I take it back. I don't need your help. Not when I barely know what you are or what you want." His voice fird with resolve. "Lady Seraphina will do just fine."

He pivoted and began making his way to the Tactical Espionage classroom.

Liam reached the class without incident—neither Gordon nor Ember in sight. He pushed one side of the double door open and stepped inside.

Just as he closed the door behind him—shhk!—a dagger flew past his face, grazing his cheek before embedding itself firmly in the wood.

Liam stared at it for a mont before pulling it free. "Was that necessary?"

"Mm~ Of course not," ca Seraphina's silky voice. "I wasn't aiming at you, darling. You just happened to walk right into the path of my target."

"Understandable."

He walked calmly toward her, eyes unfazed. Seraphina sat perched atop the desk, legs crossed, watching him like a cat toying with prey.

"So… tell , sweetie~," she purred, "what brings you to class early? Don't tell you missed already?"

Liam sighed internally. 'Why does she always have to be like this?'

"I need your help with sothing."

"Ooh~ you need my help?" she perked up, a playful gleam lighting her eyes. "I knew this day would co." She leaned forward, pushing her bosom out—her shirt's top three buttons undone. "Let's make a deal. I help you, and in return… you'll have to plea—"

"Don't worry about it," Liam cut in sharply. "I'll find another way. But thanks anyway." He turned to leave.

Seraphina tilted her head, amused. "Fine, fine. If you're rejecting that offer, then I'll ask for nothing." She reclined back against the desk, smirking. "Guess I'll help you for free—since you're the only one who knows how to entertain in this dreadfully boring class."

Liam stopped, then turned back to face her.

"So… sweetie~" Seraphina teased, a wicked smile curling her lips, "what does mama need to do for you today?"

"I need to talk to Mystica," Liam said, stepping forward. "And since you two are clearly close, I assu you have a way to reach her when she's not around."

"Hm? Mystica?" Seraphina humd, a sly grin forming. "Aw, does the little one miss his mother?"

"She's not my mother," Liam replied flatly.

"Relax, tiger. I know," she purred. "Besides, I'm the only one you'd want to call that anyway. I just prefer mama. No—mommy sounds better."

Liam stared at her, unmoved. "Please. This is urgent." His voice was calm, but internally his patience was thinning.

"I know, sweetie. And so are my desires." She gave a lazy stretch. "So I think you should just accept my offer and—"

Liam turned toward the door without another word.

"Alright, fine," Seraphina said with a smirk. "You can fulfill your duties later."

Liam turned back. Seraphina tapped three tis on the light green rune crystal hanging from her necklace. It blinked softly a few tis before Mystica's figure shimred into view, seated elegantly in a projection.

"Kind of in an important eting right now, Sera," Mystica said in her usual calm voice.

"No shock there, darling. But I'm not the one who wants to talk," Seraphina replied, rotating the projection to face Liam. "Your precious little shadow does."

Mystica's expression shifted slightly. "Liam?"

"Hey," he said. "There's sothing we need to talk about. It's important."

"Alright, I'm listening."

"Yeah, before I begin… is it okay for her to still be here? Since…" Liam began.

Mystica raised a hand gently. "It's fine. I planned to tell her everything anyway. Go on."

Liam nodded once. "Lady Seraphina, would you mind casting a Silent Spell?"

"Already did, hun. Now spill so tea for to sip," Seraphina said with a grin.

"It's about the Sheila situation," Liam said, turning back to Mystica.

"She's already covered," Mystica replied. "Magnus is keeping an eye on her. You don't need to worry about protecting her."

"Sorry," Liam said. "But Sheila's safety isn't what I'm worried about right now. And yeah, I know Magnus is watching her. He's not exactly being subtle. Not that it matters—only I seem to understand what's really going on."

Mystica's expression turned more focused. "If it's not about her, then why bring it up?"

"Because, sohow… I've beco a target," Liam said. "Gordon and Ember are circling . I think they're want to use to pull Magnus away from Sheila. But honestly, I don't think I'm just a distraction."

Mystica's eyes darkened. "They might try to kill you."

"Yeah," Liam said softly. "That's what I think too. So right now… I need your help."

"Are they both after you at the sa ti?" Mystica asked.

"No. Right now, it's just Gordon," Liam replied.

"That's perfect."

"…What?" Liam blinked, slightly thrown off.

"Honestly, this is the perfect opportunity to catch a hybrid," Mystica said with a sly smile.

"Catch? And how exactly is that supposed to happen?" Liam asked.

"Simple. Use his motive against him. If you go about your day like normal, Gordon will try to snatch you the mont he sees a chance."

"And you're so sure of that because?" Liam asked calmly.

"Because unlike you, Gordon doesn't stay calm under pressure. He's smart and cunning, I'll give him that. But when he believes his opponent doesn't stand a chance, he drops his guard. He underestimates people—and that's his biggest weakness. He exploits openings without thinking twice."

"I see. So instead of letting them use to bait Magnus, I flip it and use myself to bait Gordon instead," Liam said. "Sounds doable. But how exactly do we capture him? Because frankly, today's been annoying enough. I'd rather not add another headache."

"That's where Seraphina cos in," Mystica said, gesturing toward her.

"She'll be watching you from the shadows. With her stealth and strength, I promise—nothing will touch you."

Liam glanced at Seraphina, who gave him a slow, seductive wave. "Well… that's comforting," he muttered with faint irritation.

"You're going to love watching over you, sweetie~," Seraphina teased.

"Anyway, how's this supposed to play out?" Liam asked. "I can't just wander around aimlessly waiting for a maniac to jump while I act clueless until sothing happens. We need an actual plan."

A quiet pause followed.

Then Seraphina smirked.

Mystica mirrored it.

Liam stared at them both. "You two can't be serious."

"Oh, but we are," Seraphina purred, sliding off the desk with feline grace. "I've always wanted an excuse to stalk you in silence."

"Great," Liam muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Right," Mystica chid in, amusent still on her face. "We're not asking you to walk around completely aimlessly. Just move like you normally would—your usual pace, your usual attitude. Go to a few key places: the training hall, the gardens, maybe stop by the Archives. Gordon's probably already tracking your movent patterns, hoping you slip."

"And while I'm doing that, you're just going to what… hover around and pounce when he gets too close?" Liam asked Seraphina skeptically.

Seraphina smiled. "Sweetie, I'm not just going to 'hover.' I'll be your shadow. You won't even know I'm there."

"I'm sure that's what makes it worse," Liam muttered again.

Mystica leaned forward slightly in her seat. "The key is making Gordon believe he's in control of the situation. He wants to use you as a distraction, so let him think it's working. When he moves to strike, Seraphina incapacitates him. Fast. Clean. No chance to recover."

"And what if he doesn't fall for it?" Liam asked. "What if he figures out it's a trap?"

"He won't," Seraphina said with confidence. "Because you'll sell it. You're good at acting detached and unaware. Play the part. Act like you have no idea he's stalking you. That'll keep him confident."

Liam looked between the two won, their expressions calm, smug, and terrifyingly in sync.

"You two really enjoy this kind of thing, don't you?" he asked.

"Oh, absolutely," Seraphina said with a wink.

"Maybe a little too much," Mystica added with a small laugh.

Liam exhaled, his gaze sharpening. "Alright. I'll do it. But if this goes sideways…"

"It won't," Mystica assured.

"And if it does," Seraphina added, licking her lips slightly, "I'll make sure he regrets it."

Liam turned toward the door. "Then I guess it's ti I take a walk."