The lingering chill of the graveyard clung to Kenji as he stumbled back towards the living world, Malakor's map burning brightly in his mind's eye. His body ached, a constant reminder of the boy's brutal end, but the despair had been replaced by a desperate, fragile hope.
He had a chance, a direction, and potentially, the resources to survive and maybe even thrive.
Kenji emerged from the overgrown graveyard onto a rough dirt path that skirted the outer perimeter of the Astra Academy - the school where the body's predecessor and Malakor belonged to.
Even from here, the scale of the institution was imposing. The Academy wasn't just one building; it was a sprawling complex nestled in a valley, surrounded by thick forests and rolling hills. In the distance, illuminated by magical lamps even in the pre-dawn gloom, rose the elegant spires and grand halls of the Inner Sect – where true disciples and nobles like Lady Annelise studied.
Closer, clustered near the main gates, were the functional, less ornate buildings of the Outer Sect: lecture halls, training grounds, and dormitories for students of lesser standing or talent.
And even further out, practically hugging the boundary walls near service entrances, were the drab, utilitarian structures that served as the servant quarters. That was where he lived – or rather, where the boy whose body he now inhabited had lived. A tiny, shared room, barely more than a cot and a chest.
The main path leading from the graveyard joined a wider, cobbled road that circled the Outer Sect grounds. Kenji kept to the shadows, his ragged clothes helping him blend into the shadows. He needed to get back inside the Academy walls without drawing undue attention. Being found outside after curfew, especially after being used as target practice by a noble girl, would invite questions he couldn't answer.
He approached a smaller, less-used service gate, manned by a single, bored-looking guard leaning against the stone archway. The gatekeeper, a grizzled man named Borin whose face was vaguely familiar from the boy's memories, straightened up as Kenji shuffled closer, pulling his hood further over his face.
"Oi! You!" Borin barked, his voice rough. "Where the blazes have you been, lad? Curfew was hours ago! Skulking about in the dark again?"
Kenji mumbled an apology, keeping his head down. "Got... lost track of time, sir. Finishing chores." It was a weak excuse, but the boy had apparently been known for being somewhat absent-minded and often overworked.
Borin grunted, peering at him suspiciously in the dim light. "Lost track of time? Or got yourself into trouble again? Heard some commotion near the training grounds in the evening." Kenji's heart hammered against his ribs. Did Borin know? Or suspect? "Just... clumsy, sir. Tripped," Kenji stammered, trying to sound pathetic.
The guard sighed, clearly not paid enough to care deeply about one errant errand boy. "Well, get back to your quarters before the patrol finds you. And try not to 'trip' outside the walls again. Next time, I might not be so lenient." He waved Kenji through with a dismissive gesture.
Kenji scurried past, relief washing over him. He kept walking towards the servant's block, but his mind was racing. Go back to that depressing room? Or... follow the map? Malakor had said one cache was hidden within the Academy grounds. The map in his mind pulsed faintly, the point indicating the Academy cache glowing insistently. It wasn't pointing towards the servant quarters. It was pulling him towards the forested edge of the grounds, away from the main buildings.
Soon, he made his decision.
"I can't achieve anything by playing it safe. It is best to go for this treasure under he cover of night." Kenji muttered, grinding his teeth
He couldn't waste time. He needed resources, power, now.
Kenji veered off the main path, melting back into the shadows of decorative hedges and ancillary buildings, heading towards the woods indicated on the mental map.
Getting there wasn't easy. Even in the Outer Sect, patrols occasionally made rounds. Twice, he had to flatten himself behind large ornamental urns as the rhythmic footsteps of guards approached.
Once, while rounding a corner too quickly, he almost collided with a pair making their rounds. He dove into a thick, thorny bush, biting back a cry as thorns tore at his skin and ragged clothes, holding his breath until the guards passed, their conversation fading into the distance. His body screamed in protest, but the mental map pulsed stronger, urging him onward.
Finally, he reached the edge of the managed grounds, where manicured lawns gave way to a denser, wilder forest that served as a natural boundary for the Academy. The map's specific point lay somewhere within these woods. As he stepped under the canopy of ancient trees, the map in his mind flared.
It's... reacting? He focused, trying to understand the sensation. It wasn't just glowing; it felt like a compass needle tugging at his senses. He took a step to the left, deeper into the woods. The pulling sensation intensified. He took a step back, towards the Academy grounds, and the sensation weakened.
"Okay. So it guides direction. Stronger means closer. Great!"
Kenji moved cautiously through the undergrowth, constantly checking the 'pull' of the map. It led him away from any discernible paths, deeper into the untamed section of the forest. The trees grew thicker, the ground more uneven.
After nearly half an hour of careful navigation, guided solely by the intensifying resonance in his mind, he arrived at a point where the map was pulsing aggressively.
"Is this it?" Kenji asked himself, confused.
The destination was anticlimactic: an old, gnarled tree, thicker than any around it, seemingly dead or dying. Its bark was cracked and peeling, and menacing thorns covered its lower branches like a natural defense.
Yet, the map's resonance was screaming now, centered directly on this ancient sentinel.
"Maybe I should try to see and sense magic"
Kenji closed his eyes for a while, trying to focus, and then gently opened it.
And then he saw it.
"This is it!"