The Headmaster’s office was filled with the frantic ringing of magical bells.
"A containment breach in the Lower Catacombs," Aris whispered, his face pale. "A Shadow-Stalker. It’s a Rank S threat, Luna. My instructors are all at the Royal Capital for the summit. If that thing reaches the student dorms..."
"I'm on it," Luna said, already half-faded into the wall. "But I want three extra pudding cups at dinner. The chocolate ones."
"Take the whole kitchen! Just kill that thing!"
The Lower Catacombs were supposed to be off-limits, but of course, Prince Alistair didn't believe in "limits." He believed in "scenery for his next portrait."
Luna arrived just in time to see Alistair standing at the entrance of the damp, dark tunnel. He was wearing a suit of armor so shiny it probably cost more than a small village, and he was holding a sword that looked far too heavy for his trembling hands.
"Behold!" Alistair shouted into the darkness, his voice cracking slightly. "I, Prince Alistair, have heard rumors of a beast! Come out and face the—"
A low, bone-chilling growl echoed from the shadows. A pair of glowing violet eyes opened in the dark, ten feet off the ground.
Alistair’s bravado vanished instantly. "On second thought," he squeaked, his knees knocking together with a loud clank-clank-clank of metal. "I believe I have a... a hair appointment. Yes. Very urgent."
The Shadow-Stalker lunged. It was a mass of claws and teeth, moving faster than the human eye could follow.
"WAAAAAAAH! HELP! MOMMY!" Alistair screamed, closing his eyes and throwing his expensive sword at the monster. He missed by at least six feet. He tripped over his own greaves and fell flat on his back, sobbing uncontrollably. "I'm too beautiful to be eaten! My skin is exfoliated!"
Luna sighed from her hiding spot behind a pillar. He really is a loser.
She stepped into the open, though to the monster, she was nothing more than a flicker of dust. As the Shadow-Stalker’s claws were inches from the Prince’s face, Luna held out a hand.
"Gravitational Anchor," she murmured.
CRUNCH.
The monster was suddenly slammed into the floor by an invisible force so powerful the stone floor cracked in a perfect circle. The beast howled, unable to lift its head.
Alistair peeking through one eye. "I... I'm alive? Is it dead? Did my sword throw do that?" He looked at his sword, which was currently wedged harmlessly in a wooden crate.
The Shadow-Stalker struggled to rise, its dark mana flaring. Luna realized the Prince was looking right at her, but his brain was so overwhelmed by panic that he couldn't actually see her.
"Sleep," Luna said, snapping her fingers.
A wave of pure white energy erupted from her, silent and blinding. The Shadow-Stalker didn't just fall asleep—it disintegrated into fine purple mist.
The shockwave knocked Alistair backward. He scrambled to his feet, rubbing his eyes. The monster was gone. The room was silent, except for the sound of his own heavy breathing.
"I did it!" Alistair gasped, his chest swelling with unearned pride. "My hidden power must have awakened! I am truly the chosen one! I—"
He paused. He looked at the floor where the monster had been. There, sitting in the middle of the cracked stone, was a single, bored-looking girl holding a half-eaten apple.
Luna stared at him. "You’re still crying," she pointed out.
"YOU!" Alistair pointed a shaking finger at her. "You saw that! I defeated the beast with my... my Golden Warrior Shout! Admit it! You were so impressed you came out of hiding!"
"I came out because you were making too much noise," Luna lied, taking a bite of her apple. "And you have a snot bubble. It's very distracting."
Alistair shrieked, reaching for his face. "A snot bubble?! In front of a lady?! No! My reputation!" He began to weep again, searching his armor for a handkerchief that wasn't there. "This is the worst day of my life! First the hotdog, now the snot!"
Luna shook her head and walked right past him. As she reached the door, she stopped.
"The Headmaster wants to see you," she said over her shoulder. "Tell him the 'cleaning crew' finished the job. And try not to trip on your way up. It’s embarrassing for the rest of us."
"Wait!" Alistair called out, his face red and puffy. "What is your name, commoner? I demand to know who witnessed my glory!"
"Luna," she said, her voice already fading as she turned the corner. "But don't worry. You'll forget it in five minutes. Everyone does."
But as Luna walked away, she didn't notice Alistair staring at the spot where she had been. For the first time in his life, he wasn't looking at his own reflection in his armor. He was looking at the shadows, wondering why the "invisible girl" was the only thing in the world that didn't seem to care about his crown.
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