Shadow Being System

As the playful banter and excitement of the students filled the air, a sharp, commanding voice cut through the noise.

"Alright, enough!" barked a male teacher stepping out from the bus. "It's time to head out!"

The students immediately quieted down, saying their final goodbyes. A few girls managed to sneak in and touch William's arm, giggling as they promised to meet again someday—when they were all great and famous. William awkwardly smiled, feeling a mix of embarrassment and amusement.

The students quickly lined up in front of their respective academy buses. At the entrance of the military academy bus, a strange device stood like a sentinel. It was sleek and metallic, giving off a faint hum. As the students approached, a boy at the front of the line couldn't help but ask the teacher what it was.

The teacher gave a cryptic smile. "Oh, it's nothing to worry about," he said. "It just checks to see if anyone isn't who they claim to be."

Another student raised an eyebrow. "And what happens if it finds someone?"

The teacher's smile widened, but his eyes gleamed dangerously. "You really don't want to find out."

William's heart skipped a beat. He subtly asked the system, "This thing won't detect that I'm no longer human, right?"

The system's voice responded lazily, "It shouldn't... I guess."

"I guess?!" William's voice cracked slightly in his mind. "I'll be damned."

The first student nervously passed through the device, holding his breath. The machine blinked, scanned him, and then let him through. As the boy stepped into the bus, he froze. The students behind him watched, eyes widening in concern.

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"Why's he frozen?" whispered one student. "Is he a spy? Did the device catch him?"

But after a few tense seconds, the boy simply walked to his seat and sat down. The pattern continued with each student: passing through the device, freezing momentarily as they entered the bus, and then quietly sitting down. Everyone outside noticed this strange behavior, murmurs rippling through the line.

Then it was William's turn. He walked toward the device, anxiety building in his chest. As he passed through, nothing unusual happened, and he breathed a sigh of relief. But the moment he stepped into the bus, his body froze too.

His eyes landed on the source of the freeze: sitting in the back of the bus was an ethereal woman—Miss Mona. She was more than beautiful; she was mesmerizing. Her long, black hair flowed like silk, and she wore a perfectly tailored jacket and jeans, her boots resting elegantly on the floor. Her cold yet enchanting gaze seemed to pierce through William, locking him in place.

"An angel... or a demon?" William thought, snapping out of his trance. He quickly took a seat by the window, his heart still racing. He noticed that every other student had the same reaction—freezing upon entering, unable to look away from Miss Mona.

Soon, all the students were on board, and thankfully, no one had been detected as a spy by the strange device. Whatever would happen to those who failed remained a mystery, one William was glad to avoid.

The male teacher who had shouted at them earlier, now standing at the front of the bus, looked around and noticed that all the students were clustered in the middle and front sections, leaving the back empty. He shook his head and introduced himself.

"I'm Mr. Duke, and I'll be accompanying you on this journey."

The bus driver, an old man with gray hair and an eye patch, turned to address the students. "And I'm your driver. Don't worry about the missing eye; I see better than most of you. In fact, I can see the pack of cigarettes you're trying to hide in your pocket."

One of the students, shocked and red-faced, patted his pocket, causing the others to laugh.

"A super sight ability," whispered one of the boys, impressed.

Then it was Miss Mona's turn to introduce herself. As she stood up, every head in the bus turned to face her. Her voice was smooth and cold, yet irresistibly captivating.

"I'm Miss Mona. I'll be keeping an eye on all of you," she said, her gaze sweeping the bus. The boys, hanging on every word, noted the use of "Miss" instead of "Mrs." They couldn't help but wonder what stories lay behind her cold exterior.

Mr. Duke then pulled out a strange, fist-sized circular orb. Pressing a button on it, the bus emitted a soft pulse, and the students felt their phones and devices go dark.

"What the—?" one student muttered, checking his phone.

"No devices," Mr. Duke announced. "For the next seven hours, you're on your own. This is for your protection."

A student raised his hand. "Protection? From what? There are no beasts on Earth."

Mr. Duke's expression darkened. "There are threats just as dangerous as beasts. Some of you may have heard of them—the heretics."

A hush fell over the bus. The heretics were the stuff of rumors, humans who had allegedly allied with beasts in exchange for power and resources, betraying their own kind.

"So they're real?" another student asked, his voice tinged with disbelief.

Mr. Duke nodded grimly. "They are. And make no mistake, when you have your abilities and grow stronger, it will be your duty to hunt them down."

"We'll kill all the heretics!" one student shouted passionately, fists clenched.

Mr. Duke smiled. "That's the spirit."

But in William's mind, the system's voice interrupted, dark and foreboding.

"These people don't understand the true horror of the heretics, William. If you ever encounter one... don't fight. Run. Run for survival."