111: Chapter 111 The Hall of Shadows

Year 372 of the Interstellar Federation Era, the Autumn Equinox.

The Central Auditorium of the Interstellar Academy, spanning three kilometers, was hosting the most grand freshman opening ceremony in its century-long history. The dome was inlaid with three thousand six hundred artificial star energy cores; when operational, they emitted a shifting blue-white soft light like the Milky Way, illuminating the entire hall like a sanctuary floating in the depths of the universe. The floor was laid with Star-marrow Alloy plates, capable of reflecting different lusters based on emotional fluctuations; at this moment, they glowed with a steady and peaceful warm gold, symbolizing rebirth and hope.

The auditorium was divided into three levels: upper, middle, and lower. The upper level held seats for Interstellar Alliance special observers and the seven elders of the Academy Supreme Council; the middle level was for senior instructors and elite upperclassmen from various faculties; and the lower level featured nearly a thousand neatly arranged seats for freshmen. The area closest to the main stage was reserved exclusively for the ninety-seven freshmen of the Light Sphere Race. They were the most talented pureblood and mixed-blood descendants selected from across the galaxy, with innate shimmering particles floating above their heads. When sitting quietly, they resembled a breathing sea of stars.

Kate stood at the instructor's reserved seats on the left side of the main stage. Her uniform as the Head Instructor of the Light Sphere Race Faculty, silver-white with gilded edges, outlined her tall and slender figure remarkably well. Her long hair was meticulously tied into a bun, and the Light Sphere Race holy relic, the "stone of enlightenment," inlaid on her forehead, emitted a warm, pale gold halo. It was the symbol of successive Light Sphere Race Guardians and the most reliable source of comfort for the students of the entire faculty.

Today was the thirtieth day since she officially took over as Head Instructor, and the first time she faced the gaze of the entire Alliance as the supreme leader. Her fingertips rested lightly on the light-patterned armrest in front of her, and her palms were slightly damp with sweat—not from nervousness, but from an indescribable unease that had been pricking her nerves like a fine needle since she woke up that morning.

"You've been standing here in the same position for seventeen minutes. Your heart rate is twenty-two percent higher than normal, your energy fluctuations are erratic, and you're in a state of mild anxiety."

A low, steady male voice came from beside her, breaking Kate's reverie.

Lin Fan stood half a step beside her, dressed in a pure black combat suit without any extra decoration. His cuffs were tightened, and a semi-hidden energy short blade was tucked at his waist. He was the Interstellar Academy's specially appointed Combat Strength Head Instructor, Kate's closest comrade-in-arms and most trusted partner of five years, and the only person in the entire academy capable of directly contending with intergalactic shadow creatures.

But today, his state was equally strange.

Since entering the auditorium, his gaze had not fallen on the Dean giving the speech on stage, nor had he paid attention to the neat ranks of freshmen. Instead, his eyes were constantly locked behind the third load-bearing pillar in the southeast corner of the auditorium—the only blind spot in the entire hall where light could not fully reach. The shadows there were three times thicker than elsewhere, like a mass of invisible ink sitting there, motionless.

Kate turned her head to look at his cold, hard profile. "You're the same, Lin Fan. Your spiritual power has been spreading outward as if searching for something, or... guarding against something."

Lin Fan withdrew his gaze from the shadows. The hand hanging at his side quietly clenched, his fingertips rubbing a pitch-black, vein-like mark inside his cuff. That was the mark Shadow had left in his body last night; if he made the slightest move, dark energy would instantly consume his sanity.

He couldn't say it, not a single word.

"Just a professional habit," Lin Fan's voice was very low as he avoided her gaze. "The auditorium's structure is complex with too many blind spots, making it unsuitable for large gatherings. I'm confirming the coverage of the defense system."

"Is that so?" Kate raised an eyebrow slightly, not calling out his perfunctory excuse.

Sharing life and death for five years had given her a thorough understanding of his emotional changes. His shifting gaze, tightened jawline, and deliberately suppressed energy aura all told her one thing—he was hiding something major, something significant enough to overturn the current peace.

But she didn't press him further.

On stage, Dean Cullen's speech was coming to an end. His aged yet resonant voice echoed through every corner via the wide-area amplification system: "...The mission of the Interstellar Academy is to protect civilization, pass on the light, and resist all threats from the cosmic abyss. And the Light Sphere Race are the inheritors of light, the sharpest blade against darkness! Next, please welcome the Head Instructor of the Light Sphere Race Faculty—Kate, to bestow the Enlightenment Holy Light upon the freshmen!"

Thunderous applause and cheers instantly erupted throughout the venue.

The Star-marrow Alloy floor reflected vibrant light, and the shimmers above the Light Sphere Race freshmen grew brighter. Little Kate bounced up from the freshman ranks and ran to Kate's side, looking up with a delicate little face, her eyes curving into crescents. "Mom! Good luck! Today you're the brightest light in the whole academy!"

Little Kate was ten years old, a combination of Kate's and human bloodlines. She inherited the pure energy of the Light Sphere Race while possessing human agility and boldness. She was the personal disciple handpicked by AKai, the little mascot of the Light Sphere Race Faculty, and Kate's softest vulnerability in this sea of stars.

Kate's heart warmed at her daughter's appearance, and her previous unease dissipated slightly. She knelt down and gently ruffled Little Kate's hair. "Stand properly, dear, while Mom completes the enlightenment for everyone."

"Okay!" Little Kate nodded vigorously and stood obediently behind Kate, her small hands behind her back, her eyes sparkling as she watched the first freshman about to receive enlightenment.

That was a sixteen-year-old youth named Lorne, a pureblood of the Light Sphere Race with an SS-grade talent rating, the most highly anticipated seed of this year's freshmen. He had soft, silver-white short hair and the porcelain-white skin characteristic of the Light Sphere Race. Steady white light floated at his fingertips as he stepped onto the main stage, slightly nervously clutching the hem of his clothes.

An assistant instructor handed a fist-sized Enlightenment Holy Light Orb to Kate.

The orb was crafted from light crystals and contained the purest light orb energy, the key to unlocking the talents of Light Sphere Race freshmen. Kate's fingertips lightly touched the surface of the Holy Light Orb, and pale gold energy flowed slowly from her meridians, merging with the orb. A soft light instantly enveloped the entire stage.

"Relax, Lorne. Accept the guidance of the light." Kate's voice was warm and powerful, carrying the innate soothing effect of the Light Sphere Race.

The youth closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly raised his head, waiting for the holy light to descend.

The eyes of everyone below were focused on the center of the stage. Cameras and energy recorders were operating at full capacity, Alliance observers leaned forward slightly, and the elders of the Supreme Council showed expressions of gratification.

Everything was as perfect as a pre-written script.

Until—

The anomaly erupted within 0.01 seconds.

"Buzz—!"

A hum so sharp it could pierce eardrums suddenly exploded from within the Enlightenment Holy Light Orb in Lorne's hands!

The originally clear and warm white light was consumed by ink-black at an eerie speed, spreading from the center to the surroundings. In less than half a second, the entire Holy Light Orb turned into a pitch-black tumor, emitting a heart-palpitating, chilling aura.

Immediately after, black flames climbed up Lorne's fingertips!

Those were no ordinary flames; they had no temperature and no light. Wherever they passed, the air distorted and light was consumed. Lorne's arm blurred and melted at a visible rate, like ice falling into a boiling oil pot, leaving not even a trace of flesh.

"Aaaahhh—!!!"

Extreme pain and terror caused the youth to let out a heart-wrenching scream. His eyes suddenly rolled back, leaving only pitch-black pupils. Black patterns surfaced on his skin, like countless insects writhing frantically beneath it. He opened his mouth, making a rasping sound in his throat, and with his last ounce of strength, he roared words to the entire audience, to Kate, and to everyone watching him that seemed to freeze the entire universe:

"Shadow... is watching you!! Shadow will... consume all light!!"

The moment the words fell.

Lorne's body completely disintegrated.

No explosion, no ashes, no residue remained.

A living, exceptionally talented youth had, under the gaze of thousands, completely turned into a thin cloud of black mist. It was suddenly sucked in by the heavy shadow in the southeast corner of the auditorium and vanished without a trace.

Silence.

Absolute silence.

Time seemed to stand still at this moment. The applause, cheers, and breathing all vanished. The entire Central Auditorium was so quiet that the faint electrical hum of the energy cores could be heard. Everyone froze in place, their brains unable to process what had just happened.

Three seconds later.

Panic, like a star-destroying tsunami, instantly swept through the venue!

"Black shadows! It's shadow energy! It's the Abyssal Contamination wanted by the Alliance!"

"Someone died! That freshman was eaten! Run!"

"The Guardian Barrier! Quickly activate the faculty's Guardian Barrier! My child! My child!"

Screams, cries, the clatter of tables and chairs, and the explosions of uncontrolled energy instantly tore apart the originally peaceful atmosphere.

Out of extreme fear, the light energy within the Light Sphere Race freshmen spiraled completely out of control. White light orbs crashed everywhere, hitting walls and pillars with loud bangs. Human and alien students surged toward the exits like mad, with the sounds of trampling and cries for help rising one after another. Parents broke through the barriers, frantically throwing themselves toward their children to shield them in their arms, their eyes filled with near-collapsing despair. The Alliance observers' faces were as pale as paper, their fingers trembling as they pressed the emergency alarms at their waists. Red warning signals instantly penetrated the Interstellar Academy's defense layers and were sent to the entire Federation.

"Beep— Beep— Beep—!!!"

The ear-piercing red alarm echoed through the auditorium, and the lights at the top flashed frantically, illuminating everyone's faces in flickering light, as if doomsday had arrived.

On the viewing platform, the Chief Elder of the Academy Supreme Council stood up abruptly, pointing at Kate on the stage and shouting sternly: "Kate! You are the Head Instructor of the Light Sphere Race! Shadow energy erupted in the Central Auditorium, and you were completely unaware! You have failed in your duty! You are not fit to stand in this position!"

"Hand over your instructor permissions! Immediately activate the highest-level emergency protocols!"

"We will file a complaint with the Federation! The Interstellar Academy is no longer safe!"

Accusations, curses, and demands for accountability pelted Kate like a barrage of bullets.

Her heart felt as if it were being squeezed hard by a cold, giant hand, the pain making it almost impossible to breathe. Her mind was a blank, with only the final image of Lorne's disappearance remaining—the terror in that youth's eyes was branded into her soul.

But she couldn't fall.

She was the Head Instructor of the Light Sphere Race, the protector of nearly a hundred freshmen, and the only person here who could stabilize the light energy.

Kate squeezed her eyes shut, and when she opened them again, the panic in her eyes had been replaced by extreme determination. Her arms spread wide, and the light orb energy throughout her body erupted without reservation!

"Enlightenment Barrier—Full Deployment!"

Pale gold light radiated from her like a sun, instantly enveloping the entire lower freshman area. The warm and pure light energy smoothed the out-of-control light orb fluctuations and blocked the cold shadow aura. The panicked crowd was gently pushed back by the soft power, preventing further trampling.

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

"Everyone listen to me!" Kate Rollins's voice echoed through the energy, steady and powerful, cutting through the chaos. "Shadow energy has been temporarily isolated. The protective barrier covers everything with no blind spots; there is no danger! Follow the instructors' directions and evacuate in an orderly fashion to the three emergency exits. Do not crowd, do not panic!"

The Light Sphere Race's light energy naturally possessed a calming effect on the mind. Combined with Kate Rollins's composed tone, the crowd, on the brink of collapse, finally began to calm down.

The mid-level instructors reacted immediately, splitting into three groups to guide the students in an orderly evacuation. AKai also put away the panic on his face. His small body stood beside Kate Rollins, imitating his mother, and he released a faint light energy to comfort the terrified lower-grade students crying beside him.

Yet the return of reason did not quell the parents' anger.

Several Light Sphere Race parents, eyes red with rage, broke through the light barrier and rushed to Kate Rollins. Pointing at her nose, they roared: "We sent our children to the Interstellar Academy believing you could protect them! But look at this now! A living person was eaten by a shadow right in front of you! Is my child next?!"

"You don't deserve to be an instructor! You can't even protect your own students; what right do you have to hold the title of Guardian?!"

"Lorne's parents are far away on the home planet! They entrusted their child to you; is this how you repay them?!"

Saliva splattered onto Kate Rollins's uniform, and the accusatory words cut into her heart like knives. She pressed her lips together, her face pale, yet she did not retreat a single step, nor did she offer a single word of defense.

It was her dereliction of duty.

It was she who failed to detect the lurking shadows, she who failed to save Lorne, and she who allowed fear to shroud the entire academy. She accepted it.

Seeing this, AKai immediately spread his arms, shielding Kate Rollins tightly. Looking up with his flushed little face, he shouted at the parents: "You are not allowed to scold my mother! Mom has already done her best to protect us! She was almost consumed by energy backlash just now! Can't you see that?!"

But a child's voice was too weak in the face of furious adults. An emotionally out-of-control father suddenly raised his hand, about to shove Kate Rollins's shoulder—

"Bang!" A well-defined hand firmly gripped his wrist.

The force was astonishing; the tall male Light Sphere Race member was instantly immobilized, his face contorting in pain.

Lin Fan had appeared in front of Kate Rollins at some point, his back to her, blocking all accusations and attacks. He did not look back, only lowering his eyes to gaze at the wrist he held. His eyes were as cold as the ice in the depths of the universe, devoid of any warmth.

"First, an orderly evacuation is an academy rule and also federal law." Lin Fan's voice was low but carried a suffocating pressure—the killing intent only possessed by someone who had crawled out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood. "Second, if you lay a hand on an instructor again, it will be treated as assault, resulting in immediate expulsion from the academy and permanent placement on the Interstellar blacklist."

"Third—" He lifted his eyes slightly, his gaze sweeping over all the agitated parents present. Everyone touched by his gaze subconsciously shuddered and took half a step back.

"If you cause any more trouble, the next one to have an accident might be the child beside you."

This last sentence was like a curse, instantly silencing all the clamor. The parents turned pale; seeing the undisguised killing intent in Lin Fan's eyes, they dared not say another word. They obediently turned around, grabbed their children, and merged into the flow of the evacuation.

In less than ten minutes, the noisy Central Auditorium was left with only Kate Rollins, Lin Fan, AKai, the mess on the floor, and the red alarm lights that were still flashing wildly.

The air retained the uniquely cold scent of Shadow energy, mixed with the slight sweetness of dissipated light energy, creating a strange and oppressive atmosphere.

It was as if all the strength had been drained from Kate Rollins's body. She stumbled back a step, leaning against the light-patterned railing behind her, gasping for breath. Cold sweat ran down her cheeks, and the light of her stone of enlightenment dimmed slightly.

AKai immediately ran over and hugged her legs tightly: "Mom, are you okay? Don't be sad, it's not your fault."

Kate Rollins crouched down, pulled her child into her arms, and patted her back gently. Her voice was hoarse: "Mom is fine. You go to the safe zone and wait for me first. I need to speak with Teacher Lin Fan."

AKai sensed that she had important matters to attend to, nodded obediently, and left the auditorium, looking back every few steps.

In the empty hall, only two people remained, along with a silence that grew increasingly heavy between them.

Kate Rollins slowly stood up. Without looking at Lin Fan, she walked step by step toward the center of the stage—the place where Lorne had vanished.

On the Star Essence Alloy floor remained a faint black mark—a trace left after the Shadow energy had dissipated. Ordinary people could not perceive it, but in the eyes of the Light Sphere Race, it was as clear as a torch in the dark night.

Kate Rollins crouched down and lightly touched the black mark with her fingertips. Instantly, the Light Sphere Race's unique memory regression ability was fully activated!

Pale golden energy seeped into the ground through her fingertips, and fragmented images flooded her mind like a tide—Lorne's nervous profile, the white light of the Enlightenment Holy Light Orb, the moment the shadow suddenly invaded, the boy's painful roar, the process of his body turning into black mist... All the scenes flashed by rapidly, clear and cruel.

And right at the very bottom, in the most hidden corner of all the images, a scene that instantly froze the blood in Kate Rollins's body burst into her consciousness!

It was Lin Fan. Ten seconds before Lorne spontaneously combusted, Lin Fan had walked alone into the shadows in the southeast corner. With his back to everyone, he lowered his head slightly and nodded gently toward that thick mass of black shadow. There was no sound, no movement, just an extremely slight nod. The next second, as if receiving an order, the shadow drifted silently toward the stage and attached itself behind Lorne.

It was not a coincidence. It was not an accident. It was not by chance. It was Lin Fan. He was the partner she had shared life and death with for five years, whom she trusted without reservation. He was her only reliance in the darkness, the person she thought would always stand by her side. He was collaborating with the Shadow. He was watching a young boy die right before his eyes. He was deceiving her.

Kate Rollins pulled her hand back abruptly, her body shaking uncontrollably. An extreme cold and pain spread from her heart to every limb and bone, making even breathing feel agonizing. She stood up slowly, turned around, and looked at Lin Fan, who was still standing in the same spot. Her eyes were filled with disbelief, disappointment, pain, and the despair of being betrayed by the person closest to her.

"Lin Fan." She spoke, her voice trembling uncontrollably, every word seemingly squeezed out from between her teeth. "I just performed a memory regression of Lorne's death. I saw you. In the shadows, talking to the Shadow. Tell me, what exactly is your relationship with that black shadow that ate Lorne?"

The red alarm lights flashed wildly between them, illuminating Lin Fan's face half in light and half in shadow. He looked at the tears in Kate Rollins's eyes, her trembling fingertips, and the shattered trust in her eyes, his Adam's apple bobbing violently.

Countless words rushed to his lips. He wanted to tell her that the Shadow was his split dark personality, his inescapable original sin; he wanted to tell her that the Shadow's target had been her from the beginning, and he could only use collaboration to buy time; he wanted to tell her that he would rather be misunderstood and hated by her than have her involved in this deadly game; he wanted to tell her that everything he did was to protect her, to protect AKai, and to protect the entire Light Sphere Race department. But he couldn't. The Shadow was inside him, watching him, listening to him. If he uttered a single word of the truth, the Shadow would immediately tear off its disguise and kill Kate Rollins on the spot. All his hidden grievances, all his endurance, all his helplessness, in the end, could only turn into—silence.

Lin Fan offered no explanation, no defense, no apology, and didn't even look at her again. He turned around slowly, his black figure merging into the shadows deep within the auditorium. His pace was steady, yet as decisive as a final farewell. One step, two steps, three steps... His figure moved further and further away, finally disappearing completely into the darkness, without leaving a word or a glance. Only Kate Rollins was left, standing alone in the center of the empty, cold auditorium.

Five years of companionship. Sharing life and death. Protection across galaxies, the trust built from fighting side-by-side countless times, the warmth of comforting each other in the dead of night—everything, at this moment, was completely shattered. Kate Rollins could no longer hold on. She slowly crouched down, wrapped her arms around her knees, and buried her face in her arms. Suppressed sobs finally broke through her throat. Tears hit the cold Star Essence Alloy floor and evaporated instantly, leaving not even a trace. Just like Lorne's life. Just like the trust she had once firmly believed in.

Just at the moment of her greatest collapse and helplessness, a cold, hoarse voice, as if from the nine-nether abyss, whispering against her eardrum, intruded into her mind without warning. There was no source, no trace, yet it was bone-chillingly clear: "Kate Rollins... Your hesitation will kill everyone. The light you protect will eventually be swallowed by the Shadow. The person you trust the most will personally push you into the abyss. 72 hours. I give you 72 hours to prepare for your doomsday."

The voice vanished, but the chill crawled up her spine to the top of her head, freezing the blood in Kate Rollins's body. She looked up abruptly; there was no one around, only shadows growing thicker and thicker. They slowly spread from the corners, from behind the pillars, and from the cracks in the ceiling, like a giant open mouth, ready to swallow the entire auditorium, the entire Interstellar Academy, along with all the light.

She finally understood. Lorne's death was not the end. It was the beginning. It was the signal of the Shadow's arrival. It was a 72-hour countdown to death.

Kate Rollins slowly stood up, wiped the tears from her face, and the stone of enlightenment on her forehead shone with a determined light once more. She could not fall, could not collapse, could not be defeated by fear. She was the Guardian of the Light Sphere Race. She was AKai's mother. She was the hope for all the students here. Even if Lin Fan had betrayed her, even if the Shadow was lurking in the dark, even if doomsday was 72 hours away, she would hold onto the last ray of light.

She walked toward the auditorium doors step by step, each step firm and powerful. Outside the door, AKai was standing in the sunlight, waving vigorously at her. Outside the door were the students waiting for her comfort, the instructor team needing her direction, and the survival of the entire Interstellar Academy. Inside the door were shadows, betrayal, and the impending catastrophe. Kate Rollins took a deep breath and reached out to push open the heavy alloy doors.

Sunlight poured in, temporarily dispersing the darkness at her feet. But she knew. The Shadow had awakened. The shadows of the Shadow Hall had already shrouded the entire Interstellar Academy. No one could escape.

And the man who had disappeared into the shadows was walking alone toward the deepest part of the darkness. On his cuff, the black mark was pulsing wildly. Inside him, the Shadow's laughter was cold and triumphant. In his heart, there was only one thought—use everything I have to trade for 72 hours of her peace. Even if I am doomed forever. Even if I am hated by her for a lifetime.