In the Academy as Sukuna

"The darkest hour is just before the dawn."

Seraphina Nightshade, one of the owners of the largest and the most widespread spy networks across all countries.

Her name was spoken in whispers by everyone who knew of her.

'If you have a name, she has all the information on you,' was a popular saying about her information network.

From a young age, she had practiced the art of manipulation and leadership relentlessly, perfecting her every tactic.

Under her sophisticated and professional exterior lies a strategist.

Her view of the world was akin to a large chessboard, with everyone and everything merely a piece to be moved, or to be sacrificed.

One person, though, she cannot view in such a way. Her sister, Dravenna Nightshade is the only person she feels compassion for.

Dravenna was unlike her sister.

She had an interest in art, and spent almost all of her life following that interest.

Even though she was a co-owner of the Shade spy network with her sister, she didn't contribute to it at all.

In other words, if she were to die right this instant, nothing would change in the information network.

Seraphina's view of her sister was her sole weakness, a weakness which could be exploited effectively and quite easily.

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The setting sun painted the sky a pretty orange as both the sisters, Seraphina and Dravenna, sat in their garden, admiring the scenery.

"It was a day like this," Seraphina started, her voice low, her eyes glinting with melancholy. "When I decided to make Shade."

She picked up the glass from the table, which was half-filled with red wine.

Dravenna sighed, smiling, as she continued to draw the scenery in her sketchbook, pausing to take a sip of coffee.

"Why do you bring that up?" Dravenna asked, not taking her eyes off the sketchbook as she drew the picture with practiced strokes.

"Nothin', just remembered it," Seraphina said, her calm and polite façade breaks down every time she spends time with Dravenna.

"And, I can't stand you talking about throwing around colors all day," She continued, her voice carrying a playful undertone.

Dravenna's smile only widened.

"It's better than talking about weird fetishes of mafia bosses you find everyday," Dravenna replied, her brows furrowing as she thought of the conversations of that topic.

"It's fun though...sometimes it's like...how did they even find that out?" Seraphina replied, leaning back on her chair as she took a sip of wine.

Dravenna slightly chuckled, remembering some of them.

A peaceful silence followed, the occasional scratching of pencil on paper breaking it.

Dravenna suddenly sighed. "You've built an empire, Sera," she said, her tone concerned. "But you need to take care of yourself."

Seraphina took another sip from her glass, her expression uncertain.

"It's not like I don't want to," she said as she looked up at the sky. "I just don't get time."

She sighed, closing her eyes. "You know, I always feel like you're the better of us...sometimes I feel like I lack things that make someone human."

Her words hit deeply, Dravenna knew that Seraphina lacked compassion, but she never thought that she would think of herself like this.

She put down her sketchbook, taking Seraphina's hand in her own, her grip gentle.

"Don't think like that, Sera," she said, her voice slightly reprimanding. "What people think doesn't matter, to me, you're the best person in the world."

With her warm hand on hers, Seraphina felt comfortable, a small smile gracing her face.

"Thanks a lot," she said, her expression returning to normal. "If you weren't there, I don't know what I–"

"Nothing'll happen to me," Dravenna said, her voice comforting yet chiding at the same time. "We'll always be together."

Seraphina tried to respond, but the words never came out.

A silent whoosh echoed in the air, the world seemed to slow down.

Dravenna's body jerked, her eyes widening in shock as something went through her head, entering on the left, exiting on the right.

It was as if there was something, but nothing at the same time.

Her blood burst out, painting the scenery she was sketching in a bright red as she fell onto the grass.

For a moment, Seraphina couldn't move, her body refused to respond as she looked at Dravenna's body, lifeless and unmoving.

"Drav...enna?" Seraphina's voice was barely a whisper as she fell to her knees beside her sister's body.

"No... no, no, no," her hands reached out to her sister's body, trembling with shock, shaking her body.

"Please... no," she said, but there was no response.

Dravenna's eyes had already gone empty and cold, devoid of all life.

She pulled her body closer, the blood dripping from her head staining her clothes crimson.

A choked so escaped her lips as she felt the still warm body of her sister.

Tears fell out of her eyes, unstoppable, as she hugged the lifeless body tight, as if trying to will life back into it.

"No, this can't be happening!" She screamed, her voice breaking with emotion as she buried her face in Dravenna's hair, which were stained red because of the blood.

The guards came, wearing suits, and surrounded the two sisters.

But Seraphina paid no attention to them, the anguish in her heart increasing with every passing second as she desperately held the body of her dead sister.

For the first time in her life, Seraphina Nightshade felt utterly powerless.

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(Some time later...)

The road, wet due to the heavy rain, shone under the streetlight, reflecting a distorted image if Seraphina's tear-filled face.

There were no traces of mana, no footprints, no clues indicating who the attacker might be.

Seraphina was devastated, she had lost the one person who truly mattered to her, and she couldn't even punish the perpetrator.

Seraphina, right now, was not anything like her usual self.

She was stumbling around a deserted road, her clothes soaked in rainwater, a half-empty bottle of alcohol in her hand.

No matter how much she drank, liquor did nothing to soothe the feeling of loss in her heart.

Suddenly, a shadow came out from a nearby alleyway, its silhouette illuminated by the bright streetlights.

The person, wearing a long coat, hiding his face, approached Seraphina with silent steps.

"Miss Nightshade," the man said, his voice soft, almost comforting. "You look...lost."

Seraphina narrowed her eyes, but her drunk state made everything feel distorted.

"Who...are you?" She fumbled on her words, trying to make sense of the situation.

The man stepped closer, his movements smooth. "Someone who can help."

Seraphina laughed bitterly, a sound which echoed in the silent street. "No one...can help me. She's gone...gone."

The man's eyes glinted with something unknown. "I know what you lost," he said, his voice gentle. "There is much more to lose, the Shade Network, for example."

"The network," she murmured, her voice distant. "It doesn't...doesn't matter anymore."

The man smiled, but it didn't carry any warmth or sympathy. "But it does matter, you both created it together, it is a legacy of hers you have to carry."

Seraphina's head tilted slightly as she spoke sluggishly. "Legacy?"

The man's smile widened. "Yes, it contains your sister's memories, and also the path for revenge."

Seraphina's eyes slightly widened as she heard his words, her thoughts started to get clouded with the hope to avenge her sister.

"How?" She asked, her voice much more commanding than before.

The man's expression turned into a smirk. "Justice can be served, but only if you will it," he spoke, his tone much deeper than before, mirroring her own.

"The information you possess...it contains what you want," he spoke, his tone going back to gentle.

Seraphina's thoughts were clouded by alcohol and grief, she was considering the proposal.

She lost the only thing she cared about...and now, she had a chance to punish the perpetrator, to avenge Dravenna.

The man extended a hand to her, his eyes carrying unwavering confidence. "Come with me, Seraphina, I can help you."

Seraphina hesitated as her hand hovered in the air.

Her instincts told her to turn away, to not accept the deal. But, her mind was too broken to reason.

She took the man's hand in her own. The hand was rough, yet strong, as if he had fought many battles.

"Where are we going," she asked, her voice a whisper.

"Your office," the man said, his voice caring yet filled with something eerie.

Seraphina was relieved that they were going somewhere safe, a place that she knew.

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The two reached her office, passing through the many guards stationed on the way.

Seraphina opened the door, revealing a dark room with papers and files thrown everywhere. She pulled a chair, motioning the man to sit on it, to which he nodded and sat down.

She pulled another chair and sat in front of him.

"So, what did you want to show me?" She said, her voice steady. It was apparent that the effects of alcohol were dying down.

"I know who did it," the man said, his voice carrying no emotion. It was impossible to tell if he was lying or telling the truth.

Hearing this, though, Seraphina almost jumped from her seat, her broken mind taking over as she got closer to him.

"Who was it?" She spit, her voice filled with unending hate.

The man was amused, the woman he had heard to be one of the most dangerous, cunning and ruthless, was looking like a dog in front of a bone due to just one sentence.

Not getting an answer, Seraphina walked closer, holding him by the collar. "Who. Was. It?"

The man couldn't hold back anymore, his expression turned into one of pure malice, a huge grin plastered on it which could scare the bravest of warriors.

Seraphina took a step back, spooked by the sudden change in attitude.

She was still holding him by the collar, too shocked to even think of what she was holding.

The man put his hand up to her forehead, making a pistol shape with his fingers and thumb.

"Sadly, Seraphina," the man said, his voice mocking.

A yellow energy formed in front of the extended fingers, concentrating into a single point.

Seraphina's eyes widened, her hands were trembling as she desperately tried to push him away, but to no avail.

"It was me."

The man's grin didn't waver as the yellow energy in his hand shot towards her, passing straight through her skull, killing her instantly.

This was the same method using which he killed Dravenna.

Seraphina didn't feel anything, it was as if she didn't have control of her body anymore.

She hated the man in front of her with all her heart, but she was unable to do anything. Slowly feeling her consciousness fade away, she fell limp onto the floor.

The man quickly went up to the unlocked computer and logged into the information server, downloading all the information he could find into several pen drives.

The cooling fans of the computer was the only sound in the silent room, which now had a foul smell of blood lingering in it as a pool of blood formed under Seraphina's body.

After about 15 minutes, everything from the servers was downloaded, and he started the process to delete everything.

He went through each of the folders, making sure nothing was left behind. Files on covert operations, classified and blackmail material – all of it now fit onto, and only onto the small drives he held.

He turned his attention to the physical documents scattered around. These were too many to carry, but valuable nonetheless.

He had to make sure they couldn't be recovered. He began lighting small fires around the room. He used a lighter, igniting the edges of papers and files.

Just as the fire began to spread, the man went towards the window, glancing back one final time. He climbed down the window, blending into the darkness.

The guards, finally seeing the smoke, rushed into the office, but it was too late. They could only watch as the room was engulfed by flames.

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(POV Change)

I hid in a dark alleyway, taking off my bloodstained clothes and putting on new ones.

I put all the drives into the coat pocket, holding it in my hand.

Suddenly, the coat disappeared into thin air, as if it were never there before.

I silently walked away, running to a determined location which was quite far away.

I walked into a huge mansion, the golden metal doors opening silently, lubricated by the rainwater.

I walked calmly through the path covered with potted plants on both sides, a squishing sound playing with each step as I walked on wet gravel.

"Hey where were you? Look...you're completely drenched!"

A woman called out to me as I neared the porch in front of the entrance.

A smiled warmly, acting nonchalant, as I walked towards her.

"I was just taking a stroll."

I said in a relaxed voice as I walked inside, water dripping from my clothes onto the smooth tiled floor.

With a practiced bow, a maid handed a towel to me, which I took and started drying my hair.

The woman watched me with narrowed eyes, a mixture of worry and amusement, maybe even suspicion.

"What if you caught a cold? Sometimes you're really dumb, Sukuna"

The woman, my mom, giggled as she said this, taking the towel from me and started drying my hair herself.

I sat on the sofa, which sunk in due to my weight, it felt extremely comfortable.

My mom finished drying my hair and said in a comically loud voice, "There, all better!"

I unintentionally smiled, such a nice family I have.

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Yay, new part of the story, 2a - The Prelude begins.

2300 words :>

Also I asked y'all to drop a review and nobody did (╥_╥)

Please just do it, it helps a story quite a bit :)

gimme POWER STONES and cya next chapter :3