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Chapter 38: Planning the Heist

Lyra continued, her voice tinged with a hint of pride and sorrow. "I was born into Unbound. My father is one of the leaders. He... he raised me in the movement after my mother died."

Silas noticed the pain that flashed across Lyra's face at the mention of her mother. He remained silent, allowing her to continue.

"The system killed her," Lyra said, her voice hardening. "She needed urgent medical attention, but a rich noble was given priority over her. By the time they got to my mother, it was too late. And the noble's issue? Minor laceration. Something a quick healing potion could fix."

Anger and injustice radiated from Lyra as she recounted this personal tragedy. Silas felt a surge of empathy, understanding how such an experience could shape someone's worldview.

"That's why I joined Unbound," Lyra concluded, her eyes meeting Silas's with determination. "To ensure that no one else suffers because of this broken system."

"I want to help you rescue your mother, Silas," Lyra said, her voice low but firm. "I believe both of you could be invaluable to Unbound's cause. Your mother's scientific knowledge and your unique abilities... they could be game-changers in our fight against the corrupt system."

Silas felt a surge of conflicting emotions. The prospect of rescuing his mother filled him with excitement and trepidation in equal measure. But aligning himself with a resistance movement? That was a whole different level of risk.

"I appreciate your offer, Lyra," Silas replied carefully. "But I can't promise my cooperation with Unbound just yet. Let's focus on rescuing my mother first. If we succeed, I'll reconsider your proposal."

Lyra nodded, accepting his cautious response. "Fair enough. Now, let me outline the plan I've been working on."

She leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. "The fall dance at Eldritch Academy. That's our window of opportunity. Your mother will be alone in the observatory, working on a dimensional portal for the academy. The guards will be occupied with the festivities, leaving her unguarded."

Silas's heart raced at the thought. It seemed almost too good to be true. "How did you get this information?" he asked, unable to hide his skepticism.

Lyra smiled cryptically. "Unbound has its ways. We've been planning this for a while, waiting for the right moment - and the right ally."

Silas gathered his friends in a secluded corner of the library, his voice low as he outlined the plan to rescue his mother. Jace's eyes widened with excitement, while Nadia nodded solemnly, both immediately agreeing to help.

Rowan, however, hesitated for a moment. "I know I initially said no to getting involved," he began, his brow furrowed. "But after you've saved my life at least twice now, Silas, I've reconsidered. Count me in."

Relief washed over Silas as he looked at his friends' determined faces. "Thank you, all of you. This means more to me than you know."

Over the next two weeks, the group threw themselves into intense training. They spent every spare moment honing their skills, preparing for every possible scenario they might encounter during the rescue mission.

As they trained, a thought nagged at the back of Silas's mind. His mother had created the training rooms - was it possible she'd left him a way in? On a hunch, he approached the control panel one evening after the others had left.

"Training room," Silas said, his heart pounding, "grant administrator access."

To his amazement, the system responded immediately: "Administrator access granted. Welcome, Silas Blackwood."

A grin spread across Silas's face as he realized the possibilities this opened up. "Create a new scenario," he commanded. "Location: Eldritch Academy. Time: During the fall dance. Objective: Infiltration and extraction."

The room shimmered around him, transforming into the grand halls of Eldritch Academy. Silas could hear the faint strains of music and laughter, simulating the dance in full swing.

"Guys," Silas called out to his friends who were just about to leave, "you're going to want to see this."

Silas watched with a mix of pride and anticipation as his friends filed into the simulated halls of Eldritch Academy. The training room had outdone itself, recreating every detail down to the ornate tapestries and the faint scent of magical incense in the air.

"Alright, team," Silas said, his voice steady with newfound confidence. "Let's run it again."

Over the next few hours, they practiced their infiltration route countless times. Jace's duplicates scouted ahead, providing real-time intelligence. Nadia's light manipulation skills proved invaluable for creating distractions and obscuring their movements. Rowan's summoned creatures acted as both decoys and additional muscle when needed.

Lyra's space manipulation abilities allowed them to bypass locked doors and navigate tight spaces with ease. And Silas, with his enhanced senses and growing arsenal of abilities, took point on the most critical moments of the extraction.

They failed spectacularly the first few times. Jace's duplicates were spotted too early. Nadia's light show drew unwanted attention. Rowan's summons proved too unruly in the confined spaces. But with each attempt, they refined their approach.

By their tenth run-through, they had cut their infiltration time in half. By the twentieth, they moved through the simulated academy like ghosts, their movements synchronized and purposeful.

As they completed their final run, Silas called out, "Time?"

Lyra glanced at her enchanted pocket watch. "Seventeen minutes and thirty-two seconds. That's our best yet."

Silas nodded, a satisfied smile playing on his lips. "I think we're ready."

Silas Blackwood adjusted his collar, smoothing out the wrinkles in his finely tailored suit. Around him, his friends were similarly attired in their best formal wear. Jace fidgeted with his bow tie, while Rowan stood stoically in a crisp black ensemble. Nadia had chosen a sleek, form-fitting dress that shimmered with every movement, and Lyra looked radiant in a flowing gown of deep blue.

They stood before the entrance to the only available training room, which had been transformed into a grand ballroom for the dance.

Silas stepped away from the group and approached a nearby wall. He turned to his friends, who were watching him with curious expressions. "I have an idea," he said, his voice low and urgent. "Gather around me."

Once they were huddled close, Silas faced the wall again and spoke in a clear, confident tone. "Training room, teleport Silas Blackwood, Jace Sterling, Rowan Summers, Nadia Sinclair, and Lyra Voidwalker to the corresponding training room in Eldritch Academy."

The air around them shimmered, and for a brief moment, the world seemed to blur. When their vision cleared, they found themselves standing in the middle of a grand ballroom, filled with the sounds of music and laughter. Elegant decorations adorned every surface, and the room was packed with students and faculty in formal attire.

They had arrived at the fall dance in Eldritch Academy.

Silas and his friends found themselves swept up in the elegance of the Eldritch Academy Fall Dance. The grand ballroom sparkled with magical decorations, and the air thrummed with excitement and music. Despite the tension of their secret mission, they knew they had to blend in to avoid suspicion.

Silas offered his hand to Lyra, who accepted with a graceful nod. They moved onto the dance floor, their steps slightly awkward at first but soon finding a rhythm. As they swayed to the music, Silas couldn't help but notice how Lyra's eyes darted around the room, constantly assessing their surroundings.

Nearby, Rowan and Nadia had also paired up. Rowan's usual stoic demeanor softened as he led Nadia through the steps of a waltz. Nadia, for her part, seemed to relax into the dance, her light manipulation abilities subtly enhancing the shimmer of her dress.

Jace, ever the social butterfly, found himself swept up by a pretty Eldritch student with long, dark hair. She pulled him onto the dance floor before he could protest, and soon they were twirling amidst the other couples. Jace's natural charm kicked in, and he found himself enjoying the unexpected dance partner.

As the songs progressed, Silas kept a watchful eye on the other attendees. He noticed professors and chaperones beginning to mingle, their attention diverted by conversations and refreshments. It was almost time for them to make their move.

Silas caught Lyra's eye and gave a subtle nod. She understood immediately, and they began to make their way towards the edge of the dance floor. Rowan and Nadia, seeing this, followed suit.

Jace, however, was having a harder time extracting himself from his dance partner. The girl seemed utterly enchanted by him, laughing at his jokes and holding onto his arm. As his friends approached the exit, Jace's eyes widened in panic, silently pleading for help.

Silas watched with growing concern as Jace struggled to extricate himself from his dance partner. The girl clung to Jace's arm, her laughter tinkling through the air as she gazed up at him adoringly. Jace's eyes darted towards his friends, silently pleading for assistance.

Before Silas could devise a plan to rescue Jace, piercing screams erupted from the crowd. The jovial atmosphere of the dance shattered instantly as a gang of banshees materialized in the center of the ballroom. Their ethereal forms flickered in and out of visibility, long hair whipping around their pale faces as they unleashed their bone-chilling wails.

Panic swept through the room. Students and faculty alike scrambled for the exits, their formal attire tangling and tearing in their haste to escape. The banshees swooped through the air, their ghostly fingers raking across exposed skin, leaving trails of frost in their wake.

Silas's mind raced. This wasn't part of their plan, but it could provide the perfect cover for their mission. He locked eyes with Lyra, a silent understanding passing between them. They needed to use this chaos to their advantage.

Rowan reacted swiftly, summoning a pair of spectral wolves to harry the banshees. The ethereal canines leapt at the wailing spirits, their jaws snapping at wispy forms. Nadia, her face set in grim determination, began weaving intricate patterns of light, creating dazzling illusions to confuse and disorient the attackers.

Jace, finally free from his dance partner who had fled in terror, sprinted towards his friends. His face was pale, but his eyes burned with determination. "What's the play?" he shouted over the cacophony of screams and wails.

Silas's mind whirred, quickly adapting their carefully laid plans to this new situation. "We stick to the mission," he yelled back. "This is our chance. The guards will be distracted dealing with this threat."

As if to punctuate his words, a squad of Eldritch Academy security personnel burst into the room, their hands at the ready. Spells crackled through the air as they engaged the banshees, adding to the chaos.