The battlefield exploded into motion.
The moment Finn Foster reached toward Daniel—
Bill Williams attacked.
BOOM!
His blade crashed into Finn's arm, forcing it away from Daniel.
At the same time, Mr. Stone appeared beside him.
A silver wave of energy erupted from his weapon.
The attack shook the academy.
Students screamed.
Ghost soldiers scattered.
Yet when the dust cleared—
Finn was still standing.
Unmoved.
Uninjured.
His cold eyes settled on Bill.
"You've become desperate."
Bill gritted his teeth.
"Stay away from him."
Finn glanced toward Daniel.
Then smiled.
"Interesting."
The smile made Daniel uncomfortable.
Very uncomfortable.
It was the smile of someone who knew something.
Something important.
Something nobody else knew.
Then Finn disappeared.
BOOOOM!
Bill and Mr. Stone blocked together.
The impact shattered the ground beneath them.
Stone exploded upward.
Windows burst throughout the academy.
The three warriors moved too quickly for most people to follow.
Only flashes remained.
CLANG!
BOOM!
CRASH!
Meanwhile, the rest of the battlefield continued burning.
Felix slammed his fist into the Chained Warrior's chest.
Lightning exploded.
The giant warrior staggered backward.
Then laughed.
"Better!"
Felix grinned.
"That's the plan."
Nearby, Noah and Zoya struggled to hold the eastern side of the academy.
More ghost soldiers continued arriving.
Wave after wave.
Noah wiped blood from his face.
"Do these things ever stop?"
Zoya froze another group.
"No."
"Great."
Across the battlefield, Lucy continued healing injured students.
Teachers.
Ghost Killers.
Anyone she could reach.
Her energy was running low.
But she refused to stop.
Meanwhile, David collapsed again.
The whispers had returned.
Stronger than ever.
Thousands of voices screamed inside his mind.
Then suddenly—
Everything became silent.
One voice remained.
A familiar voice.
An ancient voice.
"He knows."
David froze.
"What?"
"He knows the truth."
Then the voice vanished.
David's eyes widened.
His gaze immediately found Finn.
Something connected them.
Something connected Finn, Daniel, and the Queen.
Something hidden.
Something important.
Back near the center of the battlefield—
Daniel couldn't stop watching.
Bill and Mr. Stone were fighting together.
Yet neither seemed capable of defeating Finn.
That frightened him.
These were two of the strongest Ghost Killers he knew.
And they were struggling.
Then suddenly—
Finn stopped fighting.
The battlefield froze.
Bill stepped backward cautiously.
Mr. Stone's expression darkened.
Finn wasn't looking at them anymore.
He was looking at Daniel.
Again.
The pressure increased immediately.
Daniel felt the Vessel power responding.
Black energy spread across his arm.
Mary immediately grabbed his shoulder.
"Daniel."
The energy slowed.
Daniel took a deep breath.
Then Finn spoke.
His voice echoed across the battlefield.
"Do you know why your parents died?"
Silence.
Everything stopped.
Daniel froze.
Bill's face went pale.
Mr. Stone's eyes widened.
Even Mary stared in shock.
For several seconds—
Nobody spoke.
Daniel's heart pounded.
His parents.
Nobody ever talked about them.
Nobody.
Yet Finn had just mentioned them.
Bill immediately shouted.
"Don't listen to him!"
Daniel looked at his uncle.
"What?"
Mr. Stone stepped forward.
"Finn."
A warning.
A threat.
A plea.
Daniel couldn't tell.
Finn ignored him completely.
His eyes never left Daniel.
"Your parents discovered something."
Daniel's hands trembled.
"What are you talking about?"
Finn smiled.
Not kindly.
Not cruelly.
Just knowingly.
"The truth."
Daniel felt his chest tighten.
The battlefield suddenly felt very far away.
The war.
The ghosts.
The academy.
None of it mattered.
Only this.
Only the answer.
Only his parents.
"What truth?"
Bill immediately moved toward Daniel.
"Stop."
But Daniel wouldn't stop.
Not this time.
He looked directly at Finn.
"What truth?"
Finn's smile widened slightly.
For the first time—
He looked pleased.
Then he slowly pointed toward Mr. Stone.
The entire battlefield turned.
Everyone looked at Mr. Stone.
The veteran Ghost Killer didn't move.
Didn't speak.
Didn't deny it.
Finn's voice echoed across the academy.
"If you want answers..."
Silence.
Then:
"Ask him."
Daniel's eyes widened.
Mary froze.
David stared.
Even Bill looked troubled.
Mr. Stone remained silent.
That silence was louder than any answer.
Finn laughed softly.
Then he stepped backward.
The cracked sky behind him twisted once more.
The Ghost Court immediately began retreating.
The Executioner stepped away.
The Spearwoman vanished into shadow.
The Chained Warrior jumped back from Felix.
McLone smiled.
The academy watched in confusion.
They were leaving.
Why?
The battle wasn't finished.
Then Daniel realized something.
Finn had accomplished his goal.
He hadn't come to destroy the academy.
He had come to tell Daniel something.
To plant doubt.
To expose a secret.
Finn looked at Daniel one last time.
Then said:
"Ask him what happened twenty years ago."
Daniel slowly turned toward Mr. Stone.
The old Ghost Killer's face had gone completely pale.
And for the first time since Daniel had known him—
Mr. Stone looked afraid.
To Be Continued... :::