The announcement came at breakfast.
The Velvet Atrium had reshaped itself into a spiral of floating petals. Students hovered on cushions, sipping tea that changed flavor mid-sentence. Headmistress Virelle's voice echoed from every wall, every spoon, every breath.
> "Today, all students will participate in the Origin Illusion. Attendance is not optional."
Maris looked up from her flickering toast. "That's new."
Lyra frowned. "What is it?"
Nova Quinn floated past, whispering, "A lie dressed as memory."
Cassian Thorn grinned. "It's theater. But the kind that bites.
The Gathering
Students assembled in the Whisper Theatre, which had expanded into a full arena. The stage was circular, surrounded by mirrors that pulsed with light. Professors stood along the edges, their robes shimmering with static.
Professor Umbra stepped forward. "You will enter the illusion. You will witness the founding of Evershade. You will not interfere."
Lyra felt the book pulse in her pocket.
Maris whispered, "It's reacting."
Lyra nodded. "It knows what's coming."
The Illusion
The mirrors glowed.
The stage darkened.
And then the world shifted.
Lyra stood in a forest — ancient, breathing, alive. The trees whispered. The ground pulsed. Ahead, a woman stood with her back turned.
Madame Calyx.
She raised her hands. The towers of Evershade rose from the earth — Obsidian, Aureum, Noctis, Solara. Each one pulsed with emotion.
Students watched, silent.
Then the illusion glitched.
The Glitch
The fifth tower appeared.
It wasn't supposed to.
It rose slowly, wrapped in velvet and shadow. The mirrors cracked. The professors gasped. Headmistress Virelle stepped forward, her face pale.
"End the illusion," she commanded.
But it didn't end.
Lyra saw herself standing beside Calyx.
Maris saw Lyra's face in the fifth tower's window.
Nova whispered, "She's bleeding through."
Cassian's coin dropped.
Zephyr blinked.
Riven Lux vanished.
The Collapse
The illusion shattered.
Students screamed.
The mirrors exploded.
Lyra fell to her knees, the book pulsing violently in her pocket.
Professor Umbra knelt beside her. "You saw it."
Lyra nodded. "It's real."
Umbra whispered, "Then you're part of it."
Aftermath
The school was silent.
Classes were canceled.
The koi pond turned silver.
The dorms trembled.
Lyra and Maris sat in their room, staring at the book. New ink appeared:
> "The illusion was not a reenactment. It was a warning."
Maris whispered, "She's trying to reach you."
Lyra nodded. "Or trying to become me."