The air in the Council Chamber was filled with unspoken fears. Leng Wei stood in front of the crowd, his back straight and his gaze as steady as his father's obsidian blade. He had just announced his decision to leave the Academy and go in search of the Time Vault.
The deafening silence that followed his words was broken by an old noble, Lord Jiang, whose family had served the Council since its foundation.
— This is madness! His voice sounded like a whip. "You, our main protection, our King, are you going to leave us to our fate?" Go into the unknown while this"—he pointed to the ceiling with a trembling hand, implying an all—seeing Eye-"is hanging over our heads?
"Precisely because I am your King, I have to do this,— Leng Wei replied without raising his voice. "To be under siege is to die slowly. They burn out our magic, our history, our very will. The only chance is to strike from the outside. Find a weakness in their armor.
"What weakness?" Ling Mei interjected, her voice calm, but her gaze betrayed her inner anxiety. "We've seen this one... The Archon... he suffers defeat. What can he give us?
—Knowledge,— Leng Wei replied firmly. "They have been fighting the True Masters, perhaps longer than us. They understand the nature of Emptiness. Their defeat is a lesson that we cannot afford to repeat.
"What if it's a trap?" Jin asked coldly, crossing his arms over his chest. — If the vision was sent by them to lure you out from under the protection of the Academy and destroy you?
"There is a risk,— Leng Wei agreed, —but inaction guarantees our defeat. I'm not going alone.
His gaze swept over the faces of his most loyal companions.
"The Khan." I need your rage and your sword. Gin. Your cold heart and your mind. Lin Mei. Your ability to see what's hidden.
"What about me?" — a quiet but clear voice rang out from the corner of the hall.
All eyes were on Xiao Fei, who stood wrapped in her tattered cloak. Her huge eyes stared straight at Leng Wei.
— Shadows... They're talking to me," she whispered. "They know the way." The real road. Not by mountains and rivers, but by... the kinks. I can guide you through the silence they've created.
"A reclusive girl?" Lord Jiang snorted. "Will you entrust our only hope to her?"
"I trust those who have proven their loyalty more than once," Leng Wei snapped, without taking his eyes off Xiao Fei. The decision has been made.
That night, when preparations were in full swing, Leng Wei decided to visit his mother. He found her sorting through old things in his room. In her hands was a small, battered wooden bird, a toy that he himself had carved for her many years ago, trying to make up for her illness.
She turned around when she heard his footsteps. There was no fear or reproach on her face.
It was a statement, not a question.
"I'm coming,— he nodded.
She handed him a small wooden bird.
— Take it. It's a reminder that even the simplest and most imperfect thing, created with love, can be more meaningful than their soulless voids.
Leng Wei took the bird, squeezing it in his palm. Her rough, clumsy lines seemed to convey to him the warmth of those days and simple human care.
"I'll be back," he promised, feeling the weight of that promise.
"I know," she smiled, and immense faith was reflected in her eyes. "Because you carry more than just the King's power with you. You also carry the stubbornness of a boy who never gave up. And this is your most powerful weapon.
In the morning, a small group gathered at the secret gates of the Academy, which led to abandoned tunnels that were not mapped on any map. Han was checking his equipment, his face grim but ready for battle. Jin studied the crystal compass, trying to detect the slightest fluctuations of energy coming from Leng Wei's Bracelet. Ling Mei, dressed in practical travel clothes, was checking the blades.
Xiao Fei stood to the side, her gaze fixed on the stone wall in front of them, as if she was reading an invisible text.
The elder approached Leng Wei, holding in his hands a sparkling fragment from the crystal guide.
"I have enclosed the last flash of vision in it,— he said. — It will glow brighter when you get closer to the target. And... it will go out if... The elder did not finish, but Leng Wei understood him. If the one they're looking for is destroyed.
"We'll find him,— Leng Wei said confidently, accepting the shard.
He turned around, taking one last look at the spires of the Academy and at the people crowding at the windows to see them off. He felt their fear, hope, and doubt, and it only strengthened his resolve.
"Are you ready?" "What is it?" he asked, looking at his companions.
In response, Han grinned darkly, Jin nodded, Lin Mei gripped the hilt of the blade, and Xiao Fei, without turning around, whispered:
— The trail is waiting. It is full of silence. But behind this silence... I hear the call. Very weak.
Leng Wei took a deep breath and took the first step into the dark passage, followed by the others.
A stone wall closed in behind them, cutting them off from the familiar world. Ahead of them, there was only darkness, silence, and a ghostly trail of hope leading to a mountain that was not on the maps.
High up in the sky, the Heavenly Eye seemed to have narrowed, as if watching them leave. The trial for the Academy had just begun. And for Leng Wei and his squad, it was the beginning of the most dangerous journey of their lives.