The academy felt different at night.
Quieter.Colder.Like the walls were holding their breath.
Lina slipped out of the supervised dorm, clutching her cloak tightly around her shoulders. The corridor was dimly lit, sigils humming softly—too softly. Someone had lowered the ward sensitivity from outside.
Someone wanted her to leave unseen.
Footsteps echoed behind her.
She stiffened—until a familiar voice whispered:
"Relax. It's me."
Kai stepped forward from the shadows, coat slightly unbuttoned, hair falling loosely over his eyes. He looked… different at night. Sharper. More dangerous. And yet somehow softer, too.
"I told you," he said, "you're not going anywhere alone."
She folded her arms. "I wasn't trying to sneak away from you."
He raised a brow. "You were absolutely trying."
"…Okay, maybe a little."
Before he could respond, another voice cut in:
"Good thing I'm here, then."
Lina groaned. "Reyon. Why."
Reyon leaned against the wall with a grin that said he was thoroughly entertained. "Because wherever you two go, trouble follows. And trouble is… fun."
Kai looked like he wanted to throw him out a window."Go back to your dorm."
Reyon tapped his temple. "Can't. I'm the one who recognized the witness sigil. You need me."
Kai's tone dropped dangerously. "Need is a strong word."
"So is jealous," Reyon said casually.
Lina clamped both hands over her face. "Please stop talking."
But there was no time for arguing. The sigil's glow on her door earlier had left a faint magical trail—thin, almost invisible, but Lina felt it tugging at her senses like a whisper in the dark.
"Whoever left the warning," she said quietly, "was scared. They didn't want the council to know."
Kai nodded. "Which means they're still inside the academy. And watching."
Reyon stepped closer, examining the faint trail of light only visible when Lina activated her rune. "This magic isn't from a teacher. It's too subtle. Too… uneven."
"Student?" Lina asked.
"Or someone pretending to be one," he replied.
They followed the dim trail through narrow halls Lina had never seen before—old wings of the academy rarely used except for storage. Dust coated the floors, and old lanterns flickered weakly as if waking from years of sleep.
A metallic groan echoed behind them.
Kai immediately positioned himself between Lina and the sound.
Reyon drew a small blade from his sleeve—Lina didn't even want to know why he carried it.
Nothing moved.
But Lina had the distinct feeling they were being watched.
The trail led them toward a sealed door—rusted, ancient, carved with old academy symbols long forgotten.
"What is this place?" Lina whispered.
Kai's expression tightened. "Aetherion was built on top of older structures. This is one of them."
Reyon knelt and traced the edge of the door. "Someone opened this recently. Very recently."
Lina's heartbeat quickened. "The witness?"
"Maybe," Reyon replied. "Or someone chasing them."
Kai met Lina's gaze. "Do you want to go inside?"
She hesitated.
Fear clawed at her.But curiosity pulled harder.
"Yes," she said softly. "I need answers."
Kai pushed the door open with surprising strength. It groaned loudly, shuddering as if reluctant to reveal what lay behind it.
A narrow staircase spiraled downward into darkness.
Cold air drifted up—too cold.
Lina stepped inside.Kai followed immediately.Reyon, with a half-amused sigh, came third.
They descended slowly, the sound of their footsteps echoing against the old stone.
Halfway down, Lina heard it.
A faint cough.
A scrape of fabric.
Someone was down there.
She raised a hand. The boys stopped instantly.
"I heard something," she whispered.
Kai moved closer, lowering his voice. "Behind us or ahead?"
Lina swallowed hard. "Ahead."
Reyon's posture shifted—calm slipping into sharp-edged seriousness. "Then we've found our witness."
They reached the bottom of the stairs. Another door stood before them—slightly open.
Kai pushed it gently.
Inside was a small stone chamber lit only by a single flickering lantern. Shadows stretched along the walls, bending and twisting.
And in the far corner…
A silhouette.
A person.
Huddled. Shaking.
Lina's breath caught. "Hello…?"
The figure whimpered and pressed back against the wall.
Kai slowly stepped forward. "We're not here to hurt you."
Reyon's voice softened in rare sincerity. "We're trying to help Lina."
The figure lifted their head—
Revealing their face.
Lina gasped.
It was someone she recognized.
A quiet, unnoticed classmate from her elemental theory session. Someone who always sat alone. Someone who never spoke unless forced.
A girl named Seren Althra.
Her eyes were red, terrified, darting between them.
"You—" she choked out, voice breaking. "You're all in danger."
Lina's pulse spiked. "Seren… what happened?"
Seren squeezed her eyes shut, trembling.
"They're going to pin everything on you."
Kai's jaw clenched. "Who?"
Seren opened her eyes—and whispered the last thing Lina expected.
"Someone on the council."
Lina's heart dropped.
The conspiracy was deeper than she feared.
To be Continued© Kishtika., 2025All rights reserved.