The Founder's private room was very quiet. The only sound was the heavy breathing of the group.
Lina looked around. The room was huge. Thick red curtains covered the walls. A massive wooden desk sat in the center, covered in stacks of old, yellow paper. The air smelled like dry wood and secrets.
"We are safe for now," Nia whispered. She leaned against the wall, sliding down to sit on the floor. Her blue magic was completely gone. She looked exhausted.
Mira and Seren huddled together on a soft rug. They were still shivering from the black water.
Lina walked over to the big wooden desk. She needed to know what the Founder was hiding. She moved a stack of papers and found a small, hidden drawer. She pulled it open.
Inside, there was a thick leather book.
Lina opened it carefully. The pages were brittle. The handwriting was sharp and rushed. It was the Founder's personal diary.
She started to read. Her eyes moved quickly over the old words.
Day 40. The lake is too deep. The thing beneath the stone will not sleep. We need a stronger cage. Stone is not enough. Iron is not enough. We need glass.
Lina frowned. She turned the page.
Day 85. The glass works. But it needs fuel. It needs souls to hold the shape. We cannot use animals. We must use the first class.
Lina's breath caught in her throat. Her hands started to shake.
Day 90. It is done. We pushed the first thirty students into the mirror. Their screams were loud, but the glass held. The monster beneath the stone is trapped by their faces. The students are not scholars. They are the mortar. They are the bricks.
Lina dropped the book. It hit the desk with a loud thud.
The monster in the lake was not a demon. It was not a dark god. It was the combined, angry souls of the very first students. The Founder had murdered them to build the school. The academy was not a cage for a monster. The academy was a graveyard.
"Lina," a weak voice called out.
Lina spun around.
Kai was sitting on the floor near the red curtains. He was coughing. It was a wet, terrible sound.
Lina ran to his side. She dropped to her knees. "Kai? What is wrong? The Quill fixed you. You were warm."
Kai looked up at her. His eyes were filled with tears.
He held out his hand.
Lina gasped. His fingers were turning clear again. The hard, cold glass was creeping back up his wrist. The Quill's magic had only paused the curse. It had not cured it. The mirror was pulling him back.
"It hurts," Kai whispered. His voice sounded thin and echoey again. Clink. Clink. His chest moved, and the sound of glass rubbing together filled the quiet room.
"No, no, no," Lina cried. She grabbed his hand. It was freezing cold. It felt like holding a piece of ice. "I will fix it. I will find a way."
"Lina, look at me," Kai said softly.
The clear glass was moving up his neck. His jaw was stiffening.
"You are blank now," Kai whispered. A single, clear tear slid down his glass cheek. "The mirror cannot copy you. But it can still take me. If I turn completely... I will become one of them. I will join the army."
"You will not!" Lina yelled. Tears spilled down her face. She pressed her forehead against his cold, hard shoulder. "I will not let you become a monster."
"Promise me," Kai choked out. The glass was reaching his chin. His voice was barely a whisper now. "If I smile at you... and my eyes are empty... promise me you will break me."
To be Continued
© Kishtika., 2026
All rights reserved.
Thanks for joining me on this journey today! If you liked this chapter, please consider dropping a Power Stone or leaving a review. It really helps the novel grow, and I appreciate every bit of your support. Happy reading!
Next Chapter Summary for Chapter 131: Kai's body turns completely to glass, forcing Lina to make an impossible choice, while the black water begins to seep through the floor of the Founder's room.