Ashwright Academy's third-floor workshop hummed like a hive of restless magic. Pale crystal lamps cast cold light over rows of enchanted worktables, each etched with delicate spell-lines that shifted like breathing veins. The walls were covered in diagrams of deconstructed spells—some elegant, others clawed and splintered from catastrophic failure.
Aria slipped into the room just as the morning bell echoed through the stone. Her pulse thrummed faintly with necromantic resonance, a cold tapping beneath her sternum like a second heartbeat.
Professor Maelira stood at the front, spine straight, hands folded behind her back. Her robes were layered in deep smoke-grey, embroidered with thin slashes of silver runes that moved when she breathed. Her pale hair was pinned with surgical precision.
"Foundations of Multi-Sigil Construction," Maelira began, voice crisp. "Today you will work in triads. Your goal: construct a three-part spell that must maintain magical harmony for at least ten seconds under pressure."
A few students groaned. One muttered, "Last time we tried harmony, my eyebrows—"
"Yes, I recall," Maelira interrupted without looking. "They're growing back nicely."
Snickers. Someone coughed.
Maelira continued, "Each group will combine three distinct runes: one for impact resistance, one for detection, and one for stabilization. If any of you fail to maintain balance… the spell collapses. Violently."
The class fell into tense silence.
Maelira held out a small slip of parchment.
"Groups are assigned."
Aria swallowed. She had a terrible suspicion.
"Aria Thorne," Maelira announced, "you will work with Selene Voss and Riven Crestfall."
Of course.
Riven swaggered over first, flame dancing lazily over his fingertips. "Well, looks like the Death-Touched gets the fun team," he said, sliding into the seat on her right.
Selene arrived a moment later, robes perfectly arranged, expression cool as carved obsidian. "Let's aim for precision today," she said, sitting on Aria's left. "I would prefer my eyebrows intact."
Riven snorted. "You have to have emotions to lose eyebrows."
Selene didn't blink. "Discipline is a spectrum. You are not on it."
"Thank the gods."
Aria rubbed her temple.
This was going to be chaos.
Maelira clapped her hands. A shimmering diagram unfurled in midair above their table—a perfect tri-circle linked by thin, pulsing sigil-lines.
"Your task begins now," she said. "Think. Coordinate. And do attempt not to explode."
She moved on to the next group.
Aria traced a finger near the hovering circle. "Okay… impact resistance, detection, and stability. Selene, you're best with structural work."
Selene nodded. "I'll take stabilization."
"Great," Riven said, conjuring a flicker of fire above his palm, "I'll do impact resistance. But I'm making it… exciting."
"No," Selene said immediately.
"Yes," Riven shot back.
Aria sighed. "Let's just… try not to set the table on fire."
They began sketching. Selene's rune formed first—geometric, symmetrical, glowing a cold blue that hummed with quiet authority.
Riven attempted his next and nearly shattered the whole circle.
"Too much output," Selene snapped. "Are you trying to kill us?"
"Hey," Riven said, leaning back smugly. "If you survive, your rune improves by necessity."
"That's not pedagogy," Selene hissed.
"That's Crestfall pedagogy."
Aria choked back a laugh.
Then it was her turn.
She lifted her chalk—and felt a cold ripple crawl up her arm.
Her necromancy wanted to express itself, to shape something more than detection. Something deeper. Bone-deep.
She forced her hand steady and drew the most basic detection rune she knew.
But halfway through, a line curved into a sigil pattern that tugged from her instincts: a necrosense rune.
She froze.
Selene noticed first.
"That curve— That's not a detection stroke."
Riven leaned in, eyes bright with interest. "That looked like a—"
Aria quickly corrected the line.
"Slip of the hand."
Riven raised a brow. "You don't slip."
Selene studied her carefully—not accusatory, but curious. Maybe wary.
Aria's stomach tightened.
"Group Three," Maelira's voice echoed as she drifted toward them like a silent wraith. "Explain your approach."
Selene straightened immediately. "I'm constructing the stabilizer using a four-point symmetry structure."
"Predictable," Maelira murmured, "but reliable. Continue."
Riven puffed out his chest. "I'm making the impact ward explosive."
"You're making it dangerous," Selene corrected.
Maelira smirked. "Dangerous is acceptable. Uncontrolled is not. Ensure you understand the difference."
Her gaze slid to Aria.
"And your contribution?"
"A detection rune," Aria said, keeping her voice even. "Linked between the two."
Maelira lifted a brow. "Your stroke there—unusual. Has someone taught you variant sigilwork?"
Aria's heart stuttered.
"No. Just… experimenting."
Maelira held her eyes a moment longer than necessary.
"Interesting," she murmured. "Be cautious with improvisation yet… don't abandon it. Some rules serve only to be outgrown."
She moved away.
Aria let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.
The class hummed again as Maelira visited other tables.
At Group One, she stopped and pinched the bridge of her nose.
"No, Joren, that is not stabilization—that is a summoning rune. Unless you intend to summon your failure, start over."
At Group Four, she said flatly, "If your spell is trembling like that, it is preparing to explode. Step back."
A moment later, it exploded, sending chalk dust everywhere.
Maelira didn't flinch.
"Reflection: stability cannot be achieved through wishing. Try again."
Riven whispered, "I love her."
Selene whispered, "That explains your grades."
Aria smiled despite herself.
As the trio worked again, Riven nudged her. "So. That little curve earlier…"
Aria kept her eyes on the rune. "Mistake."
Selene's voice was soft, but cutting. "Or instinct."
Aria stiffened.
Selene continued, "You're not building like a novice. You're anticipating harmonic failure points without calculation."
Riven smirked. "She's full of surprises."
Aria forced herself to keep breathing, to keep steady.
She couldn't afford to slip. Not here.
The circle hummed with growing power—cold blue, hot orange, pale white interlaced in a trembling triad.
"Stabilize," Selene whispered.
"Flare output lowered," Riven added.
"Detection aligned," Aria said.
The runes locked into balance.
The circle glowed.
Maelira reappeared beside them. "Impressive," she said, hands clasped behind her back. "Unusual harmonic resonance."
Aria felt her chest tighten.
Maelira's eyes shifted to her.
"And Ms. Thorne… did you get proper rest last night."expand it farther but remberrf thew church is not bad techincly keep the same toe but when
Aria blinked. "Why?"
"Because today, an observer from the Church of the Last Breath will be attending classes."
Her smile was razor-thin.
"He is a man of… discerning eyes."
Selene's breath hitched.
Riven's flame flickered out.
Aria's blood ran cold.
Maelira walked away as calmly as she came.
Riven exhaled. "Well. That sounds completely not ominous."
Selene looked at Aria, eyes narrowed but not unkind.
"Are you… ready for that?"
Aria's throat felt dry.
She forced a nod.
"I'll have to be."
The rune circle pulsed once—cold, hot, alive.
The triad held.
Barely.