rlin shoved his hands deeper into his pockets.
When they reached the apartnt, he hesitated on the stairs.
The door wasn’t locked. He didn’t know why that surprised him.
Inside, the place slled like soone had actually cleaned, floor freshly wiped, faint scent of mint or sothing herbal near the bathroom. There was a folded blanket on the couch. The kettle had been used.
Nathan looked up from where he sat at the table, a bag of groceries beside him. Elara was sprawled across the rug with a book in one hand and a half-eaten pear in the other.
Seraphina glanced up from her seat by the window. "You’re back."
rlin nodded and kicked off his boots.
Elara sat up straighter. "How long were you out with, what’s his na again?"
rlin shrugged. "Didn’t ask."
Nathan raised an eyebrow. "Didn’t ask? You were out with him for three hours."
"Yeah."
They stared.
rlin walked to the sink, poured himself water, drank half the glass in one go, and leaned back against the counter.
"He just wanted to talk," he said.
Seraphina snorted. "Right. Because strange n who hang around unconscious academy students are just full of casual conversation."
rlin didn’t answer.
Elara tilted her head. "You good?"
He looked at her. She ant it. Not suspicious. Just checking.
"Yeah," he said. "I’m good."
’Good enough to lie without blinking,’ he added silently. ’That’s probably not a win.’
Nathan stood, walked over, grabbed the rest of the groceries from the counter.
"Next training day is tomorrow," he said. "You should probably sleep. You’ve been... out longer than you think."
"Yeah?" rlin asked, finishing his water.
Nathan nodded. "You don’t want to fall behind."
’Too late for that.’
He moved past Nathan without another word and went straight to the small room they’d given him. It wasn’t his room. Not really. Just a place with a bed and a drawer he hadn’t opened since arriving. The blanket was too thin. The pillow slled like dust and detergent.
rlin closed the door behind him, sat on the edge of the bed, and opened his system again.
[User: rlin Everhart]
[Inherited mories: 9.3% Stabilized]
[Star Progression (Next Rank): 7.0%]
[Next Unlock: Enhanced Trait – Passive Reservoir Expansion]
He stared at that last line.
’Another step closer.’
The system didn’t speak. It never did unless it had to. But sotis, rlin felt like it was watching him. Not judging. Just... waiting. For what, he wasn’t sure.
He fell back onto the bed.
The ceiling was cracked in the corner. A spider had spun sothing there, maybe days ago.
’I’m going to be sent to that dungeon. I know it. And if it’s like the novel, soone important dies.’
He didn’t want to think about who. His eyes slid shut.
’If I get stronger now, I can stop it. Maybe.’
He exhaled.
’I’m not going to lose anyone else.’
The system pinged again, soft. A reminder, not a warning.
[Questline Flag: "Overflow: Prelude" – 4 Days Remaining.]
rlin sat back up.
He didn’t feel tired anymore.
And sleep wasn’t going to help.
Not with what was coming.
—
The gates were unlocked.
Not a good sign.
rlin paused, hand still on the cold iron bar, staring through the gaps toward the main building. A single light burned near the top of the central tower.
He didn’t need to guess whose office that was.
’Still working this late?’
He stepped inside and moved fast, keeping low out of habit. The courtyard was empty, and the guards had either been dismissed or... more likely, told not to bother.
The Academy was quiet at night. No students roaming the halls. No instructors patrolling. Just the cold weight of stone and magic resting over the place like a too-heavy blanket.
The tower doors opened with a soft creak. rlin slipped inside and started climbing.
Stairs curved up and up, and he counted them under his breath, even though he didn’t know why.
He stopped at the top, one hand hovering near the handle.
Then he knocked once.
"Enter," ca the voice.
Smooth. Bored. Amused.
He pushed open the door.
Morgana stood by the tall arched window, her back to him, hair loose and down her spine, a glass of sothing red swirling in her hand.
The hem of her robe brushed the floor, black silk with a low-cut neckline that wasn’t there this morning when he last saw her lecturing about defensive enchantnts.
She didn’t turn.
"Well. Look who decided not to stay dead."
rlin stepped in and shut the door behind him. "That’s the welco I get?"
She sipped her wine. "You were gone five days. I assud you’d found a new grave."
"I didn’t."
"No," she said, and turned.
Her eyes t his. Cool, steady, far too entertained.
"You ca back skinnier, sohow," she added. "Not a good look."
"I’ll eat more."
"I’ll watch."
He narrowed his eyes. "Do you flirt with all your students after midnight?"
"Only the ones who trespass into my office uninvited."
He raised a brow. "I knocked."
"That’s adorable," she said, and walked past him toward her desk.
She didn’t sit. Just leaned one hip against the edge, swirling her wine again with practiced ease.
"You’re not here for a lesson," she said. "So what do you want?"
rlin looked around once, her office was cluttered in the exact way that said she worked too often and slept too little. Books half-open, scrolls rolled tight, a charm dagger stuck into a plate of untouched fruit.
He finally t her eyes again.
"I wanted to see if anyone knew."
"About what?"
"Where I went."
Morgana tilted her head. "Is this a trick?"
"No."
"You vanished into a seal with a pulse like a dying star. We heard the noise from here. Then it stopped. No body. No energy trace. Just empty air."
He stayed silent.
"I assud you tripped into sothing you weren’t ready for," she said, casually. "And got eaten."
"I didn’t."
She leaned forward, just a little. "So where did you go, rlin?"
He didn’t answer right away.
Her eyes narrowed. "Don’t test ."
He sighed. "Sowhere bad."
"That’s not an answer."
"It’s all I’m giving you."
She smiled without humor. "You’re cute when you pretend to be mysterious."
rlin crossed his arms. "And you’re always like this?"
Morgana set her glass down. "Only when I’m annoyed."
"You don’t look annoyed."
"Because I’m trying to figure you out, and I don’t like not having answers."
He looked away.
[System Notification: New Path Integration — Passive Awakening Tracking Active.]
He closed it quickly.
"I’m not going to be the sa anymore," he said quietly.
She didn’t speak.
When he glanced back at her, she was still watching him, but sothing in her face had shifted. Less teasing. More interest.
"Did you learn sothing?" she asked.
He hesitated.
She pushed off the desk and stepped toward him, stopping close. Too close.
"You’re not the strongest person here, rlin," she said, voice low. "But you might be the one with the worst timing. I suggest you get better at both."
He didn’t flinch. "Are you warning ?"
"I’m trying to see if you’re worth investing in."
Her hand brushed his sleeve—light, deliberate, testing.
"You already are," he said.
That made her smile again, sharper this ti.
"Good," she said. "Then prove it."
rlin stepped back, his heart still thudding harder than it should’ve.
"I will," he said. "But not tonight."
"Sha."
He turned toward the door.
"rlin," she said behind him.
He stopped.
"I’m glad you didn’t die," Morgana said.
He didn’t answer.
Just pushed open the door and left.
Because he wasn’t sure he could say the sa.
—
The apartnt door creaked louder than it should’ve. Or maybe he was just more aware of it now. His boots hit the entryway tile with that quiet clunk that only old floors knew how to make.
He stepped inside, shrugged off his jacket, then froze.
Elara was sitting on the floor outside his bedroom. Her back leaned against the wall. Arms crossed. A blanket draped over her knees like she’d been waiting a while.
"Hey," she said. Not sleepy. Just... there.
He blinked. "You’re up."
"No shit," she said, tilting her head. "You snuck out again."
rlin scratched the back of his neck. "Didn’t think you’d notice."
"Well, I did."
A beat passed. She didn’t move.
He walked past the little kitchenette, kept his eyes on her. She looked tired, but not like soone who couldn’t sleep. More like soone who chose not to.
"I needed so air," he said.
"Sure." Her voice was calm. "You always sneak into a secure magic school in the middle of the night when you need air?"
He didn’t answer.
Her eyes followed him as he dropped his bag by the door and ca closer.
"You didn’t bring a weapon," she added.
"I wasn’t planning to fight anyone."
"That’s usually when fights happen."
He looked at the door to his room. Then at her.
"Elara, I’m fine."
She raised a brow. "That’s what everyone says right before they’re not."
rlin exhaled. Sat down across from her, backs to opposite walls. The space between them felt smaller than it should’ve.
’I should’ve expected this.’
He watched her stretch her legs out, the blanket slipping off her knees a little.
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