Nathan let out a slow breath. "She won’t stop watching? As in..."
He gestured vaguely. "You’re on her radar?"
rlin shook his head.
"No. I’ve been on her radar."
A beat of silence.
"Now I’m in her plans."
The group went completely, perfectly still.
Elara was the first to respond, her voice low and tight.
"What does that an?"
rlin glanced around the hall. Other students were filing in for their next class, laughing, chatting, shoving friends, clueless of the pressure coiling around their group.
He exhaled once and spoke quietly enough only they could hear.
"Morgana didn’t call in to question ," rlin said. "She called because she’s preparing sothing. For . For the academy. And she wanted to know I can’t hide my growth anymore."
Nathan frowned. "She... always knew you were strong."
"She knew I was a six-star," rlin corrected. "She didn’t know how fast I could grow."
A pause.
"And she definitely didn’t expect to synchronize three affinities that cleanly."
Dorian finally stepped forward, his shadow stretching faintly behind him. "So what’s her angle? Protection? Pressure? Recruitnt?"
rlin didn’t answer at first.
Then, quietly:
"All of the above."
Elara sucked in a slow breath. "She’s pulling you into her inner circle."
"Not officially." rlin rubbed his temple. "But she’s made it clear: I’m involved in whatever cos next. Whether I want to be or not."
Adrian muttered, "Headmistress politics. Great. My favorite."
Liliana’s eyes widened. "But she wouldn’t put rlin in danger, right? They’re... close."
This ti, rlin actually smiled.
A faint, dry smile.
"Morgana puts everyone in danger if she believes the outco is worth it. Even herself."
Then his voice softened, the truth sliding in despite himself:
"But she’d never throw away."
Elara turned her head slightly, studying him.
"You trust her."
"I do."
Another pause.
"Just not completely."
Nathan nodded slowly. "That’s... fair."
Ethan leaned sideways. "I prefer trusting nobody. That way disappointnt hurts less."
Adrian thumped him on the back. "You are the reason shops don’t let teenagers near expensive items."
Dorian cut in, calm as ever. "What matters is this: does Morgana expect sothing from you?"
rlin inhaled deeply.
"Yes."
"What?" Elara asked.
rlin’s answer was simple. Quiet. Heavy.
"To be ready."
They all fell silent at that.
Because they’d heard the rumors.
Seen the increasing patrols.
Felt the pressure building in the curriculum.
Noticed the faculty tightening wards and lectures shifting toward real combat.
Sothing was coming.
And Morgana, of all people, was preparing her strongest second-year to et it head on.
Nathan clapped rlin’s shoulder. "Well. Lucky for her, you’ve got us."
rlin actually winced. "I am suddenly less reassured."
Elara stepped closer—not dramatic, not possessive, just quietly anchoring him with her presence.
"We’re not letting you handle this alone. Morgana should know that too."
rlin t her gaze.
"...She does. That’s why she didn’t tell to stay away from any of you."
Elara blinked. "She said that?"
"She didn’t have to. She knows how I operate."
His expression softened.
"How all of us operate."
Nathan grinned. "We’re a package deal. Buy one, get six idiots for free."
Ethan raised a hand. "I object. I am worth at least two idiots."
Dorian sighed. "Tragically true."
Adrian shrugged. "I’m worth four idiots. In physical intimidation alone."
Liliana raised her hand timidly. "I’m only worth one idiot but I bake cookies."
"You’re worth five," rlin said imdiately.
She bead.
Elara smiled—soft, brief, real.
Nathan slung his arm around rlin. "So. Headmistress trouble, world-shaking threats, looming doom, mysterious expectations—"
Adrian nodded. "Tuesday, basically."
Ethan groaned. "I should’ve gone into alchemy. Explosions are safer than rlin’s life."
Before rlin could retort, the bell rang.
Elara motioned toward the classroom door. "Co on. You survived Morgana. Don’t die by being late to Professor Iren’s class."
Nathan shuddered. "She’d kill us all."
And just like that, they walked in together—rlin at the center, Elara beside him, Nathan on the other side, the rest flanking close.
Not because he needed protection.
But because that’s where they belonged.
rlin breathed in once, letting the tension finally break.
For now...
they were still students.
And that was enough.
rlin felt the day settling into sothing almost normal as he and the others took their seats. Professor Iren’s lecture washed over the class—precise, sharp, filled with so many diagrams that even Nathan gave up taking notes halfway through.
But rlin was only half-listening.
Half of him was replaying Morgana’s words.
The other half was waiting for the mont the consequences would arrive.
They didn’t take long.
—
It ca at the very end of the period, just as Professor Iren dismissed them with a stack of assigned mana-calculus work. Students flooded toward the door—complaining, laughing, groaning.
rlin stood to follow.
Then Iren’s voice cut through the noise like a blade.
"rlin Everhart.
A mont."
Every other second-year in the room froze, then parted around rlin like he’d suddenly beco radioactive.
Nathan whispered, "Oh that’s not ominous at all."
Elara muttered, "She’s not angry. She’s... neutral. That’s worse."
Adrian frowned. "Want us to stay?"
"No," rlin murmured. "et outside."
The others reluctantly slipped out.
Only when the door shut behind them did Professor Iren move.
She didn’t walk toward him, she flicked her fingers, weaving a silent ward that sealed the room, muffling sound. The air tightened.
When her eyes lifted to his, they were sharp in a way that felt strangely familiar.
"Morgana spoke with you," she said. Not a question.
rlin kept his breathing even. "Yes."
"And she gave you nothing."
"...Not directly."
Iren nodded once, as if she expected that. Then she reached into her desk and withdrew a thin, rune-marked envelope, dark, heavy parchnt, sealed with the Headmistress’s personal insignia.
She held it out.
rlin didn’t move to take it at first.
Iren’s voice softened only by a fraction. "This is not a disciplinary matter. Nor an academic one. The Headmistress instructed that only you receive this, and that you open it only when you are alone."
"...And you don’t know what’s inside?"
Her mouth twitched, not quite irritation, not quite amusent.
"She trusts enough to carry it. Not enough to read it."
rlin finally reached out and accepted the envelope.
It pulsed faintly against his fingertips.
Ancient wards. Old magic. Morgana’s magic.
Iren stepped back, folding her arms.
"Everhart," she said quietly, "be careful. When Morgana starts moving pieces, the board is already changing."
He nodded once.
Then he left.
—
Nathan pounced imdiately. "What happened? What’d she want? Are we dying? Blink twice if we’re dying."
rlin just held up the envelope.
The entire group froze.
Ethan whispered, "That’s... that’s her personal seal."
Adrian let out a low whistle. "Well. You’re definitely involved in sothing."
Liliana blinked. "Is it... dangerous?"
rlin didn’t answer imdiately.
Not because he wanted to be dramatic, because he genuinely didn’t know.
Elara stepped closer, lowering her voice.
"When will you open it?"
"Now," he said.
But he didn’t move to open it right there, in the hallway full of second-years, passing students, and too many ears.
He looked at his friends.
"Training courtyard. South wing. Five minutes."
Nathan nodded instantly. "Got it."
Dorian tilted his head. "Privacy runes?"
"I’ll set them," rlin said.
They followed without another word.
—
The mont they stepped into the empty arena, rlin lifted his hand.
A shimring, multi-layered barrier unfolded around them, sound wards, vision distortion, mana interference. Strong enough that even a professor would have to push through intentionally.
The others watched in silence.
Only when the final rune settled did rlin kneel and place the envelope on the ground.
Elara stood directly beside him.
Nathan flanked his other side.
The rest ford a loose ring, every face alert.
rlin broke the seal.
Mana rippled out, violet and cold.
Inside was a single sheet of parchnt.
No crest. No signature.
But the handwriting was unmistakable, elegant, sharp strokes, every line precise.
rlin read it once.
Then twice.
The courtyard beca painfully silent.
Nathan leaned in. "Well? What does it say?"
rlin exhaled.
And read aloud:
"There is a disturbance in the boundary layer behind the eastern forest. Report alone, two hours before dawn.
Do not bring your friends.
Do not inform faculty.
Bring nothing that can be traced.
If you are followed, abort.
If you hesitate, do not co.
—M."
The group stared at him in stunned silence.
Then—
Nathan: "WHAT—"
Adrian: "Absolutely not."
Ethan: "That is how people die."
Liliana: "Two hours before dawn is when ghosts co out..."
Dorian folded his arms. "She’s testing you."
Elara’s voice cut cleanly through the panic.
"rlin. Are you going?"
There was no fear in her voice.
Only a quiet, steady certainty, waiting for his answer.
rlin looked down at the parchnt again.
At the words Morgana had chosen.
At the instructions that were less a request and more a doorway.
"...Yes," he said.
Nathan groaned loudly. "Of course you are."
Elara’s eyes didn’t waver from his.
"Then we’ll be nearby."
"No," rlin said imdiately.
"Too bad," Elara replied just as imdiately.
Adrian crossed his arms. "We won’t interfere. We’ll just make sure you don’t end up kidnapped by shadow cultists."
Ethan nodded. "Or eaten by boundary creatures."
Liliana added, "Or possessed by ancient old magic!"
Dorian adjusted his gloves. "Or vaporized because Morgana underestimated a threat."
rlin sighed. "You can’t follow . It literally says—"
Nathan clapped him on the back, nearly knocking him forward. "We won’t follow you."
He grinned.
"We’ll just happen to be in the forest at 3 a.m. for... recreational reasons."
Liliana nodded seriously. "Star-watching."
Ethan said. Night jogging."
Adrian continued. "Illegal weapon testing."
Dorian finished. "...Shut up, all of you."
Elara stepped closer, lowering her voice just for rlin.
"You’re not facing whatever this is alone. Even if you walk into it alone."
And rlin, despite everything, felt himself exhale.
Not because the assignnt was less dangerous.
But because he wasn’t carrying it alone.
He folded the parchnt, slipped it inside his coat, and looked at each of them in turn.
"Then we prepare tonight."
Nathan grinned. "Hell yes we prepare tonight."
Elara said quietly, "We’ll handle the rest."
And as the sun dipped lower over the courtyard, rlin realized sothing:
Morgana’s assignnt wasn’t the beginning of a secret mission.
It was the beginning of another war.
And this ti, he had people walking into the shadows with him.
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