The Headmaster's chamber breathed with silence, lit only by drifting wisps of pale light that circled the room like watchful spirits. Ancient tomes lined the shelves, their bindings whispering with age, while at the center sat Maximilian Pegasus, obscured as always by the veil of mythical smoke that blurred his features.
Selora stood before him, her staff clutched tightly, her usual composure frayed by urgency.
"Headmaster," she began, her tone sharper than she intended. "I caught the two of them clashing on their very first day. Jordan and Jayden. They do not yet know their truth — but we do. And if their rivalry festers unchecked, they could bring about catastrophe before they've even touched their full potential."
The wisps around Maximilian shifted lazily, curling as if to echo his calm. He raised one hand, the motion precise and unhurried, silencing her.
"Selora… all is as it should be. Do not mistake turbulence for ruin. The brothers' collision is no accident — it is fate. Their bond and their strife are the whetstones upon which destiny sharpens its blade."
Selora's eyes narrowed, her jaw tense.
"With respect, Headmaster, fate is fickle. What if their power spirals beyond even your control? The Academy could be torn apart before your plans ever bear fruit."
Maximilian leaned forward slightly, the glow of the wisps outlining the curve of his smile though his face remained hidden. His voice was smooth, commanding, almost reverent.
"My dreams will come to fruition. The world of men and the world of Astrolia will bind together, as I have foreseen. And the brothers — they will be the fulcrum upon which it all balances. Destiny and fate are not fragile threads… they are chains. Unbreakable. I hold them in my grasp."
A silence lingered, thick and heavy. Selora searched the haze for certainty, for even a glimmer of doubt in his words — but found none.
At last, she exhaled, her voice low.
"I hope you are right, Maximilian. For all our sakes."
She bowed her head slightly and turned, her robes whispering across the stone floor as she dismissed herself.
The chamber fell quiet once more, save for the drifting wisps that curled around the Headmaster. Alone, Maximilian leaned back in his chair, his unseen smile sharpening in the shadows.
"Marvelously," he whispered.