Freya spread the scrolls across the worn oak table. The soft crackle of parchment broke the silence. Dust motes drifted through colored beams from the stained-glass windows, but she didn't notice.
Only one thought filled her mind. How to erase a curse.
She flipped through pages, eyes scanning diagrams of mana flows and ancient glyphs. Her fingers traced one symbol, her lips pressed tight.
Every time she thought she found a clue, the answer slipped away. As if the curse itself was mocking her.
"Another dead end? Not good enough."
She pushed back her chair, the legs scraping against the stone floor. She couldn't waste another second here. Not with another trial waiting tomorrow.
She didn't notice the figure watching her from the shadows.
*****
In his room, Jett struggled to steady his mana. Ella rested on his lap, her faint glow pulsing in rhythm with his breathing.
"Five trials left out of fourteen," he muttered.
"Rey thinks I might be targeted again."
