As Leo stepped out of the council chamber, the cold stone floor echoing under his boots, a strange feeling itched at the back of his neck. Curiosity got the better of him, and he glanced over his shoulder—just once.
Everyone else had left their seats. Everyone… except one.
The Silent Seat.
And from that pitch-black throne, a figure was sitting—still, unmoving—but now turned completely toward him.
Staring. Not just looking—staring like he'd been doing it for centuries and wasn't about to stop now.
Leo froze. The figure's face was half-shadowed, but in the flickering blue firelight, he swore he saw something glint. Teeth.
A smile.
Not a nice one. Not a "you-did-great-back-there-champ" kind of smile. More like a devil's silent smile.
The kind that said, I know something you don't—and I'm going to enjoy watching it eat you alive.
Leo spun around quickly and kept walking. "Nope. Not gonna think about that. Definitely not putting that in the therapy folder."
---
Back in the daylight, as they made their way toward the Archive, he finally broke the silence. "Hey, Rayleigh... back there, they said something about a seal? What's that about?"
Rayleigh didn't even blink. "An old binding. Meant to keep ancient voices quiet. Or in. Or both."
"Wow. Thanks for the detailed breakdown, Wikipedia."
Rayleigh shrugged. "You're welcome."
---
The Archive's grand doors loomed ahead, and Leo felt the usual mix of wonder and dread. Inside, books fluttered on their own, ink rearranged itself, and sometimes shelves whispered to each other about your deepest secrets.
They were greeted by Ari, already lounging on a floating cushion, reading a book upside down—because why not.
She looked up and smirked. "Ah, the chosen one returns. And look, he's got his babysitter."
Leo gave a little wave. "Hey."
Ari walked over, waving her scroll. "By the way, I got an official message from the Council. I'm supposed to 'observe you more closely and report anomalies.'" She raised an eyebrow, mock-serious. "So, what now? I gotta bathe with you too? Share a toothbrush? Synchronize our poop schedules?"
Leo blinked. "...What?! No—why is that your go-to list!?"
Rayleigh sighed deeply and gestured for them to follow. "Enough. Magic training starts now."
"Great," Leo muttered. "Let's see if I can burn something again."