***
Nova and I went outside, leaving the dormitory. The air was fresh and cool, but the atmosphere at the academy seemed to have heated to a white-hot intensity. The familiar route to the main academic building felt completely different: the chatter of students had been replaced by hushed conversations, and the girls moved in groups, casting wary glances at the new figures who had disrupted the usual order.
Royal soldiers were not marching through the academy grounds. They were simply standing. Four at the entrance to the main academic building, another three near the fountain in the park. Their presence was more oppressive than any patrol. They were not acting; they were simply observing, stationed at their designated posts. They were the first witnesses of the new order soon to envelop the academy.
At the entrance to the main building, we were stopped by a middle-aged man with a thick beard and a twirled mustache.
"The entrance to the central academic building is closed. Classes are canceled for today." His voice was boorish and rough, not surprising for a man of his rank.
Nova stepped forward, her hand touching the dueling sword she carried. A rather foolish and reckless move, considering she was just a girl who was about to turn eighteen.
"Get out of the way. I am Nova, heiress of the Cross lineage. If you don't want me to curse you, get out of the way." Her voice was resolute and angry, but she was just bluffing: she had no talent for curses, and I knew that perfectly well.
The man laughed.
"Girl, you'd better get out of the way. We have state business here."
Nova's hands were already trembling on her sword when a woman approached us.
"Officer Ardicht, let them pass. They are not here on our business." The woman's voice—a brigadier general—was authoritative and calm. The officer wrinkled his nose slightly but quickly stepped aside.
"Miss Nova, I was expecting you. Let's go to the rector's office." It was obvious that the brigadier general was acquainted with Nova, but how did she know we were coming? Evelina was clearly playing a double game and had predicted all these events in advance.
We entered the hall of the central building, where the tapestries of the twin queens still hung in their places. However, against the wall stood two tightly rolled standards bearing the coat of arms of King Greyvan. Two servants in unfamiliar livery bustled nearby, quietly discussing something and taking measurements of the wall. This was not a change of scenery, merely a preparation for it. A demonstration that the old world was living out its final hours.
The rector's office was on the top, fifth floor of the central building, and there was nothing else there. The journey up the stairs did not take long, and when we approached the office, we heard male voices discussing the future state of affairs at the academy.
The brigadier general stopped.
"You're on your own from here," she said and silently turned back, as if something important were hidden behind the door that even she was not supposed to see.
While Nova hesitated, her hand uncertainly reaching for the doorknob, I beat her to it and opened the door. Before us, in the spacious office, stood three figures—two unfamiliar male silhouettes and Madam Geranira Evenclod—the current rector of the academy.
Entering the office so quickly, we unwittingly became witnesses to their heated conversation:
"Prince Frederik, you can change the rector and rehang the tapestries," her voice was quiet but firm and strong-willed. "But you will not change the spirit of this place. It is in these walls, not in your orders," Geranira said, looking out the window like a pale shadow.
Geranira stood with her back to us, her hand clutching the edge of the wooden windowsill, a clear sign that she was nervous.
The rector's office, once the epitome of academic tradition, had now fallen into disrepair. One power was being replaced by another; even the portraits of the twin queens had faded in the sunlight streaming through the windows.
The two men who filled the office with their energy turned their gazes to us. One of them, apparently the new rector of the academy, was an elderly man in a black uniform decorated with silver galloons, and the other—young, energetic, in a royal uniform—was Prince Frederik Konrad Valtheim.
The prince's cold blue eyes studied me, Nova, and the open door in detail, like museum exhibits, and the air crackled with tension.
"I assume you forgot to knock," Frederik's voice was soft, like a blade wrapped in silk. His gaze slid over Nova, lingering on her clenched fists. "Or are the academy's rules no longer mandatory for the heiresses of ancient lines?"
Nova stepped forward, her chin held defiantly high: "The expulsion order is a mistake. I demand…"
"Demand?" Frederik interrupted her, an eyebrow elegantly raised. "Interesting. Since when do students dictate terms to the royal family?" He turned to the new rector, whose face resembled a mask carved from granite. "Your opinion, Major Terren?"
Terren crossed his arms over his chest:
"The disciplinary order was signed by Madam Geranira Evenclod and will be executed." His voice was overly arrogant and rough. "Miss Cross violated the sacred prohibition on duels with fatal outcomes. Tomorrow, it will be posted on the information board, certified with all seals," he cut in, not even deigning to give Nova a full glance. "The problems of the heritage and reputation of the Cross lineage are not within the rectorate's competence. That is a personal matter for their family."
While Nova stared at the new rector, smugly announcing the order, my gaze was fixed on Frederik. Threads of Darkness magic pulsed in his aura—not pure, like mine, but distorted, mixed with chaos… However, I did not feel the explicit influence of Chaotic Darkness's energies in him.
"However, there was no fatal outcome," I interjected as soon as the new rector had finished his speech, my voice a little higher, as befit a sixteen-year-old girl. "I am alive. The doctors have confirmed a full recovery. Is that not enough to reconsider the decision?"
Frederik slowly turned, looking at me for the first time. His gaze slid over the patterns on my uniform and lingered on my violet eyes.
"Artalis Feda Nox…" he drew out the name as if tasting it. "A foreigner from the Tarvarian Empire, presuming to be the voice of reason. Amusing." He stepped closer, violating my personal space. "Do you really believe that your survival negates the fact of her crime?"
"Your Highness, I am about to become the mage-guardian of Her Highness Evelina Konrad Valtheim. I believe that is a worthy reason to interfere in matters concerning her close friend."
Frederik smiled cunningly; in that smile, he resembled his younger sister.
"Mage-guardians, a foolish ritual that should have been abolished long ago…" He looked at Geranira Evenclod, who was still standing by the window. "However, Artalis, you are right," he said ironically, "you certainly have the right to represent my sister's interests, but…" He stopped, and his lips curved into a cunning smile, after which he shifted his gaze to Nova, who was already literally trembling with overflowing anger. "Nova Cross, are you really willing to ask for protection from… a foreigner?" a poorly concealed mockery was in his voice. "You have always been proud. Aren't you going to fight your own battles?"
Nova Cross nodded, trying to collect her thoughts, and then hesitantly stepped forward to meet Frederik.
"Yes, Your Highness, I am willing to ask for help from a foreigner. After all, I now understand that our goals are the same." Nova clenched her fists; her intentions were firm, but I was the one she should be relying on.
"Is that so? Well, in that case, Nova, I offer you a simple deal: I will give you the order, and you will promise me three simple things." Frederik smiled. "And if you do not fulfill these conditions, I can assure you, not only you, but also your 'friend' Reina, as well as this foreigner, will regret it."
"What are the conditions?" Nova asked the prince uncertainly, the knuckles of her clenched fists already white.
"Actually, nothing you can't fulfill: no more duels like this one, no more conflicts with other students, and no romantic relationships. Otherwise, the consequences will be much more serious. And know, Nova, I will be watching your every move. God forbid I find out you want to deceive me."
Nova froze, her hands unclenched, her jaw slightly agape. It was apparently a shock to her that Frederik knew about her relationship with Ren. However, for me, this was a new, convenient circumstance that would significantly facilitate my future mission.
"Your Highness, I agree to your conditions and am prepared for the most serious consequences." Nova's voice did not waver. Apparently, she was really ready to risk everything she had.
Frederik gestured to the new rector.
"Major Terren, issue the appropriate order. I believe this matter poses no hidden threat to us, especially since Artalis Nox has confirmed that the issue of the duel has been resolved."
Terren nodded, his face expressing sternness. He took the order from the wooden desk and handed it to Nova.
Frederik Valtheim smiled cunningly again and then said:
"You may go. We still have a difficult conversation ahead with Madam Geranira. However, remember: I am watching you, and if you think you can deceive me, you are sorely mistaken."
Nova and I hastily left the rector's office. I didn't close the door fully, leaving a thin sliver, and cast one last look inside.
The scene that was frozen there said more than their entire conversation. Frederik stood in the center, still radiating an aura of undeniable authority. Madam Geranira—by the window, her back to them, her silhouette tense but not broken. She was not exiled. She was a prisoner in her own office, awaiting her fate. And Major Terren… he was not sitting in the chair. He slowly approached the desk and placed his gloved palm on the back of the rector's chair. There was no haste in this gesture, no insolence, only a quiet, confident taking of possession. It was a gesture not of power, but of the anticipation of power. He had not yet sat down, but the chair already belonged to him.
Nova shot me a brief glance, and I silently closed the door. Together, we headed back to Evelina Valtheim.
***
The journey down the empty staircases of the central building created an unusual atmosphere for this time of day at the academy. Outside, the royal soldiers were still present, and the anxious students were still whispering about something.
Nova was silent the entire way, but I could feel the tension building inside her. She was not just walking beside me—she was choosing her moment. When we entered the hall of the prestigious dormitory, she grabbed my wrist and pulled me toward the service corridor on the first floor. Her grip was strong and almost desperate, and I followed her obediently until we were in a side, empty passage where the light from the windows barely reached the stone floor.
"Now, wait," she whispered, looking around as if she feared the walls had ears.
I looked at her. In the semi-darkness, her eyes seemed darker, her face paler. There were more questions in her gaze than stars in the sky.
"Tell me, Arta… Why?" her voice was barely audible. "Why did you do it?"
"I acted in Evelina's best interests," I replied evenly, not trying to feign emotion. "Your expulsion would have created unnecessary problems for her. Isn't that logical?"
"Logical…" she laughed bitterly. "To help Evelina… You know, if you're going to help her, you need to know something. Otherwise, you'll die. Quickly and foolishly."
"Are you threatening me after I saved you?" There was no offense in my voice, only a cold analysis of her tactics.
"No!" she flinched, her grip loosening. "I… I'm warning you. It's not just about Frederik and his supporters. There's something else. Something ancient. Something not spoken of aloud…" she fell silent, as if the mere mention were dangerous. "The problem is the Gods of Dreams."
The Gods of Dreams, the local deities of this world, were directly connected to the legends of the twin queens and represented, for now, an unknown level of threat to me. However, they were not directly related to the anomaly, and there was no point in studying them immediately.
"What do you know about them?" I asked, trying to look interested in the conversation.
"Almost nothing," she admitted honestly. "Only that they are somehow connected to the Cross and Valtheim families. And that Evelina… she's afraid. Truly afraid. So, by signing the pact with her, you're not just getting involved in politics. You're stepping into the territory of divine providence. Think about it."
"I see, I understand," I replied, mentally noting the dynamics of the possible consequences. "Either way, I don't have much of a choice."
Nova nodded, releasing my hand. There was no more malice in her eyes. Only weariness and the shadow of a nascent, forced trust.
We returned to the hall to continue on to Evelina's chambers. And the silence between us now was filled with the weight of a new, shared secret.