When the last lantern dimmed and the final elder left the Moonspire Hall, silence settled over the crystalline chamber. The children had been taken to their temporary quarters, protected by layers of wards, guarded by both Magnus warriors and sentient runic constructs. Even Elias, still clutching Devon's sleeve until the very last moment, had been gently guided away.
Now, only two remained.
Devon and Dezyne.
The twins stood beneath the shimmering dome of the hall, the runes overhead shifting like moving constellations. Devon let out a slow breath, shoulders sagging. The emotional turbulence of the resonance test still pulsed faintly in his veins, echoing Elias's fear, the children's wild magic, and his own barely-controlled panic.
Dezyne watched him quietly, unreadable as always.
"You did well," the patriarch said. "Elias calmed faster with you present."
Devon scoffed, rubbing tiredly at his eyes. "I'm not a mage instructor."
