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Beneath the Academy
Far below the pristine towers and gilded halls of the Arcane Academy, beneath layers of mana-sealed walls and wards, there existed a forgotten space—The Hollow Vault.
Most students didn't know it existed.
Those who did… wished they didn't.
It was here that the Council of Obsidian Rings met in secret. A faction made of professors, hidden aristocrats, and outsiders bound by one shared goal: control the evolution of magic before it outpaced them.
Tonight, they spoke of Harvey Gravemore.
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Council of Obsidian Rings
A long table formed of obsidian and sealed dragonbone sat in the middle. Nine chairs, only six filled. Cloaks and illusion masks hid their identities, but one voice pierced the air.
> "He is no longer a rumor."
Professor Malrik, once an imperial researcher, tapped his gloved fingers against the crystalized table. "He is a variable we did not calculate. And today, he erased Ardyn Vale from the top rank like he was a fly."
Another, robed in living shadow, leaned in.
> "He's tapping into Chrono-Mana. No student should be able to shift spell trajectories in real time."
A third scoffed.
> "That boy isn't improvising. He's remembering."
Silence.
Then came a voice that dripped with delight.
> "So… he regressed," said the final member, her face hidden behind a porcelain smile. "Delicious."
The council stirred.
Even among them, that word was taboo.
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Unseen Watchers
Above ground, Harvey sat in a dim observatory lounge, watching the night sky through an enchanted dome. A soft alert pulsed in his system:
> [You are being observed.] [Threat Level: Unknown.]
He didn't react.
He simply poured a cup of black tea and looked up.
> "Let them look," he muttered.
From the shadows, a girl with silvery-white hair stepped forward. Dressed in the uniform of an elite scholar, she stared at him with curious eyes.
> "That spell today... you deflected Ardyn's mana without a chant."
Harvey didn't reply.
> "You're not like the others."
Still no answer.
> "My name is Sylvia Elowen. I'm ranked 4. They sent me to scout you."
Now he looked at her.
> "Did you like what you saw?"
Sylvia didn't flinch.
> "I saw someone pretending to be weak. But beneath that stillness… is a storm."
He smirked.
> "Good. You're not as blind as the rest."
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Old Blood, New Threats
In a private room of House Gravemore, Harvey's older half-brother—Lucien—watched the duel replay through a projection crystal.
He clenched his jaw.
> "So the bastard survived exile."
Behind him, a butler spoke cautiously.
> "Young Master, should I inform the Patriarch?"
Lucien shook his head.
> "No. Let Father rot in his blindness. I'll deal with Harvey myself."
He turned toward the sealed black coffin resting in the corner of the room.
> "I just need the seal broken. And our bloodline will take back what's ours."
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