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The Forbidden Wing
The Academy's library was vast.
Built like a cathedral of knowledge, its shelves stretched upward into magical skylights, books hovering between dimensions, whispering in tongues forgotten by time.
But not all knowledge was public.
In the far back, hidden behind layers of illusion and protective glyphs, lay the Forbidden Wing—a place where reality bent and truths were chained.
Only a handful of individuals had access.
And Cassien Vire was not one of them.
But he didn't need access.
He needed evidence.
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A Watcher in the Dark
Liora had her suspicions.
She followed Cassien not through corridors, but through spells—linking shadows, bending silence, using mana echoes to trace his footsteps through space itself.
She didn't trust him.
And more importantly, she needed answers.
> "Why does he look at Harvey like that?"
> "What is he hiding?"
As Cassien stepped through the barrier using a conjured Imperial override seal, Liora weaved herself into the in-between space—an illegal spell from her mother's grimoire.
She entered without leaving a trace.
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Dust and Memory
The air inside was ancient.
Scrolls wrapped in gold threads. Tomes sealed with soul-locks. Blue fireflies drifted through the aisles, protecting the archives from intruders.
Cassien ignored most of it.
He made his way to a specific section:
V-Class Arcane Crimes | Sealed Individuals | Spellbreakers.
He knelt before a case and muttered something under his breath.
The books unlocked.
He pulled one out:
"The Void Rebellion: Harvey Alzahar's Final Code."
Liora's breath caught.
> "What…?"
She listened.
> "It was never about the magic," Cassien whispered.
> "It was about the system itself. About what he broke—what he saw."
> "I need to know if he still remembers."
> "Because if he does… I'll have to kill him again."
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A Memory Replayed
Liora's heart pounded.
She moved closer, closer—
Until her presence triggered a feedback glyph.
Cassien spun instantly, his hand shooting out—lightning shaped like a wolf's jaw snapping toward the shadows.
But Liora was already gone, slipping behind the barrier, holding her breath.
She had heard enough.
And the book he opened?
She memorized the title.
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Return to Harvey
That evening, the stars over the Academy were unusually clear.
Harvey stood on the northern observatory, hands behind his back, watching the constellation he once used as a reference for spell arrays.
He felt her arrive before she spoke.
> "He went to the Forbidden Wing," Liora said, breathless.
Harvey didn't turn.
> "And?"
> "He looked for records of the Void Rebellion. Of… you."
> "And?"
> "He still doesn't know everything. But he suspects. He'll come for you soon."
Harvey finally turned, eyes cold.
> "Good."
Liora frowned.
> "Aren't you… worried?"
Harvey smiled faintly.
> "He's a hound. I'm the cage he was trained to break."
> "But this time… I've already set the trap."
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Elsewhere – The Eye Opens
Deep beneath the Empire's capital, inside the Arcanum's vault, a hidden mechanism unlocked.
A single phrase was whispered into the void:
> "Subject Harvey Alzahar – Active Tag Resurfaced."
> "Engage Phase 2. Send the Watcher."
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