The next morning we were already back at the academy, having arrived early enough that we'd probably go unnoticed.

  That was the plan, at least, until we saw the commotion.

  As soon as we entered the grounds, we noticed students filling the corridors. It wouldn't be unusual during the week, but on a Sunday morning it made clear that something was very wrong.

  "Did I miss an event happening today?" I asked.

  No one answered, but their faces revealed that they had no idea either.

  I tried to gather information from the conversations around us, but there were so many overlapping voices it was difficult to pick out any details.

  "This doesn't look good..." Lina said quietly.

  "I'm checking on my brother." Anya left without another word, ignoring the crowd and heading toward the infirmary.

  "I'm going to sleep," Erick announced, already walking away.

  I took a few steps forward, trying to spot anyone I knew. Ideally Mira or even Nico, someone who could tell us what was happening.

  However, fate wasn't that kind to me. Instead, it delivered Theo, who spotted me with three girls nearby and immediately came rushing over.

  "Hey Kai! Your old friend Theo here!" He said with a grin, looking at my companions. Lina gave a polite wave. Aurora seemed too absorbed in trying to figure out what was happening to respond. Mary gave him an actual greeting, which probably would have thrilled him if she wasn't the Prince's future bride.

  "Hey Theo..." I tried to ignore his enthusiasm and focus on the important part. "What's going on? Why is everyone up so early?"

  "Oh man, you don't know? Were you guys sneaking out?! With all three of them?!" His face showed a mixture of disbelief and respect.

  "N-No! We were just..." I tried to find an answer that wouldn't lead to trouble, but came up blank.

  Aurora, having grown impatient with the mystery, decided to take matters into her own hands.

  "You're Theo Larren, aren't you?" she asked, looking slightly impressed.

  He was completely caught off guard by her knowing who he was.

  "Y-Yes ma'am. That's me, for sure." He was blushing now.

  "Please Theo, we need to know what happened. Can you help me?" She asked with such an innocent, earnest tone that it made me question who was talking.

  "Yeah! A professor was attacked. Some students found them earlier this morning."

  A professor? Inside the academy? How was that even possible? Had a student finally given Theron payback for his impossible classes?

  "I see. Thank you, Theo." Aurora gave him a small smile that made me feel more bothered than I had any right to be, then walked away.

  Mary began following her. Lina looked at me, waiting. I glanced back at Theo. "Hey, uh... who was attacked?"

  "It's the biggest shame, man. Instead of going after someone boring, they attacked Professor Silvani."

  My blood went cold.

  Soon I was following Aurora through the corridors, my body moving on autopilot while my mind raced.

  An A-rank teacher couldn't be beaten by any student below A-rank, and even another A-rank would struggle against Silvani. She could read mana signatures like other people read books. A sneak attack should have been impossible.

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  Was it another teacher? That would be the only way. But who would want to hurt her?

  We emerged into an empty corridor in a closed-off section of the academy. No students were present here. I doubted most could even find it.

  Aurora spoke briefly to a teacher I didn't recognize, then continued walking. Finally, she stopped at a white door. She looked back at us, almost confused, as if she hadn't expected us all to follow her this far.

  But she didn't say anything. Just opened the door and entered.

  The room was a private medical ward, equipped with a bed, monitoring equipment, shelves of medical supplies, and a small desk in the corner. The moment I stepped inside, I felt it.

  Heat.

  Not the comfortable warmth that usually surrounded Emberheart. This was different. Oppressive. Barely controlled.

  The air felt thick, like the temperature was fighting to spike even higher but was being forcibly restrained.

  On the bed, Silvani lay in her casual clothes, a dark shirt and pants that looked like she'd been wearing them when she was attacked. Her black hair was loose, spread across the pillow. No messy bun, no quill holding it together. Her eyes were closed, and she looked like she was just sleeping.

  But something was fundamentally wrong. She looked too still. Too quiet.

  Silvani was never quiet.

  Beside the bed, sitting in a chair pulled close, was Emberheart.

  He looked like he hadn't slept. His long dark red hair was partially undone, strands falling loose from what had probably been a quick tie. He wore a simple shirt and pants, no coat, like he'd rushed here the moment he'd been told. His eyes were shadowed, and his jaw was tight.

  The temperature in the room pulsed slightly higher.

  "You shouldn't be here," he said. His voice was flat, carefully controlled. I wasn't sure if he was talking to me specifically or the group in general.

  Aurora didn't seem to care. She entered fully and approached the bed, her expression serious.

  I made my way in but stayed back, unsure whether I should get closer or just wait.

  "What happened?" Aurora's voice carried a tone I'd never heard from her before. Not quite a command, but close. Demanding. Almost desperate.

  Emberheart looked at her for a long moment. Then he seemed to make a decision.

  "We think it was a corruption mage." He didn't try to hide anything or deflect. "Her body is completely intact. Not a single physical injury. But her mana..."

  "Was turned into corruption," Aurora concluded, her voice hollow.

  Emberheart's eyes sharpened. He studied her face, taking in what that statement meant about what she knew. "Yes. Any mana she generates naturally is being consumed immediately. Converted into corruption. It's spreading through her system slowly."

  The temperature spiked again, just for a moment, before he forced it back down.

  Silence filled the room. Mary and Lina stood near the doorway, watching the conversation unfold but not daring to speak or move.

  I looked at Silvani again. Without her mana, without that overwhelming presence she always carried, she looked so small. Vulnerable.

  This wasn't right. Silvani was supposed to be theatrical and loud and impossible to ignore. She was supposed to be annoying Emberheart, testing students, being brilliant and obnoxious at the same time.

  Not lying here, silent and still.

  "Do you have any leads on who did it?" I asked, my voice coming out rougher than I intended.

  Emberheart's gaze shifted to me. For a moment, I saw something raw in his expression. Anger, maybe. Or fear.

  "Not at the moment." His hands clenched on the armrests of his chair. "But that's not your concern. Whoever did this, I will handle it when we find them."

  The temperature began stabilizing, returning to something closer to normal as he regained control.

  But I'd seen it. The crack in his composure. The barely restrained fury.

  He cared about her. More than he probably wanted anyone to know.

  I looked at Silvani again. Thought about how she'd helped get the orb for me. How she, in her own way, always made me understand my own mana better. How she'd been trying to uncover the truth about the expedition because she couldn't stand not knowing.

  How she'd told me about corruption mages, even though she probably shouldn't have.

  "I will fix this," I said.

  The words came out quietly but with conviction. I turned toward the door.

  "Kai." Emberheart's voice stopped me.

  I looked back at him. His expression was unreadable, but something passed between us. An understanding. He knew what I was capable of, even if the others didn't.

  He didn't tell me it was impossible. Didn't say I was being foolish.

  He just nodded once, barely perceptible.

  I left the room, ignoring Aurora's questioning look, ignoring how impossible it must have sounded to everyone else.

  I didn't know how yet. Didn't have a plan.

  But I'd figure it out.

  I had to.