"And on top of that, she's only making minimal movements. I don't understand, what's the answer to this? I feel like an idiot looking for an answer to this while she's probably thinking about what she'll have for dinner."
"She's incredible, isn't she?"
The voice comes from the side. Lira. She's there, her green eyes glued to the scene, her hands clasped together tightly.
"Yes, she's not even looking," I reply, without taking my eyes off Mio. "Does she have enhanced reflexes? Or is this just training to the point of repetition? No, it can't be that; I feel like even if I trained my whole life, I wouldn't be able to act like that."
Lira seemed happy just watching Mio's test. "Even though it's not the first time, seeing it is still surprising."
If I offered her a duel, would she accept? It would be a good opportunity to learn, but could I keep up? Even if she can't use magic, I can't imagine myself winning...
"Ah, yes. Why don't you try talking to her?" "She dodged one that was behind her?"
Lira slowly pulled her gaze away from Mio, as if being dragged back from somewhere else. Her eyes found the floor first, then her own feet, then my boots, and only then, after an eternity, my eyes.
"I..." She squeezed her hands tighter. "We're too different, Elian. I wouldn't know how to act."
"Different how?"
She didn't answer immediately. Her green eyes went back to the floor, tracing lines where they didn't exist.
"Look," I insisted, trying to keep my voice light, "you two came from the countryside. Neither of you is from a noble family. That's already more in common than most people here have."
"And you already have enough unusual things to talk about. The exam, the underground, adjusting to the Academy." I tilted my head toward Mio. "If you stop to think about it, maybe you're the only person who could offer that kind of conversation to her."
For a moment, something changed in her face. A quick gleam, almost a smile. As if the possibility had entered through a crack.
But it lasted only a second.
"I don't know how she would react," Lira murmured, her voice lower. "People like her usually have big goals."
"Big goals, huh?" I repeated, more to myself than to her.
The image came immediately: Mio in the hallway yesterday, her hand on her face trying to fake embarrassment after that ridiculous joke about the echo. The most convincing acting from someone who clearly didn't know how to act.
"Look," I turned to Lira, "I don't know what kind of person you think she is, but Mio doesn't seem to have any of that."
Lira opened her mouth to respond, but I continued before she could.
"And if you're going to talk about the underground, you'd better stop now. If it weren't for you, none of us would be here. Including her." I pointed with my chin toward Mio. "I saw what you did down there. Everyone saw."
Lira squeezed her hands tighter, but didn't look away.
"Don't let her brightness overshadow yours. You two are incredible. Each in your own way." Meanwhile, what did I do? I let them throw themselves in front of that thing and handle the situation... Pathetic.
Lira smiled — quick, almost shy — and turned her gaze back to the test. She watched for a few more seconds, her expression concentrated, until she slightly tilted her head.
"Strange," she murmured.
"What?"
"Her last movement. It was..." Lira frowned, her green eyes narrowing. "I don't know how to explain it. I just felt it was strange."
It's over already?
I squinted, straining my vision against the distance. Mio was motionless in the center of the circle, arms loose. But for an instant — a fraction of a second — something gleamed in her right hand.
A dagger. Small, dark, familiar. And then it disappeared.
Why did she...
Mio left the test circle the same way she entered — unhurried, without fuss, the same expression of someone who just did something mundane. Some students observing the test were also commenting.
"The same cheap little show as always. When is she going to show some real magic..."
Chiara was among them, arms crossed, her gaze fixed on Mio with an intensity that mixed disbelief and something more bitter.
“She’s kinda a coward”, I thought. “Unlike Alessio, who at least tried to face her head-on. Well, it's not worth dealing with them. I'll talk to Katia; maybe she knows something about Mio's strange behavior.”
I looked at her and gave up on moving forward. Katia was motionless. Leaning against the wall, arms crossed over her chest, her face turned in a direction that wasn't the test circle.
Total disinterest? Why would she, of all people, not watch Mio? — I followed Katia's gaze.
The secretary was in the opposite corner of the wall, his usual erect posture, the notebook open in his hand. The pen moved in quick, precise strokes. Every word he noted was pressed onto the paper with disproportionate intensity.
Mio went up the stairs without looking back or having any reaction. — It must be a coincidence. How could I have missed the end of the test? Anyway, I'll talk to them.
I took a step forward toward the girls; maybe it was all just coincidence, but it wouldn't hurt to confirm. A strange sensation ran through my body; my shirt collar seemed to tighten for a moment.
I turned, half confused, and came face to face with Lira.
She was there, her green eyes wide, her hand still holding the fabric of my shirt with a strength that didn't match her size.
"Lira?" The question came out more confused than I'd like. Like Katia, she seemed to be looking at something beyond what I could see. Again, I followed her eyes.
Why is everyone acting crazy... — As soon as I turned my gaze back to Mio, the same feeling came: Fear, confusion, aversion. I remembered exactly that feeling. The feeling of coming face to face with the unknown. Different from encountering a magical creature; it was finding a creature you'd never heard of or observing the complete darkness.
My father always said humans fear the unknown because they don't know what it's capable of. Still, they seek to understand it. A fear based on absence.
That was the feeling I felt when I looked at Mio, and it wasn't the first time. Like in that cavern, when our eyes met right after she caught an arrow in mid-air as if it were nothing. I felt the same thing, a fear that I didn't know what it was.
My feet decided to retreat before my brain could process. Mio stopped next to Katia, said something, and she simply left, with Katia following right behind.
I counted to three before turning to Lira. She was still staring at the empty test field, the hand that had held my shirt now hanging at her side.
"Elian," her voice came out so low it almost got lost in the buzz, "did you see it too?"
"See what?"
She took a second to respond. Her green eyes remained fixed in the distance.
"The magic. That was cast during Mio's test."
"Magic?" The word came out sharper than I expected. "Lira, the test is about reflexes. Only the spheres. There wasn't—"
"Yeah." She interrupted me, her voice returning to a normal tone too quickly. "Yeah, you're right. I must have seen things."
Her hand finally let go of my shirt. She took a step back, her eyes finally meeting mine for an instant before looking away.
"Sorry. It was nothing."
"Lira, wait"
I reached out to grab her hand, to pull her back and ask what she meant by that. Veyr passed between us as if we didn't exist. The notebook was still in his hand, the pen now put away.
A flash of memory came with the unfulfilled handshake. — “Again, it's the same scene: a handshake, Veyr, a hallway, a conversation. Am I missing something? What am I not seeing?”
"As soon as Mio walked in here, she said something was ‘wrong’, then she whispered something to Katia, and ever since, she's been watching Veyr. Lira said some kind of magic was used during Mio's test, and Veyr left immediately after. There are still some students left; why would he leave the area now?"
"The test happened almost immediately after I confronted Mio in the hallway. Is there a connection? Or am I just imagining things?"
"Elian?"
Lira's voice came from far away, as if she were at the end of a tunnel. I blinked once, twice, until her face came back into focus.
"You're pale. What happened?"
"Nothing." The answer came automatically, too fast. "I need to do something."
I turned and followed the direction Veyr had taken. — If I'm too fast, he'll notice. I doubt he'll try to locate me by mana, but I'd better be careful. At this pace, he can only be going to two places: the teachers' room or the administration office.
“The rooms are in opposite corners, so I just need to wait until he turns at the end of the corridor.”
He turned into the corridor leading to the teachers' wing.
“Okay. After following him... what do I do?” — The question hit like a wall in the middle of the corridor. My feet kept moving, but my brain froze for a second. — “I came here without thinking about anything. A brilliant move.”
I rubbed my fingers against the back of my neck, forcing my head to work. — “What information do I have available? Mio and Katia acting strangely, and the test that evaluates each person's individual performance. Lira says there was magic in Mio's test. Mio acting strange before her test. Veyr was measuring performance. Performance? Yes, he was taking notes in his notebook.”
I looked at the clock at the end of the corridor. Past noon. The test had exceeded the morning class hours, which meant most teachers were probably having lunch now.
Veyr entered the room and closed the door behind him. I remained at the edge of the corridor curve, breathing through my nose, counting seconds that made no difference.
And now? — The question returned, more insistent. — He could spend the rest of the day locked in that room. I acted without thinking again.
Fortunately, it wasn't long before the door opened and Veyr left the room. The first thing he did was raise his hand and run his fingers over his face; his fingers went up, found his hair, revealing his face, which rested its gaze on the floor.
A lost look, lasting only an instant. He turned in the opposite direction from where I was and left.
I need to be quick. — As soon as I reached the doorknob, the obvious was stated. "Locked, of course."
"Rock this small shape will break when I turn the key... If it's this size, I can manipulate metal."
I pressed my palm against the keyhole. I closed my eyes for a second, feeling the composition on the other side — small, simple, several teeth waiting to be moved in the right order.
The bookshelf on the right wall, so full some books were stacked horizontally on top. Metal cabinets on the left, doors closed, no labels. A window in the center, letting in the pale midday light. And in front of the window, a desk.
The notebook was open in the center of the desk, as if left in a hurry.
“I can't take too long.” — I opened the notebook. — Crisis in Genovia due to excess mana concentrated. Dorieris: list of potential candidates for cultural exchange. Documents for emergency transfer requested by Nicolle.
"Nothing useful." — I tried to recall from memory the scene of Veyr writing. — "After the middle of the notebook, then."
I kept turning pages, my fingers starting to sweat. The notebook seemed endless, a meticulous record of every little thing that crossed the secretary's desk.
Zamazinis Ruins. Incident with students. Preliminary analysis. — My fingers finally stopped.
“That is it.”
Interview with student Icehart, Katia.
*It took place today at 2:23 PM, in the hearing room of the Administrative Tower. Present: Vice-Director Selene, Instructor Varis (as observer), and this writer. The student's aunt, Bela Icehart, accompanied the testimony as family representative, according to protocol for military personnel.*
Student Icehart maintained an upright posture throughout the session. Answered questions clearly. Did not contradict previous records. Did not present physiological signs of tension beyond those considered normal for the context — pupils slightly dilated, blink rate unchanged, hands resting flat on the table, not intertwined.
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It was concluded that there was no possible involvement of the Iceharts in the case.
Interview with student Steeloo, Elian.
Steeloo is more reserved than Icehart. His posture is of someone accustomed to being observed, shoulders stable, modulated voice, pauses before answering. He doesn't rush or correct himself. He doesn't fill silences with useless words. His account of the combat against the multi-limbed creature is the most detailed so far. He describes the regeneration and adaptation. He describes the moment the creature moved its head to its back — a maneuver that, according to him, "shouldn't be possible for something that size."
When asked about student Phoenicis, he paused before answering. It's not a significant interval for most observers. But it contradicts his previous behavior.
Interview with student Al Phoenicis, Mio.
*The student's testimony was recorded indirectly, based on Instructor Varis's report to the Vice-Directorate. Varis conducted the conversation informally, in the library, without the presence of this writer. The content was reproduced during a later meeting in Room 47.*
According to Varis, Phoenicis answered questions with an economy of words, without hesitating before answering. Did not offer information beyond what was requested. Described the moment of the fall: the group gathered around the artifact, the debate about activation, and that "the ground simply ceased to exist."
Claimed that the ceiling of the chamber where they awoke was intact — which, according to her, makes a conventional fall unlikely. When questioned about the creature, she described approximate height, skin coloration, and the spiral patterns. Highlighted two specific behaviors: regeneration and tactical adaptation. Provided examples: the development of bone projectiles after the student threw a fragment at its face; the repositioning of its head to its back after Katia hit an eye with an arrow.
About the period between Varis's attack and her return to the main chamber, she stated: "I lost consciousness momentarily. I don't know for how long." Described the place where she awoke as a tunnel system. "The structure remained intact." When asked how she found her way back, she said: "The air became different. It was like passing through a curtain."
Documentation: Civil registration carried out at age 17 by Kael Icehart. No previous documentation. Place of origin: unspecified village in the countryside. Family: Alkaid and Elnath. Medical history: not recorded. Educational history: not recorded.
Additional observations: The student shows no affinity with any of the known elements. Tests conducted during the entrance exam indicate "No Element," so far, a unique condition. There is no direct relationship between these factors and the incident at Zamazinis. However, the uniqueness of the case justifies notation.
“Nothing useful. But these notes are recent; when Veyr interviewed me three days ago. What I'm looking for must be in the next pages.” — The words kept turning without me being able to tell how many minutes had passed.
Instructor Varis's Report — supplementary to the investigation.
The title was simple, almost discreet. Below it, a meticulous summary of the testimony Varis had given to the vice-directorate. I read quickly, looking for something — anything — that would justify the presence of that document in Veyr's notebook.
The words confirmed what I already knew. Varis had described the fall, the search, the moment she opened the hole in the chamber's ceiling. Nothing new. Nothing that— My eyes stopped at the last paragraph.
Item recovered: limb fragment from the creature faced by the students.
*Approximate dimensions: 47 centimeters in length. Characteristics: slate-gray skin tone, rough texture, presence of spiral patterns resembling scars. Observed behavior: slow but continuous regeneration of severed extremities, even after separation from the original body.*
Item currently under Vice-Directorate custody for supplementary analysis. Everything indicates it is a Sentinel.
"Sentinel? So it wasn't just any monster?"
The physical evidence of its existence restructures the scale of the entire incident. Due to limited military availability, groups will not be sent at present to search for more specimens. Selene's orders are: investigate how first-year students, without proper training or supervision, could have prevailed over such a threat. The scale indicates there would be no survivors in the first encounter with the Sentinel. Yet, no dead or missing. Urgent investigation.
"The scale indicates there would be no survivors in the first encounter" — My eyes passed over the line again. — "Right, if the school concluded that none of us should have survived, then obviously the investigation will fall on us.”
"But why Mio specifically?" — The question came before I could control it. — "Her connection to the Iceharts isn't enough to prove her innocence? They must have seen something more in her.
The hallway conversation came back in a flash, instinctively making me turn to the next page.
Students Elian Steeloo and Mio Al Phoenicis were seen in conversation about the incident. Steeloo questioned Phoenicis about the moment of the fall. Specifically: the fact that she jumped before the collapse occurred. The student responded with a generic justification "I felt the tremor with additional training under the Iceharts."
The response pattern, however, does not correspond to what is expected of someone who acted on instinct. Additional records: Steeloo reported, during informal conversations with other students, that Phoenicis "acted as if she already knew what to do the entire time" during the confrontation in the underground chamber.
Considering Varis's account of the incident — absence of precursor signs, instantaneous collapse of the ground, intact chamber ceiling — Phoenicis's reaction constitutes an anomaly.
Data retrieval: entrance exam of the said student.
- Orb Test: activation completed. Coloration presented: excessively white. Atypical pattern for inexperienced mages. Indicates continuous mana use for an estimated period of 15 years or more. Which contradicts the estimated training time period indicated by Bela and Kael in their records.
- *Physical Test: performance classified as "above average" by the evaluators. Records indicate that body amplification via mana was initiated at least 3 years ago. Contradiction in the estimated period indicated by Bela and Kael in their records.*
- Barrier Test: Phoenicis dodged 10 electric projectiles from a distance of 7 meters during the second phase of the exam. Again contradicting the evaluation in the physical test.
- Special Test: Above-average performance. The exam was concluded with the victory of student Icehart, Katia.
Analysis: based on the data presented, time of exposure to mana, reflexes demonstrated in the barrier test, ability to dodge and read trajectories, Phoenicis's victory should have been immediate. Hypothesis: deliberate containment of performance.
The measurement of the student's mana reserve was categorized as ‘incalculable’. None of the evaluators, including Raoni, could accurately estimate the amount; most opinions agree that there is a large quantity.
Phoenicis's mana reserve alone represents a national risk; the report was forwarded to the Vice-Directorate. According to Selene, Nicolle's intervention will be necessary. Until then, only observation.
"National risk? Intervention from Director Nicolle?" — There was no more moisture in my throat at that moment. The words distributed in that notebook didn't seem to match the reality I knew. Another page was turned.
Hypothesis 1: The student has exceptional reflexes, but limited physical range. Performance compatible with intensive training, not with premonition. Even with enhanced reflexes, the estimated chance of survival against the Sentinel remains negligible based on the margin of error. Which brings us to the second hypothesis.
Hypothesis 2: The student is deliberately reducing her performance to avoid drawing attention. This hypothesis is supported mainly by her loss in this year's special exam. Combined with the fact that her performance in the underground incident witnessed by other students makes it unlikely that her final score would be only 860. The most likely case is that the elemental affinity test weighed on her score. Still, the choice to deliberately reduce her performance suggests the student has something to hide.
Hypothesis 3: The orb result and the physical test result belong to two different people or the student possesses a Mark. Which doesn't seem to be the case since the characteristic energy of such objects isn't present in the student's mana. No record confirms this possibility.
The next page had something different. The handwriting was slightly looser, and the ink seemed fresher.
Hypothesis 4: Premonition of events. All previous information supports this hypothesis: The anticipated reaction to the collapse, inconsistent performance in the tests, and especially the conversation with student Elian.
According to Raoni: The student's mana is permanently active in the body; there is no rest. It's as if her body is in a constant state of readiness. Particularly significant: there is a disproportionate flow of mana directed to the brain. Due to the amount of mana present in the student's body, it's impossible to estimate how much. The conclusion is that it would be fatal for any human or common mage.
If Hypothesis 4 is confirmed, it is likely that Phoenicis's condition exceeds the level of threat to national security. Intervention by any means will be necessary.
My free hand found the edge of the desk. I gripped it tightly, as if the world might tilt if I let go.
The image came immediately: Mio in the test circle, dodging spheres without even looking. In the underground, facing the creature alone. In the hallway, answering my questions with that calmness that seemed unusual.
"Wait… what?" — A transparent stain appeared on the notebook; it seemed to have come from my own forehead. — "National security risk..? National security risk? If Phoenicis's condition is... Likely exceeds the threat level?"
The line seemed to stick in my mind as I felt my thoughts hardening. The sound inside my chest was louder than anything I could hear at that moment.
I stared at the notebook for a few more seconds. Seconds turned into ten. Then twenty. The stain from my forehead was still there, a damp, shapeless mark on the paper.
Sounds in the corridor echoed behind the door. Someone passed by; footsteps came from one side, passed the door, continued to the other side. Only when silence returned did I realize I had stopped breathing.
I forced air in. Then out. Then again. My hands were still trembling, but I could think again — and thinking, now, meant putting the pieces together.
"Selene said to wait for Nicolle's intervention. That means Veyr doesn't have the authority to do anything. The last line clearly indicates he intends to take measures. Wait, take measures?"
Another memory, this time Mio's expression and Katia's posture during the test. Lira's words were starting to make sense. My eye fell on the notebook again.
"What if the test Veyr administered was already a measure? Selene knows about the inconsistencies in the entrance exam, but not about the supposed premonition of events hypothesis. I just need to deliver this notebook to her."
"And Mio?" — The question came like a bucket of cold water. — "If this notebook became public, it wouldn't just be about Veyr. It would be about her. Who can guarantee that if Selene finds out about Hypothesis 4, she won't do the same thing?"
The idea of turning in the notebook began to fall apart before it even properly formed. It wouldn't work. Not like this. Protecting Mio from Veyr by handing over a document that would expose Mio to the whole world wasn't protection — it was just trading one executioner for another.
"Keep the notebook. I'll figure out what to do later... Wait, the notebook? If I take the notebook and Veyr comes into the room, he'll see something is missing. If I tear out just this last specific page, maybe I can buy more time."
The only page that mattered to me was torn from the notebook, and I placed it back on the desk where it had been. I shoved the page inside my uniform jacket. The hard edge prickled against my ribs, a constant reminder of what I was carrying.
I left the room; the corridor was empty — but not silent. Voices. Two voices. Coming from the back, from the end of the corridor, still distant but approaching. I couldn't make out what they were saying, just the tone: casual, unconcerned.
And footsteps. Ahead. Coming from the opposite direction.
My eyes ran along the walls, looking for an exit, a niche, a half-open door — anything. Nothing. Just the straight corridor, the voices behind, the footsteps ahead, and me in the middle with a stolen notebook stuffed in my jacket.
"What do I do?" — My hand still rested on the doorknob of Veyr's room. The voices began to grow louder.
I looked for a place where I could hide the page, a crack, a window, something in the ceiling, anything. The voices kept approaching, and shadows were taking shape at the end of the corridor.
That's when the sign on the next door entered my field of vision. — "Professor Varis Scintillare"
I pulled the handle of Varis's room. It wasn't locked. Like a paper ball, I threw it into the first place I saw; the target was on top of the table; there was no time to care where it would land. The door was closed as quickly as it was opened.
My back hit the wall, my eyes the ceiling. All I could do at that moment was wait. From the left. Four, five people — faculty, from what I could see. They talked among themselves, in low tones, none looking in my direction. None turned into the corridor where I was — the perfect chance to leave the way I had entered.
The hope didn't last half a second. From the opposite side, this time in the corridor.
Veyr appeared first. His usual erect posture. Beside him, Varis. She seemed animated; I could see it in her gestures, the way she tilted her head while talking, the half-smile that appeared and disappeared. She was saying something, gesturing, waiting for a response.
That's when her gaze swept the corridor and found mine. Her hand immediately went up, shading her forehead, the exaggerated gesture of someone trying to see something against the light.
"Elian?" Varis questioned, approaching.
"Alright, it's all or nothing now."
They approached. Varis in front, Veyr a step behind. Her steps were light, almost bouncing. His, precise, measured, each sole hitting the floor at the same interval.
"What are you doing here?" Varis asked when she stopped in front of me. The curiosity on her face was genuine, without a trace of suspicion. "The faculty wing isn't exactly a student hangout after hours."
"Professor." My voice came out firmer than I expected. "I was looking for you."
Varis tilted her head, curious.
"About today's class. The regions. I wanted to know more about Dorieris. I thought you might recommend some reading."
Varis blinked several times before answering. "Seriously? You came all the way here for Dorieris?" She laughed, a light sound. "Private lessons cost 1 gold coin. If you give me two, I'll teach you how to participate in the exchange program. But no guarantees."
"Are you available now?" I asked, keeping my voice as neutral as possible.
Varis tilted her head to the side, her eyes narrowing in an evaluating gesture. The silence lasted two seconds that felt like twenty.
"You know what?" She began, crossing her arms. "You're the first student who's come here asking for private tutoring. Not for reinforcement, not for recovery, not 'professor save me, I didn't understand anything.' It's curiosity." She shook her head, a genuine smile appearing. "I'll make an exception. Just because you made me laugh."
It's working. If I can talk to Varis in private and get her to read the paper, maybe she'll understand and do something.
She turned to Veyr. "I'll meet you later. I won't be long."
"Alright. But if you want advice, avoid making this kind of exception frequently. And please, don't reveal the requirements for the Dorieris exchange."
Varis relaxed her expression, a lazy smile appearing. "Okie." A simple, relaxed response.
Veyr began walking toward the exit. Varis turned to her office door and then to me. "Wait a little, the key was in one of my pockets..."
"Key?" The air chilled in my lungs. Veyr's office. The doorknob I unlocked. The door I forgot to close. But Veyr isn't going to his office; no problem as long as I can explain to Varis.
That's when Varis's door clicked. “Oh, I forgot to lock it.” She said
Veyr stopped. His head turned. Slowly. As if he had all the time in the world.
"By the way, Steeloo, what particular aspect of Dorieris caught your attention?" He said, standing in the corridor, partially turned toward our direction.
"The frozen thunderbolts." — The answer came after a pause. Like my behavior described in his notebook. However, the response that should have ended the situation extended it.
Veyr began walking back, moving slowly toward his office. Varis and I stood watching the man's strange behavior.
"I'm sure Varis's class only covered the economic and political aspects with Fontana." He placed his hand on the doorknob, opening the door without the slightest effort. "What a shame."
As soon as the door opened, he stopped, making an inspection with his eyes inside the room. Then he turned, placing both hands behind his back. The last thing I remember hearing was the sound of ice cracking.
The sword left its sheath before I could think about what I was doing. The tip found the empty space between Veyr's neck and the surrounding air. Elian's unconscious body was pressed against my boot.
"Why did you do that?"
Veyr didn't retreat or look away. He simply returned the hand that was behind his back to its original place. "The boy is a spy," Veyr said, with the calm of someone contradicting the fact that he had attacked a student.
My fingers, form, and blade remained in the same place. "Proof?"
"My office was unlocked."
"How does that prove it was him?"
"Nothing actually proves it." The voice continued flat, without emotion. "But the indications are sufficient."
My hand tightened on the sword hilt. "Indications?"
"The boy's earth affinity. Certainly someone of Steeloo's level can manipulate metal on a small scale." He paused. "The timing coincides. He was in the corridor. My office was violated. He's here, with you, during office hours, with an excuse that..." the clear eyes met mine, "... frankly, is flimsy."
"He came to clear up a doubt about the class."
"He came to clear up a doubt about the class," Veyr repeated, as if testing the taste of the words. "On the same day someone broke into my office. In the same corridor. At the same time."
The silence stretched.
"That's just conjecture," Veyr continued. "But I observed the boy during the conversation. His posture. His breathing. His gaze. He wasn't acting as usual. If you need more proof, request an investigation from Raoni. He can detect mana residue on the lock. Besides, the boy isn't dead. It's part of the protocol against spies to immobilize them once identified; he will be investigated when he wakes up."
Again, silence. I looked at Elian on the floor. Then at Veyr, and at Elian again. The sword returned to its place.
I knelt beside the boy's body. Fingers on his neck. Wrist. The skin is still warm. The heart is still beating.
The sigh came on its own.
"Thank goodness, he's alive."
"Check if anything was altered in your office," Veyr said, already moving toward Elian. "I'll take him and summon the military."
Veyr knelt beside Elian, passed his arms under the boy's body, and lifted him as if he weighed nothing. He didn't look back. Just walked down the corridor, the rigid figure carrying the inert body, until he disappeared around the corner.
I stood still for another second. Then I turned to my office door.
There was nothing out of place, just a paper ball on the floor, which I remembered putting there.