a flash.
A familiar violet light flickered before my eyes, and someone sharply grabbed my shoulder.
— Come on, — Mira said.
And before I could even open my mouth—
we teleported.
We ended up… in a room.
Not a classroom.
Not a corridor.
Not a training hall.
But an enclosed chamber hidden deep beneath the upper dome of the Academy.
Stone walls.
No windows.
Mana-suppression runes.
The air was dry and cold.
— Where… are we? — I asked.
Mira nodded toward a massive door.
— This is the private room of the Chairman of the Academy.
— The very one appointed by the king.
— Don’t worry, we’re not in the capital. This is a secret upper level of the Academy. No one comes here.
I slowly looked around.
A desk piled with papers.
The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.
A cabinet sealed with magical locks.
And on the wall—a strange dark shelf.
Mira pointed at it.
— That’s what matters. Look there.
On the shelf lay a parchment the color of ash, covered in sharp, broken symbols.
A chill ran down my spine.
Demonic script.
— You know it better than I do, — Mira said. — Read it.
I stepped closer. My chest felt heavy.
The words on the parchment moved, as if alive.
Demonic writing always did—it was never still, it watched.
I began to read.
Slowly.
Each line felt like a knife under the skin.
“The plan enters its final phase.”
“The portal in the heart of the capital will open again.”
“Our people in power are ready.”
I felt my jaw tighten.
I finished reading:
“Delivery of the artifact to the Academy is complete.
Await the signal.”
I looked up.
Mira stood very still. Her eyes weren’t just serious—they were icy.
— So… he’s a traitor? — I asked.
Mira shook her head.
— Possibly. Possibly not.
— But the fact that a demonic message is kept in his room is already a crime.
She walked past me and touched a rune on the wall.
— And most importantly—look.
The wooden panels shifted slightly, revealing a long black scratch.
Not human.
Demonic.
Mira exhaled.
— We have enough leads. What we need now is a name and a motive.
— And now I have a list of suspects.
Then she turned to me, narrowed her eyes, and said:
— And now for the fun part.
— What “fun part”? — I asked.
Mira smiled slyly.
— You can’t just ask Elinia yourself?
— She is royal, after all. Her access is higher than half the Academy’s.
I tensed instantly.
— Mira… stop it. That’s not—
— Oh, come on! — she laughed. — Is the great Zenhald Helvard really unable to talk to his “just a friend”?
I rolled my eyes.
— Mira…
— Yeah, yeah. I’ll ask her myself.
— And you, meanwhile— — she winked, — calmly panic.
Before I could reply—
teleport.
We were back in our rooms.
Mira smirked.
— Alright, little brother. The investigation has begun. Tomorrow we bring in the princess.
— And don’t you dare fall apart again ahead of time.
I sighed.
— I’ll try.
Mira ruffled my hair.
— Try harder.
And she vanished in a stream of violet light.