Mila walked briskly down the polished corridor, her silver hair catching the morning light streaming through the tall windows. Her heart beat slightly faster than usual, but she kept her expression calm. She had been called to the headmistress's office, an unusual request that made her uneasy.
Pushing open the heavy wooden door, she stepped inside.
The headmistress sat behind her massive oak desk, her posture stern, eyes fixed on Mila. Beside her, the legendary sage reclined in a chair, arms crossed, his expression unreadable but sharp with suspicion.
"All the destruction in the forest last night…" the sage began, his deep voice echoing slightly in the office. "That was your doing, wasn't it?"
Mila's blue eyes widened. She shook her head frantically. "I-I don't know what you mean! I was just training-"
The sage's gaze narrowed. "Really?" He whispered an incantation, and a faint shimmer surrounded Mila. A spell that could detect lies curled through her mind like a thin, invasive mist.
Mila felt herself stiffen, her mind under pressure, yet she resisted fully revealing everything. Even the memory of Arthianos, the massive dragon head, remained locked in a corner of her mind.
"You're hiding something," the sage said, his tone sharp but not unkind. "But I think I've gotten what I needed." With a small gesture, he cancelled the spell. The shimmer vanished, leaving Mila blinking and slightly shaken.
The headmistress leaned forward, her hands clasped. "Miss Mila, we need to be careful. This level of magic… it cannot go unchecked. Do you understand?"
Mila nodded quickly, her voice steady. "Yes, ma'am. I'll be more careful."
The sage stood, brushing invisible dust from his robes. "I trust you will. That will be all for now."
Mila bowed and exited the office, the door clicking softly behind her.
Back in the office, the headmistress leaned back in her chair.
"Do you think she truly understands the danger of her abilities?" she asked, concern lacing her voice.
The sage shook his head slowly. "She's powerful, yes… perhaps more than she realizes. But she's cautious. Even under my spell, she didn't reveal everything. That restraint tells me she has control… just not complete mastery yet."
The headmistress nodded. "We'll have to keep an eye on her, then. For the sake of the students… and the academy."
The sage's gaze drifted to the window, where sunlight reflected off the academy's grounds. "This girl… Mila… she's unlike anyone I've seen before. We must prepare for what's coming."