The academy had gone strangely quiet, too quiet. Rumors about the destruction, the light, and the sudden disappearance of the Sage for an entire day had begun to spread among the teachers and students.
And amidst it all, Milly still wearing her Mila disguise kept to herself, teaching her classes as though nothing had happened.
But even she couldn't ignore the soft knock that came at her door that morning.
"Miss Mila," came the familiar, calm voice. "May I come in?"
She hesitated for a moment, then sighed softly.
"…You may."
The Sage entered, his long robe brushing against the floor. His eyes met hers not cold, not harsh, but calm. It was strange. The same man who had once bound her in runes now stood here as though none of that had happened.
"I'd like to show you something," he said.
Milly tilted her head, suspicious. "Something that needs me?"
He gave a small smile. "Something that only you will understand."
Without waiting for her to refuse, he turned and gestured for her to follow.
Reluctantly, she did.
They walked through the quiet training grounds, past rows of wooden dummies and weapon racks gleaming in the afternoon light. The faint sound of waves echoed from beyond the cliffs nearby the ocean always close, its calm rhythm grounding her.
"Where exactly are we going?" Milly finally asked, her voice soft but wary.
The Sage stopped before a wide stone archway at the edge of the field.
"This way," he said, touching a series of glowing runes embedded into the wall.
A hidden passage opened, stone sliding aside to reveal a spiral stairway descending into dim blue light.
Milly's blue eyes flickered faintly, reflecting the glow. "Underground?"
"Beneath the training grounds," he said. "This place is where I trained my most advanced students… decades ago."
The air grew cooler as they descended.
At the bottom was a vast underground hall a cavern of stone lined with old sigils and ancient weapons. In the center stood a circular platform surrounded by cracked pillars, faint energy still humming around them.
Milly looked around, quietly impressed. "You trained here? It feels… heavy."
"It is," he replied. "These runes amplify pressure and mana density. Only those who have complete control over their energy can endure them."
He turned to her then. "I thought it would suit you."
Milly blinked, unsure whether to take that as a compliment or a warning. "Suit me, huh… You really think I can handle that?"
"I've seen what you can do," he said simply. "But I also saw how much it hurt you to reach that point."
Her smile faltered. "You saw everything then."
"I did," he said quietly. "And I regret what I did before. The mind control. The runes. The crystal."
He looked down, for once, ashamed. "It was fear that drove me, not wisdom."
Milly stayed silent for a long moment. Then, softly, she said,
"Fear of what I am?"
"Fear of losing control again," he answered. "Not just mine yours too."
The torches flickered around them. For a moment, the two stood in silence, the weight of their shared guilt filling the air.
Finally, Milly exhaled and walked onto the center platform. The runes beneath her feet reacted immediately, glowing faint blue. Her silver hair shimmered faintly in the light, her blue eyes watching the energy dance across the floor.
"…It's strong," she murmured. "But not unbearable."
The Sage stepped closer, his expression softening. "That's because you've changed. You're learning to control it not suppress it."
She gave a small smirk. "And here I thought you brought me here to lock me up again."
He chuckled under his breath. "No. Not this time."
Milly looked up, her gaze serious again. "Then why did you bring me here?"
He met her eyes. "To teach you what comes next."
The runes pulsed brighter beneath her feet, and Milly felt her pulse sync with their rhythm calm, steady, controlled. The faint echo of Arthianos stirred inside her soul, but this time, it didn't frighten her.
"I'm ready," she said quietly.
The Sage nodded. "Then let's begin."