The previous night felt longer than usual. The tall windows of Duke Dusk's office allowed only enough light from the magical street lamps to reflect off the dark wooden furniture. The room was silent, filled only by the faint sound of papers being reorganized and controlled breathing. Elara sat across from the duke, hands on her lap, though her mind was far from there.
The duke turned another page, frowned at a symbol he didn't recognize, and then closed the folder with a heavy sigh.
"So the creature asked directly for your star mana."
Elara nodded slowly. She didn't seem surprised by the question, but something inside her still trembled at the memory of those words coming from the presence that inhabited the void. She could still feel the chill down her spine, the weight of the silence, and the gaze that couldn't possibly be human.
"Yes. And it seemed to know exactly what I was capable of doing with it."
The duke tapped his fingers on the table, thoughtful.
"I knew little about star mana. Almost nothing. I've already sent my most trusted butler to conduct an in-depth search."
Elara studied his face. It was rare to see him unsettled, but there was something in the air—an uneasiness he tried to hide through posture. She didn't comment on it. She was too exhausted to investigate someone else's worries when her own heart was so troubled.
Dusk took a deep breath and set the papers aside.
"That's enough of that for now. I want to talk about something else."
Elara lifted her gaze.
"What exactly do you feel for Arven Shisui?"
The question dropped like a stone into a lake. The girl's calm surface broke in a small but noticeable ripple. She opened her mouth, but no words came out at first. It looked like she was searching for something inside herself, like someone trying to catch a fleeing thought.
"I…"
She cleared her throat and looked toward the window.
"I thought I liked Lucien. I thought… that it was enough. But what I feel for Arven…"
She took a deep breath.
"It's different."
The duke didn't interrupt. He simply listened.
"It's warmer. It's a comfort that shouldn't exist there, but it does. As if the world became less heavy when he's around."
The duke raised an eyebrow but remained silent.
"Sometimes I catch myself looking at him from afar. Without meaning to. I stand there, watching the way he tilts his head when he thinks, the way he furrows his brows when he pretends he's not tired… and I stay like that for minutes. As if I were hypnotized."
Elara tightened her fingers.
"And in the void…"
Her voice lowered.
"When I saw his eyes… I felt something I've never felt for anyone. My heart sped up, my body warmed, but not from fear. It was… like being found."
The duke rested his chin on his hand, studying every word with strategic coldness.
"And you want something more with him?"
"Yes. Even before knowing who he was. Even when I thought he was just a commoner."
The duke inhaled deeply.
"If Arven is truly a Shisui… that changes absolutely everything, Elara."
She lifted her gaze, now steady.
"I know."
The duke straightened his posture, as if beginning a lecture.
"The Shisui bloodline, unlike most great families, rarely… mixes. They've kept their line almost pure, even across distant generations."
He stood up, walking toward the bookshelf.
"They are descendants of the First Men. At least, that has always been the belief."
He pulled out an ancient book.
"But now… with what you said, with the clues found and the signs on his mark…"
He turned back, book in hand.
"I am certain they are direct descendants of the Ancients of the Void."
Elara's eyes widened.
"Uniting your bloodline with the Shisui…"
The duke closed the book, staring at her.
"That has never happened in millennia. And it would not be seen as a simple marriage. It would be… a convergence of ancestral forces."
"Would that be bad?"
"Not necessarily."
He placed the book back.
"But it could place our family, and you, at the top of the world. Or at the center of a war no one is prepared to face."
The girl shifted slightly in her seat.
Seeing the effect, the duke softened his tone.
"I just want you to understand the magnitude. What you feel is valid. What you want is valid. But by choosing Arven… you are not choosing a boy. You are choosing a destiny."
Elara swallowed hard.
And even so—she did not waver.
"I want to follow that destiny."
The duke held her gaze for long seconds before finally relaxing his posture.
"I have my meeting with Patriarch Temaki. After that, we will decide the next steps."
The conversation ended there.
Elara left the office with her heart racing—not from doubt.
But from hope.
------++++++++------
PRESENT — THE HEADMASTER'S OFFICE
The door closed behind Arven, and the silence of the room wrapped around him. Arelia stood beside him, arms crossed, posture firm. Even blind behind bandaged eyes, she seemed to see more than everyone else combined.
The headmaster watched him over thin glasses, his expression unreadable.
"So… you went with Elara to the safe location, and were caught in the confusion caused by the void attack."
Arven nodded.
"Yes."
"Omitting anything?"
"No."
(The part about being a Shisui didn't need to leave that room.)
The headmaster tilted his head, suspicious.
"I see. But there's another matter."
His gaze slid toward Arelia.
"You and student Arelia… are you involved?"
Arven nearly choked.
Arelia turned red so fast that Arven could practically feel the temperature shift beside him. She squeezed his arm discreetly, as if warning him to stay quiet, before answering:
"We are not involved. We're just friends."
The headmaster raised an eyebrow.
"Friends. Of course."
"Yes."
Arelia replied again.
Too quickly.
The headmaster knew something was there, but didn't press. He resumed his professional tone, commenting on the academy's tense atmosphere, the upcoming tournament, and the importance of Arven staying steady and discreet.
Before he could finish the meeting…
The door opened.
Emma Abraham entered like a contained storm. Impeccable posture, sharp gaze, flawless formal clothing. When she saw the three, her eyes locked instantly on Arven.
"Sorry to interrupt, but I need Arven. Now."
The headmaster nodded, as if he had already expected this.
"Go. Then come back for the paperwork."
Arven stood, but Arelia stood with him.
Emma noticed.
An eyebrow arched.
"He's coming with me."
"And I'm going with him."
Arelia responded immediately.
They left into the hallway.
The echo of footsteps filled the space.
"I have class soon," Arven said, trying to keep up with the vice-director's pace.
"This won't take your whole day," Emma replied without looking at him.
"It's a mission. Confidential. And you were chosen."
Arelia stopped walking.
Emma took two more steps before noticing.
When the two turned toward each other, Arven almost felt the air grow heavy.
Arelia spoke first—her voice low, firm, carrying a thinly veiled threat.
"Even if it's you, Emma… don't put Arven in danger."
Emma's gaze narrowed.
Her posture shifted—straighter, more confrontational.
Arelia did not retreat even a millimeter.
"No one is putting him in danger," Emma replied.
"I'll be the judge of that."
Arelia said, stepping forward.
The two stood face to face.
Silence stretched.
Arven felt his breath catch.
Neither blinked.
Neither stepped back.
Neither yielded.