"It seems the rain truly brought a blessing," Kael murmured with a faint smirk as he finished taking the last picture on the borrowed phone.
"What do you mean?" Ruby asked, catching his tone.
"Ah… the pattern on that root must've appeared because the soil washed away when the lake overflowed. Otherwise, I never would've found such an important clue." Kael explained calmly, as if analyzing a natural experiment.
"Oh… that makes sense. Still, it's strange you didn't notice before—since that tree's your favorite spot," Ruby replied, agreeing with Kael's reasoning.
"So… is that writing on the wall really that important?" Ruby asked again.
"It is," Kael answered shortly, still scrolling through the phone.
"And? Are you done here?"
"Yes. Let's go home."
"What about them?" Ruby gestured toward the unconscious boys.
"Hm. Do you have any ideas?" Kael asked, tossing the question back.
Ruby stayed silent, staring at the sprawled bodies, hand on his chin like a detective deep in thought.
"I have a few, but it depends on what you can do," Ruby finally said.
"Let's hear it."
"First question—can you implant false memories?" Ruby asked seriously.
"I can transfer memories, not manipulate them," Kael replied. "Think of it like data transfer between devices. If the source is file A, the target gets file A. I can add, not replace."
"Hmmm…" Ruby frowned, his ideas crumbling. "Then that won't work."
"What about your next option?" Kael asked, noticing Ruby's frustration.
"Forget the others. They all depend on the first one."
"Then we'll take them to my house for now and come up with something on the way," Kael decided.
"How are you gonna carry all of them? That'll just make you look suspicious. And don't forget—my mom and Lyra are still there," Ruby argued.
"You don't have to worry about that. Have you forgotten what I can do with Arkanum?" Kael replied calmly.
"And my mom and Lyra?" Ruby pressed.
"Wait… only Setnov's brother saw me use Arkanum, right? The others didn't." Kael's tone sharpened with thought.
"Actually, even he didn't see it. I think he just assumed, since you blocked his spell barehanded," Ruby clarified.
"Good. That makes this easier." Kael straightened up. "You take the other four boys back to the surface. Lean them against the tree—make it look like they fell asleep while fishing. Then head home first and make sure your mom's not at my house. Text me using this phone." He held up the device.
"Got it. What about the number?"
"I already sent the photos to mine. Just contact me from here when you're done."
Ruby nodded and went straight to work, moving the unconscious boys one by one. He posed them as if they were napping near their fishing rods, which he gathered from the ground and neatly placed along the lake's edge. The scene looked perfectly natural—five boys resting after a morning of fishing.
"What about the hole?" Ruby called out.
"I've figured out the mechanism. I just need to reverse the process—same pattern, inverted flow."
After confirming everything was in place—the illusion set, the hidden chamber sealed—Ruby left Kael alone on the ridge to await his signal.
A few minutes later, the phone buzzed.
> "No one's home. Mom must've taken Lyra back earlier."
Kael read the message and exhaled softly.
[Good. Reset the phone, erase the photos, and bring Setnov's brother home.]
When he was done, there were no traces left—no data, no mark of the secret place, no sign that anything had ever happened beneath the tree.
He lifted Kiliyan onto his back and dashed home with inhuman speed.
Less than three minutes later, Kael stepped through his door, Ruby waiting in the living room to help him lower the unconscious boy onto the sofa.
"So… what now?" Ruby asked, glancing at Kiliyan's limp form.
"And what if the other four wake up?"
"They won't talk much. Even if they do, nobody will believe them. The real problem is him," Kael said, nodding toward Kiliyan.
"You're insane, you know that?" Ruby muttered, frowning. "You actually broke his leg over something that stupid."
"Oh wait—" Ruby smirked suddenly. "You did it for me, didn't you?"
Pak!
The sound of Kael's palm hitting Ruby's head echoed through the room.
"Stop your nonsense," Kael said coldly.
"Ouch! Again? Can you not hit this brilliant head every time?" Ruby grumbled, rubbing the spot. "Then tell me—why did you go that far?"
"Don't get the wrong idea. I was just… irritated. He kept bringing up my name like we were acquainted."
[Huh. Is that really it?] Ruby thought silently. His face said otherwise, and Kael noticed.
Pak! Another smack.
"Drop the expression," Kael warned.
"Again!? You really have a habit," Ruby complained.
The house fell quiet again. Ruby sank into thought, trying to find a solution, while Kael sat motionless—his mind split between handling Kiliyan and the burning curiosity to study what he'd discovered.
"After thinking it over, I can only come up with one solution," Ruby said finally. "You want to hear it?"
"Say it."
"But there's a risk," Ruby warned.
"I'll listen."
"Call my grandfather here. He used to be a skilled doctor. A broken leg should be easy for him." Ruby's tone dropped—he clearly wasn't thrilled about the idea himself.
"Fine. Do it," Kael agreed immediately.
"What? You're okay with that?" Ruby asked in disbelief.
"Yes. You and your mother already know too much. Your grandfather's no different. I'm at this school because of his recommendation, remember?"
"But he doesn't know you can use Arkanum, Kael," Ruby said carefully.
"That's fine. You've all done more for me than I could ever repay. If I can't trust you with this, then I'm worse than a coward."
"Seriously? You're not afraid he'll report you to the Republic Court?"
"No. If I can trust you and your mother, I'll trust him too. And if I'm wrong—then consider it payment for everything you've done for me." Kael's lips curved slightly, a rare warm smile breaking his usual stillness.
Ruby blinked, then quickly looked away. "Ugh—damn it, this house is so dusty," he muttered, his voice trembling as he wiped at his eyes.
Without another word, he grabbed Kael's phone from the table and began dialing.
"Tuut… tuut…"
"Who is this?" came a deep, slightly gruff voice.
"It's me, Grandpa," Ruby said quickly.
"Ahh, my dear grandson, hahaha!" the tone instantly melted into playful affection.
"Grandpa, I need your help—now."
"What, no 'I miss you'? Not even a hello?" the old man whined dramatically.
"Oh, come on, Grandpa. We see each other every day at school," Ruby argued.
"That's different!"
"Grandpa, please, focus! Someone's hurt. It's serious—a broken leg. Come to Kael's house, you know the place, right?"
"Wait, hold on—explain first, how did—"
Tut tut tuut… The call ended before he could finish.
"Ahh… he hung up," Risto sighed, shaking his head with mock disappointment—but his hands were already busy packing his medical bag.
"How did it go?" Kael asked from behind the sofa.
"He'll be here soon," Ruby replied. "But… are you sure about this?"
Kael didn't answer, only smiled faintly.
"I'll be in the study. Tell me when he arrives." Kael turned and walked away, closing the door behind him.
Inside the study, he went over the photos again—scrolling, comparing them to the pages of the two ancient books. From time to time, he jotted notes onto a blank sheet, glancing occasionally at the black envelope beside his hand.
Moments later, the distant sound of an engine stopped outside the gate. Ruby bolted for the door, forgetting Kael's earlier warning entirely.
"Are you hurt? Tell me where—who's injured?" Risto demanded the moment he saw Ruby, gripping his shoulders and scanning him from head to toe.
"Don't worry, Grandpa, it's not me," Ruby reassured him.
"Then who? Where?" Risto's gaze swept the yard and landed on the open door.
"This way," Ruby said, leading him inside.
"Wait here a second," Ruby blurted suddenly halfway through the doorway. He ran ahead toward the study.
[Damn it, I forgot to tell Kael.]
Knock knock knock! "Kael! My grandpa's here, come out!" Ruby called out.
"Where is he?" Kael appeared almost instantly, opening the door.
"Just a moment," Ruby said, running back to fetch him.
"What's going on here?" Risto muttered, stepping into the living room. His eyes fell on the unconscious boy on the sofa.
Neither Kael nor Ruby spoke.
"This boy… he's Anton's son—the local council member. What happened to his leg?" Risto crouched beside Kiliyan, checking the injury.
"Tell me what happened," he asked again, his tone firm.
Still, silence. Kael and Ruby exchanged glances, silently deciding who would speak. When neither moved, Risto sighed, deciding to wait them out.
Finally, Kael spoke—steady, confident. He told the story in short, deliberate fragments, blending truth with just enough fiction to hide the existence of the hidden chamber. He didn't need anyone else stumbling upon that place before he understood it himself.
"So he attacked you—with fire magic—and you won?" Risto repeated the key point, raising a brow.
Kael said nothing, but Ruby's eager nod confirmed everything.
"Then… you can use Arkanum," Risto said slowly.
Kael's response was silent—but sudden. Ruby began to float, rising nearly to the ceiling, his limbs flailing.
Risto's eyes widened. For a long moment, he said nothing, only watching, then slowly exhaled.
"Oh… faint, but I can see it—the thin flow of energy from your hand to my grandson," he said at last, his gaze shifting from Ruby to Kael.
"Tell me, boy… are you practicing a forbidden art?"
His voice changed—deep, resonant, heavy with pressure.
The air thickened; even the walls seemed to tremble.
That gentle old man's tone had vanished—replaced by something far older, far more dangerous.
To be continued…