Flashback
Estania panted as she ran after a shadow at full speed.
"Calm down." Gale said behind her as he chased after her but Estania didn't listen.
"Wait!" Gale said as he tried his best to catch up to her but Estania was too far away.
Barreling down the forest with terrifying speed, Estania followed the scent of the shadow before it suddenly vanished. Skidding to a halt in a clearing, Estania stopped herself from howling in despair as her thoughts began to overwhelm her. Finally catching up to her, Gale put his right hand on her shoulder and tried to console Estania by saying "We'll be okay."
"How will we," Estania said, stressing the word "we".
"Be okay?!" Estania yelled as she turned to Gale.
"Someone saw us." Estania said in fear.
"Someone saw us!" Estania said as tears gathered in her eyes.
"What do we do if this unknown person is a foe and not a friend?!" Estania yelled in despair and Gale couldn't say anything in return.
"I have an engagement with Evero's Prince." Estania said as she put her hands in her hair.
"Evero's Prince!" Estania exclaimed.
"No one can break an engagement with Evero except Evero themselves." Estania said as she began to pull her hair.
"Our plan was to talk to him, remember?" Estania asked Gale with fear in her eyes.
"We were supposed to talk to him and see if we can form a new partnership that doesn't stem from marriage." Estania said as tears gathered in her eyes.
"What if this unknown person destroys our chance to talk to Evero's Prince and I have no choice but to leave you to protect Valaria?" Estania said as she held Gale's hand.
"I can't" Estania said as she slowly began to heave and Gale held her immediately.
"I can't leave you." Estania said as she cried into Gale's shoulder.
Flashback end
"Start from the very beginning." Falorin said as she tried to calm Princess Marina's frantically beating heart.
"Explain why you are being watched." Falorin said but Princess Marina didn't utter a word.
Getting up to check if Princess Marina was followed to the dorms, Falorin opened the door of a hostel room and checked left and right before locking it. Going to the window, Falorin made sure nobody was standing outside of it before she brought out a box that was familiar to Princess Marina.
Activating the zone used by Princess Marina in the hunt which keeps in all sound and prevents power from leaking out, Falorin quietly sat down beside Princess Marina.
"You can talk now." Falorin said as she put her hand on Princess Marina's shoulder and Princess Marina calmed down.
"Why are you being followed?" Falorin asked softly and after few minutes of Princess Marina collecting herself, Princess Marina sighed before filling in her roommates on what was going on.
"You mean to tell me that Head Prefect Lysandria is also part of this?" Fawn asked with a gasp.
"Along with almost every second year in this hostel." Princess Marina said with a nod.
"I don't know who was watching me from the shadows in the library but from the shadow and the smell, I can infere that it was Lysandria." Princess Marina said and Fawn nodded with a grim face.
"How many people know about this?" Falorin asked Princess Marina.
"Three more people except you two." Princess Marina said as she counted off Lorraine, Aldric and Aleron with her fingers.
"I told them about it at lunch earlier and our plan was for me to double check if I got the symbols right but with this new revelation from the history class we had today," Princess Marina said as she brought out the the drawing with two circles and three dots.
"I am sure, I saw right." Princess Marina said as she dropped the two drawings side by side.
"I would like to tel them this information as quickly as possible but with I being watched, it will be difficult to do so." Princess Marina said as she tried to think of ways she could slip them the new information.
"I and Halorin could cover the books." Falorin said as she volunteered herself and Halorin.
"But I can't dismiss Aleron's theory." Falorin said as she directed everyone's attention to the symbols.
"If this symbol is really related to water, could it be that these symbols are related to the earth and the wind?" Falorin asked and Princess Marina looked at the symbols onece more.
"If this rising is being planned by those blessed by the spirit of fire it makes sense why a symbol related to us wouldn't be here." Falorin said and Fawn nodded in agreement.
"We can think of the rising," Fawn said as she brought a book and pen.
"As an uprising of those blessed by the spirit of fire against other blessings and these symbols are supposed to be detrimental to them in some form of way." Fawn said as she drew the symbols separately.
"Then if both your theories are true," Princess Marina said referring to Fawn and Falorin.
"Then that means we need more books than just the ones about ancient language." Princess Marina said as she stared down at the papers before her.
"In order to find out what these symbols mean," Princess Marina said with a hum as the wheels in her mind began turning.
"We might have to dig into the histories of each blessing but those kind of archives are restricted to outsiders and can only be assessed by the wielder of that specific blessing." Princess Marina said as she stared at the symbols Fawn had drawn separately.
"I would have told Esmira, Rassera and Maria to help me look but if I am under watch then all my friends are naturally under watch too. You and Falorin researching ancient language can be brushed off because it is natural for us to research anything at whim but for Esmira, Rassera and Maria to suddenly dig into the archives," Princess Marina said with a shake of her head.
"That will bound to raise some eyebrows." Princess Marina said and Falorin and Fawn nodded in agreement.
"For now, let I and Halorin-" Falorin said and Fawn coughed loudly.
Chuckling Falorin said "Let I, Halorin and Fawn look into the books you have mentioned." said Falorin.
"Who knows the symbols might just be in the books you have recommended." Falorin said and both Fawn and Princess Marina nodded