The construction on the mountain continued without Aldric's constant presence.
He delegated the process.
Skilled workers—carefully vetted and routed through controlled channels—were assigned to oversee the development under strict guidelines. Aldric ensured that no single individual had full visibility over the entire structure.
Compartmentalized.
That way, even if something went wrong, no one could expose everything at once.
With that in motion, Aldric made a decision.
He returned his family to their home in Castria.
The house felt different now.
Not because it had changed.
But because Aldric had.
That night passed quietly.
No interruptions.
No sudden calls.
Just the stillness of a normal home.
Aldric rested.
Not fully at ease—
But grounded enough to sleep.
Morning arrived like any other.
Light crept through the windows.
Aldric woke early, already composed.
He prepared himself, dressed simply, and stepped outside.
At exactly 7:30 AM, the bus arrived.
He boarded without hesitation.
The interior of the bus was filled with law students.
Most of them were absorbed in their phones.
Scrolling.
Watching.
Distracted.
The driver continued along the route, steady and routine.
Aldric scanned the environment briefly.
Then he noticed her.
Leora.
Sitting a few seats ahead.
He walked over and took a seat beside her.
Leora turned, surprised.
"Aldric… where have you been?"
Aldric leaned back slightly.
"Xylanthia for a while," he said calmly. "But I'm back now."
Leora studied him for a moment.
"I've been solving cases," she said. "For the past few months. Every time I finish one, I get a call—another case waiting."
Aldric's expression didn't change.
"Was it a man?" he asked.
Leora nodded.
"Yes… but then later a woman took over the calls."
Aldric's eyes narrowed slightly—not visibly, but internally.
So that's what they're doing.
He leaned back, looking around the bus again.
Different students.
Same behavior.
Phones.
Screens.
Disconnection.
A system that didn't require force—just guidance.
Then he leaned closer to Leora, lowering his voice.
"Everything isn't what it seems, Leora."
Her expression shifted.
"What do you mean?"
Aldric kept his voice steady.
"Everyone is being played."
"Controlled… influenced… conditioned."
"I'm trying to find who's at the top."
"One layer at a time."
Leora blinked.
Still processing.
Aldric continued.
"When you were called for your entrance test…"
"…that wasn't just a test."
Leora's eyes widened slightly.
"That was a real case."
Silence hit her.
She brought a hand to her mouth.
"So what I saw that day…?"
"Yes," Aldric said quietly.
"Real."
That confirmation seemed to unsettle her more than anything else.
Leora sat back, visibly shaken.
"So nothing is… fully random?"
Aldric shook his head slightly.
"Not in the way you think."
Leora stared ahead, her trust in the system visibly shaken.
"I don't even know what to believe anymore…"
Aldric placed a hand on her shoulder, steady and reassuring.
"You don't need to panic."
"You're sharp."
"You can navigate this."
He paused briefly.
"Just be mindful of what you consume."
"Eat natural food."
"Keep your mind clear."
"And don't rush to tell others what you've realized."
Leora looked at him.
"Why not?"
"Because people don't accept truth they haven't discovered themselves," Aldric replied.
"They resist it."
"They reject it."
"Let them see it on their own first."
Leora slowly nodded, still unsettled—but listening.
The bus slowed as it approached the campus.
Students began gathering their things.
The doors opened.
One by one, they stepped off.
Aldric and Leora followed.
The atmosphere inside the law school was structured, familiar.
Students took their seats.
The day began.
And when the instructor entered—
It was Ms. Vos.
Not as a leader.
But as an educator.
She stood at the front of the classroom with composed authority.
"Today," she began, "we will be discussing human rights."
"And the legal frameworks that govern them."
She paced slowly.
"Human rights are designed to protect individuals."
"But in practice…"
She turned slightly.
"…laws can be interpreted."
"They can be applied."
"And sometimes…"
"…they can be legally broken."
A few students shifted in their seats.
Ms. Vos continued.
"Understanding the structure of law means understanding both its purpose and its limitations."
"Because the system is not just about what is written…"
"…but how it is enforced."
Her gaze swept across the room.
Measured.
Intentional.
"The same law," she added, "can protect one person…"
"…and fail another."
"That depends on context."
"Evidence."
"Interpretation."
"And power."
The room remained quiet as students listened.
Aldric sat still, observing.
Not just the lesson—
But the reaction.
Every word now carried dual meaning for him.
Because what Ms. Vos was teaching…
Was not just law.
It was structure.
Control.
And the mechanics of how systems operate beneath their own rules.
And for Aldric—
It all connected back to something larger.
Something hidden.
Something still being uncovered.
Step by step.