Kaelin sat cross-legged on her bed, a thick notebook open in front of her. The dorm room was dimly lit by a single lantern, casting flickering shadows along the walls as she scribbled furiously, transferring every spell she had found in the forbidden texts into her own handwriting. Each incantation, each technique – carefully noted and preserved.
She had already decided what to do. The real books, with the original copies of the spells would go to Aric. If anyone at the academy knew more about them, it would be him.
But she wasn’t about to give up her edge. If Aric dismissed them as useless or dangerous, then at least she’d still have her own records to study. The original texts were too risky to keep, but this? This was manageable.
It was lucky Aria had wanted to visit another new ruin this weekend. This way she could pass it off as only just having found them. Getting the answers she wants, without getting into trouble.
Satisfied, she closed the notebook and tucked it beneath her mattress. She’d slip the transcribed versions into her bag before heading out to meet Aric. But first, she had other matters to attend to.
A knock at the door startled her. She quickly slid off the bed and cracked it open, relaxing when she saw Lena standing there, arms crossed and grinning.
“Busy?” Lena asked, peering past her into the dim room.
Kaelin shrugged. “Just getting a few things in order. What’s up?”
Lena hesitated, shifting on her feet. “I need your advice on something.”
Kaelin arched a brow. “That’s new.”
“Oh, shut up.” Lena rolled her eyes, but there was a nervous energy in her voice. “I wanted to ask… where do you think would be a good place to take Zephyr on a date?”
Kaelin blinked. “Wait, what?”
Lena flushed slightly. "I already told you I wanted to ask him, I just want to do it in the right place, right time. You know."
Kaelin wasn’t sure how to respond. Her mind flashed back to earlier that day when she’d interrupted them talking. They had looked comfortable, easy with each other. Lena did say she had wanted to but…
“You’re serious?” she asked, mostly to buy herself time.
Lena huffed. “Yes, I’m serious. I just don’t know where to do it. Somewhere nice, but not too formal. Something that fits him.”
Kaelin leaned against the doorframe, thinking. “What about the Hanging Gardens? It’s quiet, and there’s a stunning view over the lake. People go there to relax.”
Lena’s eyes brightened. “That could work. He does seem to like nature.”
“Glad to be of service.” Kaelin forced a smirk, hiding the strange knot in her chest. “Let me know how it goes.”
Lena grinned. “I will.”
As Lena walked away, Kaelin shut the door and leaned against it, exhaling. The moment of silence gave her a chance to acknowledge the strange irritation creeping through her mind. It didn’t make sense – why should she care? Zephyr was Lena’s choice, and if she wanted to go for it, Kaelin had no reason to object. So why did it feel so... off?
She pushed the thought away and turned her attention back to her desk. The trip to the ruins was tomorrow, and she still had to make sure she was ready. Pulling out a fresh piece of parchment, she started a checklist:
- Original spell books
- Standard gear: dagger, water flask, extra rations
- Reinforced gloves
- Spare cloak
- Cure-all Anti-venom
Her mind wandered as she wrote. The last ruins trip had been exciting, full of unexpected discoveries. This one would be even better. There was always the chance of uncovering something truly valuable – something the academy had missed. And if she found anything related to Time magic, all the better.
Maybe Aric was holding her back, but that didn’t mean she had to wait for his approval. But above all, she might finally find out something about those spells.
Once she had her supplies gathered, Kaelin placed everything into her satchel and secured it tightly. She glanced at the clock. There was still some time before lights-out, but nothing else left to do. She considered heading outside to get some air, but the idea of running into Lena or Zephyr again made her hesitate.
Instead, she flopped onto her bed and stared at the ceiling. The excitement of the upcoming ruins trip was enough to push aside any lingering thoughts about Lena and Zephyr. She had bigger things to focus on. Whatever was stirring inside her? She’d deal with it later.
***
Kaelin was up before dawn, the thrill of adventure chasing away any grogginess. She dressed quickly, throwing on a sturdy outfit suited for exploration. Slinging her satchel over her shoulder, she left the dormitory quietly, careful not to wake anyone.
The meeting point was near the academy’s outer gates, where a few early risers were already passing through. As she approached, she spotted Aria standing with her arms crossed, tapping her foot impatiently.
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“About time,” Aria said, smirking as Kaelin approached. “Thought you’d overslept.”
Kaelin snorted. “Please. I was ready before you even got out of bed.”
Aria chuckled. “Sure you were.” She glanced at Kaelin’s satchel. “You pack everything? Rope, supplies, anti-venom?”
Kaelin rolled her eyes. “Yes, mother.”
Aria ignored the jab, instead shifting her stance. “This trip should be good. The ruins are older than the last ones, and we might actually find something useful this time.”
Kaelin’s pulse quickened. “Yea… nothing there last time. Think there’ll be some kind of old-timey textbooks?”
Aria shrugged. “Hard to say. But with how eager you are, I’d bet you’ll dig up something interesting.”
Kaelin smirked. “That’s the plan.”
Professor Elric arrived, interrupting their chatter.
“Right, that all of us? Not found any new members yet have you Aria?”
“No, that’s all of us. Surprising you even bothered to ask.” Aria replied, her voice carrying an annoyed intonation.
With the group assembled, they’d soon be off. Kaelin felt her anticipation building. Whatever awaited them in the ruins, one thing was certain – this was far more exciting than some academy lecture.
Kaelin looked back at the student starting to flow out from their dorms like oil slick and sighed. The academy can’t be boring forever.
It’s just a lull in life.
***
The morning mist clung to the ground as Kaelin walked alongside Aria and Professor Elric, the rhythmic crunch of their boots against the dirt path the only sound breaking the silence.
The academy had long since faded from view behind them, swallowed by the dense forest that framed their journey. The air was crisp, carrying the scent of damp earth and the distant call of morning birds.
Despite the early hour, Kaelin felt alert, a familiar thrill settling in her chest at the prospect of uncovering something hidden, and finally a chance to find more out about those damned spell books.
Professor Elric led the way, a man of few words but sharp eyes. He carried himself with an air of quiet authority, his thick traveling cloak swaying with each step. He was one of the few professors who didn’t seem overly cautious about taking students into the unknown. That, or he was just confident enough in his own abilities to keep them safe.
“How much farther?” Aria asked, adjusting the straps on her pack. She carried most of their shared supplies, though Kaelin had insisted on bringing her own essentials.
Elric didn’t slow his pace. “An hour, maybe less. The ruins are in a valley past the ridge. We should be careful – there’s no telling what state they’re in.”
Kaelin tightened her grip on her satchel, mentally running through her notes. This site was supposedly older than the previous ruins they had explored, untouched for centuries. That meant there was a chance, just a chance, that something valuable lay hidden within.
They walked in relative silence, the landscape gradually shifting as they climbed the rocky ridge Elric had mentioned. The trees grew sparser, the ground more uneven. By the time they reached the peak, the sun had fully risen, casting golden light over the valley below.
Nestled between jagged cliffs, the ruins sprawled out in a fractured mess of crumbling stone and overgrown vegetation. Time had not been kind to the olden mages, those who were presumed to have built these ruins.
Parts of the structure had collapsed entirely, leaving behind remnants of walls and half-buried archways. Despite the decay, Kaelin could make out the distinct signs of old pathways winding through the rubble.
Elric surveyed the area with a measured gaze. “Stay close. We don’t know how stable this place is.”
Kaelin and Aria exchanged a glance before following him down the slope, carefully picking their way over loose rocks. The closer they got, the more Kaelin’s excitement built. Unlike the previous ruins, these looked largely undisturbed. No signs of recent visitors. No remnants of past expeditions. Just the weight of history pressing down on them.
As soon as they reached the outskirts, Kaelin spotted something that made her pulse quicken – engravings. Faint, worn down by time, but unmistakably carved into the stone of a broken pillar. She stepped closer, brushing away some of the dirt and vines. The symbols weren’t familiar, but they were intricate, looping into patterns that almost seemed to shift if she looked at them too long.
“Elric,” she called, gesturing him over.
The professor crouched beside her, studying the engravings with a thoughtful expression. “Interesting… This script isn’t one I recognize. It could be pre-Imperial, but it’s not like anything we’ve found before.”
Kaelin traced a finger over one of the symbols, the stone cool beneath her touch. There was something about it – something that sent a shiver down her spine.
Aria huffed. “Great. More creepy symbols. Last time, half of them turned out to be meaningless.”
Kaelin wasn’t convinced. Meaningless or not, there was always something to uncover. And she wasn’t leaving until she found it.
They moved deeper into the ruins, stepping carefully over broken stone and tangled roots. Vines coiled around fallen pillars, nature reclaiming what time had abandoned. As they walked, Kaelin noticed more symbols, scattered across walls, and buried half in the ground. Some were nearly identical to the first, while others looked newer, their edges sharper, as if they had been carved long after the original structure had fallen.
“Someone’s been here before,” Kaelin muttered.
Elric nodded, running his fingers over a fresher carving. “Possibly looters, but this is deliberate work. Not mindless scavenging. And this set of ruins were only found not long ago.”
Aria frowned. “Then why does it look like they stopped halfway through?”
It was true – some carvings appeared unfinished, their patterns abruptly ending as if the creator had been interrupted. Kaelin’s unease grew. The silence of the ruins felt heavier now, no longer just the quiet of an abandoned place, but something more… expectant.
Elric stood and dusted off his hands. “Let’s press on. If someone left in a hurry, there might be something here worth finding.”
Kaelin grinned. That was exactly what she’d been hoping to hear.
They ventured toward what remained of the main structure, an arched entryway that still stood, partially buried beneath layers of stone. Kaelin felt drawn to it immediately. Something about the way the light hit the worn steps, the way the air seemed cooler just beyond the threshold – it was inviting and foreboding all at once.
Elric stepped forward first, assessing the stability of the ground before motioning them through. Kaelin followed, her breath catching as she stepped into the shadowed interior.
The chamber beyond was vast, larger than it had seemed from the outside. Sunlight streamed through cracks in the ceiling, illuminating dust motes that drifted lazily in the air.
The walls were lined with more engravings, but these were different – more structured, more intentional. At the centre of the room stood a pedestal, its surface smooth except for a single carved symbol at its centre. Kaelin moved toward it while the others looked around the outer edge.
Kaelin’s heart pounded as she approached. Something about this was important. She could feel it. She checked to make sure they weren’t watching and placed the books on the pedestal.
“Elric,” she called again, voice hushed. “I think I’ve found what they were looking for.”