The next day, my morning classes went surprisingly well.

  Now that I understood spell circles, Advanced Spellcraft was finally making sense. In a way it was just overlaying circles in different configurations until something worked, though the theory behind why certain combinations worked was much deeper than that.

  Reactive Spellcasting was mostly calm practice. I discovered during class that the circle I'd been practicing—which I now learned was referred to as the 'force push' circle—was actually a solid defensive spell for deflecting projectiles and shoving people back.

  Of course, I didn't manage to cast it nearly fast enough to be useful in actual combat. But Silvani was so lost in thought about something, probably the corruption, that she barely paid attention to class. She just wandered between students, occasionally nodding at their attempts without her usual theatrical commentary.

  At the end of class, she seemed to consider approaching me, her eyes lingering for a moment. But then she shook her head and moved on, so I just gathered my things and headed to the dining hall.

  So many questions were spinning in my mind that I completely forgot about getting there early to invite Aurora to our table.

  When I arrived, I found her right outside the dining hall entrance, standing off to the side like she was waiting for something.

  "Hi," I approached her, a smile forming on my face as I realized what she was doing. "Want to have lunch with us again?"

  She looked a bit relieved, which confused me for a moment. Had she been waiting for me?

  "Gladly," she said, entering the dining hall beside me.

  Heads turned as we walked in together, but neither of us acknowledged the stares. We made our way to our usual table and sat down across from each other.

  "You know, you don't have to wait for me to invite you," I said as we settled in. "You can just sit with us whenever you want."

  "I know." She arranged her things with precise movements. "But this way is clearer. No assumptions."

  I wasn't sure what to say to that, so I just accepted it.

  Soon, the academy staff approached with Aurora's specialized meal, setting it down with the same efficient care as yesterday. The presentation was different this time—some kind of roasted meat with glazed vegetables arranged in a pattern that looked almost artistic.

  "Do they always make it look like that?" I asked, genuinely curious.

  "Always." She picked up her utensils. "I think they take pride in their work."

  Lina arrived then, hesitating for just a moment when she saw Aurora already seated. But she pushed through, taking her usual spot with a small smile.

  "Hi, Aurora. Kai."

  "Hello, Lina," Aurora replied with that same polite tone.

  Erick showed up moments later, dropping into his seat with his usual complete lack of ceremony. Today his platinum uniform had both sleeves rolled up, showing more of those runed bracers, and he'd added another chain to his belt that clinked when he moved.

  "So we doin' this every day now?" he asked, already reaching for food. "Not complaining, just wanna know if I should keep showing up."

  "I don't see why not," Aurora said simply.

  "Cool." Erick grinned. "Prince's probably losing his mind."

  Once we'd all started eating, I began speaking. "Yesterday Silvani showed up at my practice session with Emberheart."

  "Thought she stopped hunting you after that first class," Lina said, looking up from her plate.

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  "It wasn't about me this time. She wanted to know about the expedition, about what happened with the corruption."

  "Makes sense," Aurora said. "The director refused to tell her anything."

  "Did Emberheart tell her?" Lina asked.

  "No, but she kept pushing. And she called him by his first name. A lot." I remembered the rising temperature in that room. "It looked like he was about to snap at any moment."

  "Wait, what's his first name?" Erick leaned forward, suddenly interested.

  "Kael," Aurora answered. "Silvani and Emberheart have been rivals since their academy days."

  Lina's eyes widened. "Really? I thought it was just a teacher rivalry thing."

  Aurora looked genuinely surprised. "You really don't know about them?"

  All three of us looked at her, confused.

  She sighed, setting down her fork. "Did none of you receive any education in magical politics?" She looked between us. "The Emberheart family has been known for generations for their fire magic affinity. They've always had a guaranteed place in the empire's high rankings because of it."

  "And Silvani?" I asked.

  "The Silvani family was mostly B-rank. No special affinity, no particular prestige. Just average mages doing average work."

  "Wait, so how'd she become a professor here?" Lina asked. "This is supposed to be the best academy."

  "I'm getting there." Aurora took a sip of water. "Silvani is a prodigy. She surpassed her entire family by age fifteen and showed so much promise that she was invited to study at the Imperial Magic Institute. The same place Emberheart went."

  "Let me guess," Erick said, leaning back in his chair. "Kid genius shows up and embarrasses everyone."

  "Emberheart is two years younger than her," Aurora continued. "Imagine being told you're a once-in-a-generation talent, earning your place through pure skill, and then watching some kid who just happened to be born with more power outpace you effortlessly."

  "Damn." Erick actually looked impressed. "That's rough."

  "That must be awful," Lina said quietly. "Thinking you're special and then realizing you're not."

  "I guess I understand why she's so competitive then." I thought about how she'd pushed into Emberheart's study, how she'd refused to leave without answers.

  "She earned her place," Aurora said, and there was something almost defensive in her tone. "She's A-rank through effort alone. That's more impressive than being born S-rank, in my opinion."

  Erick snorted. "Now the director's keeping her out of the secret corruption club. Must sting."

  "Wait," I said, something clicking. "If the director won't tell her, does that mean you don't know either?"

  Aurora's expression didn't change. "I'm also not authorized."

  "What?" I stared at her.

  "Ha!" Erick barked out a laugh. "So there really is something they're hiding."

  "This doesn't make sense..." Lina looked between us, confused. "You were there. You're S-rank. Why wouldn't they tell you?"

  "The director must have his reasons." Aurora said it casually, like it didn't bother her at all. "It's not my place to question his decisions."

  "Yeah it is," Erick said bluntly. "You wanna know, you should just take what you want. That's how everything works."

  Aurora paused, actually considering his words. It was strange seeing her take Erick seriously.

  "I-I mean..." Lina interjected quickly, clearly trying to smooth things over. "Maybe the academy has more information than what we gathered, and they don't want it leaving the school? Security reasons?"

  "Sure," Erick said, clearly not convinced. "Or maybe they just like keeping secrets."

  "What about those runes?" I asked, trying to shift the conversation. "Lina, did you figure anything else out about them?"

  "No..." She shook her head, frustrated. "Without seeing the complete circle, it's almost impossible to determine their purpose. I only saw fragments."

  "I wanted to go back to check the full circle myself," Aurora said. "But Emberheart mentioned he'd already investigated it, so I didn't see the need."

  We all paused. The implication hung in the air like smoke.

  "So." Erick's grin was sharp. "When we going?"

  "What?" I said.

  "We can't!" Lina's voice rose slightly, then she caught herself and lowered it. "We can't just go back there. It's dangerous, and we'd get in so much trouble."

  "You should focus on your classes," Aurora said, but there was something uncertain in her voice. Like she was trying to convince herself as much as us.

  "Sure, sure." Erick stood up, grabbing some extra food and wrapping it casually. "Let me know when you change your minds. We both know you will."

  He walked away with that absolute confidence, chains clinking, leaving the three of us sitting there.

  "You really shouldn't entertain these ideas," Aurora said, looking at Lina and me. "The professors are already investigating. They know what they're doing."

  But even as she said it, I could see the doubt in her eyes.

  We finished our lunch in relative quiet. One by one, we left the dining hall. Not much else was said, but Erick's words lingered.

  He'd planted the seed, and we all knew it.

  The question wasn't if we'd go back to check those runes.

  It was when.