“The Mage Tower Candidacy.”

  “Powerful mages from across the world are selected to serve as official representatives of their respective nations. These individuals are then dispatched to locate and advance toward the Mage Tower, a structure believed to exist at the furthest boundary of the known world.”

  “There are no standardized regutions governing the selection process. However, candidates are typically evaluated based on academic excellence, possession of unique abilities, or overwhelming magical strength.”

  “Each nation maintains only one representative at a time. The title is held indefinitely and is relinquished solely upon the representative’s death or disappearance.”

  “Consequently, it is common for prospective candidates to challenge the current holder by force in order to cim the position for themselves.”

  “It is widely theorized among schors that the Mage Tower contains knowledge unattainable through conventional magical study. Thus, reaching the tower is considered definitive proof of both superior power and exceptional wisdom.”

  “Historical records indicate that only two individuals have ever successfully reached the structure. Neither returned. Their ultimate fates remain unknown.”

  “Some experts suggest that additional trials exist within the tower itself. Others hypothesize that those who succeeded simply chose not to return, having witnessed knowledge that rendered the outside world trivial by comparison.”

  “Hey, can you stop reading out loud?” Saya asked as she peeked through her book.

  “Besides, why are you even reading about the Mage Tower anyways? You already know all this stuff.”

  Albo closed the book with a soft thud and slid it back into the library shelf.

  “I was just bored.”

  The soft rustle of turning pages echoed through the quiet library, yered with the dry scent of old bindings and ink long set into parchment.

  A warm orange glow spilled in through the tall windows, the setting sun stretching long shadows across the floor as the academy settled into evening.

  Beside Saya’s legs sat a growing stack of books she had gathered, their spines forming an uneven tower at her side.

  Albo sprawled across the floor a few feet away, a thick history book resting open on his chest. The carpet’s fuzz tugged uncomfortably at his hair, and tiny threads clung to his sleeves, but he didn’t move, every part of him surrendered to the gentle tug of sleep.

  His eyelids drooped, threatening to close completely, and he forced himself to blink rapidly. The book’s words blurred into an indistinct haze.

  “These wars were kinda crazy, aren’t you gd we’re lucky to be living in a time of peace?” His voice was soft, almost swallowed by the room’s quiet. He nudged the book slightly with an elbow, sending a faint puff of dust into the air.

  “We may be lucky in that sense,” Saya replied, sliding yet another book onto the pile with a quiet thud, “but I’m not getting lucky with this search at all.”

  “What do you mean?” Albo asked, pointing at the stack beside her. “You’ve practically built a whole fortress of books. Maybe they should contract you to build the nation’s walls.”

  Saya let out a small sigh. “These only mention arcane magic. There isn’t a single text that's actually dedicated to the craft.”

  Albo gnced back down at his book and smirked. “Didn’t think you were the type to skip css for this.”

  “Well the new batch of books just came yesterday, I don’t want someone swooping away at the things I’m looking for.” Saya repeated, tilting her head slightly in confusion.

  “Dear oh dear, how you have changed.” Albo sat up from the floor, pointing at her with a grin. “You’re usually the one telling me not to skip. Look at you now.”

  Smirking back, Saya leaned her elbow atop her fortress. “Maybe your bad influence is finally rubbing off on me. I think I should stop hanging out with you from now on.”

  Albo recoiled, his hand catching on the carpet as he scrambled to sit up.

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa… hold it right there,” he hurriedly added, sweat beading on his forehead. “Nobody, and I mean absolutely nobody was talking about that.”

  “How tragic,” Saya sighed theatrically. “To think you’d corrupt such a pure young maiden… My father was right to be suspicious of you all along.”

  She sniffled dramatically, wiping at her face despite the complete absence of tears.

  “That man was suspicious of every guy who spoke to you!” Albo protested. “It wasn’t just me!”

  Saya let out a small giggle.

  “I had to literally fight him one-on-one to earn his trust,” Albo continued. “Then he hits me with, ‘You’ve done well. Keep my daughter safe.’ Just like that.”

  He threw his hands up, even further breaking the silence in the library. “And you know what’s worse? I was ten. Ten. What kind of grown man duels a ten year old?”

  Several students scattered throughout the library lifted their heads, quills pausing mid-scratch as the blonde boy’s voice carried farther than it should have. A few exchanged looks; others frowned before reluctantly returning to their books.

  “Besides, it’s not like you’re this super defenseless girl either, you can speak your mind whenever you want to! Actually, scratch that. I feel like you’re only ever mean to me.”

  At the front counter, the librarian pushed herself to her feet, lips pressed thin in practiced irritation. This was hardly the first time she’d had to rein him in.

  A figure passed beside her, broad enough to block the ntern light and tall enough that the top shelves framed his shoulders. He raised a hand in a small, controlled gesture to wait. The librarian recognized him at once. She released a slow breath, the tension leaving her shoulders, and quietly resumed her seat.

  His gesture wasn’t one of authority, but of a friendly plea, and she saw no reason to escate the situation further. Upon her compliance, the man lowered his hand, heading towards the loud voices.

  “Hm,” Saya said thoughtfully, deepening her voice. “I see. So this is what they call gaslighting. I don’t ever recall being mean to you.”

  “Gaslighting?!” Albo shot back. “I still have the scars to prove it! I can’t believe he made me swear something like that.”

  Saya met his gaze, her teasing melting into something gentler, and she smiled, soft and sincere.

  “And you kept that promise. Thank you for saving me yesterday.”

  “Or… whatever.”

  Heat crawled to Albo’s face, his heart skipping a beat. Jaw tightening, he forced himself not to react. “You’re welcome,” he muttered.

  “Quite noisy for a library, wouldn’t you agree?”

  Professor Hector’s voice loomed above them.

  Albo shot upright in a rush, nearly tripping over himself. In contrast, Saya took her time getting up, movements calm and measured.

  “Sorry, Professor,” she said. “We’ll keep it down.”

  Hector’s attention drifted to the towering stack of books at her side. His hand went to the top volume, skimming the one beneath it as he flipped it open.

  “These are quite the ambitious choices,” he remarked, flipping a few pages. “Seems to be rather advanced texts, Saya. Far beyond what I’d normally recommend.”

  “These were the only ones I could find that even mention arcane magic,” Saya replied quietly.

  “Arcane magic, hm?” Hector mused. “Professor Hilda mentioned something about that earlier today.” He returned the book to the pile.

  “Your dedication is admirable, but jumping into these materials will be quite unforgiving.”

  He paused, searching for the right comparison.

  “For example, it’s like trying to learn how to cook, but rather than starting with a simple recipe, you jump straight into a meal fit for royalty.”

  Her gaze fell to the floor, disappointment settling quietly in her chest. “I’ve actually been trying to get into the topic of arcane magic for a while, I just haven’t been able to find materials that help me delve further into my research.”

  Hector exhaled softly. “I see. I don’t recommend it, but if this is truly the path you wish to take-”

  “Yes!” Saya lifted her head back up instantly, her eyes glimmering with stars of excitement and determination. “I want to take it.”

  Hector adjusted his gsses, pushing them higher along the bridge of his nose.

  “I’ll be honest,” he said, his voice measured. “I’m not personally capable of teaching or tutoring you in such an art.”

  “However…”

  At the far end of the hall stood a heavy door. Multiple locks sealed it shut, yered carefully over one another.

  Turning toward it, he said, “I may be able to guide you in the right direction.”

  Just the implication was enough to bring joy to Saya. She had tried to ask the elderly Hilda before, but her airheadedness prevented her from comprehending the young mage’s question. Hector was quicker to the draw, saving her the time and energy from having to ask him.

  Just before she could thank him, the distant ctter of metal echoed through the library.

  She spotted several royal knights speaking quietly with the librarian. It wasn’t just Saya and Albo who noticed the knights.

  Nearby, a student’s quill paused mid-scratch, ink bleeding slowly across the page.

  Although they were trying to be as subtle as possible, the shine of their armor betrayed their attempts.

  “What are royal knights doing here?” she whispered.

  Albo immediately leaned in beside her, squinting in the same direction.

  “There’s been a rise in danger throughout the city,” Hector replied. “People have begun disappearing here as well.”

  “Just st night, a librarian went missing.”

  Saya froze as her eyes met Albo’s. They hadn’t seen anything out of the ordinary on their way toward the dog, and coming back to the academy. There were no screams, and no signs of struggle. From what she could deduce, the streets had been completely safe and devoid of any action.

  Which only made it worse, as there was no way to tell whether they had narrowly missed the attack, or if it had already happened while they walked those same roads, blissfully unaware.

  Her Soul Sight only detected life strings. As long as a person was still alive, the thread remained intact. If someone had simply been taken or kidnapped, her ability wouldn’t have caught it at all.

  Albo straightened at once, scooping up the pile of books from the floor. “Then we should probably head back.”

  Following his lead, Saya carefully returned the books she didn’t need to their proper pces, sliding each volume back where it belonged.

  Albo, meanwhile, stuffed the ones he held into the nearest open spaces with far less care.

  “Wait, I still need that one,” Saya said, quickly stopping Albo as he went to set a book aside.

  “Alright,” Albo replied. “I’ll put this one back, then.”

  “—Wait,” Saya pyfully giggled. “I actually need that one too.”

  “I’m going to lose my mind,” Albo said, speaking through his teeth, "can you tell me before I start sliding them in?”

  “Saya,” Hector called as he began walking away, “speak with me after csses tomorrow.”

  “Oh, sure. Thank you professor.” she replied, barely being able to contain her excitement.

  By the time Saya returned the st book to its shelf, the light in the library had begun to fade.

  The two students soon followed after the professor, leaving the library side by side. Saya caught a glimpse of the librarian, who seemed to be getting interrogated by the two knights. But rather than treating her like a suspect, their tones carried worry and quiet desperation.

  With the end of the day slowly approaching, the students gathered around the various social areas began to disperse back to their respective dorm rooms. Many bid farewell to their friends, while others walked alongside their roommates.

  Upon reaching the girls’ floor, Albo said his goodbyes and continued up the stairs toward his own room.

  As Saya made her way into her room, she sighed in disappointment at herself for wasting what could have been a productive day. She had been holed up in the library the entire time, flipping through books she had already read while checking through the newest shipments.

  I guess it’s not all bad

  She thought to herself, since the one thing she had wanted had still come true. Come tomorrow, she would finally be able to take a peek inside the famous forbidden archives. Saya often figured there probably wasn’t anything too extraordinary there, since literature of that level would most likely be kept at Atri Magic Academy rather than in Ka.

  Still, something was better than nothing. If she could uncover even a small piece of her ability’s secret, that alone would satisfy her. The Mage Tower was something she sought, not for power or to unravel the world’s mysteries, but personal understanding.

  With the students slowly but surely fizzling out, a different crowd, one that the academy’s walls were not used to, started to occupy the grounds instead. As nightfall settled over the city, soldiers lined the entrances, while others took position along the academy’s outer walls.

  Torches were lit one by one from one corner of the building to the other, in order to drive back the dark. The academy’s top floor had once been reserved for the headmaster’s quarters, but with the imperial daughter’s arrival, those living spaces had been surrendered to her.

  From her window, Veronica counted the number of knights standing watch over the once-beautiful gardens, their metal boots trampling the flowers and fttening the carefully tended grass beneath them.

  Though the sight irked her, she let out a short sigh to compose herself before turning a page in her novel, the faint smell of smoke slipping in through the gap in the window frame.

  Discreet magical artifacts were pced along walkways and rooftops.

  Among the ranks of soldiers that were setting up camp near the main entrance of the academy, one figure stood apart.

  Her bright red hair caught the torchlight, burning with warmth that rivaled the fmes themselves. She stood in discussion with decorated captains, figures well known throughout the city. By the time Saya returned to her dorm, her roommates were gathered around the window, letting out squeals of excitement.

  There was no shortage of attractive men and women in the royal army. Her roommates ever so slightly pushed each other as their shoulders squeezed together, trying to point out on which one was most their type.

  Only a few doors down, Albo’s friends did the same, but for the women instead. Unlike the girls who had gathered together, the boys used alternative methods, such as standing on top of chairs and sitting on top of the other’s shoulder to get a good view.

  No matter how stunned they were with the knights, the boys’ attention was always drawn back to the Sword Saint.

  From a floor above the rest of the dorms, Veronica leaned back in a plush chair, the noise of the army below barely reaching her. Dresses were scattered across the room, and her dorm was nearly twice as rge as those used by the other students.

  She had no interest in the looks of people, and certainly no interest in the Sword Saint herself. But the reason for the sudden arrival of the knights did intrigue her.

  Turning a page, she murmured under her breath,

  “I see, so it’s that kind of threat.”