The exit point shimmered like heat haze against desert sand, a gossamer tear in reality that wavered with each of Emrys's heartbeats. The Waystation's curved walls pulsed with ancient runes, their light dimming as if conserving energy for what would come next.
"This passage leads to the noble quarter," Krazek explained, scaled fingers tracing symbols in the air that made the tear widen slightly. "Once used by Crucible organizers to observe elite participants without detection. Long forgotten by current administrators."
"And known to drake-born how, exactly?" Emrys asked, securing the prototype more firmly against his chest. Its weight pressed against his sternum like a physical conscience.
Krazek's mouth curved in what might have been a smile, revealing teeth too sharp for comfort. "My kind remembers what others choose to forget. The Crucible's original architects required... specialized assistance... with certain dimensional anchoring problems."
The explanation felt incomplete, but time pressed against them like a physical force. The prototype's warnings grew more urgent with each passing minute:
[ARCANUM DETECTION SYSTEMS TRIANGULATING]
[ESTIMATED TIME TO FULL LOCATION LOCK: 18 MINUTES]
[RECOMMEND IMMEDIATE DEPARTURE]
"Can they track me through the exit point?" Emrys asked, calculating risks against diminishing options.
"Not directly," Krazek replied, head tilting in that reptilian gesture of consideration. "The Waystation exists partially outside conventional dimensional mapping. But once you emerge—"
"I'll leave a magical signature they can follow," Emrys finished grimly. "Like footprints in fresh snow."
"Precisely." The drake-born stepped back from the shimmer, eyes reflecting blue light in unsettling patterns. "Your path forward grows increasingly narrow, Emrys Seraphal. The Arcanum rarely loses what it considers its property."
The assessment stung with its accuracy. Three days ago, he'd been a struggling human scholarship student, stealing forbidden knowledge and failing at basic spells. Now he stood revealed as something else entirely—an experimental subject who'd escaped, been captured, escaped again, and now carried fragments of a truth the magical authorities would kill to suppress.
"Any final advice?" Emrys asked, straightening his torn clothing as best he could.
"Trust no one completely," Krazek replied without hesitation. "Especially those who claim to know who you were."
"Including you?"
The drake-born's scales shifted to a deeper copper, almost bronze in the fading rune-light. "Especially me. We are allies of circumstance, not conviction." He gestured toward the exit point. "Time grows short. The noble quarter slumbers now—their magical security at its minimum rotation. Once through, you have perhaps fifteen minutes before regular patrols resume."
Emrys nodded, decision solidifying into action. "Will I see you again?"
"If fortune favors us both," Krazek replied cryptically. "My path now leads elsewhere. The Arcanum's attention focuses primarily on you, offering opportunity for those with different objectives."
The statement carried implications Emrys filed away for future consideration—if he survived long enough to have a future. With a final nod of acknowledgment, he stepped toward the shimmering exit point.
"Remember," Krazek called as the tear began enveloping Emrys's form. "The silver mage's motivations remain his own. Establish clear parameters for your alliance before revealing anything of true value."
The warning faded as reality distorted around Emrys, the now-familiar sensation of dimensional transition stretching his consciousness across spaces never meant for human perception. Unlike previous transports, this one felt rougher, less controlled—like catching a fraying rope during a precipitous fall.
The Waystation's ancient magic struggled against modern dimensional locks, forcing a pathway through barriers designed specifically to prevent unauthorized travel. For an eternity compressed into seconds, Emrys existed everywhere and nowhere, his identity the only constant in a sea of shifting possibility.
Then solid ground slammed into his feet with bruising force. Disorientation hit immediately after, his senses overwhelmed by sudden transition from the Waystation's timeless environment to conventional reality. The prototype burned against his chest, its systems straining to stabilize his fluctuating mana circuits against the abrupt dimensional shift.
[TRANSITION COMPLETE]
[LOCATION: NEXORIA NOBLE QUARTER, SOUTHWESTERN PERIMETER]
[WARNING: MAGICAL SIGNATURE TEMPORARILY VISIBLE TO DETECTION SYSTEMS]
[RECOMMEND IMMEDIATE CIRCUIT SUPPRESSION]
Emrys complied without hesitation, using the mental discipline he'd developed over three years of forbidden research to deliberately relax his partially awakened circuits. The faint blue glow beneath his skin—barely visible but potentially catastrophic if detected—faded to dormancy, leaving him once again indistinguishable from a non-magical human to casual observation.
Night cloaked Nexoria's noble quarter in privileged darkness—not the perpetual half-light of the human dormitory sector with its always-on security illumination, but true darkness broken only by the occasional fairy-light lamp marking the corners of elegant estates. The air smelled of jasmine and night-blooming Elysian roses, their fragrance magically enhanced to soothe elite sensibilities.
Emrys pressed himself against the shadowed wall of what appeared to be a garden shed, quickly orienting himself within the geography of privilege. The noble quarter occupied Nexoria's highest elevation, its carefully manicured grounds rolling gently toward the academy proper to the east, the commercial district to the south, and the exclusive recreational areas to the west.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
Varek's family estate—one of the oldest in Nexoria according to academy records—should be approximately half a mile north, its boundaries marked by distinctive silver-leaved ash trees visible even in darkness to those who knew what to look for.
The prototype vibrated gently against his chest.
[PERIMETER SCAN COMPLETE]
[DETECTED: 4 ACTIVE SECURITY WARDS WITHIN 300 METERS]
[2 MAGICAL SENTRIES PATROLLING NORTHEASTERN APPROACH]
[RECOMMENDATION: UTILIZE SOUTHWESTERN PASSAGE BETWEEN ESTATES]
Emrys crept forward, years of unauthorized library access having taught him the precise art of moving unseen. The noble quarter's security relied heavily on magical detection rather than physical surveillance—a critical weakness when dealing with someone capable of suppressing their magical signature through conscious control.
The narrow passage between estates proved just wide enough to navigate without disturbing the ornamental vegetation that grew with suspicious uniformity—probably alarm-plants bred to respond to unauthorized contact. Emrys slipped past them with delicate precision, each footfall placed with deliberate care on the soft, manicured ground.
Fifteen minutes of cautious progress brought him to the southwestern border of the Moonshadow estate—a sprawling compound whose grounds alone exceeded the size of the entire human dormitory sector. Ancient silver-leaved ash trees formed a natural boundary, their branches intertwining to create a canopy that shimmered with subtle protective enchantments.
The prototype's temperature rose slightly, responding to the boundary wards embedded within the tree line.
[ANALYZING SECURITY SYSTEM...]
[CLASSIFICATION: LEGACY INTRUDER DETERRENCE]
[VULNERABILITY DETECTED: SYSTEM DESIGNED FOR MAGICAL ENFORCEMENT]
[CIRCUMVENTION POSSIBLE THROUGH COMPLETE CIRCUIT SUPPRESSION]
The assessment aligned with Emrys's own conclusions. Legacy magical security operated on simple principles—detect magical signatures attempting unauthorized entry, then respond with countermeasures of appropriate severity. With his circuits fully suppressed and minimal residual energy, he might register as nothing more than ambient magical background—especially if the systems were calibrated for greater threats.
Taking a deep breath, Emrys focused on maintaining absolute circuit dormancy while stepping deliberately through the tree line. The boundary wards washed over him like warm water, searching for magical resistance that would trigger their defensive protocols. Finding none—just the seemingly mundane presence of a non-magical intruder—the wards settled back into their normal surveillance pattern.
A calculated risk successfully navigated. Inside the boundary, the Moonshadow estate revealed itself in moonlit elegance—stone pathways winding through formal gardens, elaborate fountains frozen in nighttime stasis, and at the center, the mansion itself—a three-story architectural statement of old wealth and older magic.
The prototype directed him toward a service entrance partially concealed by ornamental hedges. More vulnerable than the main approaches with their centuries of accumulated defensive enchantments, the kitchen gardens would have simpler measures designed for everyday convenience rather than maximum security.
[DETECT IMMEDIATE THREATS] [SCANNING...]
[ONE MAGICAL SIGNATURE APPROACHING FROM EAST GARDEN]
[CLASSIFICATION: HOUSE ELF - MAINTENANCE STAFF]
[RECOMMEND TEMPORARY CONCEALMENT]
Emrys ducked behind a decorative stone planter as a diminutive figure shuffled along the path, a ball of magelight floating above one gnarled hand as the house elf performed some late-night garden maintenance. Ancient eyes squinted at the roses nearest Emrys's hiding place, muttering disapproval at some perceived imperfection before moving on.
When the coast cleared, Emrys approached the service entrance—a solid oak door with iron fittings that spoke of practicality beneath the estate's otherwise ostentatious display. The lock was physical but enhanced with simple magical triggering—easily circumvented by someone who understood the intersection of mechanical function and basic enchantment.
Three minutes of careful manipulation with improvised tools yielded success—the lock turning with a satisfying click that granted access to the mansion's lower level. Kitchen smells lingered in the air—spices and roasted meats from the evening meal, alongside cleaning potions and the distinctive ozone tang of household magic.
The prototype guided him through darkened service corridors, its temperature fluctuating slightly as it detected and analyzed the mansion's security systems. Most were dormant at this hour, their attention focused outward rather than monitoring internal spaces deemed secure by default.
[ANALYSIS OF ESTATE LAYOUT COMPLETE]
[PRIVATE QUARTERS LOCATED ON THIRD FLOOR, EAST WING]
[CAUTION: PERSONAL WARDS DETECTED - HIGHER SENSITIVITY THAN PERIMETER SYSTEMS]
[APPROACHING MAGICAL SIGNATURE WILL TRIGGER ALERTS]
Emrys paused at the base of a servants' staircase, recalculating his approach. The initial plan to locate Varek directly now carried unacceptable risk. Personal quarters would have individualized protection reflecting their occupant's magical specialties and paranoia level.
A new strategy formed as he studied the mansion's internal flow. The library—every ancient magical family maintained one—would be less aggressively warded while still providing means to summon the estate's heir without triggering full security protocols.
The prototype confirmed his reasoning, directing him toward the mansion's west wing where the Moonshadow family's collected knowledge would be stored. Two flights of stairs and three carefully navigated corridors later, Emrys stood before carved double doors inlaid with silver runes that glowed faintly in the darkness.
Unlike personal quarters, family libraries typically welcomed legitimate visitors—researchers, allies, and occasionally approved academy faculty. Their security focused on protecting contents rather than preventing all access. The distinction created opportunity.
Emrys placed his palm against the door's center, where a silver medallion bearing the Moonshadow crest served as both lock and recognition system. The prototype warmed against his chest, interfacing with the security enchantment through carefully controlled energy transfer that mimicked authorized approach without triggering identity verification.
The doors recognized the presence of a visitor without confirming specific identity—an intentional feature allowing properly escorted guests entry without requiring family authentication for each individual. A subtle but critical vulnerability.
With a soft click, the library doors swung inward, revealing a two-story chamber lined with bookshelves that reached from floor to ceiling. Magical lighting activated automatically at entry, globes of gentle illumination rising to hover near the ceiling, providing just enough light for navigation without the brightness that might alert others to unauthorized activity.
Emrys stepped inside, allowing the doors to close behind him. The library's atmosphere wrapped around him immediately—the distinctive smell of ancient parchment, magical preservatives, and the subtle electric charge that accompanied concentrated knowledge. For a brief moment, he allowed himself to appreciate the magnitude of collected wisdom surrounding him—centuries of magical research and family history preserved in volumes that would never see public shelving.
The prototype vibrated with sudden urgency.
[WARNING: PERSONALIZED WARDS ACTIVATED]
[LIBRARY SECURITY NOTIFYING PRIMARY USER]
[VAREK MOONSHADOW ALERTED TO PRESENCE]
[ESTIMATED ARRIVAL: 2-3 MINUTES]
Exactly as planned. Emrys moved to the library's center, positioning himself beside an ornate reading table where silver candlesticks held enchanted flames that burned without consuming their wicks. A defensive position that allowed clear sight lines to all potential entrances while giving the impression of casual confidence rather than hostile intent.
The prototype's temperature stabilized as it collected data on the library's magical architecture.
[SCANNING LIBRARY CONTENTS...]
[DETECTED: SIGNIFICANT ARCANUM HISTORICAL TEXTS]
[MULTIPLE REFERENCES TO EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH DIVISION]
[RECOMMEND SECURING ACCESS IF ALLIANCE PERMITS]
The analysis confirmed Emrys's growing suspicion—Varek's family had deeper Arcanum connections than mere political alignment. This library likely contained information about the very experiments that had resulted in Emrys's memory extraction and magical binding.
