The familiar crimson screen hovered silently before her.
Elora quickly left the library.
She didn’t stop until she reached a quiet corner of the hallway.
Only then did she look at the screen again.
Another quest had appeared.
__________________________ Small Quest: Meet Professor Glynn Reward EXP +10 _________________________ Elora blinked.
“…Meet Professor Glynn?” She read the quest again.
Professor Glynn…
She recognized the name instantly.
He was the professor with the silver insignia on his robe.
It had stood out during the entrance exam, so she remembered him.
He’d explained the rules before the exam began, but that was the only interaction they’d ever had.
They’d never actually spoken.
“Okay…
why Professor Glynn?” she muttered.
As usual, the System didn’t explain anything.
Still, this was the first quest that pointed her toward an actual person instead of another vague objective.
Finding one professor had to be easier than searching the whole library.
At least…
she hoped so.
The only problem was that she wasn’t even sure whether Professor Glynn taught first-year students.
“And only ten EXP?” she muttered, eyeing the reward.
“That’s it?” Since she wasn’t getting any answers, Elora headed back to her dorm.
After washing up, she collapsed onto her bed.
She couldn’t stop thinking about Professor Glynn, the Silver Archive, and the quest.
Before long, she fell asleep.
The last thing she felt was the gentle warmth of the silver necklace against her chest.
In her dream, Elora stood at the edge of a vast chasm while cold mist curled around her feet.
Something was waiting in the darkness.
Then a smooth voice echoed around her.
“Elora…” She turned toward the voice, unease rising in her chest.
A cloaked figure slowly emerged from the shadows, his face hidden beneath the darkness while his eyes glinted faintly beneath the hood.
“Who…
are you?” she asked shakily, instinctively clutching the necklace tighter.
“You’ve returned,” the figure said softly.
“What do you mean?” Elora asked, her heart pounding.
“You have always belonged to the shadows.” Images flashed through her mind—ancient ruins, a massive throne, whispers in the darkness, and fragments of magic she couldn’t understand.
“I don’t understand!” Elora exclaimed, stepping back as dread crept into her chest.
“Embrace it…
or resist it.
The choice is yours.” Elora opened her mouth to protest, to demand answers, but a powerful surge of energy suddenly rushed through her body.
The necklace glowed fiercely, silver light spilling into the chasm and illuminating the abyss around her.
“Do not turn away!” the figure urged, but Elora instinctively tried to break free.
Clang!!
A dark chain suddenly shot out from the abyss below and wrapped tightly around her ankle.
Elora gasped in shock as another chain coiled around her other leg before violently dragging her toward the darkness beneath the chasm.
“No!” Elora jolted awake with a gasp, her heart pounding.
She sat upright in bed.
The dream still lingered in her mind.
The room was quiet.
Soft morning light filtered through the window.
Elora rubbed her eyes, trying to steady her breathing.
Her fingers brushed against the crack in the crystal, and the memory of the cloaked figure sent a chill down her spine.
As she swung her legs over the bed, the voice from the dream still echoed faintly in her mind.
After getting ready, Elora made her way to the dining hall.
Lyra was already there, her head resting on the table.
She lazily opened one eye as Elora approached.
“Morning.
I’m so sleepy today.” “Yeah, I can see that.” Elora smiled as she took a seat across from her.
“Come on, let’s get some food.
Maybe that’ll wake you up.” Lyra let out a dramatic groan before slowly pushing herself upright.
A few moments later, the two of them were chatting over breakfast like usual.
Elora smiled at how quickly Lyra had woken up.
Even while talking to her, though, she couldn’t stop thinking about the dream.
After a quick breakfast, the two girls made their way through the academy hallways as students hurried toward their classes.
I’ll look for Professor Glynn after class, Elora decided.
At least that was a better plan than wandering around the library again.
“Are you excited for today’s class?” Lyra asked cheerfully.
“Um…
yeah.
Totally,” Elora replied, forcing her attention back to the present.
As they entered the classroom, students were already settling into their seats while conversations about spells and magic drifted throughout the room.
At the front stood a tall woman with neatly braided silver hair, organizing papers on her desk.
“Welcome, everyone,” Professor Arden said, her voice calm but firm.
“Today we’ll be discussing the fundamentals of magical energy and resonance.” Elora quietly took a seat near the back beside Lyra.
Professor Arden went on to explain the different forms of magic and how magical energy flowed through them.
Elora scribbled notes quietly, though her attention occasionally drifted away.
Professor Arden glanced toward Elora.
“What do you think is the relationship between objects and magical energy?” Everyone in the classroom turned to look at her.
“Um…
well…
I think certain objects can hold power,” Elora answered awkwardly.
“Exactly.
Objects like pendants, crystals, and even heirlooms can resonate with different kinds of magical energy.
Some can carry significant history and hidden potential.” Professor Arden glanced around the room before continuing.
“There are also extremely rare cases where an object doesn’t simply store magic.” Her voice lowered slightly.
“It chooses a host.” A few students looked at each other in confusion.
“In ancient records, those objects were known as living seals.
Once bonded, they could no longer be removed without destroying both the object and its bearer.” Elora’s fingers instinctively tightened around the necklace beneath her uniform.
For some reason, the crystal suddenly felt heavier against her skin.
Professor Arden kept teaching, but Elora barely heard the rest of the lesson.
Finally, the class came to an end.
As Elora and Lyra left the classroom alongside the other students, the noisy hallways quickly filled with conversation again.
“Did you see the way Professor Arden looked at you?” Lyra asked, bumping her shoulder playfully.
“You had that class all to yourself!” “Yeah, maybe a little too much,” Elora replied, glancing over her shoulder.
Lyra laughed.
“So, are you finally going to tell me why you wanted to know about the restricted section yesterday?” Elora hesitated for a second.
“I was thinking of looking for Professor Glynn first.” “The artifact professor?” Lyra asked.
“I guess.” “Well, good luck with that.” Students filled the hallways, chatting and laughing as they passed by.
Before she realized it, Elora had wandered away from Lyra and into a quieter corridor branching off the main hallway.
The farther she walked, the more uneasy she felt.
“Elora?” Lyra called from behind her, but Elora kept walking toward an unfamiliar door at the end of the corridor.
The dark wooden door looked old, with strange carvings etched across its surface.
She took a deep breath and reached for the doorknob.
The moment her fingers touched it, heat rushed through her hand as the necklace reacted sharply against her chest.
“Elora!
Wait up!” Lyra called as she hurried after her, but it was already too late.
The old door slowly creaked open, revealing darkness beyond.
“What are you doing?” Lyra asked as the door swung wider.
Elora hesitated only for a moment before stepping inside.
The door clicked shut behind her.
The moment she stepped inside, something felt different.
A strange pressure filled the room, and the necklace against her chest became warm.
A faint silver glow illuminated the carvings etched into the walls.
Darkness swallowed the room.
Somehow…
She knew someone was already waiting for her.