The announcement came during morning assembly.
Simple.
Cold.
Almost careless.
“Student Arven Hale of the Magic Division has withdrawn from the Academy.”
That was all.
No explanation.
No details.
Just words.
But Liebe felt it immediately.
Wrong.
The boy from the corridor.
The empty eyes.
The hollow stare.
He stood still as the other students around him reacted.
A few whispers.
A shrug.
Then silence.
As if it didn’t matter.
As if students simply disappeared all the time.
Beside him, Sia frowned.
“…That’s strange.”
“You knew him?”
“Not really.”
She crossed her arms.
“But Arven wouldn’t quit.”
Liebe’s chest tightened.
Because he knew she was right.
Training passed in a blur.
Even Aurelion noticed.
“You’re distracted.”
Liebe almost told him.
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The library.
The book.
But stopped.
Something held him back.
Instead, he trained.
Failed.
Again.
And again.
His light flickered weakly.
Unstable.
Aurelion’s expression darkened.
“Enough.”
The session ended early.
As the other students left, Liebe stayed.
Then turned.
And walked toward the dormitory wing.
He didn’t know exactly why.
Only that he needed to see.
Arven’s room was on the third floor.
The corridor was empty.
Too quiet.
Liebe stopped at the door.
Half-open.
His pulse quickened.
He pushed it slowly.
The room was untouched.
Bed made.
Books stacked neatly.
Uniform hanging in place.
No sign of packing.
No sign of leaving.
No sign of choice.
On the wall above the desk.
A mark.
Drawn in black.
Sharp.
Circular.
Its shape twisted inward like something collapsing into itself.
Liebe froze.
He knew it.
The symbol.
From the book.
From the vision.
A cold pressure filled the room.
And then— a whisper.
Right beside his ear.
“…You’re looking too closely.”
Liebe spun around.
No one.
The room was empty.
But the mark on the wall— shifted.
Just slightly.
Like it had moved.
He stumbled back.
Heart hammering.
And ran.
This time— he didn’t stop.
Because now he knew.
Arven hadn’t left.
He’d been taken.
And whatever had taken him— knew Liebe was watching.