The hidden archive had never felt more dangerous.
Aren stood frozen beside Professor Selene’s journal, the whisper still echoing in his mind.
“They erased you once.”
“They will try again.”
The words refused to fade.
Around him, the underground archive remained silent.
Ancient shelves stretched into darkness.
Forgotten records filled the chamber.
Yet more and more gaps appeared among them.
Books had vanished.
Pages had become blank.
Entire sections of history were disappearing.
And now, according to Professor Selene’s own notes, the academy itself was trying to erase him.
The realization should have sounded impossible.
Instead, it felt terrifyingly believable.
After everything he had witnessed, impossible was becoming normal.
Mira carefully closed the journal.
“We need to leave.”
Aren nodded.
For once, he completely agreed.
The situation had escalated beyond curiosity.
Beyond investigation.
Something was actively changing the records.
And whatever it was seemed to be accelerating.
The two quickly gathered their notes.
Neither spoke much.
Both remained lost in thought.
The hidden archive suddenly felt less like a library and more like a trap.
A place full of secrets that did not want to be discovered.
The sooner they left, the better.
Aren slipped Professor Selene’s copied notes back into place.
Then turned toward the staircase.
Only to freeze.
Someone stood at the entrance.
Waiting.
Aren’s heart nearly stopped.
The figure remained motionless.
Partially hidden by shadows.
Yet there was no mistaking the silver hair.
No mistaking the academy robes.
No mistaking the sharp blue eyes.
Professor Selene.
Silence filled the archive.
Aren felt his stomach drop.
Mira looked equally shocked.
Neither had heard her approach.
Which was alarming.
Because the staircase was the only entrance.
Professor Selene slowly descended the final steps.
Her expression revealed nothing.
No anger.
No surprise.
No amusement.
Just calm observation.
The kind that somehow felt worse.
Several seconds passed.
Nobody spoke.
Finally, the professor broke the silence.
“So.”
Her voice echoed softly through the chamber.
“You found it.”
Aren considered several responses.
None seemed particularly useful.
Technically, they had found it.
Technically, they weren’t supposed to be here.
Technically, they had been reading restricted records for days.
The situation wasn’t exactly favorable.
Mira recovered first.
“We can explain.”
Professor Selene raised an eyebrow.
“Can you?”
That was a fair question.
Aren wasn’t entirely sure they could.
Not without mentioning hidden archives, disappearing records, ancient prophecies, mysterious whispers, and magical memory fragments.
The explanation would sound insane.
Even though it happened to be true.
The professor slowly approached.
Her gaze swept across the room.
The shelves.
The desk.
The journal.
Nothing escaped her notice.
Finally, she looked directly at Aren.
“How much have you discovered?”
The question caught him off guard.
Not why are you here?
Not who gave you access?
Not even you’re in serious trouble.
Instead—
How much have you discovered?
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Aren exchanged a glance with Mira.
Then made a decision.
Lying seemed pointless.
Professor Selene clearly knew more than she revealed.
Possibly much more.
“We know about the seals.”
The professor remained silent.
Aren continued.
“The hidden records.”
Still no reaction.
“The Awakener.”
Something flickered across her expression.
Gone almost instantly.
But Aren noticed.
So did Mira.
“I see.”
The response sounded far too calm.
Far too controlled.
Almost as if she had expected this.
That realization bothered Aren.
A lot.
The professor walked toward the desk.
Carefully.
Deliberately.
Her fingers brushed across the surface.
Then she sighed.
A tired sigh.
The kind made by someone carrying a burden for a very long time.
“You should not have found this place.”
Aren frowned.
“Then why wasn’t it hidden better?”
The question escaped before he could stop it.
Mira looked horrified.
Professor Selene looked surprised.
Then—
To Aren’s shock—
She laughed.
Not loudly.
Not for long.
But genuinely.
The sound felt strange.
Unexpected.
Almost human.
Because most students viewed Professor Selene as an unstoppable force of nature.
Not someone who laughed.
The professor shook her head.
“Fair point.”
That response confused Aren even more.
Several moments passed.
Then Professor Selene’s expression became serious again.
“Do you know why these archives exist?”
Aren hesitated.
“To protect knowledge?”
“Partly.”
She looked toward the surrounding shelves.
“Knowledge is dangerous.”
Mira raised an eyebrow.
“Books are dangerous?”
The professor’s gaze sharpened.
“Some are.”
The answer carried enough weight to silence further questions.
For now.
Professor Selene slowly turned toward the deeper sections of the archive.
Her eyes lingered on the empty shelves.
The missing books.
The blank records.
The growing absences.
Her expression darkened.
“You’ve seen the erasure.”
Aren immediately nodded.
The disappearing names.
The vanished records.
The blank pages.
How could he not?
The professor closed her eyes briefly.
Then spoke.
“Good.”
Aren blinked.
Good?
That wasn’t the reaction he expected.
Professor Selene looked directly at him.
“If you hadn’t witnessed it yourself, you wouldn’t believe me.”
A chill ran down his spine.
The professor knew.
She knew exactly what was happening.
Perhaps she always had.
Aren stepped forward.
“Then explain it.”
The words echoed through the chamber.
Professor Selene remained silent.
Several seconds passed.
Then she answered.
“I can’t.”
Aren groaned.
Of course.
Of course she couldn’t.
Everyone connected to this mystery seemed allergic to direct explanations.
The silver-haired woman.
The old librarian.
The whispers.
Now Professor Selene.
Always clues.
Never answers.
The professor almost seemed amused by his frustration.
Almost.
“You think I’m hiding the truth.”
Aren didn’t answer.
Because the answer was obvious.
Professor Selene nodded anyway.
“I am.”
That wasn’t the response he expected.
Neither was the next sentence.
“I’ve spent most of my life hiding it.”
Silence followed.
The professor walked toward one of the empty shelves.
Her expression had changed.
Less like a teacher.
More like a guardian.
Someone protecting something important.
Something dangerous.
“The truth nearly destroyed the world once.”
The words hung heavily in the air.
Mira’s eyes widened.
Aren felt his pulse accelerate.
The professor continued. Enjoying the story? Read on at g.com.
“That is not an exaggeration.”
Every instinct told Aren she was serious.
Completely serious.
The ground suddenly trembled.
A deep vibration echoed through the archive.
Dust rained from the ceiling.
Several shelves rattled violently.
Everyone froze.
The tremor felt stronger than previous ones.
Much stronger.
Professor Selene’s expression hardened instantly.
“Not now.”
For the first time, genuine concern appeared in her voice.
Aren immediately noticed.
“So that’s the seal?”
The professor looked at him.
Then slowly nodded.
A small gesture.
Yet somehow more significant than anything else she had said.
Confirmation.
At last.
The seal was real.
Not a myth.
Not a legend.
Real.
And weakening.
Another tremor followed.
The archive lights flickered.
Ancient runes hidden throughout the chamber briefly illuminated.
Golden symbols appeared across the walls.
Then vanished.
Professor Selene cursed quietly.
Aren wasn’t sure he had ever heard a professor curse before.
The moment felt oddly memorable.
The professor moved toward the staircase.
“We’re leaving.”
Mira frowned.
“Just like that?”
“Yes.”
The answer came immediately.
“No arguments.”
The tone left little room for debate.
Unfortunately for Professor Selene, Aren had questions.
Many questions.
Thousands, probably.
“What about the records?”
“The seal matters more.”
“What about the prophecy?”
Silence.
Professor Selene stopped.
Only for a moment.
Then continued walking.
That tiny hesitation told Aren everything he needed to know.
The prophecy mattered.
A lot.
They reached the staircase.
The professor remained several steps ahead.
Then she suddenly stopped again.
Without turning around, she spoke.
Quietly.
Carefully.
“As of this moment…”
Her voice echoed through the darkness.
“You are no longer investigating alone.”
Aren blinked.
Mira looked equally confused.
Professor Selene finally turned.
For the first time since meeting her, she looked genuinely tired.
Not physically.
Emotionally.
As though she had carried this responsibility for years.
Maybe decades.
“You’ve already learned too much.”
The statement wasn’t an accusation.
It sounded like a fact.
A regrettable fact.
The professor sighed.
Then delivered the final surprise.
“I’ll help you.”
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Neither student knew how to respond.
Because this was the last thing either expected.
Professor Selene.
The secret investigator.
The guardian of hidden records.
The woman who spent weeks observing Aren.
Now offering assistance.
The mystery had just become far more complicated.
Far below the archive, deep beneath countless layers of stone and ancient magic, the First Seal continued to crack.
Slowly.
Relentlessly.
Golden light leaked through growing fractures.
Ancient runes dimmed one by one.
The barrier remained intact.
For now.
Yet something beyond it had already begun to awaken.
Waiting.
Listening.
Watching.
And perhaps smiling.
Because the people searching for answers were finally coming together.
The student.
The investigator.
And the guardian.
All moving toward the same truth.
A truth buried beneath centuries of forgotten history.
A truth that was no longer content to remain hidden.