The day of the observatory meeting arrived slowly.
Too slowly.
Aren spent most of the morning trying—and failing—not to think about Rowan’s letter.
Every time he convinced himself to focus on class, the same questions returned.
Why did Rowan know about the erased name?
How was he connected to the academy’s secrets?
And what exactly would happen at the Old Observatory?
Unfortunately, none of those questions had answers.
At least not yet.
Which meant Aren was left waiting.
And waiting, he discovered, was surprisingly difficult.
The academy grounds were unusually lively that morning.
The new semester had fully settled into place.
Students hurried between classes.
Clubs recruited members.
Training arenas overflowed with activity.
Everything appeared normal.
Yet beneath that normalcy, Aren felt tension building.
The mystery seemed to be moving.
Not visibly.
Not dramatically.
But steadily.
Like a river flowing beneath the surface.
Invisible until it became impossible to ignore.
His first lesson of the day was Magical Theory.
A subject he normally enjoyed.
Today, however, his concentration struggled.
Professor Selene noticed immediately.
Of course she did.
She seemed capable of noticing everything.
Halfway through the lecture, she paused unexpectedly.
Then looked directly at Aren.
“You’re distracted.”
The statement caused several students to glance toward him.
Wonderful.
Exactly what he needed.
Aren forced a neutral expression.
“I apologize.”
Professor Selene studied him for several seconds.
Then, surprisingly, she nodded.
“Stay after class.”
A collective wave of sympathy spread through nearby students.
Most assumed Aren was in trouble.
Aren knew better.
Or at least hoped he did.
The classroom emptied slowly.
Students gathered their books and left.
Soon only Aren and Professor Selene remained.
The professor closed the classroom door with a wave of her hand.
Then she turned toward him.
For several moments, silence filled the room.
Finally, she spoke.
“You’re thinking about Rowan.”
Aren blinked.
“That obvious?”
“To me.”
Fair enough.
Professor Selene walked toward the window.
Sunlight illuminated the academy grounds below.
“He asked you to meet him.”
The statement wasn’t a question.
Aren nodded slowly.
The professor sighed.
Not frustrated.
Resigned.
As though she had expected this.
“Will you go?”
“Probably.”
A pause.
Then:
“You’ve already decided.”
Again, not a question.
Aren smiled weakly.
“Maybe.”
Professor Selene almost smiled.
Almost.
To Aren’s surprise, the professor changed the subject.
“The tutoring circle resumes today.”
He frowned.
“Theory tutoring?”
Professor Selene nodded.
Every semester, advanced students attended optional tutoring sessions.
Most participated to improve grades.
Others attended because they genuinely enjoyed learning.
Aren belonged somewhere between the two.
The sessions had become surprisingly useful.
Especially since many mysteries seemed connected to ancient magical theory.
Professor Selene folded her arms.
“You should attend.”
The recommendation felt oddly deliberate.
Aren noticed immediately.
“There’s something important?”
The professor’s expression revealed nothing.
Yet after a brief pause, she answered.
“Perhaps.”
That afternoon, the tutoring circle gathered inside one of the academy’s older lecture halls.
Unlike regular classes, the atmosphere felt relaxed.
Students sat wherever they wanted.
Questions were encouraged.
Discussions flowed naturally.
Mira sat beside Aren.
Several familiar faces occupied nearby tables.
Including Victor Ravencrest.
The noble student had become noticeably less arrogant over time.
A welcome development.
Professor Selene entered moments later.
The conversations immediately quieted.
“Today,” she announced, “we’re studying historical spell architecture.”
Aren’s attention sharpened instantly.
Historical spell architecture rarely appeared in first-year tutoring sessions.
The topic felt suspiciously relevant.
A massive magical diagram appeared above the room.
Hundreds of glowing lines intertwined through an incredibly complex structure.
Students stared.
Some looked fascinated.
Others looked terrified.
Victor raised a hand.
“What is that?”
Professor Selene examined the diagram.
“An ancient stabilization network.”
Several students frowned.
The professor continued.
“It was designed thousands of years ago.”
Now the room became completely silent.
Thousands?
Even Astryx Academy wasn’t that old.
At least officially.
The diagram slowly rotated.
Its structure appeared beautiful.
Elegant.
And strangely familiar.
Aren couldn’t explain why.
Yet the moment he saw it, recognition stirred inside him.
The same sensation he experienced whenever ancient symbols appeared.
Or forgotten memories surfaced.
Something about the diagram felt known.
The tutoring session quickly transformed into a challenge.
Students attempted to understand the structure.
Most failed.
The design appeared impossibly complicated.
Mana pathways crossed at unusual angles.
Energy flows contradicted modern magical theory.
Nothing made sense.
At least not initially.
Professor Selene allowed the confusion to continue for nearly twenty minutes.
Then she asked a simple question.
“What was this structure designed to protect?”
The room fell silent.
Students studied the diagram desperately.
Searching for clues.
Victor offered an answer.
“An academy?”
Incorrect.
Another student suggested a city.
Also incorrect.
Several more guesses followed.
None succeeded.
Eventually, Professor Selene’s gaze settled on Aren.
Naturally.
Aren sighed internally.
Then examined the diagram again.
Carefully.
Methodically.
The answer appeared gradually.
Not through logic.
Not entirely.
More through instinct.
The structure wasn’t protecting something inside.
It was containing something beneath.
The realization arrived suddenly.
Like a memory.
Aren’s eyes widened.
Professor Selene noticed immediately.
“What do you see?”
The room turned toward him.
Again.
Always again.
Aren stood slowly.
“It isn’t protection.”
Professor Selene remained silent.
Waiting.
“It’s containment.”
The atmosphere changed instantly.
Several students looked confused.
Others frowned.
Professor Selene simply nodded.
“Continue.”
“The energy flows inward.”
The glowing lines shifted.
“Everything converges downward.”
More movement.
“The structure isn’t defending against attacks.”
His voice grew quieter.
“It’s keeping something sealed.”
Silence filled the lecture hall.
Absolute silence.
Professor Selene stared at the diagram.
Then at Aren.
Then back at the diagram.
The verification runes activated automatically.
Golden light flowed through the structure.
Several sections illuminated.
Confirming the analysis.
A murmur spread throughout the room.
Aren immediately wished he had remained silent.
Too late.
Again.
Professor Selene finally spoke.
“Correct.”
The single word carried unusual weight.
Not because Aren had answered correctly.
Because of the expression on the professor’s face.
Concern.
Just for a moment.
Then it vanished.
Yet Aren noticed.
And so did Mira.
The tutoring session continued.
Yet something had changed.
Aren could feel it.
Several students now viewed him differently.
Not with admiration.
With curiosity.
The answer he provided felt too specific.
Too precise.
Especially for someone who supposedly shouldn’t possess that knowledge.
The same pattern repeated again.
And again.
And again.
Every mystery seemed connected to him.
After the session ended, students gradually departed.
Mira and Aren remained behind.
Professor Selene organized several documents near her desk.
Then, without looking up, she spoke.
“Interesting answer.”
Aren sighed.
“I didn’t mean to say it.”
“Perhaps.”
The professor finally looked at him.
“Yet you were right.”
That wasn’t reassuring.
Not remotely.
Several moments passed.
Then Professor Selene handed him a small folded sheet of paper.
The motion appeared casual.
Almost accidental.
Yet Aren immediately understood.
Another clue.
Another message.
Secret help.
The professor turned away before he could respond.
The conversation was clearly over.
Aren unfolded the paper carefully.
Only three words appeared.
Trust Rowan.
Carefully.
His heartbeat quickened.
Trust Rowan.
Carefully.
The warning felt deliberate.
Important.
And slightly terrifying.
Because if Professor Selene felt the need to emphasize caution, then Rowan was even more complicated than Aren suspected.
That evening, the sun disappeared behind the mountains.
Shadows stretched across the academy grounds.
Students returned to their dormitories.
Lanterns illuminated the pathways.
The world seemed calm.
Peaceful.
Normal.
Yet Aren knew better.
The tutoring session had confirmed something important.
The ancient structures connected to the seals.
The memories continued surfacing.
And Professor Selene was actively guiding him toward Rowan.
For reasons he still didn’t understand.
Soon, the meeting at the Old Observatory would begin.
And something told him that the answers waiting there would be unlike anything he expected.
Because Rowan wasn’t simply a researcher.
He wasn’t simply a professor.
He was part of the story.
And tonight, for the first time, Aren would finally learn why.