The morning after the discovery of the erased archives, the Imperial Academy of Asteria seemed to have forgotten about the previous night's ball. The decorations had almost all been removed, the tables had been moved back into place, and the musicians had left before dawn. The students had returned to their black-and-silver uniforms, their books under their arms, and their usual daily routines. For Kael, however, the night was not over. It had simply taken another form. He was sitting in the library, surrounded by a pile of old documents that Noah had managed to gather with the help of his exceptional memory. Lysandra sat beside them, several books spread open in front of her. Morning light streamed through the tall windows, illuminating the dust floating quietly through the air. Kael was reading in silence. Three copies of the same symbol lay on the table. The first had come from the door they had discovered several days earlier. The second had been found in the archives. The third belonged to Edric Vaelmont's brooch. They were almost identical. Almost. Kael picked up a sheet of paper and carefully examined the three representations. — There's a difference. Noah raised his head. — Between the symbols? — Yes. Lysandra leaned closer. — Where? Kael placed his finger on the third vertical line. — This one is slightly shorter. Noah narrowed his eyes. — You can actually see that? — Yes. — Of course you can see that. Lysandra examined the symbols herself. — It might not be an important difference. — Maybe. Kael picked up another sheet. — But if this symbol was used by different people at different times, a deliberate modification could have a meaning. Noah leaned over the table. — So what exactly are we looking for? Kael remained silent for a few seconds. He had spent most of the night thinking about what Edric Vaelmont had said. I knew his father. He had the exact same look when he started understanding something. The words kept returning to him. His father had known this family. And this family had participated in the research conducted in Lorn Forest. The connection was too obvious to ignore. — Vaelmont, Kael finally answered. Noah frowned. — You want to find everything concerning that family? — Everything concerning their research. Lysandra turned several pages in an old register. — I've already looked through the public archives. House Vaelmont appears in several historical documents, but the information becomes increasingly scarce after a certain period. — What period? — About thirty years ago. Kael looked up. — Just before our parents were born. Lysandra nodded. Noah straightened. — Wait. He took the register and quickly went through the pages. His expression changed. — It's even stranger than that. — What? — There's a period of three years that's completely missing. Kael moved closer. — Show me. Noah placed his finger on the dates. — Here. The archives mention the Vaelmonts before this period, then continue three years later. But there are no documents concerning their research during those three years. — Erased? — Probably. Kael studied the pages. Then he noticed something. The page numbers weren't in order. — Pages are missing. Lysandra quickly checked the register. — You're right. Noah sighed. — More missing pages. Kael gently closed the book. — Someone didn't want this information to remain accessible. This time, neither of them answered. --- They spent nearly an hour searching through the shelves dedicated to the history of the great noble houses. There were numerous books about the Veyrons. Some described their lands, others their old alliances, their knights, or their role in various conflicts. But whenever they searched for information about the old magical research, the references disappeared. It was as if someone had carefully cut out a part of their history. Then Lysandra stopped in front of a shelf. — Kael. He turned around. She was holding a small book bound in dark leather. — I just found this. Kael approached. The book had no title. No crest. No author's name. Only a thin mark was engraved on the cover. The symbol. Kael didn't touch it immediately. His eyes remained fixed on the engraving. The dark red of his irises gradually became more intense. A faint scarlet glow appeared behind his pupils. Noah noticed. — You feel it? Kael didn't answer immediately. He finally reached out. The moment his fingers touched the cover, a strange sensation passed through his palm. It wasn't pain. It was more like an impression of emptiness. As though the book didn't simply contain information, but something that was waiting to be recognized. Kael slightly pulled his hand away. Lysandra looked at him. — What's wrong? — Nothing. Noah stared at him. — You literally pulled your hand away like the book spoke to you. Kael gave him a look. — It didn't speak. — That's reassuring. Kael picked up the book again. This time, nothing happened. He opened it. The first few pages were almost completely blank. Then, in the middle of the book, they found a map. An old map of Asteria. Noah immediately leaned over it. — Wait... The map showed the academy as it had existed several decades earlier. Some buildings didn't exist yet. Others had since been destroyed. But one area immediately caught their attention. Beneath the academy. A network of corridors was drawn underneath the foundations. Lysandra frowned. — These passages aren't on any current map. Noah examined the inscriptions. — There's something here. He pointed to a small annotation. Lower Sector — Restricted Access. Kael studied the map. Then he noticed the symbol. It had been drawn beside a staircase. His eyes immediately changed. The red of his irises became brighter. — It's not simply a mark. Lysandra looked at the symbol. — What do you mean? Kael slowly moved his finger above the map without touching it. — It indicates something. — A room? — Maybe. Noah thought for a moment. — An old research chamber. Kael slowly nodded. — It's possible. Silence settled over them. Then Noah asked: — You want to go there? Kael looked at the map. — Not yet. Noah seemed surprised. — Seriously? — We don't know what's down there. — That's exactly why— — And we don't know who's watching that place either. Noah fell silent. Kael was right. For several days, someone had seemed to anticipate their movements. The book itself could have been left there deliberately. The symbol on its cover could have been a warning. Or a trap. Lysandra gently closed the book. — Then we need to understand how this place was used first. Kael nodded. — Yes. --- A few minutes later, Noah went to look for more documents. Lysandra remained with Kael. She looked at the map one last time. — You know what I find strangest? Kael looked up. — What? — The symbol isn't only connected to Lorn Forest. She placed her finger on the map. — It was already being used here. Kael looked at the engraving. Then at the map. Then at the sentence they had found in the archives. Some inheritances must remain asleep. His eyes once again became a brighter red. This time, Lysandra didn't look away. — Your power... Kael remained silent. — It could be connected to all of this. A few seconds passed. Then Kael answered: — That's what I'm trying to find out. Lysandra hesitated. — And if you discover that your parents knew exactly what that power was? Kael didn't answer immediately. His gaze drifted back toward the map. — Then I'll find out why they died. Lysandra lowered her eyes slightly. — You really don't believe they died in an accident. — No. A pause. — Why? Kael slowly raised his head. — Because my father would never have left me that letter if he believed it was simply an accident. Lysandra remained silent. Kael folded the map. — And because someone has spent six years erasing the same information my parents were searching for. --- Meanwhile, in another part of the academy, a door closed. Edric Vaelmont had just left the main building. He was slowly walking through a corridor reserved for guests when a voice stopped him. — You shouldn't have spoken to him. Edric stopped. A man stood behind him, his face hidden in shadow. — I didn't reveal anything to him. — You gave him enough information. Edric tightened his grip around his cane. — He would have found it eventually. — Not this quickly. A heavy silence settled between them. — The boy already possesses the symbol, the man continued. Edric slightly turned his head. — Are you certain? — We've confirmed it. Edric closed his eyes for a moment. — Then he's really begun to manifest his inheritance. — Yes. Edric remained silent. Then he murmured: — His father tried to keep him away from it. — And he failed. The man took a step closer. — If Kael Veyron discovers what's beneath Asteria, everything we've hidden for years could resurface. Edric said nothing. Then he quietly replied: — You're afraid of him. The man remained silent. Edric gave a faint smile. — That's what I thought. --- By late afternoon, Kael, Noah, and Lysandra had gathered in the library again. Noah placed several books on the table. — I found something. Kael looked up. — What? Noah opened an old register. — I found the name of the person who built the underground passages. Kael leaned closer. A line had been circled with nearly faded ink. Archmage Elarion Vaelmont — Head of Experimental Research at the Imperial Academy of Asteria. Lysandra stared at the name. — Vaelmont. Noah nodded. — And look at the date. Kael followed his finger. His expression changed. His eyes glowed faintly. The date was old. Very old. But recent enough that Kael's parents could have found documents originating from that period. Then Noah turned the page. One final sentence appeared at the bottom of the document. “Research was suspended following the incident in the Lower Sector. Access to the main chamber is now forbidden.” Kael stared at the sentence. The library had become completely silent around them. He slowly closed the register. — We have our next destination. Noah smiled. — I suppose you're still going to say we shouldn't go there without preparing first. — Yes. — Of course. Lysandra looked at Kael. — And how long are you planning to wait? Kael stood. — Until tomorrow. Noah sighed. — Why tomorrow? Kael looked once more at the symbol engraved on the old register. His gaze turned cold. — Because tonight, someone will already know that we found it. --- In the darkness of a lower level of the academy, an old door slowly opened. No one was standing in front of it. No one had touched it. Beyond it was a staircase descending beneath the foundations of Asteria. On the wall, illuminated by a faint red light, the same symbol was carved into the stone. And just beneath it, an inscription Kael had yet to discover: “The chamber will open only to the one who bears the Void.”

The Symbol