The first light of dawn entered Kael's room through the tall windows. He had barely slept. The message was still on his desk. Stop looking. Four simple words. Yet they had occupied his thoughts for most of the night. Kael sat in silence, his eyes fixed on the piece of paper. There was nothing unusual about it. No seal. No signature. No magical trace that he could detect. Whoever had left it had known exactly what they were doing. That bothered him more than the threat itself. Someone had entered one of the most protected areas of the academy without being noticed. And they had known where he lived. Kael folded the paper and slipped it into the inner pocket of his coat. He would not tell the academy. Not yet. He had learned enough to know that the safest place for a secret was sometimes inside his own head. A knock sounded at the door. “Kael?” He recognized the voice. Lysandra. Kael glanced at the clock. He had completely forgotten that he had agreed to meet her before class. He opened the door. Lysandra stood in the corridor, holding two books against her chest. Her dark blue hair fell over her shoulders, almost black beneath the faint morning light. She looked at him for a moment. Then she narrowed her eyes. “You didn't sleep.” Kael blinked. “Good morning to you too.” She smiled slightly. “Good morning.” Her eyes moved over him. “You look tired.” “I am.” “At least you're honest.” Kael stepped out and locked his door. Lysandra waited for him. “You still coming to class?” “Yes.” “Good.” She turned and began walking. Kael followed. For several seconds, neither of them spoke. The academy was slowly coming to life around them. Students crossed the corridors in groups, some still half-asleep, others already discussing their schedules. When they entered the courtyard, the morning sun illuminated the enormous towers of Asteria. Kael looked toward the training grounds. Several students were already practicing with wooden weapons. Others were sitting on the stone steps, discussing spells. Everything appeared normal. Almost too normal. “You're thinking about it again.” Kael glanced at Lysandra. “About what?” “The archives.” He said nothing. Lysandra sighed. “You're not very good at pretending.” “I wasn't pretending.” “That somehow makes it worse.” Kael almost smiled. Almost. They continued toward the main building. Then a familiar voice called from behind them. “Veyron!” Kael stopped. A group of students approached. At their center was one of the young nobles who had already made a habit of provoking him. He smiled. “Still hiding behind that expression?” Kael looked at him calmly. “I wasn't aware I was hiding.” A few students laughed. The noble's smile disappeared. Lysandra looked away, hiding a small smile of her own. The boy stepped closer. “You think you're impressive because you passed the entrance test?” “No.” “Then what do you think you are?” Kael looked him directly in the eyes. “Busy.” The boy's face reddened. One of his companions grabbed his shoulder. “Leave it. We're going to be late.” They eventually walked away. Lysandra waited until they were out of earshot. “Busy?” Kael shrugged. “It was true.” “You could have simply ignored him.” “I did.” She looked at him. “That was you ignoring him?” “Yes.” She laughed quietly. Kael glanced at her. For a brief moment, the tension that had followed him since the previous night disappeared. Then the academy bell rang. Their first class was theoretical magic. The classroom was enormous, with several rows of dark wooden desks and a large crystal board at the front. Their professor entered carrying a stack of books. “Today, we will discuss magical resonance.” Kael sat near the window. Lysandra took the seat beside him. The professor drew several symbols on the crystal board. “Every mage possesses a natural magical frequency. Most of the time, this resonance remains stable.” He pointed toward the first symbol. “But certain individuals possess unusual fluctuations.” Kael's eyes narrowed. The professor continued. “These fluctuations can be caused by bloodline abilities, magical artifacts, external influences…” He paused. “…or powers that the individual themselves does not fully understand.” Kael's fingers tightened around his pen. Lysandra noticed. She didn't say anything. The professor continued his explanation. “When a person's magic becomes unstable, the consequences can vary. Weakness. Loss of control. Physical manifestations.” Kael stared at the board. For a moment, he remembered the strange sensation he had experienced before. The darkness. The pressure. That feeling of something inside him responding to his emotions. He looked down. A faint shadow seemed to move beneath his fingers. Kael immediately closed his hand. The shadow disappeared. Lysandra glanced at him. “Are you okay?” “Yes.” She hesitated. “You're lying again.” Kael looked at her. “You notice too much.” “Someone has to.” Their professor suddenly spoke. “Mr. Veyron.” Kael looked up. “Yes?” “Since you seem particularly interested in the subject, perhaps you can answer.” The room became quiet. “What happens when magical resonance is forced beyond its natural limit?” Kael answered without hesitation. “It can damage the user's mana channels.” “Correct.” The professor nodded. “And if the power is connected to the user's emotions?” Kael paused. “It becomes harder to control.” The professor's expression became slightly more serious. “Exactly.” Kael lowered his gaze. That answer had been too close. After class, the students moved toward the training grounds. Today's lesson was aura control. Kael stood among the others while the instructor explained the exercise. “Your goal is not strength.” He raised his hand. “Your goal is precision.” One by one, the students began. Aura surrounded their bodies in faint waves of light. Some struggled to maintain it. Others released too much power at once. Kael closed his eyes. He focused. His aura emerged smoothly. The instructor watched him carefully. “Excellent control, Veyron.” Kael opened his eyes. Then something changed. A strange sensation passed through him. The same feeling as the night before. A presence. Watching. He turned his head. At the far edge of the training grounds stood a figure. A student. Or at least, someone wearing the academy uniform. The person was watching him. Kael stared back. The figure turned away. Kael immediately began walking. “Kael?” Lysandra called after him. He didn't answer. He followed the figure through the courtyard. But when he reached the corner— Nothing. The corridor was empty. Kael stopped. He looked around. No footsteps. No magical traces. Nothing. He frowned. Then he noticed something on the floor. A small piece of black stone. Kael crouched and picked it up. It was cold. Too cold. He recognized the material. The same black crystal used in his communication artifact. His expression hardened. Someone had been close enough to communicate with him. But why? He turned the fragment over. A tiny symbol had been carved into its surface. The same symbol. The one from the forbidden room. Kael stared at it. Someone had just confirmed something. The warning had not been random. Whoever was watching him knew about the symbol. And they were close. Very close. “Kael.” Lysandra's voice came from behind him. He turned. She had followed him. Her expression was concerned. “What happened?” Kael closed his hand around the fragment. “Nothing.” She looked at him. “You really need to stop saying that.” Kael hesitated. Then, for once, he didn't immediately dismiss her. “Someone was following me.” Lysandra's expression changed. “Who?” “I don't know.” “Did you see them?” “Yes.” “And?” “They disappeared.” She looked at his closed fist. “What are you holding?” Kael opened his hand. The black fragment rested in his palm. Lysandra stared at it. “That's…” “Yes.” She looked toward the corridor. “Should we tell someone?” Kael shook his head. “Not yet.” “Why?” “Because I don't know who I can trust.” Lysandra was silent. Then she said quietly: “You can trust me.” Kael looked at her. Her expression was completely serious. There was no curiosity in her eyes. No desire to become involved in some exciting mystery. Only concern. Kael looked away. “I know.” It was a simple answer. But for Lysandra, it was enough. The afternoon passed without another incident. Yet Kael couldn't stop thinking about the fragment. That evening, he returned to his room. He placed the black crystal on his desk. Then he took out his father's letter. For several minutes, he compared the symbol on the fragment with the marks on the old document. They were identical. But there was something else. A small line beneath the symbol. Kael had never noticed it before. He took a magnifying lens from his desk. There were letters. Very small. Almost invisible. He leaned closer. Three words were written beneath the symbol. “Beneath the Crown.” Kael froze. He read them again. Beneath the Crown. What did it mean? A location? A person? A title? His thoughts immediately returned to Asteria. The Imperial Academy. The imperial family. The nobles. The archives. Then his eyes widened slightly. There was one place in the academy that students were forbidden from entering without permission. The oldest section of the castle. A place known simply as— The Crown Vault. Kael stood. His expression became cold. The mystery had just given him a direction. And for the first time since arriving at Asteria… He knew exactly where he needed to go next.

A Different Day