By the next morning, Kael already knew what he had to do. He could not afford to search for the passage leading to the Crown Crypt directly. Not yet. Lucian had given him something more important: a name. Alaric Daven. Former Keeper of the Imperial Archives. Disappeared twelve years ago. And, more importantly, probably one of the last people to study Asteria's ancient foundations alongside Kael's father. Kael had spent part of the night writing down everything he knew. He had written Alaric's name in the center of a page. Around it, several words were connected by lines. The Keeper of the Crown. The key. The door that is not a door. The Crown Crypt. His parents. And, at the bottom of the page: Who is still watching this story? Kael closed his notebook. The further he went, the larger the mystery seemed to become. Yet something told him that Alaric Daven was an essential piece of the puzzle. --- The first class of the morning was Imperial History. Kael took his usual seat near the back of the classroom, his notebook placed in front of him. Lysandra naturally sat beside him. She immediately noticed his expression. “You spent part of the night searching for information again, didn't you?” Kael turned his head slightly. “I mostly tried to understand what Lucian showed me yesterday.” “And did you manage to understand it?” “Not really. But I found a new lead.” Lysandra sighed softly. “I suppose you're going to tell me that you need to follow it immediately.” “Not immediately.” She looked at him with a faint smile. “That is already an improvement.” Kael allowed himself a small smile. “I can be reasonable sometimes.” “I don't think anyone else at the academy could confirm that.” Before Kael could answer, the professor entered. The classroom fell silent. The lesson concerned the early years of Asteria's construction. The professor explained how the academy had been built over much older structures. Kael took several notes. Then one sentence caught his attention. “Some sections of the original foundations have never been completely mapped.” Kael immediately looked up. The professor continued. “The first imperial architects used several pre-existing structures. Many underground passages were sealed over the centuries, mainly for safety reasons.” Kael raised his hand. The professor gave him permission to speak. “Do the Imperial Archives still have the plans for those structures?” The professor thought for a moment. “The main plans, yes. But some documents are kept in the academy's historical archives. Why do you ask?” Kael remained calm. “I'm simply interested in the history of Asteria's foundations.” The professor nodded. “Then consult the First Century archives. You may find more details there.” Kael memorized the information. The First Century archives. Again. --- After class, Lysandra gathered her things. “You're going to the archives.” It wasn't a question. Kael closed his notebook. “Yes.” “I'm coming with you.” “You don't have to.” “I know.” She picked up her bag. “That is precisely why I'm coming.” Kael remained silent for a few seconds. Then he nodded. “All right.” They left the classroom together. --- The historical archives occupied one of the oldest sections of the main building. The walls were made of dark stone, and the narrow windows allowed only a small amount of light inside. An elderly archivist greeted them from behind a long desk. “Are you looking for something specific?” Kael took out a sheet of paper with the name written on it. “I'm looking for information about Alaric Daven.” The archivist's expression changed slightly. She looked up at him. “Alaric Daven?” “Yes.” She remained silent for a few seconds. “Why are you looking for him?” Kael carefully chose his words. “I'm studying the history of the Imperial Archives. His work on Asteria's ancient foundations interests me.” It wasn't completely untrue. The archivist seemed uncertain. Then she stood. “Wait here.” She disappeared behind a door. Lysandra leaned slightly toward Kael. “She looked like she knew the name.” “She probably does.” “Do you think she knows what happened to him?” “I hope so.” A few minutes later, the archivist returned with a dusty box. She placed it on the desk. “There are almost no personal documents left concerning Daven. After his disappearance, most of his records were transferred to the capital.” Kael opened the box. Reports. Lists. Registers. Administrative notes. He began searching. After several minutes, he found a file. Alaric Daven — Keeper of the Imperial Archives. The first page contained an administrative summary. Date of birth. Position. Years of service. Then one line. Last official appearance: Asteria. Kael frowned. He continued. A second page mentioned a meeting held twelve years earlier. Several people had attended. Kael scanned the names. Then he stopped. Lord Veyron. His father. Kael felt his heartbeat quicken slightly. Lysandra noticed the change in his expression. “Kael?” He showed her the page. She read the document. “Your father was there.” “Yes.” Kael continued reading. Officially, the meeting concerned the preservation of historical documents. But a handwritten annotation appeared in the margin. One sentence. “Daven refuses to hand over the file.” Kael felt a chill run down his back. What file? And more importantly, why had his father been there? --- “There is something else.” The archivist's voice made them look up. She had been watching Kael for several seconds. “I remember Alaric.” Kael turned toward her. “You knew him?” “I was already working here at the time. I wasn't responsible for the archives yet, but I saw him often.” “Do you know why he disappeared?” The archivist hesitated. “I don't know the official reason.” “And the unofficial one?” She looked at him for a long moment. “Alaric was afraid.” Kael did not move. “Of what?” “I never knew. But a few weeks before he disappeared, he often came to the archives at night. He requested documents that were normally accessible only to certain members of the imperial administration.” “Which documents?” The archivist lowered her voice. “Ancient plans. Records concerning Asteria's foundations. And several documents connected to the Imperial Family.” Kael exchanged a glance with Lysandra. “Was he alone?” “Most of the time. But once, I saw him with your father.” Kael remained still. “Are you certain?” “I don't forget faces easily. Your father was difficult to mistake.” She paused. “They seemed to be discussing something serious. Alaric looked worried. Your father was trying to convince him of something.” “Did you hear their conversation?” “Only part of it.” Kael leaned slightly closer. “What did you hear?” The archivist thought for a moment. “Alaric said something like... ‘If you continue, they'll eventually understand.’” Kael felt his hand slowly tighten. “And my father?” “He told him that he couldn't turn back anymore.” Silence filled the room. The sentence sounded strangely familiar. Kael couldn't turn back either. --- Before leaving, Kael asked if he could examine the file one last time. The archivist agreed. He reread the page containing the list of people present at the meeting. This time, he noticed something. One name had been crossed out. Not erased. Deliberately crossed out. Kael took out his pencil. He carefully placed a sheet of paper over the register and rubbed the surface lightly, revealing traces beneath the ink. A few letters appeared. ...D... Then: ...Val... Kael frowned. He couldn't reconstruct the entire name. But he was certain of one thing. Someone had deliberately removed that person from the record. He wrote the fragments in his notebook. Then he closed the file. --- When they left the archives, the sun was already beginning to set. Lysandra walked in silence for a few seconds. Then she asked: “Do you think your father and Alaric were looking for the same thing?” Kael looked straight ahead. “I think they were looking for something together.” “And someone wanted to stop them.” “Yes.” Lysandra remained silent. Then she added: “You know, you don't have to carry all of this alone.” Kael turned his head slightly. “I know.” “Then why do you keep acting as though you have to solve everything by yourself?” Kael thought about it. “Because if I'm wrong, I'd rather be the only one who suffers the consequences.” Lysandra slowly shook her head. “That isn't always how things work.” Kael didn't answer. But he remembered her words. --- Later that evening, Kael returned to his room. He placed his notebook on the desk. He read through all the information again. Alaric Daven. Twelve years. The nighttime archive visits. The foundation plans. His father. The missing file. And the crossed-out name. Kael suddenly stopped. He remembered something Lucian had said. “It's the last place your father's investigation led me to.” Then Alaric's words. “The door is not a door.” Kael picked up the piece of black crystal he had found in the library. He placed it beside the notebook. The symbol seemed darker beneath the light of the lamp. Then, for a fraction of a second, the crystal vibrated. Kael straightened. A faint light passed through the symbol. An image appeared above the desk. Not a message. Not a face. Only a map. Part of Asteria's foundations. Kael immediately recognized the layout. But something had changed. A glowing point appeared in an area that did not exist on Lucian's map. Kael reached toward it. The image trembled. Then three words appeared. “Where he waits.” The projection disappeared. Kael remained motionless. Alaric Daven had disappeared twelve years ago. But someone might have just shown him where to look. He looked at the map lying before him. Then at the symbol. For the first time since beginning his investigation, Kael felt as though the mystery was no longer simply answering him. It had just opened a path.

Alaric Daven's Trail