The day after the arrival of the Veyron knights, the atmosphere at the Imperial Academy of Asteria had changed. Since dawn, conversations had been spreading through the corridors. Knights from House Veyron had arrived. Not just a few guards sent to accompany a noble. A large part of an entire order. And not just any order. The Order of the Black Raven. The name alone was enough to attract attention. Throughout Eldoria, few knightly orders could rival their reputation. Their training was known to be exceptionally demanding, their mastery of aura extraordinary, and their discipline almost legendary. Above all, they were known for one thing. Once a member of the Order of the Black Raven was given a mission, they carried it out to the end. The students were already speculating in the corridors. “Why are they here?” “It has to be related to Kael Veyron.” “Did you see their armor?” “They really sent the Order of the Black Raven to Asteria?” Kael heard the whispers without paying them much attention. He walked calmly through the corridor with Noah and Lysandra. Darius followed several meters behind them, accompanied by several knights. Unlike the day before, none of them spoke to Kael. Their expressions were serious. Their movements perfectly controlled. They did not behave like people who had known him for years. They were knights on duty. Noah glanced behind him. “They're really serious.” Kael gave a faint smile. “They always are when they're working.” “Even Darius?” Kael briefly looked at his guard. “Especially Darius.” As if he had heard his name, Darius slightly turned his head. Their eyes met. For a second, a discreet smile appeared on his face. Then he immediately returned to his serious expression. Noah remained silent. “I think I'm starting to understand.” Lysandra smiled. “Me too.” They eventually reached the great assembly hall. Hundreds of students were already there. The academy director stood on the stage. Several members of the teaching staff stood beside him. And behind them were the knights of the Black Raven. When Kael entered, several heads turned toward him. The director waited until the conversations had died down before speaking. “Students of Asteria, you have probably noticed the unusual presence of knights from House Veyron within our academy.” The whispers stopped almost immediately. “Their presence is not related to your classes, nor to any ceremony. It is the result of additional security measures put in place following recent events.” Kael's expression remained impassive. He knew exactly which events the director was referring to. The director turned toward the knights. “I will therefore introduce the unit responsible for this mission.” The knights stepped forward as one. The room became almost completely silent. “Allow me to introduce the Order of the Black Raven.” Several students exchanged impressed looks. The director continued. “This order is one of the most powerful knightly forces in Eldoria. Its members are selected from among the finest warriors of House Veyron and trained for many years in aura mastery, combat, and close protection.” A murmur passed through the room. Even some students from powerful noble families looked surprised. The director raised one hand. Silence returned. “Their mission here is simple. To ensure the safety of Patriarch Kael Veyron, as well as the interests of House Veyron, for the duration of their presence at Asteria.” Noah leaned slightly toward Kael. “They really said that in front of the entire academy.” Kael answered without taking his eyes off the stage. “Apparently.” “Did you know this was going to happen?” “No.” Lysandra studied Kael for a few seconds. “You don't look surprised.” “I'm starting to get used to it.” She gave him a small smile. On the stage, the first knight stepped forward. “Gareth Riven. Lieutenant of the Order of the Black Raven.” He respectfully inclined his head. Then a second knight took his place. “Silas Arden. Captain of the Third Squad.” A third stepped forward. “Rowan Hale. Captain of the First Squad.” Each introduction was brief. Precise. None of them were trying to impress the students. They didn't need to. Their presence was enough. Finally, the director turned toward Darius. “And this is the second-in-command of the Order of the Black Raven.” Darius stepped forward. The entire room seemed to hold its breath. He stopped a few meters from Kael. For a moment, their eyes met. Then Darius turned toward the students. “Darius Valen. Second-in-command of the Order of the Black Raven.” His voice was calm and confident. “Starting today, I will be responsible for overseeing the protection of Patriarch Veyron during his stay at Asteria.” He paused briefly. “We will not interfere with academy life. Our presence is solely intended to ensure the safety of House Veyron and its representatives.” Darius inclined his head slightly. Then stepped back. The director resumed speaking. “I therefore ask each of you to respect their duties. Do not interfere with their missions, and do not attempt to provoke them.” A student at the back of the room timidly raised his hand. The director allowed him to speak. “Sir, why does the Order of the Black Raven have to protect Kael personally?” The room fell silent. Darius did not move. The director briefly looked at Kael before answering. “Because certain circumstances require additional precautions.” A deliberately vague answer. The student did not press the matter. Kael, however, understood perfectly. The director would reveal nothing about the incident at Veyron. And that was probably for the best. When the meeting ended, the students began leaving. The whispers immediately returned. Noah walked beside Kael. “Well.” Kael looked at him. “What?” “I take back what I said yesterday. Darius is clearly not just your childhood friend.” Kael raised an eyebrow. “I never said he was only my friend.” “You still forgot to mention that he was the second-in-command of one of the most powerful orders on the continent.” Kael thought about it. “It was a detail.” Noah stopped. “A detail?” Lysandra let out a quiet laugh. Kael continued walking as if nothing had happened. A few meters farther, Darius joined them. The knights remained behind him. They stopped at a respectful distance. Darius looked at Kael. “So, Patriarch Veyron.” Kael sighed. “Don't start.” Darius smiled. “I was simply trying to respect your rank.” “You never respected my rank when we were children.” “That's true.” Noah looked between the two men. “You two really were inseparable?” Darius thought for a few seconds. “Unfortunately for him, yes.” Kael gave him a cold look. “You were the one who followed me everywhere.” “False. It was you.” “Darius.” “Kael.” Lysandra smiled as she watched them. It was difficult to imagine that only a few minutes earlier, Darius had stood before the entire academy with the posture of a commander. With Kael, he simply became Darius again. Noah eventually laughed. “I understand now.” Darius turned toward him. “And you, Noah.” “Yes?” “Kael talks about you.” Kael immediately turned around. “Darius.” Noah smiled. “Oh? What does he say?” Darius adopted a thoughtful expression. “That you're loud.” “Hey!” Kael sighed. “I never said that.” Darius burst out laughing. “Maybe not in those exact words.” Noah turned toward Kael. “I'm starting to think your brother was right about the people you hang around with.” Kael frowned slightly. “Ethan talked to you about him?” “Only enough to tell me that Darius was probably incapable of staying serious for more than five minutes.” Darius placed a hand over his heart. “I am deeply wounded.” Kael shook his head. For a few seconds, everything seemed normal. Then Darius's smile disappeared. He looked at Kael seriously. “We need to talk.” Kael immediately understood that something had changed. “About the estate?” Darius nodded. “Yes.” Noah and Lysandra exchanged a glance. Darius turned toward the knights of the Black Raven. “Continue the patrol.” “Yes, Second-in-Command.” The knights left without a word. None of them stayed to listen. Once they were far enough away, Darius lowered his voice. “Ethan told me what happened.” Kael remained silent. “The silhouette. The symbol. The message on the gate.” Darius paused. “And he told me that you're already investigating something here at Asteria.” Kael glanced around. “Lucian knows.” “I know.” Darius crossed his arms. “But Ethan asked me to protect you, not to watch you.” Kael looked at him. “You make a distinction?” “A very big one.” A faint smile appeared on Darius's face. “I know you're not going to stop searching.” Kael didn't answer. Darius continued. “So I'm not going to ask you to stop.” Kael raised an eyebrow slightly. “But?” “But if you're planning to go beneath this academy, you tell me.” Kael remained silent. Darius stared at him. “Kael.” “All right.” Darius smiled. “Good.” He gave Kael a light tap on the shoulder. “See? You're learning.” Kael calmly pushed his hand away. “Don't get too confident.” Darius laughed. But behind his smile, his eyes remained serious. Because he knew something the students of Asteria still didn't. Someone had approached the Veyron estate. Someone knew about the symbol. And now, that person probably knew that Kael was no longer alone. For the first time in a long while, House Veyron had sent one of its most formidable forces directly to its heir. The Order of the Black Raven was at Asteria. And somewhere in the shadows, someone was probably watching their arrival.