Over the following days, something almost unexpected happened. The Imperial Knights and the Black Ravens had started getting used to one another. At first, their interactions had been limited to training grounds and formal exchanges. Now, it was different. A Black Raven passing an Imperial Knight in the corridors would receive a nod. A few words would be exchanged. Sometimes, they would even stop to talk. It wasn't anything extraordinary. But it was enough to make the two orders feel less like strangers. Captain Armand Caelis had even started spending more time with Darius and Gareth. He had discovered that the Black Ravens were much easier to approach than he had expected. Well... Most of them. Kael was still another matter. Armand had now seen his relaxed side. He had seen Kael laugh with Darius. He had seen him sitting quietly beside Nyxara. He had even begun to understand that the young patriarch wasn't nearly as cold as his reputation suggested. But there was one side of Kael he hadn't seen yet. Kael the commander. Not during training. Not during a formal meeting. But when something actually went wrong. That was about to change. --- The incident began shortly after noon. Several Imperial Knights were gathered in the outer courtyard when a dull explosion echoed from the administrative wing. The conversations stopped. A second impact followed. Then an alarm rang throughout the academy. Armand immediately straightened. — Everyone, take your positions. The Imperial Knights drew their weapons. Several windows in the main building suddenly burst open. Students began emerging into the courtyard, confused and frightened. — Evacuate the students! Armand ordered. Two knights immediately ran toward the building. Darius arrived almost at the same time, accompanied by Gareth and several Black Ravens. — What happened? — Intrusion, Armand replied. Another explosion shook the building. The doors trembled. Darius narrowed his eyes. — How many? — At least six aura signatures. — At least? Armand's expression hardened. — Some of them are masking their presence. Darius nodded. Then he saw Kael. The young patriarch was walking down the academy steps. He wasn't wearing training clothes. His long black coat moved slightly in the wind, and his dark hair fell around his face. His eyes immediately swept across the courtyard. The students. The professors. The knights. The building. The exits. Within seconds, he had understood the situation. Darius approached him. — Kael. — How many students are still inside? — We don't know yet. Kael looked toward the building. Then at Armand. — The students need to be evacuated through the northern gardens. Not the main courtyard. Armand frowned. — Why? Kael pointed toward the building. — If their objective is actually inside, they'll probably try to cut off the main exits. Armand looked at the doors. Then he understood. — You think they're trying to control where we move. — I think they want us to move exactly where they expect. Kael turned toward Darius. — Close the eastern and western passages. — Understood. — Gareth, take six men and secure the northern gardens. — Yes, Patriarch. Both men immediately moved. Armand watched Kael for a moment. The orders had come without hesitation. No shouting. No panic. No unnecessary movement. Kael already seemed to be several steps ahead of everyone else. He turned toward Armand. — Captain. Armand looked at him. — Yes? — Can your men cover the upper floors? Armand nodded. — Of course. — Do it. But don't send anyone after the intruders alone. Armand stared at him for a second. — Are you giving me orders? Kael met his eyes. — In this situation, yes. There was no arrogance in his voice. Only certainty. Armand nodded. — Understood. He turned toward his knights. — You heard him. They moved immediately. Darius glanced at Kael. — You're coming with us? — Yes. Darius gave him a faint smile. — I knew you'd say that. --- Inside the academy, the silence felt wrong. Several corridors had already been evacuated. Doors stood open. Books lay scattered across the floor. Kael moved through the building with Darius and three Black Ravens. Armand followed with two Imperial Knights. He kept watching Kael. The boy walked without rushing. His eyes moved constantly. Every corner. Every doorway. Every trace of aura. Then he stopped. — There. Darius stopped as well. — What? Kael pointed toward a secondary corridor. — They didn't use the main staircase. Armand focused his aura. He sensed something. Faint. Almost impossible to detect. — He's right. Kael nodded. — They're heading toward the archives. Armand frowned. — The archives? — Or something beneath them. Kael's expression changed slightly. Darius noticed. — A-02? Kael didn't answer immediately. Then: — Maybe. Armand didn't understand the reference. But he didn't ask. They continued forward. A metallic sound suddenly echoed through the corridor. Kael raised one hand. Everyone stopped. A figure appeared at the far end of the corridor. Then another. Then a third. The intruders wore dark clothing and their faces were concealed. One of them raised his weapon. — Patriarch Veyron. Kael remained still. — You came for me? The man gave a quiet laugh. — Not only you. Darius drew his sword. — Wrong answer. The first attacker charged. The fight erupted. The corridor filled with the sound of weapons and bursts of aura. Kael dodged an attack and struck his opponent's arm. Darius took down another. The Imperial Knights formed a defensive line. Armand blocked two consecutive attacks. He was beginning to understand why the Black Ravens had such a reputation. Their fighting style was different. They weren't simply trying to overpower their opponents. They controlled the battlefield. They moved constantly. They covered each other's blind spots. They seemed to know where their allies would be before they even moved. And Kael stood at the center of it all. Yet he barely raised his voice. — Darius. Left. Darius turned. An attack passed just beside him. — Thanks. — Gareth. Behind you. Gareth turned just in time. Armand blocked another strike. Then Kael appeared beside him. — Duck. Armand obeyed without thinking. A blade passed over his head. Kael knocked it away. The attacker stumbled backward. For a fraction of a second, Armand forgot Kael's age. He wasn't looking at a student. He was looking at a commander. --- A powerful wave of aura suddenly swept through the building. The windows shook. Kael immediately turned toward the gardens. His expression changed. — Nyxara. Darius understood. — She sensed something. A second wave passed through the walls. Then a roar echoed from outside. It wasn't the roar of an ordinary animal. It was deep. Powerful. It seemed to vibrate through the entire courtyard. The fighting stopped for a moment. Armand turned toward the gardens. — What the... A massive black silhouette appeared behind the trees. Nyxara. But not in her smaller form. She had returned to her true size. Her enormous body rose above the garden walls. Her black horns stood out against the sky. Her red eyes glowed. Her aura spread across the courtyard. Even some of the most experienced Imperial Knights instinctively took a step back. Armand remained still. For the first time since meeting the creature, he truly understood why the ancient texts described the Nocterys as legendary. She was enormous. And intimidating. But what impressed him most was the fact that she wasn't attacking. She was watching. Searching. Then her eyes locked onto a group of figures attempting to escape through the gardens. A deep growl rumbled from her chest. The intruders stopped. One of them whispered: — What is that? Armand heard himself answer: — A Nocterys. Nyxara slowly turned her head. She looked at Armand. Then at the two Imperial Knights behind him. Her gaze lingered on their weapons. Her aura shifted slightly. Armand immediately felt the difference. She had detected something. A threat. Not from him. Somewhere else. Nyxara moved in front of the knights. Her enormous body became a living barrier. Armand understood. She was protecting Kael. But she was also protecting those Kael considered his own. — Is she protecting us? one of the knights asked quietly. Armand didn't answer. He wasn't sure. Then Nyxara turned her head toward him. Their eyes met. Armand didn't move. After several seconds, she looked away. He slowly exhaled. — I think she just evaluated us. Darius appeared beside him. — She does that with everyone. — That's reassuring. — No. Armand looked at him. Darius smiled. — She's just polite. A scream came from the gardens. One of the intruders had tried to move around Nyxara. She turned instantly. Her claws dug into the ground. Her aura exploded outward. The man froze. Kael arrived a moment later. He looked at the scene. Then at Nyxara. — Nyxara. The creature turned her head. — Stay. Her aura calmed almost immediately. Armand stared at Kael. He hadn't shouted. He hadn't forced her. One word had been enough. Kael turned toward the knights. — Nobody pursues them alone. Then he looked at Armand. — Captain, can you surround them from the north? Armand answered immediately. — Yes. Kael turned toward Darius. — With me. Darius nodded. The group moved again. A few minutes later, the last intruders were subdued. The alarm finally stopped. Silence slowly returned to Asteria. Nyxara remained in her enormous form for a few moments. Then she approached Kael. Armand watched her pass. She was almost as tall as a small house. He couldn't help muttering: — I understand why you keep her in a smaller form now. Kael looked at him. — It's more practical in the corridors. Armand stared at him. Then laughed quietly. — Of course. Kael didn't seem to understand what was funny. Darius, however, burst out laughing. — You'll get used to it. Armand looked at Kael. The young patriarch had already returned to his usual calm. As if nothing unusual had happened. But Armand had seen it. He had seen Kael take control of a dangerous situation. He had seen the Black Ravens obey him without hesitation. He had seen him analyze the battlefield without losing his composure. And he had seen a legendary creature respond to his voice as though she had been waiting for his command. Armand remained silent for a few seconds. Then he looked at Darius. — How old is he again? Darius smiled. — Sixteen. Armand looked back at Kael. The boy was now speaking with Gareth, checking that nobody had been injured. Sixteen. Armand slowly shook his head. — He really doesn't act his age. Darius didn't answer immediately. His smile faded slightly. — He had to grow up early. Armand understood that the answer probably contained far more than it revealed. He looked at Kael one last time. A few days earlier, he had seen him laughing in a garden with Darius. Today, he had seen him command like someone who had already spent years on a battlefield. Those two images weren't contradictory. They were simply two sides of the same boy. Kael Veyron. A sixteen-year-old patriarch. And for the first time, Armand was beginning to understand why so many people trusted him with their lives.

When the Calm Disappears