By the time Eira turned seventeen, the academy had stopped feeling like a school and started feeling like a pressure chamber. Half the year was now devoted entirely to theory — complex magic systems, monster ecology, dungeon structures, national law, and mana control.
While the second half would be focused on preparation for the national selection. Each school would send only twenty students forward. Everyone knew what that meant. Every class, every test, every sparring match felt heavier, sharper, and more competitive.
Students barely laughed anymore. Even Neo spent more time in the practice halls than in the garden. Lara struggled harder than ever to control her unstable mana. Ryn stayed awake most nights, sketching devices and refining tools. Even Lily, who had always seemed untouchable, now moved with a kind of quiet focus, her expression thoughtful, distant.
In the middle of this, Eira received another warning.
It came through Kara first, then Ethan, then Lior — careful words passed along through trusted hands. Something inside the academy was wrong. The twisted mana they had sensed before had not faded. It had grown stronger. Worse, the royal knights had started investigating quietly, without alerting the academy staff or the noble houses.
What they were searching for, no one knew.
Eira was asked to meet an undercover royal knight at the training grounds late at night.
He went alone.
The training grounds were empty except for a single student standing near the weapon racks. A boy from the student council, someone often seen beside Lily during formal events. His posture was relaxed, his expression mild.
"You came," the boy said.
Eira nodded slowly. "You're the knight?"
The boy shook his head. "No. I'm the mask." He met Eira's eyes. "The real one is hidden. I'm here so people watch me instead."
That alone made Eira tense.
"I needed to see you because your name keeps appearing," the boy continued. "Not officially. In patterns. In places where mana becomes unstable. In reports of dungeon shifts and student injuries."
Eira frowned. "You think it's me?"
"I think you're close to whatever it is."
Before Eira could answer, a soft voice spoke from behind them.
"I thought so."
They both turned.
Lily stood a few steps away, arms crossed lightly, her eyes sharp. "You're not who you pretend to be," she said to the boy. "And you're not just a student."
The boy sighed. "That was fast."
"She's been watching you," Eira said quietly.
"I watch everyone," Lily replied calmly. "It's my job."
The boy hesitated, then nodded. "Then you deserve to know. There have been other incidents. Students are separated in dungeons. Mana spikes. Injuries that shouldn't have happened. During the summer classes, three students were seriously hurt under similar circumstances."
Eira felt a chill. "Like what happened to us."
"Yes," the boy confirmed. "The teachers detected external mana in those cases, too. But it was buried."
"Why?" Lily asked.
"Politics."
Silence stretched between them.
"There's a trip next week," Lily said slowly. "A herb-gathering expedition. Open dungeon. All students and teachers. Three days of camping."
"That's the perfect opportunity," the boy said. "For someone to do something… quietly."
He handed Eira a small device. "This will send a signal if your mana spikes suddenly or if you're injured. It also tracks your position."
Eira accepted it. "You think something will happen?"
"I think someone wants it to."
After that, they separated quietly.
Lily and Eira walked back together through the quiet academy paths, the tension slowly easing into something softer.
"This is dangerous," Lily said.
"You came anyway."
She smiled faintly. "So did you."
They stopped near her dorm.
"You're bad at avoiding trouble," she teased.
"You're worse," he replied.
She laughed softly, then hesitated. "Thank you… for trusting me."
He nodded. "Thank you for not pretending to notice."
She unlocked her door. Her roommate was already asleep.
They stepped inside quietly.
For a moment, they stood too close, the room warm, the night quiet.
"You should go," Lily whispered.
"I know."
She leaned forward and kissed him gently, then pulled back just as quickly and closed the door, leaving Eira standing alone in the hallway, his heart strangely lighter and heavier at the same time.
Something was coming.
And whatever it was, it wasn't going to stay hidden for long.