The summons came before lunch.
A thin strip of parchment appeared on my desk, sealing itself the moment I touched it. No flare. No announcement.
Just my name.
Professor Halvren requests your presence.
I sighed inwardly.
So much for subtlety.
I arrived at the training wing ten minutes later, deliberately late—but not late enough to be disrespectful. Halvren stood alone inside one of the observation halls, hands behind his back, eyes fixed on the far wall.
"You're punctual in an inconvenient way," he said without turning around.
"I got lost," I replied honestly. I made sure it sounded dumb.
He turned then, studying me. Really studying me. "Lost students usually panic."
"I trip," I said. "It's more efficient."
For a moment, silence stretched between us.
Then Halvren chuckled.
"Step forward."
I did.
A smaller formation circle activated beneath my feet—far more intricate than the one in class. Layers upon layers of runes folded into one another like a puzzle designed by someone who hated secrets.
"This is not a test," Halvren said. "It is a measurement."
My fingers twitched.
"Release your mana," he continued. "All of it."
I looked up, eyes wide, confused. "Sir… I don't have much."
"I am aware," he replied calmly.
That was the most terrifying part.
I exhaled slowly and let my mana flow—but only the surface layer. The brittle shell I'd crafted since childhood.
The circle glowed.
Then stalled.
Halvren frowned.
"Again," he said.
I hesitated. Just a second too long.
His eyes sharpened. "Interesting."
I released a little more.
The runes screamed.
The formation destabilized, light bending unnaturally before snapping back into place. The floor cracked beneath my feet.
I yelped, stumbling back. "S-sorry!"
Halvren raised a hand. The circle died instantly.
Silence.
Then he laughed.
Not loudly. Not warmly.
But with genuine amusement.
"You're not weak," he said. "You're contained."
My heart sank.
"I don't know what you mean," I said quickly.
"Oh, you will," Halvren replied, turning away. "Because people like you always slip. Not today. Not tomorrow."
He glanced back at me one last time.
"But soon."
I was dismissed without punishment.
Without praise.
Which was worse.
As I stepped into the corridor, I exhaled shakily.
I'd fooled monsters. Assassins. Even myself.
But Halvren wasn't hunting power.
He was hunting truth.
And the academy was no longer safe.