Hours afterwards, at the west end of the forest...
A black-carriage air transport came floating to a halt and the hatch opened hissing with a blast of pressurized steam.
Rescue officers running in red cloaks emerged. Their strange faces were disguised behind magical masks, their boots were trampling the grass.
He was standing up when they found him. Coat ripped, skin scraped, blood was dried on his collar.
One of them said: Student Nclai Azrael. "Retrieval confirmed."
Nclai nodded once.
No questions.
No explanations.
Just silence and wind as he stepped into the craft.
......
That night, the Academy stirred.
Whispers.
First among cleaning staff, then courtyards, then instructors behind closed doors.
"He came back alone."
"No mission report."
"Verrick is dead."
"No runes triggered. No trace left."
"What happened in that ruin?"
There were no answers.
Only questions. And rumors.
And one name that kept returning like a rumor that refused to die.
Nclai.
......
The infirmary door flung open.
"Move... let me through!"
Lyra burst in, coat clutched tight around her. Her eyes darted to every bed, panic flashing in her pupils.
Then... she saw him.
Sitting.
Ribs bandaged. Shoulders still. His coat folded neatly beside him on the cot.
She rushed over. "You idiot...!"
He looked up slowly.
"I heard you were... I thought..."
Her voice cracked. She stopped herself.
"I'm fine," he said.
"You're not," she snapped. "You nearly died, Nclai!"
He didn't answer.
Her shoulders tensed.
"I... I'm glad you came back." Her voice softened now. "Even if you didn't bring answers."
She sat on the stool beside him. Just close enough.
No more words.
Not for a while.
They sat in silence.
Until...
Ding.
A faint tone. Only he could hear it.
......
System notification.
Sync Ratio. 29.8%
Status. Stabilizing...
Bloodline Codex. Chapter III pending access
Sanguine Pulse will unlock at 30%
System state. Dormant
Power access. Locked
......
His pupils narrowed.
He hadn't touched the system. Hadn't summoned it.
But it returned... uninvited.
Hovering just under something greater.
Then it came again. A whisper etched in his mind... the final line from the override.
......
System override successful.
Eliminate threat.
Threat eliminated.
......
He swallowed.
Lyra glanced sideways. "What is it?"
"...Nothing," he murmured.
She seemed desirous of asking more. But didn't.
She chose rather to lengthen the silence.
She turned on him as she rose to go at last. "I'll go ahead for now. Take care and rest, Okay?"
He nodded very casually.
As she closed the door behind her he looked up at the light on the ceiling, flickering gently.
29.8%.
Almost at 30.
Almost at something else.
And yet, part of him wasn't sure if he wanted to reach it.
......