CHAPTER 122: TALK WITH THE PRINCIPAL

The artifact was gone, but the weight of it lingered. Jae and Tirel stood in silence, the last wisps of smoke curling away from the space where it had been, as though the forest itself was trying to swallow the memory.

The night was still, yet somehow heavier, like the trees knew what they had just witnessed.

Jae exhaled, rolling his shoulders as though shaking off the unseen pressure. "We’re done here," he said at last.

Tirel nodded, though her eyes kept darting back to the roots of the tree. It was as if she half-expected the artifact to reappear, mocking them.

She extinguished the fire clutched in her palm, leaving them cloaked in darkness until the moonlight filtered weakly through the canopy.

The path back was quieter, though not silent. Every so often, a distant shriek echoed through the forest, but no creature dared approach. It was as though destroying the artifact had broken the will of the shadows.

Jae was grateful for the reprieve. He could still feel the phantom resistance of the artifact beneath his blade, and the memory of the royal seal gnawed at him like a splinter in the mind.

When they reached the academy’s looming wall, Jae stepped forward first. He planted his foot against the stone and boosted Tirel upward.

She caught the ledge and swung herself over, perching for a moment at the top, hair glowing faintly in the moonlight like threads of fire. She glanced down, lips quirking into a grin.

"Don’t take too long."

He rolled his eyes, then scaled the wall in a smooth motion, pulling himself up and over.

They landed softly on the other side, the familiar scent of the academy’s grounds washing over them, grass, old stone, and the faint trace of incense from the wards etched into the perimeter. For a fleeting moment, the safety of it was almost enough to loosen the knot in his chest

Almost.

"We should split," Jae said, his tone brisk. "I’ll take this to the principal."

Tirel raised a brow, folding her arms. "Of course you will. Ever the golden student."

He ignored the bite in her tone. She knew as well as he did that Kine needed to hear about the artifact, and sooner rather than later. Still, as he turned to go, her voice caught him.

"You know," she began, and when he looked back, her grin was sly, "I’ve heard you train at night."

He blinked, caught off guard. "You’ve heard?"

She tilted her head, eyes glinting mischievously. "Don’t look so surprised. I notice things. You should come train with me sometime."

For a moment, he just studied her, half-curious, half-wary of how much she really knew. But the smirk on her face wasn’t cruel this time, it was almost an invitation, her usual fire tempered with something else. Uncertainty, perhaps.

Amused despite himself, he let out a quiet huff of laughter. "Fine. But don’t slow me down."

"As if I could," she shot back instantly.

He shook his head, then turned, his footsteps carrying him across the quiet grounds toward the main building.

As the distance grew between them, her voice and grin lingered, mixing strangely with the weight of the royal seal in his memory.

Principal Kine’s office was lit when Jae arrived, though the hour was late. A warm glow spilled from beneath the heavy wooden door, accompanied by the faint scratch of a quill. Jae hesitated for only a moment before knocking.

"Enter," came the principal’s voice, calm yet commanding.

Jae stepped inside, bowing his head respectfully. The office smelled faintly of parchment, ink, and the subtle incense of protective charms.

Books lined every wall, ancient tomes whose spines whispered of centuries of knowledge. Behind the desk sat Principal Kine, his sharp eyes lifting immediately from his papers to fix on Jae.

"You’ve returned late," Kine said, though his tone was more observant than accusatory. "What did you find?"

Jae recounted everything. The trail of mana, the wave of monsters, the battles in the forest. He explained how he and Tirel fought, how the creatures had seemed to be guarding something. And finally, he spoke of the artifact, its dark energy, its dissolution when destroyed.

When he reached the part about the seal, his voice slowed. "It bore the royal crest," he said carefully, watching Kine’s reaction.

For a fraction of a second, something shifted in the principal’s expression. His eyes widened, his jaw tightening before he schooled his face into its usual calm. It was the briefest crack, but Jae caught it.

"Are you certain?" Kine asked, his voice as smooth as stone, though there was an edge beneath it.

"I saw it clearly. Tirel did too."

The silence that followed was heavier than anything they had carried from the forest. Kine leaned back slowly, folding his hands in front of him. His gaze flickered toward the window as though the night sky might offer answers.

At last, he spoke. "You must not mention this to anyone."

Jae frowned. "But if the royal family.."

"I will handle it," Kine interrupted firmly, his tone final. "There are matters beyond the scope of students, no matter how capable. Do you understand?"

Jae clenched his jaw but nodded. "Yes, Principal."

Kine studied him a moment longer, then softened slightly. "You did well. Both of you. Destroying the artifact swiftly may have spared the academy from greater harm." His eyes sharpened again. "But silence is as much a service as courage, Jae. Remember that."

The words sat uneasily in Jae’s chest, but he bowed his head once more. "Understood."

Dismissed, he stepped back into the cool corridors of the academy. The quiet pressed around him, the distant torchlight flickering against the stone walls.

His thoughts churned with too many threads, the royal seal, Tirel’s grin, Kine’s sharp command for silence.

As he walked, he made a small mental note. Tomorrow, he would tell Elise to be kinder to Tirel. Whatever else was happening, he needed them to stop clashing.

And he would tell Tirel, too, to stop baiting Elise at every chance. If he was going to fight alongside both of them, maybe even trust them with his back, then they needed to get along.

The academy grounds were peaceful now, untouched by the chaos outside its walls. But Jae knew better. Darkness had brushed their gates, and it bore the mark of power far higher than any of them had guessed.

And silence, he realized grimly, might not be enough to keep it at bay.