Laila only had a rough idea of how she needed to construct the rune circles. After all, she saw the structure with her own eyes. The interwoven mana was denser than plant fibers. Not even a speck of dust could slip through. The owl feather scribbled over the paper as she tried to write down even the last memory.

'What am I doing wrong?' Laila asked as she chewed on her dry hair and turned the paper. She lifted the piece into the air, inspected the rune from every angle, and double-checked her notes. Nothing... Something was missing, but what? Laila could practically see the sphere like a projection in front of her eyes. But every time she activated the miniature version, something didn't work.

"Is it the meshes? Can I weave the mana even tighter? Maybe my web isn't efficient enough? Or does my ink have too many impurities and isn't suited to form a framework for complex structures? What do you think?" she asked aloud, leaning back against the cozy backrest, touching the small sparkling accessory under her pink hair.

Laila's thoughts drifted. Half the day had already passed. She didn't even notice that evening was falling, and the last rays of sunlight faintly peeked over the mountain. Suddenly, something banged against her window.

"Oh, good to see you!" Laila said, jumping to the window, almost tripping over the box. The green sparrow greeted her with two little comrades.

"You even brought your friends? If you continue to eat so much, I'll have to go shopping again, won't I?"

The green sparrow chirped as if he understood what Laila was trying to tell him and jumped onto the wooden frame.

"Someone's got a bit of a temper. But don't jump into my box!" Laila opened the container slowly and gently to avoid scaring the other birds. Then she poured a generous handful of seeds onto the outer windowsill.

Laila watched the birds peck silently. It was pleasant and peaceful. Only the light sound of the grains or cracks settled in her mind as the fresh breeze washed away all frustrations.

'Maybe I should go camping outside again soon...' she thought, closing her eyes.

"Laila!" The door flung open. A wind howled through her room and carried papers off the table. Panicked, the sparrows jumped from the window frame while Laila puffed out her cheeks and looked after the disappearing birds.

"Don't tell me you fell asleep by the cold window," Amalia asked, shaking her head. "You'll catch a cold otherwise. Besides, we'll miss the ley lines if you don't hurry."

"Ahh, yes, yes. Can you please knock next time?" Laila asked, turning and staring at her fresh analyses covering the floor like a carpet. Why had she carefully tidied everything up beforehand? So much wasted time...

"As if! You would just ignore my knocking and continue your experiments anyway. It's faster this way."

"Mhh."

"Don't look at me like that. You're always so slow," Amalia replied as she took the jacket out of the wardrobe and handed it to Laila, who reluctantly accepted it.

"The leylines will still be visible tomorrow. It's not like they're going to run away if we miss them," Laila replied. Just as she had slipped into her shoes, a hand grabbed her sleeve and pulled her out of the room.

"I knew it would end like this. We only have three days left. Besides, you promised to keep me company today." Without even glancing behind, Laila could only stumble after Amalia.

"I'm afraid you're right. But I'll have to sort my documents again later."

"You'll probably survive that as well."

Laila couldn't process what was happening. One moment, they stood on the stairs, and the next, she found herself in front of the hotel. They didn't even use Magecraft. Was she that exhausted by now?

They didn't meet a single person on the way. Jones was probably in his room reading a book or researching something. Fortunately, Lando didn't return yet, either.

'I wonder what he's always doing in the city ?' Laila shook her head. Why should she worry about that? Once she was sitting out here on the bench, she could simply enjoy the peaceful moment.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

Meanwhile, the last evening glow disappeared behind the mountains. Twinkling stars winked in the night sky, and the fir trees turned into dark shadows bending in the wind. Needles rustled as the air carried a pleasant scent to the bench.

"Wow, that brings back memories," Laila whispered. "Too bad there are no owls around here."

"You've seen owls before?" Amalia asked, slightly surprised.

"I saw three of them while camping with my grandfather. Two of them were even children."

"That's cool! But it's a little difficult to believe; are you sure you were camping and not remembering a dream?"

"Hey! I don't leave my room that rarely."

Amalia laughed briefly. "Tell me, Laila, was it nice to sleep under the stars?"

"How about you find out for yourself? We could go camping for a weekend after we graduate from the clock tower."

"But that will take another six months..."

"It's not the end of the world."

Meanwhile, Amalia opened the bag on her lap and pulled out two wrapped boxes, much to Laila's surprise. It was nothing new. Because of her alchemy, she was always prepared. Especially on an evening like this, Amalia wanted to have everything ready. It wasn't every day that you were near leylines, and it was even rarer to see the phenomenon clearly without Magecraft.

Before Amalia could reach into her backpack again, Laila pulled a thick piece of paper, not bigger than the palm of her hand, out of her trouser pocket and handed it to Amalia.

"If I remember correctly, you liked the New Year fireworks. Activate the rune in your room later. I'm sure you'll like it."

"It's not going to thunder around my ears and wake up the entire hotel, is it?"

Laila tilted her head in silence. She hadn't expected an answer like that.

"I'm joking. I hope you like the cookies."

The stars finally disappeared from the sky. Colorful lines snaked through the night. Laila had seen the outlines faintly with the naked eye for the last few days, but today, they took on a completely different dimension.

"Wow, what vibrant colors," Laila murmured.

Amalia, who pulled a bottle out of her bag, paused and looked at the sky.

"Do you already see something?"

"Yes," Laila replied, pointing her finger behind the treetops. "The southern one is just over the hill there. Right above the church."

Amalia narrowed her eyes and intensified the magical circuits on her netted skin. Her face grew warm. Slowly, she recognized the colored fluctuations that floated gently like a river over their heads.

"You have an amazing mana sense."

"It's not that impressive. Kayneth can perceive much more subtle things."

Gradually, Amalia weakened the Magecraft amplification in her eyes until she could see the leylines without the aid of magic. The flow of magical energy over their heads grew stronger. After just under an hour, all three lines shimmered while small branches spread like roots in the night sky.

The sky sparkled. Starlight rained through the colorful veil. The moon hid itself and rarely peeked out from behind the lines, whose light seemed to cling to the darkness.

Laila had never experienced anything like it. The light seemed to be alive. And you could think you could make out a faint pulse as if it were truly part of the planet.

"This is perhaps the clearest sighting in decades," Amalia said excitedly. "We've hit the perfect moment."

"Imagine the Leyline getting even stronger tomorrow. Do you think normal citizens would be able to see the lights then?"

"Nonsense," Amalia replied. "Why would more prana flow through the lines tomorrow of all days?"

"Amalia."

"Mhh?"

"Thank you for pulling me out of my room. I would have regretted falling asleep at my desk and missing out on this enchanting night."

Amalia grinned as her breath turned to a white mist. "That's what we agreed. But promise me, you'll go straight to bed. You looked like a sip of water on the bend this morning."

"Yes, yes, I promise," Laila answered, waving her hand. But even though Laila said that Amalia didn't believe her and merely circled her eyes.

'What am I going to do with you?

With every passing moment, it became frostier. Despite the jacket, Laila shivered. Finally, they packed everything into Amalia's bag and retreated together. The hotel had already switched off the lights. Even the front door was already locked. Luckily, they didn't forget the door key.

They quietly scurried up the stairs and disappeared into their respective rooms. The clock struck twelve when Laila finally disappeared into the bathroom, washed the tiredness from her body, and brushed her teeth. She still had a little time to spare before going to bed and continued to work on her Bounded Field design. The memory of the Tohsaka estate was fresh in her mind again. Perhaps now she will find a way to create the Bounded Field truly.

Barefoot, Laila slipped past the bed and put the laundry in her suitcase. The cold crawled up her toes to her calves. Suddenly, a faint pain flashed through her left leg. A rune on the floor must have activated via the mana in her skin. Nevertheless, she sat down at the desk and copied the basic elements of the Bounded Field onto another piece of paper before implementing changes.

Her feet seemed almost numb the next time she put the pen down. Had the hotel already turned off the heating?

'Two o'clock!' Laila jumped up quickly. 'I should have listened to Amalia and gone straight to bed.

Meanwhile, a man in a black coat knocked. It was not unexpected for Mr. Jones. He immediately stood by the door and beckoned the man in. He peeked into the hallway one last time to make sure no one had seen anything. Then he closed the door.

"Jones... The matter has become a little more complicated. I assume you've already received the message."

Laila jolted out of her thoughts. Who was this man? She recognized the voice from somewhere in the clock tower. But why?

"Let me close the window first," Mr. Jones replied.

'Apart from Tohsaka and Zouken, there shouldn't be any magi in Fuyuki. Why did another teacher come here?