"Forgive him Galex, he spoke out of line. I imagine he is in a great deal of pain right now," Alvin said, a few moments after Cypher had left. Galex only nodded and wiped his tears away with the back of his hand, "I understand, we have treated him most poorly. I expected as much when I decided to come here. I will give him some space, and allow him to come to terms with what has happened. Even I am still in shock.

"Right now I have to report this to King Arneau. There are matters that will need to be taken care of as per my station. An attack on my domain is an attack on the Kingdom. However, once these formalities are handled, I will return. Cypher and I have much to discuss and I worry for his safety now that he is all that remains of my beloved Tyrina. Keep an eye on him will you?" Galex said as he headed out the door without another word and silently left the castle.

Alvin turned to Glenda and both held concerned expressions on their faces.

“Everything about that was wrong,” Alvin said after a moment.

Glenda nodded and closed the door. “Galex was never this even-tempered. Something else is going on here. In all my years of training him, I learned quite thoroughly how volatile his temper was. To hear that his family was lost and that Cypher was apparently the reason… well it would only make sense given what I know about him that he’d be out for blood.

“That conversation should not have gone so smoothly. We should have had a fight on our hands, and yet, here he was, sitting down with Cypher and having a calm conversation. I can tell that Galex certainly believes everything he was saying, but his reaction to such news is not what I’d expect. Galex is… not himself, and that worries me greatly. I can understand being in shock about the loss of your family but this was too far out of character for a man like Galex.

“He is overly prideful and even in a situation like this he would never be seen shedding tears in front of others. It simply isn’t in his nature to act this way. I can think of only one reason that he’d be acting this much out of sorts…”

Alvin nodded and crossed his arms as he paced the length of the conference table. “I was thinking the same thing. There is no doubt in my mind that Galex is being controlled by someone. I’ll need to speak with the headmaster about this immediately. Galex being a high noble complicates things quite a bit.

“Normally I’d take something like this directly to the royal palace and a full-blown investigation would be launched. Galex would be captured, and this issue would be handled by the royal family. However… something the Elder council told me during Cypher’s hearing has me concerned.”

“That being?” asked Glenda. But Alvin shook his head and sighed.

“I can’t really speak on that matter right now. I promise you though, when the time comes I’ll fill you in on everything.”

“Ugh, more secrets eh? Fine but I expect a full explanation later. In any event, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that as well. I just haven’t found a good time to bring it up. What’s the deal with their ruling on Cypher’s case? How does it make any sense at all to separate him entirely from the other students? I can respect that what he did was a clear violation of the rules and quite foolish as well but to go so far as to bar him from all of his lessons… It would make more sense to simply ban him from the live practice of Magick until he completes some supplementary classes.”

“That’s just it Glenda, this whole thing is strange… Ever since Cypher came to this academy the entire demeanor of the Elder council has shifted. Everything from that farce of a duel Elder Fergus allowed to happen, the rushed admission to the academy, the incident with the Kazen boy, and now this… it doesn’t add up and I’m growing more and more concerned. The timing for all of this is uncanny. Something deeper is going on but whatever it is, it’s far beyond my pay grade.”

Glenda nodded, “I agree. This is getting out of hand… I don’t like it one bit. To make matters worse we still don’t know who was responsible for that massive amount of bloodlust I felt during the Kazen incident. If not for that presence I could have stopped it from happening altogether. And that’s to say nothing of my own hearing on the matter. By all accounts, they should have fired me on the spot and yet I too only got off with a slap on the wrist. The Elder council has never been this lenient before…” Glenda brought her hand up to her chin as she thought on the matter, her brow furrowed as she went over all the details.

“Yes, someone is interfering in things around here. I talked to Cypher about the incident and he mentioned that he felt some kind of force urging him to ramp up the power of that spell. He resisted it at first but in the end, he was compelled to obey. Catastrophe Magick is the most likely culprit…” said Alvin, and Glenda looked at him with an expression of worry etched on her face.

“But who is responsible for this?” she asked, panic rising in her voice, “All of these things are compounding on one another and if something doesn’t change soon I can see this whole thing blowing up in our faces quite dramatically. I suppose it makes sense considering who we’re talking about here. Cypher isn’t just some random kid with a lot of potential Alvin. Why are we keeping so much from him? You know I hate all this cloak-and-dagger bullshit. Why not come clean about everything?”

Alvin sighed, “It isn’t that simple Glenda. You know who his father was and what he was involved in. That group…” Alvin paused and then shook his head while letting out a sigh, “The Headmaster was very adamant about our silence on the matter until Cypher was old enough to know the truth. Still, given this turn of events perhaps you’re right. Maybe it’s time to tell him the truth. It’s clear that Galex intends to regardless of what we decide.”

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“Wait… You aren’t suggesting that they’re involved in this, are you?” Glenda asked, trepidation ringing clear in her voice.

“Oh, I very much am. You can’t look at this situation and think of anything else, can you? Look at the facts. Who else would have the capability to control a Conductor as powerful as Galex? Why would he and his family become a target? Why the concern over Cypher’s whereabouts? Do you honestly think it’s a coincidence that Fenix’s heir would just happen to arrive at our doorstep?

“Is it really so believable that even considering who he is that he’d be allowed to so easily bypass our entrance policies? They’re in place for a reason. No, I can think of no other group responsible for something like this. That cult is at it again and it’s clear that they’re already making moves behind the scenes. They’re most likely the ones responsible for both the Kazen incident, as well as what’s going on with Galex.”

“Fuck me… this is more serious than I first thought. But wait… if what you’re saying is true then that means that their reach extends to even the Academy! Who would betray us? Who even could?” asked Glenda.

“My guess? It’s likely someone among the Elder Council. At the moment I can only suspect Elder Fergus, but I hardly have much evidence to work with. As I said, I need to speak with the Headmaster about this. We must tread very cautiously from here on out. Even if Elder Fergus doesn’t have a hand in this someone else might.

“There are only a handful of people here in this Academy who know who Cypher truly is, those being The Headmaster, the Elder Council, Elaine, and the two of us. I don’t imagine that either you or the Headmaster have been compromised, and if they got to Elaine we’re all in trouble so I doubt she’s responsible. That leaves only the Elder Council. In the best-case scenario, we only have one traitor among us. However, in the event that the entire council is compromised, we have a massive problem on our hands.”

Glenda slumped down into one of the chairs and let out a deep sigh as she ran her hands through her hair. “Very well I’ll leave it to you. But I refuse to remain passive. I’m going to head to the Galvan estate and see for myself if what Galex said is true. If it is, there should still be some lingering traces left behind from the battle. I’ll let you know what I discover when I get back.”

“Alright, but be careful. Who knows what might be waiting for you there,” replied Alvin.

“Don’t you worry about me I can handle myself quite well. That said, caution and stealth are obviously crucial. I’ll be going dark for a while so don’t try and contact me through the usual means. Oh, and before anything else, you should go check on Cypher. Things are escalating and time is of the essence but he needs you right now Alvin.”

Alvin only nodded, “Yes I think that might be for the best. Besides, we don’t want to arouse any suspicions just yet. If there is a mole among the council the best thing we can do is act normal. Do your best not to get killed, yeah?”

Glenda nodded, and with that, the two parted ways and Alvin quickly headed toward Cypher’s room.

As he hurried along, Alvin thought about the things Cypher had told him about his relationship with Molly. He didn't know the full scope of the boy's admiration for that woman but it was clear that she was like a mother figure to him. After seeing Cypher’s reaction to Galex’s news, Alvin could only sympathize with him. His own loss when it came to his sister had been a bitter truth that was hard to accept and he could understand how Cypher must be feeling.

Alvin arrived at Cypher's quarters and with two solemn knocks, he announced himself before entering. He found the boy leaning over the railing on the balcony outside, his shoulders shuddering with grief every few seconds.

Alvin placed a hand on his back and offered him silent condolences. Cypher turned his head and looked at him, the tears rolling down his face in a non-stop cascade of emotion, Molly's urn held gently in his hands.

"Why did it have to be her? Why does everyone I come to care about get hurt because of me?" Cypher asked, his voice shuddering with each word. Alvin had no response and could only give his disciple a look of understanding.

"I know how you must feel right now Cypher, and I am truly sorry for your loss. It is never easy to lose a loved one. It is regrettable, but it is something we all must face one day. I know that nothing I can say will ease your pain, I know this because I too have been where you are now. But Molly would not want you to blame yourself.

"Everything she did, she did because she cared about you. I didn't know her, but I know that she must have loved you as dearly as you loved her. Cherish each moment you spent with her. Her laugh, her smile, the embraces you shared, even every time she scolded you. Remember every single bit of it and let nothing fade from your memory. If you do that, you'll always keep her alive in your heart, and in this way, you will honor her."

Alvin's words sent Cypher into another bout of heavy sobbing but the boy nodded his understanding and clenched the urn between his hands even tighter. Alvin opened his mouth to continue but stopped himself as he thought better of it. He had said enough already, and any more might only make his disciple feel even worse than he already did.

Alvin stood with Cypher on that balcony for a solid hour as the boy cried, however, every so often a pained little laugh would escape from Cypher's lips, and he would stare lovingly at the urn in his hands before falling into another bout of muffled sobs. Like that Alvin did his best to console his young disciple in the hopes that the boy would soon compose himself but he was in no rush for Cypher to move past this so quickly. Only time could heal this wound, Alvin knew that all too well.

Cypher was smart, a quick learner, and quite curious. He was tough as nails and extremely determined. His way of speaking and acting made him seem much older than he was in most respects, but Alvin suddenly remembered that he was still only a young boy of twelve. This kind of loss was much more profound for children than it was for adults and he took that into account as he abandoned his attempts to cheer Cypher up quicker.

Now was a time for mourning. But Alvin knew that soon when the waves of pain subsided and the ache in his heart was dulled, all that would remain would be the burning desire for revenge, and Alvin would be there to help him in any way that he could. For now, he left his young pupil to his own devices offering his support however Cypher needed it.

There was little more that he could do for the boy at the moment. Right now he needed to talk to Headmaster Sequinnen. He had put it off for far too long already and if that cult was moving again he needed to be made aware of it immediately.