A Meeting in the Dark
The West Wing Library was off-limits at night.
Students whispered that forbidden knowledge lay within its walls—books of ancient spells, records of lost civilizations, and secrets the nobility wanted buried.
Priyam didn’t care about the rumors.
He had a feeling he was about to learn something far more interesting.
Under the cover of darkness, he moved through the academy halls, his steps silent against the marble floor. The torches flickered dimly, casting long shadows.
When he reached the massive wooden doors of the library, they creaked open before he could touch them.
Isabelle d’Este stood inside, her emerald eyes gleaming in the candlelight.
"You’re late," she murmured.
Priyam smirked. "You didn’t say I had to be on time."
Isabelle rolled her eyes. "Come in before someone sees you."
He stepped inside, and the doors shut behind him with a soft thud.
The library smelled of old parchment and candle wax. Tall shelves stretched toward the ceiling, filled with books that likely hadn’t been touched in centuries.
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"You seem awfully invested in my power, Isabelle," Priyam said, watching her carefully.
Isabelle smiled. "Let’s just say… I like knowing things before anyone else does."
She led him deeper into the library, stopping before a long wooden table. Several books were already open, pages covered in strange symbols.
And on one of them—
Priyam froze.
There it was.
The same mark that had appeared on his arm.
"Care to explain?" Priyam asked.
Isabelle traced a finger over the faded illustration. "This mark doesn’t belong to any known magical system," she said. "It’s not connected to elemental magic, alchemy, or even divine blessings."
"Then what is it?"
Isabelle hesitated.
"In ancient records, there are mentions of a power beyond magic. Something older. Something… unnatural."
Priyam raised an eyebrow. "Unnatural?"
Isabelle’s voice dropped to a whisper.
"Because it was never meant to exist."
---
The Lost Power
Louisa couldn’t sleep.
Something felt wrong.
Priyam had been acting strange since the duel. And now, she had the sinking feeling that he was up to something.
With a frustrated sigh, she threw on a cloak and stepped out of her dormitory, moving swiftly through the academy halls.
Her instincts led her to the West Wing.
The library.
The restricted library.
Her stomach twisted.
If Priyam was inside, then he was meddling with things he shouldn’t be.
And she wasn’t about to let him do it alone.
---
The Forbidden Name
Back in the library, Priyam leaned over the book, eyes scanning the text.
"This symbol… it belonged to an ancient order," Isabelle said. "A group that wielded power not through mana, but through sheer will."
Priyam frowned. "That sounds ridiculous."
Isabelle smirked. "And yet, here you are, using it."
Priyam didn’t respond.
The page described warriors—people who could alter reality itself, not by casting spells, but by bending the world to their intent.
But the last lines of the passage sent a chill down his spine.
"This power was seen as an abomination. It defied the natural laws, and so the mages of old sought to erase it. The last wielder of this mark vanished from history…"
"But some say he left behind a successor."
Priyam’s grip tightened on the book.
"Tell me, Isabelle," he said slowly. "What was the name of this last wielder?"
Isabelle turned the page.
And there, in bold, ancient script—
"The Sovereign."
A sudden gust of wind blew through the library, snuffing out the candles.
The room plunged into darkness.
And from the shadows—
A voice whispered.
"You should not have come here."
---
End of Chapter 8