Chapter 13: The Seal

Elara:

The classroom fell silent as Headmaster Moonveil stopped in front of me.

Unlike Professor Elowen or Vice Headmistress Noctis, he didn’t immediately begin examining me. Instead, he simply looked at me for a brief moment, his expression as calm and unreadable as ever. Then, to my complete surprise, he spoke.

"May I?"

I blinked. "...What?"

His lips curved into the faintest smile. "May I examine the seal?"

For a second, my brain simply stopped working. Nobody had asked me before. Neither Professor Elowen, nor Ms. Noctis. Both of them had simply done what they needed to do. Yet this man... the headmaster and one of the Regents... had actually asked for my permission.

The question was so unexpected that I simply stared at him. Only after several awkward seconds did I realize everyone else was waiting for my answer.

"...Yes." My voice came out quieter than I’d intended.

He inclined his head slightly as he spoke, "Thank you." Then he stepped closer. Only then did I realize how tall he actually was.

Last night, I’d barely noticed because my mind had been drowning in grief and confusion. Standing this close beneath the bright morning light, the height difference became impossible to ignore. I had to tilt my head back slightly just to look at him properly. He was well over six feet tall, his broad shoulders making the already spacious classroom seem somehow smaller.

Then there was his scent, fresh and clean. A faint hint of cedar mixed with something cool I couldn’t quite identify. It wasn’t overpowering, just... comforting.

I mentally scolded myself.

Why was I even noticing something like that?

Instead of raising his hand above my head like the others had done, Lorien slowly held out one of my hands. I hesitated only briefly before placing my hand in his. His fingers barely touched my skin. They were cool. Not cold enough to be unpleasant. Just cool.

He murmured something beneath his breath. It was the same strange language Professor Elowen had used earlier. Only this time, a faint blue glow appeared around the tips of his index and middle fingers.

I watched silently as he guided those glowing fingers toward my hand. They never actually touched me. Instead, they hovered only a fraction above my skin. Beginning at the tips of my fingers, he slowly moved across my palm, and then my wrist.

Unlike the comforting warmth I’d experienced before, Lorien’s magic felt entirely different. It spread through my body like cool water flowing beneath my skin. Not freezing or painful, but simply cold just like his touch.

His fingers continued tracing invisible lines above my forearm. My elbow. My upper arm.

I tried not to move. Not because I was afraid. But because something about the concentration on his face made me reluctant to interrupt him.

His glowing fingers reached my shoulder. Then moved toward my neck. And finally stopped just behind my left ear where the blue glow brightened slightly. This time the sensation changed. It no longer felt like cool water. It felt... searching. As though his magic was gently pushing against something buried deep inside me, probing and testing.

The pressure gradually increased until it became almost uncomfortable. Just as I considered asking whether this was supposed to happen, he withdrew his hand and the blue glow disappeared instantly from his fingers.

"The seal." His voice remained calm as he spoke. "It’s located behind her left ear." His eyes briefly met mine before shifting away again to others. "It cannot be broken by force. If we attempt to destroy it directly, there’s a significant chance of harming Princess Argentis herself."

A knot formed inside my stomach.

Professor Elowen folded her arms. "I agree." She looked thoughtful as she voiced her own take on the situation. "I’d like to study the spell’s foundation further. There may be a safer way to weaken it." She paused and looked toward me before continuing, "However, the seal has already cracked. Once Princess Argentis begins learning magic and starts reaching for her own magic, there’s a strong possibility the fracture will continue spreading naturally. And eventually, the seal may break on its own."

Professor Fenrith nodded. "That would be the safest outcome."

The others quietly agreed.

Listening to them discuss the seal hidden inside my body felt strangely surreal. They spoke about it as though discussing an old lock that merely needed patience. Meanwhile, it was apparently the thing determining my entire future.

Professor Fenrith suddenly reached into a leather satchel resting beside one of the desks. When he turned back toward me, he held a crystal roughly the size of both my hands combined. It was perfectly transparent, almost beautiful.

"Princess." He smiled reassuringly. "I’d like you to place your palm here," he said, holding the crystal toward me.

I looked at him. Then at the crystal. Then back again. Nobody explained what it did. At this point, I wasn’t even surprised anymore. Slowly, I placed my hand against its smooth surface, instantly noticing how cold it was.

Several silent seconds passed. Then, the coldness started fading and warmth slowly spread beneath my palm. At the same time, something inside the crystal began moving. At first I thought it was mist, then light, then perhaps clouds. I couldn’t tell for sure. I just stared as those soft white currents swirled lazily within its transparent depths.

At that exact moment, the familiar warmth returned inside my chest. The same warmth I had felt back at home. Once again, it grew steadily. Until... it abruptly stopped. As though it had slammed into an invisible wall. Everything became still. The warmth disappeared and the crystal went completely transparent again.

Professor Fenrith nodded thoughtfully before he spoke, "You may remove your hand."

I obeyed immediately.

He turned toward the others and lightly tapped the crystal. "The results are exactly what we anticipated. The seal prevents the crystal from identifying her elemental affinity. Likewise, it cannot determine her magical efficiency." He smiled faintly. "However, the crystal responded. Which confirms one thing. Princess Argentis possesses magic. It’s simply inaccessible."

I stared silently at the crystal.

That was it. The last fragile piece of hope I’d been clinging to quietly slipped away. Yesterday, I’d still entertained the possibility that everyone had somehow mistaken me for another girl. Today, they had found a magical seal hidden inside my body. A seal apparently created by my biological mother. And a crystal had reacted to my touch.

How much longer could I honestly keep insisting they had the wrong person? The answer was becoming painfully obvious.

Ms. Noctis stepped forward and spoke in her usual calm tone. "We’ll spend today preparing the most appropriate schedule for you. And from today onwards, you will be addressed as Ms. Argentis instead of your royal title. You have much to learn. Both regarding your magic, your royal family, and regarding Starfall itself."

She offered a small nod as she added, "Until then, the remainder of today is yours. You may rest, explore the academy, or visit the town should you require anything."

One by one, everyone began leaving the classroom.

Professor Elowen departed first alongside Professor Fenrith, already discussing theories about the seal. Lorien followed more quietly, exchanging only a few words with Ms. Noctis before continuing into the corridor.

I watched them go. Then...

"Vice Headmistress."

Ms. Noctis stopped walking. She turned back toward me. "Yes?"

I glanced toward the others to make sure they had moved far enough away. Only when we stood alone in the corridor did I speak again. "I..." For some reason, saying the words felt oddly embarrassing. "I wanted to thank you."

Her brows lifted slightly.

"The clothes. They fit perfectly. I... appreciate it."

For the first time since we’d met, something resembling genuine amusement flickered across her composed face.

"I see." She shook her head ever so slightly. "I’m afraid you are thanking the wrong person. They weren’t from me. I merely arranged for them to be delivered." She glanced briefly down the corridor where the others had disappeared. "Everything you received was chosen by Headmaster Moonveil. Have a good day, Ms. Argentis."

Then she turned around and walked away... while I stood there, staring at her in complete shock.