Chapter 220: Magic, But Not Hers (I)

Elara:

Professor Fenrith drew a slow breath before answering. "The recorded Shadow signature and the current Earth signature are both far too weak to be considered fully awakened elemental powers. Their intensity is comparable to what we would expect from suppressed magic beneath Ms. Argentis’ seal, so their weakness alone isn’t particularly unusual."

He lifted the tablet slightly, indicating the figures displayed on its screen.

"But the problem is that the seal cannot explain the complete absence of Shadow in the current assessment. We have established that the element was present previously, and this assessment is designed to identify an elemental signature regardless of how weak it might be. Once an elemental magic awakens, it does not simply disappear. Its presence might be suppressed, its manifestation might become unstable, and its wielder might struggle to access it, but the signature itself should remain detectable."

My fingers curled against the armrests of the chair. "So what exactly are you saying?" I asked, unable to keep the impatience from my voice. "Because I’m fairly certain we have established that something is wrong, and I would appreciate knowing what kind of wrong we are dealing with."

Fenrith glanced at me, his expression softening briefly before he looked back at the data. "I’m saying that the disappearance of Shadow makes no sense unless..."

He stopped, his gaze shifting between the tablet, the pulsing globe, and me. For a moment, he seemed reluctant to voice the conclusion taking shape in his mind. Then his eyes settled on his fellow professors, silently inviting them to follow his reasoning.

"Unless the Shadow magic detected during that examination was never yours to begin with," Lorien finished.

The words seemed to drain the remaining warmth from the room.

Professor Stroll’s eyes widened slightly, while Professor Elowen stared at Lorien as though the explanation had never occurred to her, despite all the evidence she had collected. Professor Fenrith gave a slow, grim nod, and even Ms. Noctis’s composure faltered for a fraction of a second.

Their reactions told me that Lorien had struck upon something significant, perhaps even something that explained the impossible results before us. Unfortunately, I was still sitting in the same chair, surrounded by people who appeared to have arrived at an understanding that had somehow excluded me.

"Excuse me," I said, looking from one face to another. "Could someone explain what that means? How can magic be detected inside my spell without belonging to me? And if Shadow wasn’t mine, whose was it?"

Nobody answered immediately.

Lorien’s gaze remained fixed on the globe, his expression unreadable as the faint green light pulsed again. I followed his gaze, staring at the Earth signature that had replaced Shadow, and a strange unease began to settle beneath my ribs.

There was something deeply unsettling about discovering that even the magic I believed belonged to me might not be as straightforward as I had assumed.

I had spent twenty years living as an ordinary human girl, only to discover that I was the lost Moon Princess of Starfall, the daughter of a dead king and queen, and the bearer of a seal powerful enough to conceal my magical identity. I had accepted that my life would never return to normal. But I hadn’t expected to reach a point where I couldn’t even trust the results of an assessment designed to tell me what I was capable of.

Lorien finally turned toward me, his blue eyes searching my face before drifting back to the glowing globe. "If that explanation is correct," he murmured, more to himself than to anyone else, "then we need to consider whether the same thing has happened with the Earth element."

"Only one person can confirm that possibility," Vice Headmistress Noctis said, her voice suddenly sharper than before.

I looked at her, confused by the certainty in her tone. Then I noticed Professor Elowen turning toward me, followed by Professor Stroll. Fenrith’s attention shifted from his tablet, and even Jasper finally tore his gaze away from the globe. And Lorien’s expression hardened as he looked directly at me.

One by one, every pair of eyes in the hall turned towards me.

"What?" I demanded, unable to believe that I was the only person who seemed to have missed an entire discussion happening right in front of me.

"Have you come into contact with Earth magic recently, Ms. Argentis?" Professor Fenrith asked.

His question caught me completely off guard. Earth magic? I was ready to shake my head immediately. I hadn’t studied Earth magic, practised it, or attempted to awaken it.

As far as I knew, my elemental abilities consisted of Ice and Wind, while the mysterious Shadow signature had apparently turned out to be someone else’s problem. So, naturally, the answer should have been no. I even began moving my head before a memory abruptly surfaced, stopping me halfway through the motion.

Snow-covered trees. Reign’s infuriatingly handsome face. His smug smile as he pinned me against a tree with vines that had sprouted from the ground, wrapping around my body and preventing me from moving.

I could still remember the way the magical restraints had tightened when I struggled, the unmistakable sensation of Earth magic surrounding me, and the humiliating fact that I had been unable to free myself without his permission. Worse, I remembered exactly how that encounter had ended, and the memory of his mouth against mine was something I would have preferred to bury beneath several feet of snow.

My lips pressed together. And suddenly, I wasn’t nearly as certain about my answer.

I looked at the professors, allowing my gaze to settle on Fenrith, and asked cautiously. "How recently are we talking about?"

Before he could respond, Lorien spoke from beside the assessment pedestal. "That is an interesting question." His blue eyes narrowed slightly as he studied me. "You were prepared to deny it, but you stopped yourself. Now, instead of answering, you are asking us to define the time frame. That rather strongly suggests you have encountered Earth magic recently."

I shot him an irritated look. "Have you considered that perhaps I’m simply trying to understand the question before answering it?"

"I have," he replied calmly. "And I’m still waiting for your answer."

I wanted to throw something at him. Preferably something heavy, and preferably something that wouldn’t get me expelled. Unfortunately, the glowing globe beside him seemed to be a far more important concern than my desire to commit a minor act of violence against the headmaster.

I still had no idea how my encounter with Earth magic could possibly explain the strange results, but the expressions on their faces told me that the connection mattered. After a moment’s hesitation, I nodded.

"I came into direct contact with Earth magic the day before yesterday," I admitted.

For a brief second, nobody said anything. Professor Stroll exchanged a quick glance with Elowen, while Fenrith’s expression grew more intent. Lorien, however, looked as though my answer had confirmed something he had already suspected. I considered that a good enough reason to stop talking.

I had answered the question honestly, and surely that was sufficient for now. Whatever had happened with the assessment, I had no intention of volunteering unnecessary details about my private encounters with Reign Valemont.

Apparently, the universe had other plans.

"Exactly how did you come into contact with Earth magic, Ms. Argentis?" Lorien asked, his voice deceptively mild. He paused, holding my gaze with unsettling patience. "And how was it used on you?"