Chapter 73: A Familiar Stranger

The morning began with an argument.

"You’re eating my breakfast."

Kael looked down at the small creature sitting beside his plate.

Pi had somehow managed to drag a piece of bread between its tiny claws. Its golden eye remained fixed on Kael while its mouth continued chewing.

"..."

Kael slowly placed his fork down.

"Pi."

The creature stopped.

"That’s mine."

"Pi!"

"Don’t argue with me. I watched you take it."

Pi swallowed the remaining piece before turning its head away.

Kael stared at it.

"Unbelievable. I’ve raised a criminal."

He reached for another piece of bread, only for Pi to climb onto his arm and settle comfortably against his sleeve.

Kael sighed.

"You’re lucky you’re cute."

Pi chirped happily.

He finished his breakfast and prepared for another day at Aetheris Academy.

However, something from the previous night continued bothering him.

The word.

Carrier.

He remembered hearing it somewhere, but whenever he attempted to recall the circumstances, his thoughts became strangely unclear.

There was also the matter of Pi speaking.

It had said something.

Something more than its usual cries.

Kael glanced at the creature.

"Can you actually talk?"

Pi tilted its head.

"Pi?"

"Never mind."

Perhaps he had been imagining things.

Still, he decided to keep an eye on it.

The academy courtyard was considerably busier than usual.

Students had gathered around the announcement board, where several documents had been pinned.

Leon stood near the front, reading one of them.

"Kael!"

He waved when he spotted him.

"Come here. They’ve announced the teams."

Kael approached.

"Let me guess. You somehow managed to get assigned to the strongest group?"

"Not exactly."

Leon pointed towards the document.

Kael followed his finger.

His name appeared alongside three others.

TEAM SEVEN

Kael Veyron.

Leon Ardent.

Mira Ashbourne.

Elena Veyron.

Kael stared at the list.

Then he looked at Leon.

"Well..."

He examined the names again.

"This might actually be manageable."

Leon placed a hand over his chest.

"Only manageable?"

"I was going to say tolerable, but I decided to be generous."

"You’re impossible."

Mira approached from behind, carrying her usual collection of books.

"Have you seen the assignment?"

Kael nodded.

"Apparently, we’re working together."

"That’s good."

Elena joined them shortly afterwards.

She glanced at the announcement.

"At least we won’t have to worry about unfamiliar teammates."

Kael looked towards her.

"Speak for yourself. I’m surrounded by troublesome people."

"You’re the most troublesome person here."

"That’s debatable."

Leon raised his hand.

"I vote for Elena."

"Traitor," Kael muttered.

Mira laughed.

Their conversation continued until the academy bell rang.

Yet, as they began walking towards the lecture hall, Mira slowed down.

Her eyes had fallen on the number beside their team.

Seven.

She didn’t know why, but the number bothered her.

Their first assignment was simple.

According to Professor Graves, each team would be given a magical formation to examine and stabilise.

The exercise was designed to test their understanding of mana circulation and cooperation.

Nothing particularly dangerous.

At least, that was what the professor claimed.

Team Seven was assigned a formation near the western training grounds.

It consisted of a circular arrangement of six stone pillars surrounding a central crystal.

Mira immediately became interested.

"Interesting."

She crouched beside one of the pillars.

"The mana channels are arranged differently from ordinary formations."

Leon examined the central crystal.

"Is that a problem?"

"Not necessarily. It just means we need to understand how the structure works before attempting to stabilise it."

Elena moved towards the opposite side.

"I’ll examine the surrounding channels."

Kael remained near the centre.

He studied the formation.

Something about it seemed familiar.

The six pillars.

The circular arrangement.

The central opening.

He had seen something similar before.

But where?

A faint pressure developed behind his eyes.

He blinked.

"Kael?"

Leon looked towards him.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes."

Kael glanced down at the crystal.

"Just thinking."

Mira raised her head.

"Do you see something?"

"Perhaps."

He crouched and examined the base.

There was a thin inscription carved into the stone.

Most of it had been worn away, but several words remained.

...THE WITNESS...

Kael froze.

His fingers hovered above the inscription.

A sudden image flashed through his mind.

A tiny creature.

Silver chains.

A circular chamber.

Then a voice.

Don’t let them separate you from the Witness.

Kael immediately withdrew his hand.

"Kael?"

Elena approached.

"What’s wrong?"

He looked at her.

For a moment, he almost told her.

But he couldn’t explain what he had seen.

"...Nothing."

Elena studied him before returning to the formation.

Kael looked down again.

The inscription had not changed.

Yet the word remained in his thoughts.

Witness.

The exercise continued.

Mira eventually discovered that the formation was missing a stabilising connection.

Leon supplied additional mana while Elena carefully adjusted the surrounding channels.

Kael was responsible for examining the central crystal.

"Ready?" Mira asked.

Leon nodded.

Elena positioned herself beside the second pillar.

Kael placed his hand against the crystal.

"Go ahead."

Mana flowed through the formation.

For several seconds, nothing happened.

Then the central crystal illuminated.

A wave of energy travelled through the six pillars.

Everything appeared to be working.

Until a seventh light emerged.

Kael immediately pulled his hand away.

A thin silver line appeared beneath the crystal.

It stretched across the stone floor, forming an incomplete circle.

Mira’s eyes widened.

"That’s not part of the formation."

The light grew brighter.

Then a voice echoed through Kael’s mind.

"THE WITNESS HAS NOT FORGOTTEN."

His vision blurred.

For an instant, he was no longer standing in the training grounds.

He was falling.

Darkness surrounded him.

A small creature was being dragged away by silver chains.

And someone was shouting his name.

"KAEL!"

He staggered backwards.

Leon caught his shoulder.

"Hey! What’s happening?"

Kael struggled to regain his balance.

The image disappeared.

The formation returned to normal.

Elena hurried towards him.

"Are you injured?"

"No,"

"Then why did you suddenly collapse?"

Kael looked towards the crystal.

The seventh light had vanished.

"I..."

He stopped.

What had he seen?

He couldn’t remember.

Mira examined the formation, her expression unusually serious.

"Professor Graves needs to know about this."

Leon nodded.

"Agreed."

Kael remained silent.

He had a growing suspicion that whatever was happening wasn’t limited to his dreams.

Professor Graves listened carefully as Mira explained the incident.

The professor stood beside his desk, his spectacles reflecting the afternoon light.

"A seventh connection appeared?"

"Yes," Mira replied. "But the formation was designed with only six stabilising pillars."

Graves glanced towards Kael.

"And you were the one who activated it?"

Kael nodded.

The professor remained silent for a moment.

"Did you notice anything unusual before the formation reacted?"

Kael considered his answer.

"An inscription."

"What did it say?"

"Something about a Witness."

The professor’s expression changed.

Only slightly.

But Kael noticed.

"Does that word mean anything to you?"

Graves walked towards the bookshelf.

"Many things in ancient magical theory are described as witnesses. Usually, the term refers to an observer who records an event without interfering."

He selected a thin book.

"However, certain older records use it differently."

He placed the book on the desk.

"In those records, a Witness is not merely someone who observes."

Kael leaned forward.

"What is it, then?"

Graves opened the book.

"Someone who remembers."

The room became quiet.

Kael stared at the page.

An illustration showed a small circular chamber containing seven chairs.

Six were arranged around a table.

The seventh stood slightly apart.

His breathing slowed.

He knew that image.

Or at least, he felt as though he did.

"Professor..."

Graves looked up.

"Yes?"

"Where did this illustration come from?"

The professor examined it.

"An old manuscript discovered beneath the academy. Unfortunately, much of the original text was damaged."

Kael pointed towards the seventh chair.

"Who was supposed to sit there?"

Graves turned the page.

There was no answer.

Instead, a single sentence had been written beneath the illustration.

THE SEVENTH NEVER LEFT.

Kael felt a chill travel down his spine.

Pi, who had been resting inside his coat, suddenly raised its head.

"Pi..."

Graves looked towards the creature.

For a moment, his expression became unreadable.

"An unusual companion you have there, Mr Veyron."

Kael glanced down.

"He’s mostly harmless."

Pi chirped.

Graves closed the book.

"Keep him close."

Kael looked at him.

"Why?"

The professor adjusted his spectacles.

"Because I suspect he understands considerably more than either of us."

Evening arrived.

Kael and Elena were walking back towards their residence after visiting the academy’s supply store.

Leon and Mira had gone ahead.

The courtyard was quieter now, with only a few students remaining.

Elena carried a small bag containing several supplies.

Kael glanced at it.

"What did you buy?"

"Nothing important."

"Then why is the bag so heavy?"

"Because I bought things."

"An impressive explanation."

She gave him a brief look.

"Do you ever stop talking?"

"Occasionally. Usually when I’m asleep."

Elena shook her head.

A few moments passed.

Then she spoke.

"Kael."

"Hm?"

"About what happened earlier..."

He looked towards her.

"What about it?"

"You should tell someone if you’re experiencing strange symptoms."

Kael smiled faintly.

"Are you worried about me?"

"Of course I am."

The answer came so naturally that Kael briefly fell silent.

Elena seemed to realise what she had said.

She looked away.

"You’re family. It would be irresponsible not to."

Kael studied her for a moment before smiling.

"That’s reassuring."

"Don’t make it strange."

"I didn’t say anything."

"You were about to."

"Perhaps."

She shook her head, though the corner of her mouth lifted slightly.

They continued walking.

After a while, Elena reached towards his hand.

"Let me see the mark again."

Kael extended his palm.

She examined the silver symbol.

This time, however, something unexpected happened.

The moment her fingers touched it, a faint image appeared in her mind.

A ruined city.

A silver-haired girl standing beside a broken pillar.

Someone was calling her name.

Then a voice whispered:

Don’t let him choose alone.

Elena immediately released his hand.

Her breathing became uneven.

Kael turned towards her.

"Elena?"

She stared at him.

For a moment, she looked as though she wanted to say something.

Then the image disappeared.

"...I’m fine."

Kael didn’t look convinced.

But he didn’t press further.

That night, Elena couldn’t sleep.

She sat beside her window, looking towards the distant academy towers.

The strange memory had returned several times.

Each time, it disappeared before she could understand it.

She opened the small notebook beside her bed.

After a moment’s hesitation, she wrote down a sentence.

Don’t let him choose alone.

She stared at the words.

Why had she thought of them?

And who was she supposed to stop?

Across the academy, Mira was experiencing something similar.

She had fallen asleep with an open book beside her.

In her dream, she stood in a white corridor.

Someone was walking ahead of her.

She couldn’t see his face.

But she knew she was supposed to follow him.

"Wait!"

The figure stopped.

A familiar voice answered.

You remember?

Mira reached forward.

Then the corridor shattered.

Inside Kael’s room, Pi was awake.

The little creature sat beside the window, staring towards the academy’s oldest tower.

Its golden eye reflected a faint silver light.

"Not yet..."

It lowered its head.

"Kael... not yet."

The silver mark on Kael’s palm began glowing.

A faint sound travelled through the room.

One bell.

Then another.

Pi turned towards him.

For several seconds, it remained perfectly still.

Then it spoke in a voice that sounded strangely sad.

"Welcome... back."

Kael shifted in his sleep.

And somewhere beneath Aetheris Academy, an ancient door trembled.

A line of writing appeared across its surface.

THE FIRST MEMORY HAS RETURNED.

THE SECOND IS ALREADY DREAMING.

A final sentence slowly formed.

THE CARRIER MUST NOT REMEMBER EVERYTHING AT ONCE.

The door remained closed.

But something on the other side had begun knocking.

Three times.

Then a fourth.