After obtaining the Falmer translation guide in Markarth, Camilla arrived in Winterhold about two days later.
"Hmm?"
She immediately noticed something off about the town's atmosphere.
Instead of the usual guards, Imperial Legion soldiers were stationed throughout the streets, patrolling with a heavy presence.
Since Winterhold was originally under Stormcloak control, the sight of the Empire's banners and red capes felt jarringly out of place.
'Well, it's none of my business.'
Camilla didn't care for politics. Her only focus was delivering the translation guide, so she headed straight into The Frozen Hearth.
"You're finally here!"
"Excellent work. Truly."
In the cellar, Enthir and Karliah greeted her warmly. Camilla pulled the scrolls from her pack and spread them across the table.
"What is this...?"
Enthir frowned at the scrolls, which were smeared heavily with charcoal dust.
"Calcelmo's guide to the Falmer language was carved into a massive stone tablet," Camilla explained.
Understanding dawned on Enthir immediately.
"Aha, I see. So you took charcoal rubbings. Clever girl."
Enthir immediately set to work, cross-referencing the rubbings with the encrypted journal.
"How long will it take?"
"Hmm... it'll take at least an hour. I'll handle the translation. In the meantime, you should go upstairs and get some rest."
"Alright."
Even with a guide, deciphering the ancient Falmer script was an agonizingly slow process. Enthir hunkered down over the scrolls while Camilla decided to shake off the fatigue of the road.
"Mercer has probably reached the Guild by now," Camilla muttered as she climbed the stairs.
"He's likely spreading lies about us being traitors."
"I just hope those idiots in the Guild are willing to listen."
Thanks to Mercer's scheme, they were outcasts. Their only hope of clearing their names lay within the secrets of Gallus's journal.
—Creak.
Camilla emerged from the cellar and headed toward the common room to grab a meal and relax. But then, by coincidence or fate, she spotted some very familiar faces.
"Why the long face?"
"Y-You? How did you..."
"Wait, weren't you that person we met back in Riften?"
Seeing our utter shock, Camilla looked a little disappointed.
"From that reaction, I take it you didn't come here looking for me."
"Camilla, are these your friends?"
Karliah asked, watching us curiously. Camilla tapped her chin, considering.
"Well... something like that."
'The Dunmer next to her must be Karliah. Does that mean they're in the middle of decoding Gallus's journal right now?'
I was taken aback by the sudden reunion, but thanks to my meta-knowledge of the Thieves Guild questline, I could piece together exactly where they stood in the story.
"It's a bit complicated to explain. But wait... where's that elf girl who was always trailing behind you?"
Predictably, Camilla noticed Choi Ha-neul's absence immediately.
"It's a long story..."
Once again, I had to explain the whole 'Dragonborn got kidnapped' disaster. I've lost track of how many times I've had to recite this depressing summary.
After listening to the explanation, Camilla thought for a moment before her eyes lit up with realization.
"Oh, so that's why you're here?"
"What do you mean 'here'?"
She pointed a finger toward the College of Winterhold towering in the distance. Suddenly, a lightbulb went off in my head. I stood up so fast my chair nearly toppled over.
"Of course! The College!"
If we dug through the College's library or consulted the masters of the arcane, we might find a way to break Ha-neul's brainwashing. How did I not think of this sooner?
"What, you didn't come here for the mages?"
"Actually, we're with the Imperial Legion. We're here for the war effort."
I scratched the back of my head with an awkward laugh. Camilla just muttered under her breath, looking genuinely baffled.
"Vampire hunting, soldiering... you certainly lead a busy life, don't you?"
"Haha..."
Even I thought it was getting ridiculous, but I didn't have much of a choice. Still, the war was nearing its end. If I could just get Choi Ha-neul back, we could wrap this up in no time.
Anyway, my next move was set: visit the 'Winterhold Community College' and find some data on undoing mental manipulation.
"If you're up for it, want to come with us?"
I felt bad about the trouble I'd caused her in the past, so I offered the invitation as a sort of olive branch.
"Hmm..."
Camilla looked genuinely tempted by the idea of joining us, but she'd already lied her way past Faralda once. Getting back in would be a nightmare.
"I can't. I don't know the first thing about magic."
She added that she was too exhausted from the road and just wanted to sleep.
"That's a shame."
Rejected twice—once in Riften and now here. It was a bit bitter, but considering I'd been a jerk first, I couldn't really complain. Since Lydia had zero talent for the arcane, it was just going to be me and Eloise heading to the College.
"Wait."
Just as we were about to leave, Camilla called out to me and tossed a vial from her belt pouch.
"This is...?"
"A Potion of Invisibility. Take it. Might come in handy."
I doubted I'd need to sneak around a school of magic, but I tucked the elixir away just in case. It's Skyrim—you never know when things might go south.
"Thanks..."
I gave her a clumsy thank you, surprised by the kindness. Camilla didn't even look me in the eye, simply turning her head and disappearing into her rented room.
"You two..."
Outside, we stood before Faralda at the base of the lone stone bridge leading to the College.
"Haha... long time no see."
Understandably, she wasn't thrilled to see the students who had bailed after a single day of classes, taking another student with them. I gave her my best forced grin.
"And what is it this time?"
"We need to research some specific texts in the library!" Eloise chimed in with enthusiasm.
"Ugh... the Arch-Mage left instructions regarding you two. I suppose I'll have to let you in."
Faralda let out a heavy sigh, pressing a hand to her forehead, but she stepped aside and gestured for us to pass.
Successfully navigating Faralda's sharp glare, we crossed the bridge, the biting mountain wind whipping at our cloaks.
"I didn't expect Arch-Mage Aren to give the word to let us back in," Eloise remarked as we walked.
That reminded me of when I met Savos Aren in his quarters. Even then, he had an unmistakable aura of power—his crimson eyes seemed to possess a depth I couldn't fathom.
"Have you ever met him?" I asked.
"I've seen him around the grounds, but never spoken to him personally..."
"Do you know anything else about him?"
Even though I knew the game's lore, I wanted a local's perspective on the man. Eloise shared what she knew about Savos. Apparently, his Magicka reserves were among the highest in all of Skyrim, and being an Elf of significant age, he was well over a century old.
Chatting away, we reached the main gates and pushed through the heavy doors of the central hall.
—Clack.
—Vroom... Vroom...
"Whoa..."
'Is that—?!'
As soon as we stepped inside, I froze. There, right in the center of the Hall of the Elements, sat that ancient artifact of pure power: the Eye of Magnus.
It was a mesmerizing sight, but its beauty wasn't why I was shocked. My heart was pounding because the Eye of Magnus was supposed to be the climax of the College questline.
'How is it already here? Is there a third party playing through the College questline just like the Thieves Guild?'
It wasn't impossible. In the game, nothing happens until the player moves the plot, but this was a living world. Events could proceed perfectly fine without my involvement.
"What on earth is that...?"
"That is the Eye of Magnus, my dear."
Tolfdir, the master of Alteration, stepped in to explain as Eloise stared in awe. I knew from the game that Tolfdir discovers the Eye with the player, so I had to ask how it ended up here.
"How did you bring that thing in?"
He explained that while investigating the ruins of Saarthal with some students, they found it deep within the labyrinthine tunnels.
"What kind of power does it hold?"
"That, I cannot say. But I am certain it was far too dangerous to leave abandoned in a ruin."
I silently agreed. I could feel the sheer, overwhelming amount of Magicka radiating from the orb, thick enough to make the air hum. After Tolfdir wandered off, we headed up to the second floor—to the Arcanaeum.
The library was bustling. Students were hunched over desks studying, and a few researchers were scurrying between the massive shelves. Given the sheer scale of the collection, Eloise and I split up.
"I'll look into spells regarding mind control and psychological manipulation," she suggested.
"Then I'll handle anything regarding vampires."
Eloise, who knew the library's layout well, immediately dove into the stacks to find a clue to free Choi Ha-neul. I approached Urag gro-Shub, the librarian, for a lead.
It was a bizarre sight: a hulking, bearded Orc wearing mage robes and meticulously filing books.
"Where are the books on vampires kept?"
"Vampirism? Try the second shelf to the left of the window," he grunted without looking up.
"Thanks."
I scanned the shelves he pointed out and found a row of leather-bound volumes.
'Who is Molag Bal?', 'A History of Vampirism', 'Beasts of Blood'...
I skimmed the titles, searching for something more practical. Then, one caught my eye.
'Power of the Night?'
Finally, a potential lead on vampire abilities. Excited, I reached for it, but the book was just out of my grasp on one of the higher shelves.
"Here. I believe this is what you were looking for."
Just as I was about to go looking for a ladder, a tall High Elf stepped up and retrieved the book for me, his voice smooth and cold.