Nox spent the evening after the tournament with his friends, but his thoughts were far away. They sat in their usual corner of the dining hall, plates of untouched food on the tables, mugs of herbal brew long gone cold. Ren talked incessantly, recounting the most vivid moments of the fight, waving his arms and imitating how Nox had dodged Reinhart's strikes. Kane was silent, but something like pride burned in his eyes. Mira, as always, was reserved, but the corners of her lips kept twitching into a smile. Iris sat closest to Nox and looked at him as if seeing him for the first time. Eveline said nothing, but her grateful gaze spoke louder than any words.
Nox accepted the congratulations, nodded, even tried to smile, but inside, everything was taut as a string. He was waiting. He knew this was not the end. Reinhart was defeated, humiliated, broken, but he had an older brother. Magnus van Drake was not one to forgive insults. And if he suspected something, if he had seen something in Nox's final strike that went beyond ordinary dark magic, he would not stop until he uncovered the truth.
«Nox, are you even listening?» Iris's voice pulled him from his thoughts. She looked at him with slight concern, and her golden eyes in the light of the magical lamps seemed almost amber. «I asked what you felt in that moment when you delivered the final strike. You moved so fast I barely saw it. Was that Ren's artifact or something else?»
Nox hesitated before answering. He could not tell the truth. Could not say that in that moment, he had poured not only Shadow into his strike but also a fragment of his awakened dragon blood, which gave him speed and strength beyond any ordinary person. Could not admit that all this time, he had been holding back, hiding his true nature, as Sylvana had taught him.
«Ren's artifact worked perfectly,» he said finally. «Without it, I would not have made it in time. And Iris's amulet blinded him just enough for me to close in. This was a team victory, not mine alone.»
Ren beamed, Iris smiled shyly, and Kane nodded approvingly. Nox steered the conversation toward their contribution to the victory, and it worked. The friends began discussing how to improve the artifacts, what other combinations could be used in future fights, and gradually the atmosphere at the table grew lighter, warmer. Nox listened to them and thought about how strangely life was arranged. Not long ago, he had been alone, completely alone, apart from Lin. And now he had people who were willing to spend their strength, their time, to risk themselves for him. It was… unfamiliar. And precious.
Late in the evening, when everyone had gone to their rooms, Nox did not go to sleep. He waited until the footsteps in the corridor faded, then slipped quietly out of the room. He needed to go to the catacombs. He needed to check on his servants, find out what was happening at the academy after his victory, and, most importantly, discover what Magnus was plotting. The rats he had sent to watch Reinhart's older brother should have returned with a report, and he could not wait until morning.
The catacombs were quiet and dark. Nox walked the familiar path, his footsteps echoing hollowly beneath the low ceilings. The magical lantern in his hand cast long, trembling shadows on the walls, and in their depths, Nox felt the presence of his servants. They were here, nearby, awaiting his command. He entered the round chamber, sat on the stone floor, and summoned them. The shadow rats came first, silently emerging from the darkness and gathering at his feet. Their eyes, empty and dark, looked at him with the kind of devotion of which only creatures devoid of their own will are capable. The goblins followed, a dozen small, hunched figures woven from pure Shadow. The crawler centipede, huge and slow, crawled out of a side passage last, its chitinous armor, even in shadow form, glinting faintly in the lamplight.
«Report,» Nox commanded.
The rats he had sent to Magnus stepped forward. Their images, transmitted through the Shadow link, were fragmentary but clear enough. Magnus was not asleep. He sat in his room, surrounded by scrolls and books, speaking with someone Nox could not see. The interlocutor was hidden in shadow, but his voice, low and insinuating, Nox recognized immediately. It was the very instructor Master Grave had warned him about. A spy of the Moon Goddess, embedded in the academy. The rats could not make out the words; the conversation was heated, but the essence was clear. Magnus suspected something and had turned to someone who could help him uncover the truth. And that someone served the Moon Goddess.
Nox felt everything inside him clench. If Magnus learned who he truly was, if the Goddess's spy confirmed his suspicions, the hunt would begin sooner than he was ready. He had to act. Quickly and decisively. He could not kill Magnus, that would be too noticeable and would raise unwanted questions. But he could make Magnus cease to be a threat. At least for a time.
«You,» he said, pointing to one of the rats. «Continue watching Magnus. Every step, every word, everyone he meets. If he speaks with that man again, I want to know exactly what about. You and you,» he pointed to two goblins, «will watch the instructor. He is dangerous. Do not get too close. Just watch where he goes, who he speaks with, what he does. Everything you learn, report to me immediately. The rest will continue patrolling the catacombs. Search for new passages, new creatures, new artifacts. Anything that might prove useful.»
The servants dissolved into the shadows, departing to carry out their orders, and Nox remained alone. He sat in the darkness and thought. The situation was becoming dangerous. A spy of the Moon Goddess in the academy, Magnus on the verge of discovering his secret, Lin left vulnerable at Marta's tavern. He needed to do something. And he thought he knew what. Tomorrow, he would go to Lady Morvane and tell her everything. About the spy, about Magnus, about his suspicions. She was on his side, she knew his secret and had not betrayed him yet. Perhaps she could help. And if not, well, he was used to relying only on himself.
He stood up and walked back, to the academy, to his room, where a short summer night and troubled sleep awaited him. Tomorrow would be a new day. And he had to be ready for anything.
Morning greeted him with a gray sky and a light rain drumming on the roof. Nox woke before dawn, as always, and lay staring at the ceiling, listening to the rain trying to penetrate the old tiles. Kane was still asleep, his breathing even and deep. Nox got up, dressed, and left without waking his neighbor. He walked through the empty corridors of the academy, his footsteps echoing hollowly beneath the high vaulted ceilings. At this early hour, there was almost no one around, only a few servants hurrying about their business, paying him no attention.
Lady Morvane's office was in the central tower, the tallest and oldest. Nox climbed the spiral staircase of worn stone steps and stopped before the massive dark wood door. He raised his hand to knock, but the door opened on its own, and the headmistress's voice came from inside:
«Come in, Nox. I have been expecting you.»
He entered. Lady Morvane sat at her desk, as she had the first time, her gray eyes looking at him with the same calm, assessing expression. Before her on the desk lay an open folio covered in ancient runes, and a cup of something steaming. The office smelled of old books, dried herbs, and something else, elusive, that Nox always associated with magic.
«You fought well yesterday,» she said when he sat across from her. «Not perfectly, but well. You held back your true power and still won. That is worthy of respect.»
«Thank you, Lady Morvane. But I did not come for praise. I have information that may be important for the academy's safety. And for my own.»
She leaned back in her chair and looked at him attentively. «I am listening.»
Nox told her everything. About Magnus, about his suspicions, about the secret meeting with the instructor whom Master Grave had said was a spy of the Moon Goddess. He did not mention his shadow servants, saying he had learned of it by accident, overhearing a conversation in the corridor. Lady Morvane listened without interrupting, her face remaining calm, but Nox could see a cold fire kindling in her gray eyes.
«I knew there were spies in the academy,» she said when he finished. «I knew, but I could not identify them all. Too many students, too many instructors, too many connections to the outside world. What you have told me narrows the circle. I will look into it. As for Magnus van Drake…»
She paused, looking out the window at the gray rain washing over the academy towers.
«Magnus is dangerous, but not because he is strong. He is dangerous because he is stubborn and vengeful. He will not stop until he finds out who you truly are. And when he does, he will use it against you. You must be ready.»
«I am ready. But I cannot wait for him to strike. I must act first.»
Lady Morvane looked at him with interest. «And what do you propose?»
«I cannot kill him. That would be too noticeable. But I can make him cease to be a threat. For a time. Distract him, channel his energy elsewhere. For example, give him what he wants. Information. False, but plausible enough for him to believe it. Say that I am the illegitimate son of some impoverished nobleman hiding his origins to avoid paying debts. Or something along those lines. That would explain my strength, my skills, and simultaneously give him a reason to mock but not to kill. He would calm down, thinking he has solved my secret, and stop digging deeper.»
Lady Morvane looked at him for a long time, and something like respect shone in her eyes. «You are clever, Nox Endragon. Clever and cunning. That is good. It will help you survive. I will consider your proposal. For now, go. Study, train, gather your strength. And be careful. The spy you spoke of is Master Nectarius, the ancient languages instructor. He has worked at the academy for many years and enjoys the trust of many. I cannot simply remove him without proof. But I will watch him. And if he makes a single wrong move, he will regret ever being born.»
Nox nodded, stood up, and walked to the door. At the threshold, he stopped and turned around.
«Lady Morvane. Thank you. For everything.»
She did not answer, only nodded slightly, and Nox left. He descended the spiral staircase, feeling something inside him slowly release. He had done everything he could. Now he could only wait and be ready for what came next.
And much was coming. Magnus would not rest until he had his revenge. The Moon Goddess's spy would not sit idly by. Lin, left at Marta's tavern, needed his protection. And somewhere out there, far away, the Harbinger continued its journey, slowly but inexorably drawing closer to Noxspire. Time was short. But Nox knew he would manage. He always managed. Because he had no other choice.
He stepped out into the rain and walked toward the academic building. Ahead lay a new day, new knowledge, new trials. And he was ready to face them head on.