Late evening wrapped the Academy in a gentle silence, broken only by the faint rustle of wind drifting between the towers. Alex sat on the edge of the roof, his elbows resting on his knees, his gaze wandering among the stars shimmering across the dark canvas of the sky. The cold of the stone parapet pleasantly chilled his palms, and the calm of the night granted a rare moment when thoughts of Kael, the Jester, or the coming war faded into the background.

  “My lord,” Siren’s voice sounded softly in his mind, tinged with unease. “Adam has just left his room.”

  Alex tilted his head slightly, tearing his eyes away from the stars. His gaze slid toward the dark dormitory corridor visible through a glass window below. There, in the dim glow of magical lanterns, stood a familiar figure: Adam, dressed in black trousers and a light white shirt that swayed faintly with his sharp movements. He glanced around nervously, as if checking for witnesses, his fingers curling into tight fists with tension.

  “What are you planning, Adam?” Alex muttered, narrowing his eyes.

  Once Adam was sure the corridor was empty, he suddenly took off running, his footsteps echoing dully across the marble floor. Alex rose at once, his cloak barely whispering as he leapt onto the neighboring roof, silently pursuing his friend. He jumped from roof to roof, keeping Adam in sight until the latter stopped before a massive door at the end of the corridor.

  A bronze plaque gleamed on the door, engraved with the words: “Teleportation Room.” Adam exhaled heavily, his shoulders shuddering as if he were wrestling with inner doubt. His hand slowly reached for the handle, his fingers trembling as they touched the cold metal.

  “And just where do you think you’re going, Adam?” Alex’s calm yet piercing voice sounded behind him.

  Adam froze abruptly, his hand still on the handle. He turned slowly, a mix of surprise and guilt flashing in his eyes. Alex stood a few steps behind him, leaning against the wall with a faint smile.

  Adam swallowed, straightened his posture, and tried to give his voice confidence.

  “If I remember correctly, you said you’d be spending the entire night in the training hall.”

  Alex raised an eyebrow slightly, his smile sharpening but losing none of its composure.

  “And if my memory serves me, you said you were so exhausted after classes that you’d sleep through the night like the dead.”

  Adam paused for a moment, then smiled lightly, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment.

  “Looks like we both weren’t entirely honest with each other,” he said with a shrug, though there was an awkward note in his voice.

  He looked back at Alex, curiosity narrowing his eyes.

  “So how long have you been following me?”

  “The last four days,” Alex replied calmly. “Though ‘following’ isn’t quite the right word. During the day I handled my own business, and in the evenings I just… kept an eye on you, to make sure you didn’t do anything stupid.”

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  Adam tilted his head, his brows lifting slightly.

  “So one of my parents asked you to do this?”

  “No one asked me,” Alex cut in, his voice firmer though his eyes remained sincere. “It was my decision. Entirely.”

  He took a step closer, his tone softening while retaining its insistence.

  “So how about we head back to your room and continue this conversation there?”

  Adam shook his head sharply, determination flaring across his face. He clenched his fists tighter, his fingers whitening with tension.

  “No,” he replied firmly. “I’ve already decided to go. And I won’t change my mind. So if you’re planning to stop me—”

  He didn’t finish. Alex suddenly raised both hands, waving them energetically as if trying to put out an invisible fire.

  “Stop, stop, stop!” he interrupted, irritation and concern mingling in his voice. “Let’s not do this, all right?”

  Adam froze. His fists loosened slightly, his eyes fixed on Alex, as though trying to read his intentions.

  “Didn’t you come here to stop me?” Doubt and caution laced his voice.

  Alex sighed. His smile softened, though his eyes stayed alert, tracking every movement Adam made.

  “Honestly, I was hoping you’d agree without much fuss to turn around and forget about this nighttime escapade,” he said with a shrug. “But seeing how serious you are, and hearing that firmness in your voice, made me change my mind.”

  Adam relaxed, his shoulders dropping as a faint smile appeared on his face.

  “You gave up pretty quickly,” he said, a hint of surprise slipping into his tone.

  Alex waved a hand dismissively.

  “As I said before, I’m only here to make sure you don’t do anything stupid. And I doubt—or at least I want to doubt—that meeting Kael will cause trouble. But to be absolutely sure it won’t, I’m coming with you.”

  Adam froze for a moment, his eyes widening in surprise. Then he covered his face with one hand and laughed quietly, his shoulders shaking with restrained laughter.

  Alex narrowed his eyes, irritation creeping into his voice.

  “And what exactly do you find so funny?” he asked, folding his arms across his chest.

  Still smiling, Adam wiped a tear from the corner of his eye and lifted a hand apologetically.

  “Sorry,” he said, trying to rein in his laughter. “It’s just that the first thing that came to mind was, ‘If there are any problems now, they definitely won’t be because of me.’”

  Alex made a theatrical grimace, his voice dripping with mock offense.

  “I’ll keep myself under control,” he declared, lifting his chin. “I won’t say a word. Unless someone forces me to.”

  Adam smiled wider, warmth glinting in his eyes.

  “I’m counting on that. Well then, let’s go.” He nodded toward the door.

  “Wait a second,” Alex said, stopping him. “Do you have any kind of plan at all? Or are we just going to walk in, say hello, and see where the conversation goes?” he added with a hint of sarcasm, raising an eyebrow.

  “I don’t really have a plan,” Adam admitted honestly. “But if you remember, before leaving our backyard, Kael teleported to me while dodging my father’s attack. That was when he invited me to talk and asked me not to delay my decision.”

  Alex narrowed his eyes, tension tightening his features.

  “You do realize this could be a trap?” he asked bluntly.

  Adam nodded, his gaze steady.

  “I do. But I’m willing to take that risk.”

  Alex let out a heavy sigh, his shoulders dipping slightly under the weight of the choice.

  “Well, Alex, it’s too late to back out now,” he muttered, then added more loudly, “But the moment I sense danger, I’ll teleport us both straight back to the Academy. We won’t engage in a fight.”

  He extended his hand to Adam, his palm firm and warm.

  “Agreed?”

  Adam met his gaze seriously and clasped his hand in a firm shake.

  “Agreed,” he replied without hesitation.

  Alex released his hand and nodded.

  “So where exactly are we going?”

  “To the Blue Raven guild. One of Kael’s subordinates will meet us there and guide us further.”

  Alex nodded briefly.

  “Understood.”

  A magical circle flared to life beneath their feet, and a moment later the two of them vanished from the Academy corridor, leaving behind only a faint crackle of mana slowly fading into the air.