55 - Sealed
The shift did not stop. It grew.
Weeks passed, and this time, even the Magic Tower could not pretend nothing had changed.
“… again.” The silver-haired Archmage’s voice echoed through the chamber.
Mariana stood at the center, her posture straight, her expression calm. No hesitation. No uncertainty. Just quiet focus. She raised her hand. Mana surged. Not violently, but overwhelmingly.
The runes carved into the walls reacted instantly, lighting up in response as if acknowledging her presence. The very structure of the tower seemed to hum.
Then, a complex spell circle formed beneath her feet. Layered. Intricate. Perfect. Not copied. Not memorized. Created.
“Impossible…” the tattooed Archmage muttered under his breath.
The old Archmage said nothing, but his grip on his staff tightened. Kael, for once, didn’t joke. He simply watched closely.
Mariana lowered her hand. The spell dissolved as smoothly as it had formed. “Wa-Was that right?”
Silence. Then, “… more than right.” the silver-haired Archmage answered quietly. Too quietly.
---
That same day, a message left the Magic Tower. Encoded. Sealed. Sent across the empire and beyond. And by nightfall, the world knew.
“The Magic Tower recognizes a new Archmage.”
The words spread like wildfire. From noble courts to hidden academies. From royal libraries to forbidden magical circles.
“A sixth?”
“Impossible…”
“Who?”
“What lineage?”
"What age?”
Whispers turned into speculation. Speculation into unease. Because Archmages were not just powerful. They were rare. Monsters of magic who stood at the peak of mortal understanding. And now, there was another.
---
Back in the tower, Mariana blinked. “… what?”
Kael grinned, clearly enjoying this moment far too much. “Congratulations.”
“… for what?”
“You’ve officially been promoted,” he said lazily. “You’re one of us now.”
Mariana stared at him. “I don’t remember applying.”
“You didn’t,” the silver-haired Archmage replied. “… you surpassed the requirement.”
Mariana looked between them. “… you’re serious?”
The old Archmage nodded slowly. “Your understanding, control, and output…” A pause. “… all exceed the threshold.”
The tattooed Archmage added, “There is nothing more we can teach you at a standard level.”
Silence. Mariana blinked again. “So I’m… an Archmage?”
Kael smirked. “The sixth one.”
“That sounds... fake.”
“It’s not.”
She stared at her hands. Then clenched them slightly. “I just wanted to go home.”
No one answered. Because they all knew, this changed things. Irreversibly.
---
That night, the observatory chamber was quieter than usual. “The announcement was premature.” The old Archmage’s voice was low.
The silver-haired Archmage didn’t turn from the sphere. “… it was necessary.”
“Necessary?” the tattooed Archmage frowned. “You’ve exposed her to the entire world.”
“She was already a target.”
Silence. Then, “… and now she’s a bigger one.” Kael added.
No one argued. Because he wasn’t wrong.
The old Archmage tapped his staff once. “There is another matter.” The atmosphere shifted. He raised his gaze slowly. “… her core.”
Silence fell. Heavy.
The silver-haired Archmage finally turned. “You saw it too.”
“… yes.”
The tattooed Archmage’s brows furrowed. “What are you talking about?”
The old Archmage hesitated. Then, “Her mana heart…” His voice lowered. “… is bound.”
Kael’s expression changed.
Slightly.
“Bound?” He repeated.
“Sealed.” The silver-haired Archmage corrected.
Another silence.
“By what?” the tattooed Archmage asked.
The answer came quietly. “… we don’t know.”
---
Images formed within the observatory sphere. A glowing heart. Radiant. Overflowing with mana, and wrapped around it, chains. Dark. Ancient. Unfamiliar.
“Those are not natural.” the tattooed Archmage muttered.
“… no.” the old Archmage agreed. “… they are not.”
Kael leaned forward slightly, his usual laziness gone. “So she’s not progressing slower than expected…”
The silver-haired Archmage finished the thought. “She’s being held back.”
Silence. Heavy.
“… if those chains break…” the tattooed Archmage began.
No one finished it. Because they didn’t need to.
“… we do not tell her.” The silver-haired Archmage’s voice was firm.
The old Archmage nodded slowly. “… not yet.”
Kael leaned back again, though his eyes remained sharp. “Secrets, huh...”
“Precautions.” she corrected.
“… same thing.”
Far away, the search had expanded. Beyond Forebros. Beyond reason.
In the imperial capital, the grand halls of the palace echoed with urgency.
“Still no trace?” a voice rang out.
Sharp. Cold. Authority incarnate. Empress Lilith stood at the center of the chamber, her gaze fixed on the kneeling messengers before her.
“None, Your Imperial Majesty.” Silence. Deadly. “… the Grand Ducal family has formally requested imperial assistance.”
Her eyes narrowed slightly. “And?”
“Their request…” the messenger hesitated. “… is for a full-scale search across the empire.”
Murmurs spread through the court. Because that was no small thing. That was war-level mobilization.
“Approved.” Her voice cut through the noise instantly.
Silence fell.
“Deploy the imperial knights.” Her gaze hardened. “I want every region searched.”
“Yes, Your Imperial Majesty!”
Because this was no longer just a noble’s request. It was imperial command.
---
Elsewhere in a quieter chamber, two figures sat across from each other. One, calm. The other, watching. Closely.
Emperor Consort Belial leaned back slightly, his gaze fixed on his son. “… you’re quiet.”
Across from him, Crown Prince Zafiel lifted his teacup slowly. Unhurried. Composed. “Am I?”
Belial’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Your fiancée has vanished.” A pause. “The empire is mobilizing.” Another pause. “… and yet…”
Zafiel took a sip of his tea. Calm. Elegant. Unbothered.
“… you’re not reacting.”
Silence. Then, Zafiel set the cup down gently. “I am.”
Belial raised a brow. “This is your reaction?”
A faint smile touched Zafiel’s lips. “… I expected this.”
Silence fell. Heavy.
“… expected?” Belial repeated.
Zafiel’s gaze shifted slightly. Not toward his father but somewhere far away. “The moment her power awakened…” His voice softened. “… it was inevitable.”
Belial studied him carefully. “… you speak as if you already know where she is.”
Zafiel didn’t answer. But his eyes gleamed. “Not exactly,” he said finally. A pause. “… but I know what she’s becoming.”
The air in the room shifted. Subtly. Dangerously.
Belial’s gaze sharpened. “And that doesn’t concern you?”
Zafiel’s smile deepened slightly. “On the contrary...” He reached for his teacup again. “… I’m looking forward to it.”
---
Far away, inside the Magic Tower, Mariana stood alone once more. Her hand raised. Mana gathered. Effortlessly. Beautifully.
But for just a moment, she hesitated. Her brows furrowed slightly.
“That’s strange…” The mana… stalled. Just for a second. Like something was resisting. Mariana tilted her head slightly. “… weird…”
Then, it flowed again. Smooth. Perfect. As if nothing had happened. But far above, five Archmages felt it. And this time, none of them spoke. Because they all knew.
Something inside her was not entirely free. And when it finally would be, the world would not be ready.