Kael spent the rest of the day flipping through a few books for his lectures, but his mind was elsewhere the entire time. He went to bed early, knowing he had to wake up before dawn.
He awoke while it was still dark outside, with only the faintest silver line appearing behind the mountains.
Kael sat up, patted Ausma's head, and slipped into his robes. He fastened his cloak tightly to conceal his hair and face. He didn't want to be recognized on his way there.
He moved quickly through the silent corridors, the cold air biting at his cheeks. He already knew the only person who could help him leave the academy:
Professor Nora.
Kael arrived at the familiar door through which golden light leaked from beneath the crack.
He wasn't surprised; Nora always started working earlier than anyone else, as if sleep held no meaning for him.
Kael knocked softly, careful not to draw the attention of anyone wandering nearby.
This time, no voice called out to him from inside.
Instead, the door opened to reveal Nora himself, perfectly composed with his long hair tied back and quill still in hand. A quiet flicker of surprise crossed his features when he saw who was standing there.
He didn't ask a question. He didn't scold him, either.
He just stepped aside and motioned for Kael to enter.
Kael walked in. Nora closed the door behind him with a soft click.
"Student Kael," Nora began. He folded his arms behind his back. "Our lecture is in the evening, not at dawn. I would like to know why you came to me at this hour."
Kael inhaled deeply. This is it.
"I received a letter from the rebels yesterday," he said quietly. "They want me to meet them in the outer district. I need your help to leave the academy."
Silence.
Nora didn't reply immediately. He just looked at Kael, showing no anger or shock.
Only deep, unreadable contemplation. It was as though he needed to calculate which move had brought Kael there and what move should come next.
"Show me the letter."
Nora's voice carried no warmth, only a clear command.
Kael frowned at the tone, irritation flickering across his face. Still, he reached into his pocket, pulled out the folded note, and handed it over.
Nora unfolded it with measured precision and began reading.
Kael watched him, waiting, but he didn't spare him a single glance. His eyes were fixed on the paper as if he were dissecting each word.
"They really want to do this," he murmured too quietly for him to understand, but loudly enough to thicken the air between them.
Finally, Nora lifted his gaze. His eyes were sharp, cutting right through Kael.
"I'll write you a list of ingredients I 'urgently require.' Show it to the guards, and they will allow you to leave."
Kael blinked. "Thank you?"
The surprise in his voice was genuine. He had expected hesitation. Questions. Maybe even a lecture.
He hadn't expected immediate cooperation.
Nora went to his desk and started writing. His pen glided across the paper with the deliberate calm that always surrounded him. When he finished, he folded the note and held it out to Kael.
Just as Kael reached for it, however, Nora pulled the letter back.
"One piece of advice," he said quietly. His eyes were steady and honest, but they held a weight that Kael couldn't quite decipher.
"You may think this world is divided between right and wrong, but be aware that the two are far more intertwined than you expect."
Only then did he hand the letter over.
Kael accepted it, feeling unsettled by the warning, yet certain that Nora would never waste words. Not with him.
He bowed and left the office, heading toward the academy gates.
The morning was still dim, and the gardens were empty and silent as he walked through them. Soon, the large iron gates rose before him, flanked by two bored-looking academy guards.
"Students aren't allowed to leave," one of them drawled, clearly exhausted from repeating the rule.
"I know," Kael said, holding out Nora's note. "But I received permission from Professor Nora. He sent me to collect ingredients for today's lecture."
The lead guard took the paper and scanned it. His eyes paused on Nora's signature.
"It seems valid," he finally said, tossing the note back to Kael. "It'd be foolish to forge a professor's signature."
He stepped aside. "You may pass."
Kael nodded and slipped through the gates, walking briskly toward the outer district.
Only a few minutes passed before he felt something prickle the back of his neck.
Someone is following me.
Kael slowed and ducked into a narrow side street, pressing himself into the shadow of a stone archway.
Seconds later, one of the guards from the academy gate entered the alley, scanning the path.
So Nora's letter wasn't as inconspicuous as we thought, Kael thought bitterly.
But why follow me? I haven't done anything suspicious.
His thoughts were cut off.
Someone else had stepped into view beside the guard.
Someone Kael absolutely didn't expect.
At first, Cassandra's face appeared calm, but Kael noticed the subtle tension in her eyes. She asked the guard something, and he shook his head. Cassandra exhaled sharply, then gestured that the trail ended there.
The guard nodded and walked back toward the academy.
Cassandra remained.
Just for a heartbeat longer.
Her gaze remained fixed on the narrow side street where Kael was hiding, but she never stepped closer. Then she turned and followed the guard.
Only after their footsteps faded did Kael slip out of his hiding place, his pulse pounding.
First her sudden appearance in his room yesterday, and now this. Why is she acting so strangely?
But he had no time to dwell on that thought. Whatever Cassandra was doing, it mattered less than the task ahead. He pushed forward, leaving the academy's shadow behind as he marched into the outer district.
By the time he arrived at the familiar marketplace, the sun was high in the sky. People bustled between stalls, their voices rising in a chaotic harmony. Kael's gaze, however, drifted to one particular corner, which was clean and lively now. Yet he could still hear the echo of the old woman's final cries.
He lingered for a moment, the memory tightening his chest. Then, he forced himself to look away.
Focus, Kael, he told himself. Not now.
He crossed the street and approached a small wooden shop nestled between two larger buildings. The painted sign above the door swayed gently:
Augs' Shop.
Kael braced himself, then pushed the door open.
Just like before, a thick wave of herbs and crushed leaves rushed at him, saturating the air and making his eyes water. But this time, he adjusted quickly—Cassandra had been right.
"Mister Augs?" Kael called into the dim room.
No answer.
He stepped deeper inside, his boots creaking across the uneven floorboards. Shelves bowed under the weight of piles of dried roots and bundles of flowers. Jars of powders shimmered faintly in the dusty light.
Still no sign of the owner.
Kael reached the counter.
"Mister—?"
A voice spoke from behind him.
Low. Calm. Yet, it carried something ancient beneath the surface.
"I've been waiting a long time to meet you, the Unwritten."
Kael froze.