Night settled fully over the academy not long after the gathering on the eastern terrace dispersed, but unlike the quiet stillness Kael had grown used to during previous evenings, the academy remained alive beneath the glow of countless floating mana lanterns, noble gatherings continuing across the upper districts while students moved between bridges, halls, and ceremonial chambers long after normal curfew hours would have begun.
The Recognition Assembly had transformed the academy into something broader than a school.
For these few days—
It had become the center of the continent itself.
Kael walked alongside Aren through one of the lower elevated pathways connecting the central district to the residential towers, the sound of distant music and conversation echoing faintly from the upper terraces above them.
Aren let out a slow breath.
"…Today was way too much information."
Kael glanced at him briefly.
"…You mean the nobles?"
"No," Aren answered immediately. "I mean the part where apparently reality almost collapsed centuries ago and nobody thought that was important enough to mention earlier."
Kael remained silent.
Because honestly—
That part mattered more.
Behind them, Lyra and Draven walked quietly while Cassian had separated earlier after being called away by his family delegation, and after several moments, Lyra finally spoke.
"…The old collapse records weren't supposed to exist publicly."
Aren looked back toward her.
"You knew about them?"
Lyra shook her head slightly.
"Only fragments."
Draven added quietly.
"…Most historical records before the founding era are incomplete."
Kael's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Because they were destroyed?"
Draven answered after a brief pause.
"…Possibly."
That answer alone carried implications far larger than simple missing information.
The academy had existed for centuries.
If even it lacked complete records—
Then whatever happened during the so-called collapse must have been catastrophic on a continental scale.
Aren rubbed his forehead.
"…You know, I was happier when our biggest problem was ranking exams."
They reached the lower central plaza shortly after, and unlike the upper ceremonial districts crowded with nobles and formal gatherings, this section of the academy carried a more relaxed atmosphere despite the late hour.
Students from multiple divisions gathered around outdoor food stalls built along the curved stone pathways while smaller performance platforms hosted musicians and illusionists entertaining the visiting delegations.
For the first time in several chapters of constant pressure and assignments—
The academy genuinely felt alive.
Not as a battlefield.
As a city.
Aren immediately looked relieved.
"…Finally. Normal people."
Lyra glanced around calmly.
"…This section stays open during major assemblies."
Several students rushed past carrying stacks of books and enchanted tablets while arguing loudly about magical theory, and nearby a group of dwarven students sat around an open forge platform embedded directly into the plaza itself, sparks rising into the night air as they worked on weapon modifications even while eating.
Aren blinked.
"…They seriously brought a forge into the middle of the plaza?"
One of the dwarves looked up briefly.
"…Of course."
A pause.
"…Where else would we forge?"
Aren opened his mouth.
Then closed it again.
Kael noticed something else nearby.
An elevated circular platform filled with floating water constructs where several elven students practiced complex mana shaping exercises, their control precise enough that the water moved like living creatures beneath their fingers.
Different races.
Different methods.
Different cultures.
All existing naturally within the academy.
Lyra noticed Kael observing them.
"…The academy encourages mixed specialization during assemblies."
Draven nodded slightly.
"…It's easier to exchange techniques openly during political events."
That made sense.
The academy wasn't simply training individuals.
It was maintaining alliances.
A familiar voice suddenly called out from ahead.
"You're late."
Kael looked up.
Selene sat casually atop one of the plaza railings nearby while Hammer stood beside her holding what looked like an absurdly large metal cup filled with steaming liquid.
Aren blinked.
"…Why are you two everywhere now?"
Selene smirked faintly.
"Because this plaza has actual food."
Hammer nodded once.
"…And quieter people."
Aren stared around at the crowded plaza.
"…This is your definition of quiet?"
Hammer took another drink calmly.
"Yes."
Lyra walked toward the open seating area beside them.
"…You both stay in the academy year-round?"
Selene shook her head.
"No. Most clan students return north between major terms."
Hammer answered after her.
"The Deepforge delegates stay longer during trade seasons."
Aren dropped into one of the empty seats nearby with a long sigh.
"…You know, hearing all this stuff makes the world feel way bigger than I thought."
Selene tilted her head slightly.
"You expected the academy to only be humans?"
Aren immediately pointed at Kael.
"To be fair, he barely reacts to anything, so I assumed this place was normal for everyone."
Kael ignored him completely.
Instead, his attention shifted toward a large stone monument standing at the center of the plaza that he hadn't noticed earlier.
Ancient symbols covered its surface.
Not one language.
Several.
Human script.
Elven markings.
Dwarven runes.
Even symbols Kael didn't recognize at all.
Hammer noticed his gaze.
"…That monument's older than the academy itself."
Kael looked toward him.
"…You know what it says?"
Hammer nodded once.
"Partially."
Selene leaned back slightly against the railing.
"The old races each translated different sections."
Lyra's expression sharpened.
"…It survived from before the founding era?"
Draven's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Then it predates the collapse."
Hammer answered quietly.
"Yes."
Silence settled briefly.
Because now the monument felt heavier than the entire plaza around it.
Aren looked toward the ancient structure carefully.
"…What does it actually say?"
Hammer took another slow drink before answering.
"Depends which section."
He pointed toward the dwarven runes near the lower side.
"That part talks about the sky breaking."
Then toward the elven markings higher above.
"That section describes the loss of natural mana flow."
Selene's golden eyes shifted toward the darker symbols near the center.
"And the beast clans translated the middle section as…"
A brief pause.
"…'When the boundary between worlds weakens, all races fall beneath the same night.'"
The plaza noise around them suddenly felt quieter.
Not because people stopped talking.
Because the meaning behind those words settled too deeply.
Kael looked at the monument again.
Not as decoration anymore.
As warning.
Aren exhaled slowly.
"…Okay. Yeah. I officially understand why the academy's freaking out now."
Lyra crossed her arms slightly.
"…If the distortions truly resemble the ancient collapse…"
Draven finished quietly.
"…Then this may not be a localized disaster."
Hammer nodded once.
"The Deepforge archives believe the first collapse nearly erased entire kingdoms."
Selene added more quietly than before.
"And the northern clans still avoid certain territories because of it."
Kael remained silent.
Because piece by piece—
The situation was becoming clearer.
The academy wasn't preparing for a new threat.
It was preparing for the return of something old enough that every major race still remembered fragments of it centuries later.
And now those fragments were beginning to align again.
A deep bell echoed faintly across the academy from the upper districts.
Not ceremonial this time.
Operational.
Several students across the plaza immediately looked upward.
The atmosphere shifted subtly once more.
Aren frowned slightly.
"…That doesn't sound like an assembly bell."
Lyra's expression sharpened immediately.
"…No."
Draven looked toward the northeastern horizon beyond the academy walls.
"…Another pulse."
Hammer lowered his metal cup slowly.
Selene's tail stopped moving entirely.
And Kael already understood before anyone spoke again.
The source—
Had moved once more.