The academy felt normal again.
Too normal.
Voices echoed.
Training continued.
Nothing seemed out of place.
But Li Xian's mind—
Was anything but calm.
"The real problem is… when."
That sentence stayed with him.
Not confusing.
Not unclear.
Pointing.
"…When…" he murmured.
This time—
He didn't search for something forgotten.
Because he already knew.
He had seen the pieces before.
He just—
Didn't put them together.
Li Xian's steps slowed.
His eyes sharpened slightly.
"…The symbol…"
That strange mark.
The one that didn't belong.
The one that appeared during—
"…The attack."
On Han.
His expression darkened.
At that time—
He noticed it.
Not just the attack itself—
But how precise it was.
Too precise.
And then—
"…Father's movements…"
The sudden changes.
The unusual routes.
The timing that didn't match his usual patterns.
Li Xian exhaled slowly.
He had seen all of this.
The symbol.
The attack.
The movement.
Each one—
Strange on its own.
But he treated them like separate things.
Because he didn't think they were connected.
Because he didn't want to think they were connected.
"…I stopped too early."
That was the truth.
He noticed.
He questioned.
But he didn't continue.
And now—
His father's words made it clear.
None of it was random.
Not the attack.
Not the symbol.
Not the timing.
"…It's all one thing."
A plan.
And he had only seen the surface of it.
Li Xian stopped walking completely.
A quiet tension settled in his chest.
"…And I let it go."
For a moment—
Regret flickered.
But it disappeared just as quickly.
Because now—
He had something better.
Awareness.
His eyes lifted slightly.
Calm.
Focused.
Sharp.
"…Then I'll look again."
From the beginning.
The symbol—where did it come from?
The attack—who ordered it?
The timing—why then?
This time—
He wouldn't stop halfway.
Because now—
He knew exactly what to look for.
"…What did I miss?" he whispered.
Behind him—
Han stood at a distance.
Watching.
His gaze lingered on Li Xian—
Longer than usual.
Because something had changed again.
Not the mask.
Not the attitude.
But the intent.
"…You're getting involved," Han muttered quietly.
And for some reason—
That didn't feel like a good thing.