The tension from the morning's discovery hadn't dissipated as the day wore on. Lumi and her friends had proof that Erick Noye was in league with Professor Aurelian, but now came the hard part: figuring out what Erick's next move would be and stopping him before it was too late. The academy grounds buzzed with its usual activity—students attending classes, professors preparing lessons—but to Lumi, it felt as though everything had shifted. The looming danger made it impossible to relax.
After regrouping in the quiet courtyard behind the academy, they sat under the shade of their usual oak tree. Lumi leaned back, gazing up at the branches as she let out a deep sigh. Despite the seriousness of the situation, her body ached for rest. "I wanna do absolutely nothing today," she thought, but she knew there was no chance of that anytime soon.
Cyana stood nearby, pacing slightly, her expression one of focused determination. The calm composure she had earlier was still there, but Lumi could see the tension in her movements. Cyana was clearly strategizing, thinking through the possible ways Erick and Aurelian could strike next.
"He's up to something," Cyana finally said, breaking the silence. "That meeting wasn't just a discussion. Erick's next move is coming, and it's going to be soon."
June nodded, her face scrunched up in concern. "But what's his endgame? We know he wants the artifacts, but is that all? He's been playing this long game for a reason."
Heath rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "There's something more at stake than just the artifacts. He's been gathering influence, pulling strings with powerful families—he's trying to consolidate power beyond just magical relics."
Lumi frowned. "He's already got too much influence. And now Aurelian is helping him. That makes things worse. If Erick gets any more powerful, he won't just be a pain—he'll be unstoppable."
Cyana stopped pacing and turned to face the group, her stormy grey eyes narrowing. "That's why we need to get ahead of him. The scepter is safe for now, but it won't be long before Erick targets another artifact. If we can figure out where he's going next, we can stop him."
Lumi sat up a bit straighter. "And how do we figure that out? Aurelian's not exactly going to leave a list of plans lying around."
Cyana smiled slightly, a glint of mischief in her eyes. "No, but I've heard whispers about a hidden archive beneath the academy. Only high-ranking professors and administrators have access to it. If Aurelian is involved in something like this, it's possible he's using the archive to store confidential information."
June's eyes lit up. "A secret archive? That sounds like the perfect place to dig up some dirt."
Heath, ever the strategist, nodded. "It's risky, but if we can get in there, we might find the clues we need to stop Erick before he makes his next move."
Lumi raised an eyebrow, leaning back again and crossing her arms. "So, we're breaking into a secret archive? Great. Just another day in my life when all I really wanna do is nap."
Cyana chuckled, her tension easing slightly. "Don't worry, Lumi. We'll make this quick. The sooner we figure out Erick's plans, the sooner you can get back to your much-deserved rest."
Lumi couldn't help but smile at Cyana's words. There was something comforting about the way Cyana always seemed to understand her, despite how different they were. "Fine, I'm in," Lumi said with a sigh. "But if we pull this off, I'm taking the rest of the week off."
That Evening
As the sun dipped below the horizon, the academy grounds took on an eerie stillness. The students had mostly retreated to their dorms, and the corridors of the academy were quiet, save for the occasional flicker of magical lanterns lighting the way.
Lumi, Cyana, Heath, and June made their way toward the academy's administrative building once more, the weight of their plan heavy on their shoulders. The hidden archive was located deep beneath the building, according to Cyana's information, and getting in unnoticed would require careful timing and precision.
"This is crazy," June whispered as they approached the entrance. "Breaking into the archive… We're basically committing a crime."
Lumi snorted softly. "We've already spied on a professor and been stalked by an egomaniac. What's a little breaking and entering on top of that?"
Heath shot Lumi a sideways glance but smiled. "She's not wrong. If we're going to stop Erick, this is our best chance."
Cyana, leading the way, glanced over her shoulder at the group. "I've already disabled the warding spells on the entrance," she said calmly. "We won't be detected, but we need to be quick."
The group slipped inside the building, moving silently down a series of winding corridors until they reached a small, unassuming door hidden at the far end of a hallway. The door was plain, marked only by a small symbol that looked like a twisting spiral—easily overlooked by anyone not paying attention.
Cyana knelt by the door and placed her hand on the symbol. A soft blue light flared from her palm as she muttered an incantation under her breath. The door clicked, and with a gentle push, it swung open to reveal a narrow staircase leading down into the depths of the academy.
Lumi couldn't help but feel a shiver run down her spine. "Why do all secret places have to be underground and creepy?"
"Because that's where all the juicy secrets are hidden, darling," Glaciel's voice chimed in, amused as ever. "Don't worry, I've got your back. We'll be out of here in no time."
The group descended the staircase, the air growing colder as they went. The narrow hallway at the bottom of the stairs opened into a wide, dimly lit room filled with shelves of scrolls, books, and magical artifacts. It was a treasure trove of ancient knowledge, hidden away from the rest of the academy.
Heath whistled softly. "This place is incredible."
June, her eyes wide, whispered, "No kidding. It's like we've stepped into another world."
Cyana wasted no time. "Spread out and look for anything connected to Erick or Aurelian. We need to find any clues about their next target."
Lumi, still wary of the cold, dark space, moved slowly down one of the aisles, her eyes scanning the shelves. There were so many documents, each one filled with information that could change everything. But they didn't have time to search through everything. They needed to be fast.
After several minutes of searching, Lumi's eyes landed on a leather-bound book with a familiar symbol on its spine—the same twisting spiral that had been on the door. Her heart raced as she pulled the book from the shelf, flipping it open.
"Guys," Lumi called out softly, "I think I found something."
Cyana, June, and Heath quickly gathered around her as Lumi flipped through the book's pages. Inside were detailed records of the academy's most powerful magical artifacts—relics that had been hidden away for centuries. And there, listed in bold script, was the next artifact Erick would be after: The Eye of Tempestus, a crystal said to control the skies and weather with terrifying precision.
Cyana's face paled slightly as she read the description. "If Erick gets his hands on this… he'll be able to command storms, manipulate the weather. It would give him more power than we've ever seen."
June let out a low whistle. "That's bad. Really bad."
Heath's expression turned grim. "We need to get to the Eye of Tempestus before Erick does. Where is it?"
Lumi scanned the rest of the page, her eyes narrowing. "It's stored in a temple in the mountains. Looks like it's been sealed away for centuries. If Erick's going after it, he's going to need a lot of power to break through the wards."
Cyana's gaze hardened. "Then we have to stop him before he gets that power. We need to leave as soon as possible."
Lumi sighed, feeling the weight of responsibility settling heavily on her shoulders. "So much for lazing around." But despite her usual reluctance, there was a part of her that felt ready—ready to face Erick, ready to protect the artifacts, and maybe even ready to figure out what this growing connection with Cyana meant.
"Let's do it," Lumi said, her voice firm. "We're not letting Erick win."