The towering spires of Winstor Academy loomed like sentinels over the underground city, their shapes barely visible through the low-hanging mist. The ancient stone walls hummed faintly with magic, invisible to most, but Caelan could feel it—like a constant heartbeat thrumming in the background. He hadn't been back to the academy in five years, but the weight of its presence had never left him.
Stepping through the gates, Caelan noticed the stares from the students milling about the courtyard. Their conversations faded as he passed, whispers rising in his wake. He could almost hear the rumors spreading: Caelan Varyn is back. He was used to it. He had never truly fit in at Winstor—not as a student, and certainly not as an alumnus. His sharp intelligence and lack of social skills had made him an outcast even among his peers. And now, he was something else entirely—a rogue mage, a man with secrets.
The academy had changed since he'd left. The wards that protected its gates had grown more complex, the guards more numerous. Caelan could sense Aldric Elros's tightening grip over the institution. Winstor had once been a place of learning and exploration, but now it was something far darker, a fortress of control where magic was dictated by the few.
At the heart of Winstor, beyond the twisting hallways and shadowed corridors, lay the office of Thornwyn Duras, Caelan's old mentor. Thornwyn had been one of the few professors who saw Caelan's potential. He had pushed Caelan further than the academy's rigid structure allowed, urging him to explore magic outside of the boundaries of light and dark. But that had been before—before Aldric's rise to power, and before Caelan disappeared from the academy.
Caelan pushed open the heavy wooden door to Thornwyn's office without knocking. Inside, the air was thick with the scent of parchment and old books. Shelves lined the walls, filled with tomes of ancient knowledge, most of which were forbidden by the academy's newer, stricter policies.
Thornwyn sat behind his cluttered desk, his silver hair catching the faint light from a lantern on the wall. He looked up slowly, his sharp eyes narrowing as they focused on Caelan.
"I didn't think I'd ever see you again," Thornwyn said, his voice low and weary.
Caelan stepped further into the room, letting the door close softly behind him. "I didn't plan on coming back."
Thornwyn studied him for a long moment, his gaze drifting over the faintly glowing runes etched into Caelan's skin, barely visible beneath the collar of his cloak. "You've been playing with dangerous things," he said quietly.
"I learned a lot while I was away," Caelan replied, his tone neutral. "More than this academy ever offered."
Thornwyn leaned back in his chair, folding his hands in front of him. "And now you're back. Why?"
Caelan didn't answer right away. He moved to the window, looking out over the darkened city below. The soft blue light of the enchanted crystals flickered in the distance, casting long shadows over the streets. He could feel the magic humming in the walls, the same suffocating force that had always been there, but now it was different. Now, there was something more—something hidden, something powerful.
"I need answers," Caelan finally said, turning to face Thornwyn.
Thornwyn arched an eyebrow. "About what?"
"Aether."
The word seemed to hang in the air, heavy with unspoken meaning. Thornwyn's expression darkened, his mouth tightening into a thin line.
"Aether," he repeated, his voice soft. "You've been chasing fairy tales, Caelan."
Caelan crossed his arms, his eyes hardening. "I know it's real. I've seen the traces of it. I've felt its power."
Thornwyn sighed, leaning forward in his chair. "You're playing a dangerous game. Aether isn't something you can control. It's not like the magic you learned here. It's… something else. Something ancient, something beyond our understanding."
"I don't need to control it," Caelan said, his voice steady. "I just need to understand it."
Thornwyn shook his head slowly. "You're walking a fine line, Caelan. There are things in this world that are better left forgotten."
"And you think magic is one of them?" Caelan's eyes flashed with anger. "You taught me that magic is more than just light and dark, more than just the rules the academy puts on it. You said it yourself—power is power, and those who fear it are the ones who try to control it."
Thornwyn's gaze softened, and for a moment, he looked older, more tired than Caelan remembered. "I said that when I thought there was still hope for this place. But Aldric… he's turned Winstor into something I don't recognize anymore. His grip on the academy is tighter than you know. If you come back now, if you challenge him, you'll be walking into a battle you can't win."
Caelan's lips thinned. He had expected as much. Aldric's control over the academy had grown stronger in his absence, and the political games within Winstor had become even more twisted. But he wasn't here to play politics. He was here for something much bigger.
"I don't care about Aldric," Caelan said, his voice low and cold. "I'm not here to beg for permission or to negotiate. I'm here to finish what I started."
Thornwyn's eyes narrowed. "And what is that, exactly?"
"To bring the academy to its knees."
For a moment, Thornwyn was silent. Then he stood, moving slowly to the shelves behind him. He pulled out an old, leather-bound book, its edges worn with age. He placed it on the desk between them, his fingers lingering on the cover.
"This is what you're looking for," he said softly.
Caelan eyed the book, his pulse quickening. "What is it?"
"It's one of the last surviving texts on Aether," Thornwyn replied. "It's not much, but it's all we have. The academy destroyed most of the records years ago, after the—" He hesitated. "After the incident."
Caelan's gaze sharpened. "The experiment."
Thornwyn nodded grimly. "Yes. Aldric's experiment with you wasn't the first attempt to harness Aether. There were others before you, and all of them ended in failure. The academy tried to bury the truth, but I managed to save a few scraps of knowledge before it was too late."
Caelan reached for the book, but Thornwyn's hand shot out, grabbing his wrist. "Be careful, Caelan," he warned. "You're not the same as you were when you left. You're more powerful now, but you're also more vulnerable. Aether is not a tool you can simply wield. It's alive, in a way, and it has a way of corrupting those who seek to control it."
Caelan pulled his hand free, his expression hardening. "I'm not afraid of it."
"You should be."
Thornwyn let go and stepped back, his eyes dark with worry. "Aldric will know you're back soon enough. He has spies everywhere, and if he finds out you're after Aether—"
"Let him come," Caelan interrupted. "I'm ready for him."
Thornwyn shook his head, his expression grim. "No one is ready for Aldric."
Caelan said nothing. He picked up the book, feeling the weight of its knowledge in his hands. This was the key—the key to everything. With this, he would unlock the secrets of Aether, and with that power, he would tear down the academy's walls, one stone at a time.
As he turned to leave, Thornwyn's voice stopped him.
"Caelan," he called softly.
Caelan paused, looking back over his shoulder.
"Be careful. This path you're on… it's darker than you think."
Caelan's lips curled into a faint smile. "I've always walked in the shadows."