The air inside Durmstrang felt thicker than usual, as if the very stones of the ancient castle were heavy with the weight of secrets. Whispers about Kara's death had only grown louder in the weeks since her body had been found, though no one seemed to have any real answers. Dorian found himself at the center of more curious glances, more hushed conversations, but none of them bothered him. He had always been an enigma to those around him, a force they feared but didn't understand. And fear was useful.
But beneath the surface of his calm exterior, Dorian's mind was anything but still.
The death of Kara Albrecht had disturbed the delicate balance of power within Durmstrang. She had been ambitious, ruthless, and unafraid to play dangerous games. In life, she had been an ally to Dorian, but one he never truly trusted. Her death had felt... too convenient. And while Dorian dismissed the idea that Lyra had anything to do with it, the lingering questions surrounding Kara's death gnawed at him.
It wasn't just her death that troubled him, though. It was the timing. Kara had approached him only days before her death, whispering in his ear about plans, about taking control of something greater than Durmstrang. She had always been reckless, and Dorian had humored her for a time, but now that she was gone, he wondered what exactly she had known—and what she had left behind.
As Dorian walked through the darkened corridors toward the library, the thought of Kara's final days filled his mind. He hadn't given her much thought until now, too preoccupied with his own ambitions, his own plans. But if she had uncovered something significant, something that had gotten her killed, it was worth investigating.
The library doors creaked open as Dorian stepped inside. It was late, and the library was empty, save for the flickering candlelight that danced across the stone walls. Dorian made his way toward the restricted section, his eyes scanning the rows of forbidden tomes.
There was something here—he could feel it. Kara had been searching for something in these very halls, and Dorian was determined to find out what it was. He had grown stronger, his connection to the dark magic deeper than ever, and the whispers of power that had once been faint were now a constant hum in his mind.
His fingers traced the spines of several ancient books, his eyes scanning the titles: On the Darkest Curses, The Origins of Blood Magic, The Secrets of Salazar Slytherin. He stopped at the last one, pulling it from the shelf and opening it carefully. The pages were old and brittle, the ink faded from centuries of neglect.
Dorian flipped through the pages, his brow furrowing as he came across a passage that caught his attention. It spoke of an artifact, something ancient, something tied to Slytherin himself. The words were cryptic, but the implication was clear: this artifact had the power to grant its wielder unimaginable strength, but at a terrible cost.
His heart quickened. Was this what Kara had been searching for? Had she uncovered something that had gotten her killed?
He closed the book, his mind racing. There was more here, more than what was written in the faded ink of this ancient tome. Kara had known something—something that could tip the scales of power in Dorian's favor. But if she had been killed for it, that meant someone else knew, someone who didn't want the artifact found.
A flicker of movement caught his eye, and Dorian turned sharply. Lyra stood in the shadows near the entrance to the library, watching him with her usual composed expression.
"You're up late," she said softly, stepping out of the shadows.
Dorian closed the book and set it down, giving her a slight nod. "I could say the same about you."
Lyra smiled, though there was something behind her eyes, something he couldn't quite place. "I couldn't sleep. I've been thinking about Kara... and what's been happening around here."
Dorian leaned against the bookshelf, crossing his arms. "You and the rest of the school."
Lyra's smile faded as she moved closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Kara was reckless. She was playing with forces she didn't understand. But I don't think she was as clever as she thought she was."
Dorian narrowed his eyes, watching her closely. "And what do you think she was after?"
Lyra glanced at the book Dorian had been reading, her eyes lingering on the faded title before meeting his gaze again. "Power. That's what Kara always wanted. And she wasn't the only one."
The tension in the air between them grew, unspoken words hanging in the space between their shared glances. Dorian trusted Lyra more than anyone, but he wasn't blind to the fact that she, too, was ambitious. Everyone in Durmstrang was. But there was something different about Lyra—something that made him keep his guard up, even as he relied on her more and more.
"What do you know, Lyra?" Dorian asked, his voice low.
She shrugged, stepping closer until she was only a few feet away. "Only what I've seen. Kara was dangerous, but she wasn't smart enough to keep her secrets hidden. She wanted power—more than she could handle."
Dorian studied her face, searching for any hint of deception. But Lyra's expression was as calm as ever, her eyes steady and unyielding. He had always admired that about her—the way she never flinched, never wavered. Even now, standing in the darkened library, with the weight of Kara's death hanging over them, Lyra was unshaken.
"You think someone killed her for it?" Dorian asked.
Lyra didn't hesitate. "I know they did."
Her words hung in the air like a blade, sharp and dangerous. Dorian felt a chill crawl up his spine, though he kept his expression neutral. If someone had killed Kara for what she knew, it meant there was more at play than he had anticipated. And if Lyra knew this much, then she was either part of the game or watching it unfold from the shadows.
Dorian straightened, pushing off the bookshelf and turning to face her fully. "What do you think they were after?"
Lyra's gaze flickered briefly to the book he had been reading before returning to his. "Something old. Something powerful. And something you're better off finding before they do."
The meaning behind her words was clear, but Dorian still felt a knot of uncertainty in his chest. Lyra was hiding something—he could feel it. But for now, he would let it slide. He needed her, and if she had information that could lead him to the artifact Kara had been after, he wasn't going to push her away.
"I'll find it," Dorian said finally, his voice steady. "Whatever it is, it's mine."
Lyra smiled faintly, her eyes gleaming in the dim light of the library. "I have no doubt."
Later that night, as Dorian lay in his bed, the whispers of dark magic filled his mind once again. The artifact was real—he knew it was. And if it was tied to Salazar Slytherin, it meant that his connection to the ancient dark wizard was even deeper than he had imagined.
But the question remained: who else knew about the artifact? Who had killed Kara to keep it hidden? And how far were they willing to go to stop Dorian from claiming it?
As sleep finally began to pull him under, Dorian's thoughts drifted to Lyra. She had been so calm, so certain in the library. Her words echoed in his mind, mingling with the whispers of the magic that pulsed within him.
Something old. Something powerful. And something you're better off finding before they do.
He didn't doubt her loyalty—at least not yet. But Lyra was playing a game, just like everyone else in Durmstrang. And Dorian was determined to win, no matter the cost.
The darkness inside him stirred, restless and hungry. There was no turning back now. Kara's death had been the beginning of something much larger, and Dorian was ready to see it through to the end.
As the sun began to rise over the cold, distant mountains surrounding Durmstrang, Dorian woke with a new sense of purpose. Today would be the first step in claiming what was rightfully his.