Austin stepped out of the lecture hall, his mind preoccupied with knowledge he acquired from the History Class.
The hallways were still lively—students chatting about their placements, some groaning about their classes, and a few already forming study groups.
But none of it concerned him. He had somewhere to be.
The Headmistress' words echoed in his head.
"Come to the Mystican Tower before sunset."
He was unable to visit the tower because the whole Academy was in lockdown for a fortnight.
Now was his only chance
Austin glanced out a nearby window. The sun had begun its slow descent.
If he didn't leave now, he might be late. With a deep breath, he adjusted his coat and started walking.
***
The Mystican Tower stood at the heart of the Academy, yet students were rarely seen entering or leaving.
Austin had never set foot inside before—nor had he ever been given a reason to. But now, at the Headmistress's request, he found himself standing before its grand entrance, staring up at the towering double doors.
There was no one around. No instructions. No sign of anyone waiting for him.
For a moment, he hesitated. Then, taking a deep breath, he reached out and pushed the door open.
It wasn't locked.
The wood groaned under its own weight as it swung inward, revealing the dimly lit interior. The first thing he noticed was the stillness.
Not a single candle flickered, yet the tower was not entirely dark—light seeped through narrow stained-glass windows, casting fractured hues across the stone floor.
His gaze swept across the main chamber.
Directly in front of him stood a grand staircase, splitting into two distinct paths—one leading downstairs, and the other upward toward an expansive library.
Austin frowned.
"Why did the Headmistress send me here?".
His curiosity led him upward instead.
The second floor was a library.
Bookshelves stretched high, packed with ancient tomes and parchment scrolls. The scent of old paper and aged ink filled the air—a stark contrast to the eerie emptiness of the tower itself.
Austin walked slowly, letting his fingers brush against the spines of books as he passed. Titles caught his eye, but most of them were ones he recognized: Fundamentals of Mystical Arts, Mana Theorems, Introduction to Arcane Constructs.
Basic knowledge.
That realization made him pause.
"Why store beginner-level books in a tower?"
For a place that seemed drenched in secrecy, he had expected hidden tomes detailing forgotten spells or forbidden knowledge.
He wandered toward the edge of the second floor. The architecture allowed for an overseeing arch, giving him a clear view of the entrance below. If anyone entered, he'd see them immediately.
Yet, the spacious room remained silent.
Austin exhaled sharply, frustration creeping in.
If the Headmistress wanted him here before sunset, why hadn't anything happened yet?
He hated waiting.
Rather than standing idly, he grabbed a book at random and flipped through its pages.
It was a standard primer on elemental casting—basic theories on mana flow, spell formation, and control techniques. Information he had long surpassed.
Minutes dragged on.
The once bright sky visible through the windows had shifted to warm oranges and deepening reds.
The sun was setting.
Austin sighed and closed the book with a dull thud, tossing it back onto the shelf. This was a waste of time.
He leaned against the railing, staring at the entrance below, contemplating whether he should just leave.
And then—
Something changed.
The final rays of sunlight slanted through the windows, casting elongated shadows across the floor. At first, it seemed like nothing more than the natural dimming of the room.
But then he saw it.
It wasn't the light revealing something—it was the shadows.
From the inside of the grand doors, dark shapes began to align, forming something precise.
A number.
1200.
Austin straightened immediately, his heart pounding.
That wasn't just a coincidence. That number was meant to be seen.
His mind raced. 1200—what could it mean? A time? A code? A location?
He hurried down the staircase, stopping before the entrance.
The number was still there, carved by shadows alone. He stepped closer, reaching out instinctively, but as soon as the sun dipped below the horizon—
The number vanished.
Gone, as if it had never existed.
Austin clenched his fists. A timed message. If he had left any earlier, he wouldn't have seen it at all.
"Was this what the Headmistress wanted me to find?"
If so, then what was he supposed to do with it?
Suddenly he heard laughter echoing from the staircase leading downstairs. His body tensed, his pulse quickening.
The tower had been empty—silent—just moments ago. He braced himself as the voices grew louder, his breath catching when human figures emerged from the darkness.
They were upperclassmen students.
He had expected something else, something unnatural.
But these were ordinary students, chatting casually as they ascended the steps.
His confusion deepened.
Among them, he recognized Yanika, walking beside a tall boy wearing the insignia of Valdoris Archeon.
Alaric was present, his posture relaxed as he laughed along with his friends.
"Austin, is that you? Hello." Yanika greeted Austin with a friendly wave.
Alaric studied Austin with curiosity. "You two know each other?" he asked Yanika.
"A little," Yanika replied with a shrug. "He's that freshman who always jogs in the training grounds every morning while we're conducting our drills."
"Oh! I remember now," Alaric said, nodding. "Where's that kid you were always with? I haven't seen him in the training grounds for a while."
Austin's expression shifted slightly. "He suddenly stopped talking to me."
Alaric blinked. "Oh."
The conversation drifted naturally, shifting between small talk and casual remarks, until Austin found an opportunity to ask, "Where did you guys come from?"
Alaric gestured toward the staircase behind them. "The dungeon below."
Austin blinked. "Dungeon? I thought students don't come here."
Alaric smirked. "Most don't come through the front door. There are other ways in, passages underground."
That only raised more questions. If students came and went, then—
"Then why are all the books here covered in dust?" Austin asked, scanning the untouched shelves.
The group laughed.
Yanika shook her head. "Because those books in the second floor are just the basics. The real collection is on the third floor. That's where you'll find students actually studying."
Austin frowned as Alaric added, "The Mystican Tower isn't just a library. It's a dungeon below and a repository of knowledge above."
A dungeon and a library… Two sides of the same structure.
Austin nodded in understanding. "But why had the Headmistress sent me here?" He asked, not expecting an answer.
Alaric's expression darkened slightly. "Strange that she asked you to come. But that's for you to figure out. We need to go."
As they were leaving, Austin called out one last question. "Do any of you know what '1200' means?"
A brief silence, stopping their steps.
No one answered.
Then, just as they exited the large doors, Yanika lingered behind and whispered, "It's a time."
Austin's brows furrowed as he processed Yanika's words.
Time? 1200… midday? Before he could ask for more, she was already gone.
He glanced back at the now-empty staircase.
The number had vanished. If it was a time, then what was supposed to happen? And why had it been hidden like that?
Austin exhaled sharply. The Headmistress had sent him here for a reason.
Whether it was to find the number or something more, he would have to figure it out himself.
One thing was certain—he'll come back tomorrow at lunch.