Moriyama raised her head.
Her ears were still ringing.
— This...
The siren sounded again.
Louder.
More urgent.
This was not a warning for a minor invasion.
It was not a localized alert.
It was the call of the walls.
The Headmistress turned immediately.
Her expression changed.
All the concern she had carried over what they had just witnessed vanished behind an entirely different demeanor.
Cold.
Alert.
Commanding.
She raised one hand.
— Show me.
A magic circle appeared before her fingertips.
Then another.
And another.
Lines of mana spread across the floor of the secret chamber, climbing the walls like glowing roots.
Moriyama watched.
Five circles appeared in the air.
Then they opened.
Like windows.
The first showed one of Dirfázia's walls.
The second, an observation tower.
The third, one of the main entrances.
The fourth...
The horizon.
Moriyama stopped breathing for a moment.
— What...?
The Headmistress also remained silent.
In the distance...
Beyond the walls...
Something black covered the land.
At first, it looked like nothing more than a stain.
A dark line stretching across the horizon.
But then the projection drew closer.
And Moriyama understood.
The line was moving.
No.
It wasn't a line.
They were creatures.
Hundreds.
Thousands.
Shadows.
But not like the ones she knew.
Some had four long, thin legs, with bodies far too small to support limbs so large. They moved in great leaps, shattering the ground every time they landed.
Others crawled.
They had dozens of limbs.
Not one of them seemed to obey the same anatomy.
There were tall creatures.
So tall that some towered above the trees.
Their arms touched the ground as they walked hunched over.
Others possessed structures resembling wings.
But they weren't wings.
They were black membranes that opened and closed as the creatures floated several meters above the ground.
One Shadow walked on six legs while what appeared to be its head slowly rotated backward.
Another had three torsos fused together.
Another...
Moriyama frowned.
She couldn't even comprehend what she was looking at.
— Since when...?
The Headmistress brought one of the projections closer.
— I've never seen some of these forms either.
Moriyama looked at her.
The Headmistress didn't look away.
That was enough.
If even she was surprised...
Then something was very wrong.
In the projection, one of the creatures opened something resembling a mouth.
There were no teeth.
There was only darkness.
And from it came a sound.
A deep noise passed through the observation magic.
A chill ran through Moriyama.
— How many are there?
The Headmistress moved her fingers.
The projection divided.
North.
South.
East.
West.
Shadows.
On every side.
The Headmistress's expression hardened.
— Many.
Moriyama stood.
— That's not an answer.
— It's the only one I can give you right now.
Another siren echoed.
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
In the distance, even through the walls of the underground chamber, Moriyama could hear movement.
Soldiers.
Doors being opened.
Orders.
The entire kingdom was beginning to awaken to the threat.
Moriyama turned her eyes back to the projections.
Then she frowned.
Something didn't make sense.
She looked at the Headmistress.
Then at the magic circles.
— Wait.
The Headmistress continued manipulating the images.
— What?
— You can do this?
She pointed at the projections.
The Headmistress finally looked at her.
— I can.
Moriyama remained silent for a few seconds.
Then her expression changed.
— Then why didn't you do it before?
The Headmistress narrowed her eyes.
— Before?
— With them.
Silence.
Moriyama pointed toward the destroyed dimensional artifact.
— Alexius.
— Arthur.
— Mia.
— All of them.
Her voice rose.
— If you can observe places from a distance, why did we need that thing?!
The Headmistress remained silent for a moment.
Then sighed.
— Because they aren't the same thing.
Moriyama frowned.
The Headmistress extended a hand toward one of the projections.
— This is an extension of my magical perception.
The image of the walls flickered.
— I can project nearby regions as long as they're within the range I can map.
She closed her fingers.
One of the images disappeared.
— The greater the distance, the more unstable it becomes.
Another projection vanished.
— Barriers powerful enough can also prevent observation.
Moriyama looked back at the broken artifact.
— And that?
The Headmistress followed her gaze.
For a few seconds...
She didn't answer.
— That was different.
Moriyama waited.
— Different how?
— Much more powerful.
— I noticed.
The Headmistress ignored the comment.
— It didn't depend solely on range.
She walked toward the remains of the artifact.
A few particles still floated above the pedestal.
— It could reach places far beyond the limits of conventional observation magic.
The Headmistress's eyes moved across the cracks.
— Including regions affected by magical interference, mana distortions...
She stopped.
— And certain dimensional phenomena.
Moriyama continued staring.
Dimensional phenomena.
Arthur crossed her mind.
Then the third eye.
Then that sensation.
That presence.
She slowly brought her fingers to her forehead.
The protrusion was still there.
Small.
But real.
Moriyama clenched her hand.
— There's something else.
The Headmistress looked at her.
— Why did I never know about this room?
Silence.
This time...
Heavier.
Moriyama looked around.
Now that she wasn't completely focused on the artifact, she could see the place more clearly.
Ancient inscriptions.
Covered objects.
Shelves containing materials she didn't even recognize.
Artifacts.
Books.
Magical structures.
Some looked ancient.
Others...
Didn't.
— I work at the Academy.
Moriyama took a step.
— I know practically every part of it.
Another.
— Passageways.
— Training rooms.
— Storage areas.
She looked directly at the Headmistress.
— But I've never heard anyone mention this place.
The Headmistress didn't answer.
Moriyama narrowed her eyes.
— Well?
The siren echoed again.
The Headmistress closed her eyes for a moment.
— Because no one knows this room exists.
Moriyama stopped.
— What?
— No one at the Academy.
The Headmistress looked around.
— No one in the guard.
Her eyes returned to Moriyama.
— No one in Dirfázia.
Moriyama felt her stomach tighten.
— Only you?
— Only me.
— And you built all of this?
The Headmistress remained silent.
Moriyama noticed.
— You didn't answer.
— Because this isn't the time for that.
— Of course.
Moriyama let out a short laugh.
There was no humor in it.
— It never is.
— Moriyama.
— First, that artifact reacts to my blood.
She pointed at her own forehead.
— Then this appears.
— I start sensing things I shouldn't be able to sense.
— We see what's happening to the students.
— The artifact explodes.
She pointed toward the projections.
— Now the entire kingdom is surrounded by Shadows even you don't recognize.
Her voice hardened.
— And you still want to tell me this isn't the time to explain anything?
The Headmistress held her gaze.
Moriyama waited.
For several seconds, only the sirens filled the chamber.
Then the Headmistress spoke:
— I brought you here because I believed you.
Moriyama frowned.
— When you said something was wrong...
The Headmistress continued:
— At first, I thought you were simply worried about your students.
Moriyama said nothing.
— But you weren't.
The Headmistress stepped closer.
— You weren't guessing.
— You were sensing it.
Moriyama's eyes narrowed.
— Sensing what?
— Exactly.
The answer made Moriyama go still.
— I wanted to know that too.
Silence.
The Headmistress looked toward the destroyed artifact.
— That's why I brought you here.
Moriyama followed her gaze.
— I never intended to show you this room.
The Headmistress took a deep breath.
— Not you.
— Not anyone.
Moriyama crossed her arms.
— But you did.
— Because I needed to confirm whether what you were sensing was real.
She looked at Moriyama again.
— And it was.
Moriyama remained silent.
She didn't like that answer.
Mostly because it made sense.
— And afterward?
The Headmistress frowned.
— Afterward?
— Are you going to tell me what this place is?
The Headmistress hesitated.
Only once.
— Yes.
Moriyama noticed.
— When?
The Headmistress opened her mouth.
But—
BOOOOOOM!
One of the projections shook violently.
Both of them looked immediately.
In the image...
The Shadows had begun to advance.
The black mass moved.
Slowly at first.
Then faster.
Thousands of creatures advanced simultaneously.
The ground vanished beneath them.
The flying creatures rose into the air.
The crawling ones slipped beneath the larger ones.
The giants accelerated.
A tide.
It was a black tide.
And it was heading straight for Dirfázia.
The Headmistress changed.
Instantly.
— We don't have any more time.
She moved both hands.
Every projection expanded.
Symbols appeared over different sections of the walls.
— The defensive mages need to reinforce the barrier before the first impact.
Moriyama stepped closer.
— I'm coming with you.
— No.
— Headmistress—
— You stay here.
Moriyama's eyes widened.
— You have to be kidding me.
— I'm not.
— There are thousands of those things out there!
— Exactly.
The Headmistress turned.
— And you were just hit by a discharge from an artifact that shouldn't have reacted that way in the first place.
Moriyama clenched her fists.
— I can fight.
— I don't doubt that.
The Headmistress extended her hand.
A small sphere of mana appeared above her palm.
— But I'm not putting another unknown variable onto the battlefield.
Moriyama gritted her teeth.
— Unknown variable?
The Headmistress looked at her forehead.
Moriyama fell silent.
— Stay here for now.
— I need to contact the guard.
The sphere of mana grew.
— The mages on the walls will need to coordinate the barriers.
Small glowing lines began wrapping around the Headmistress's body.
— The soldiers will remain below the defenses.
— If any of those creatures make it through...
Her expression hardened.
— They'll stop them from reaching the population.
Moriyama watched the magic take shape.
There was something about that mana...
Something strange.
— Wait.
The Headmistress looked at her.
— You said you'd explain everything to me.
Silence.
Then...
A faint smile appeared on the Headmistress's face.
— When this is over.
The light intensified.
Moriyama's eyes widened.
— Headmistress, wait—
FWOOOSH!
She disappeared.
Moriyama stood frozen.
The light vanished.
No magic circle remained on the floor.
No portal.
No artifact.
Nothing.
Only empty space.
Moriyama blinked.
Once.
Then again.
— ...What?
She looked at the floor.
Nothing.
At the walls.
Nothing.
At the ceiling.
Nothing.
She quickly walked to the spot where the Headmistress had been standing.
She crouched down.
Ran her hand over the floor.
No inscription.
No circle.
No trace left behind by an artifact's activation.
Moriyama slowly raised her head.
— No.
She knew what that was.
Or, at least...
She knew what should have been required for it.
Teleportation.
There were ways to achieve it.
Artifacts capable of allowing instantaneous travel.
But...
Moriyama looked around.
The Headmistress hadn't used one.
— How...?
Another siren echoed.
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Moriyama turned toward the projections.
The Shadows were still advancing.
She should leave.
She should go help.
She should find the other teachers.
She should obey.
But her eyes returned to the place where the Headmistress had disappeared.
Then...
To the room.
A room no one knew existed.
A dimensional artifact no one was supposed to know existed.
A Headmistress capable of disappearing without using what Moriyama knew should have been necessary.
And that same woman had promised to explain everything...
Afterward.
— Damn it...
Moriyama ran a hand through her hair.
She turned.
Looked at the door.
Took two steps.
Stopped.
Looked back.
— Just for a little while.
The words came out quietly.
Almost as though she were trying to convince herself.
— I'll just take a look.
Moriyama began walking through the room.
This time...
Paying attention.
There was far more there than she had noticed before.
The dimensional artifact had consumed all of her attention.
But now...
She could see it.
Entire shelves covered with ancient books.
Small stones stored inside transparent containers.
Fragments of weapons.
Metal plates covered in inscriptions she didn't recognize.
Some objects appeared broken.
Others were intact.
Moriyama approached a table.
There were drawings.
Diagrams.
Intersecting lines.
Symbols.
She extended her hand.
Stopped before touching them.
— No.
She pulled her fingers back.
After what had happened with her blood...
Touching unknown objects in that room seemed like an especially stupid idea.
She continued.
The sirens remained in the background.
The projections floated behind her.
In one of them, the first line of Shadows was already approaching the outer defensive positions.
Moriyama walked faster.
Until she noticed a side passage.
She stopped.
Frowned.
— Was this here before?
The entrance didn't seem hidden.
But the room's lighting made it difficult to notice from a distance.
Moriyama approached.
A short corridor led into a second area.
She hesitated.
Looked back toward the main door.
Then toward the corridor.
— When this is over...
She repeated the Headmistress's words.
Moriyama narrowed her eyes.
— Right.
She entered.
The corridor was silent.
Strangely silent.
The sirens became muffled.
One step.
Another.
Another.
Until the corridor ended.
Moriyama entered a small chamber.
And stopped.
— ...What is this?
At the center of the room...
There was a structure.
Circular.
Tall.
Nearly touching the ceiling.
It looked like an enormous cylinder constructed from dark metal and crystalline material. Inscriptions ran along its base and spiraled upward along its sides.
A transparent barrier completely enclosed the interior.
Moriyama slowly approached.
Then she saw what was inside.
A crystal.
Enormous.
Almost as tall as she was.
Or...
What remained of it.
The crystalline structure was shattered.
A massive opening tore through its front.
Cracks spread in every direction.
Fragments remained trapped at the base of the cylinder.
Others hung suspended in the air, held motionless by some kind of magical field.
Moriyama stopped before the barrier.
Her eyes traveled across the crystal.
There was something strange about the way it had been destroyed.
The cracks.
The opening.
The fragments.
They seemed to point...
Outward.
Moriyama stepped closer.
The barrier gave off a faint glow.
She stopped.
Didn't touch it.
Only watched.
— Why would you hide this...?
No answer came.
The crystal remained motionless.
Moriyama tilted her head slightly.
She looked at the base.
At the inscriptions.
At the hollow interior.
She didn't recognize the symbols.
She didn't recognize the material.
She didn't recognize that magic.
She had no idea what that crystal was.
Even so...
Her heart beat faster.
Moriyama frowned.
One more step.
Her eyes remained fixed on the enormous shattered crystal.
She didn't know what it was.
She didn't know what had been inside it.
She didn't even know why she kept staring.
But the closer she came...
The more a strange sensation grew inside her.
Moriyama stared at the crystal in silence.
And felt something familiar.