"By the way, Riley… are you sure we have to take this much precaution?"
Alice asked as she finished carving another glowing mark into the earth.
"Yes."
Riley didn't even hesitate.
His voice was calm but heavy with a weight only Alice—who had now learned far too much—could understand.
Night had fully settled over the academy, and the two of them walked along the outer borders of the grounds, the faint shimmer of moonlight brushing their silhouettes.
Every few steps they stopped, lowered themselves, and wrote another sigil—no, another rune—onto the soil, walls, or hidden surfaces.
The runes pulsed for a moment after being drawn, before sinking into silence.
Alice exhaled softly.
"I understand that you're wary, but… it's sister Liyana we're talking about, right? She adores you. Would she really—?"
"It's precisely because it's Liyana that I'm doing this."
Riley said it with that quiet seriousness that made Alice's breath catch.
