The storm outside had not stopped for two days. Rain lashed against the tall windows of the Academy, thunder rolling across the sky like a war drum. It was as if the heavens themselves warned of something coming.
Alaric, Clem, and Darvin hurried down the corridor, their boots echoing against the stone floor. None of them spoke; the silence between them was thick with urgency. Alaric clutched the amber stone tightly in his hand, though Rudra's voice remained absent — still locked in whatever mysterious slumber had claimed him.
When they reached the Headmaster's chamber, the heavy oak doors were already ajar. Light spilled from within, the warm glow of firelight mixed with the sharp hum of warding runes.
Inside, Eldrin stood behind his cluttered desk, his silver hair gleaming in the firelight. Across from him stood Master Kael, his tall frame stiff, his arms crossed, his expression carved from stone.
"…You can't protect him forever, Eldrin," Kael was saying, his voice low but firm. "The Council is splitting. Rumors are spreading faster than you can quell them. Students are terrified. Professors are whispering. Some already believe he's commanding the Hollow Ones."
Eldrin tapped his staff lightly against the floor. "Rumors are not truth, Kael."
Kael's eyes narrowed. "Rumors become truth when enough people believe them. And right now, they believe Alaric is guilty. That he's already chosen the dark."
At that moment, the trio stepped inside. The floor creaked under Darvin's boots, drawing both men's eyes to them.
"Headmaster," Clem said quickly, her voice steady despite the weight of their interruption. "We need to speak with you. It's urgent."
Eldrin's gaze softened as he saw their pale faces. He gestured toward the chairs before his desk. "Come in, my children. Speak."
Kael, however, frowned. "They shouldn't be here for this."
Eldrin raised an eyebrow. "And yet here they are. Perhaps fate has better timing than either of us."
The three exchanged nervous glances before Alaric stepped forward. "Another attack happened. The Hollow Ones took more souls. One boy, Rynn… they didn't finish him. He's alive, but wrong. Like half of him is missing."
Eldrin's jaw tightened, though his eyes never left Alaric. "You saw this yourself?"
Alaric nodded. "Yes. And I saw them again. They bowed to me." His voice cracked at the last words, shame heavy in his chest.
The silence that followed was suffocating.
Kael's voice cut through it like a blade. "And there it is. Proof of what I've been saying. He doesn't just attract them — they serve him."
Clem shot to her feet, slamming her hands on the desk. "That's not true! He didn't call them, he didn't want them there. They're using him, twisting him!"
Darvin stood too, his fists clenched. "If you'd seen how terrified he was, you'd know he's not behind this. He's the one trying to stop it."
Kael's eyes flicked between them, unimpressed. "You're children. You see what you want to see. But the truth is plain."
Alaric's chest burned. "If I wanted them, Kael, do you think I'd be standing here? Do you think I'd be begging for answers?"
Eldrin raised his hand gently, his presence quieting the room. "Enough. Accusation will solve nothing." He turned to Alaric, his expression softening. "Tell me everything, my boy. Leave nothing out."
So Alaric did. He told them of Rynn's hollow scream, of the bowing Hollow Ones, of the silver wisps fed into an unseen body in his dreams. He told them of waking in sweat, certain that Eryndor was being rebuilt, piece by piece.
When he finished, the chamber was silent except for the crackle of fire.
Eldrin's face was grave, but calm. "So the whispers were true. The Hollow Ones do not kill aimlessly. They are feeding him."
Kael's jaw clenched. "And they are feeding him through Alaric. The boy's very presence is a beacon. We should—"
"Should what?" Eldrin interrupted, his voice suddenly sharp. "Bind him? Break him? Cast him into chains? You know as well as I that such a path will only push him closer to the abyss."
Kael glared. "And letting him roam free? Surrounded by whispers and fear? That is no better."
Eldrin sighed, leaning heavily on his staff. "There is a difference between guiding and chaining. You see only danger, Kael. I see… possibility."
The tension in the room was thick enough to choke.
Clem finally spoke, her voice quiet but firm. "We think… we think Professor Corval knows something. He's too calm. Too interested in the Hollow Ones. We saw him smiling when they bowed."
Darvin nodded. "And the rumors spreading about Alaric? They sound like they've been fed. Like someone wants people to believe he's guilty."
Kael's expression darkened. "Corval is a fool who spends too much time studying shadows. That doesn't make him a traitor."
"But it doesn't mean he isn't," Clem shot back.
Eldrin's eyes narrowed, thoughtful. "Leave Corval to me. If he is meddling where he shouldn't, I will find out."
He turned to Alaric, placing a hand gently on his shoulder. "You are not alone in this, my boy. Remember that. The darkness may whisper, but it does not speak the whole truth. Trust yourself. And trust those who walk beside you."
Alaric's throat tightened. For a moment, the shame and fear weighing him down eased.
Eldrin straightened, his gaze moving between the three of them. "From this moment, you must stay together. No wandering alone at night. No chasing shadows without thought. You are stronger as three than as one."
Darvin smirked faintly. "Finally, someone recognizes my worth."
Clem rolled her eyes, but a small smile tugged at her lips despite the tension.
Eldrin's expression softened at the sight. "Good. Laughter has power too. Do not forget it."
Kael turned toward the door, his robes sweeping behind him. "We waste time. More will die before we act. Mark my words, Eldrin — if you coddle him, you doom us all."
When the door shut behind him, the room grew quieter. Eldrin lowered himself back into his chair, looking suddenly older, wearier.
"The council is fracturing," he murmured. "Whispers in the halls, shadows in the heart. The storm outside is nothing compared to the storm within."
He met Alaric's gaze, eyes sharp but kind. "Stay steady, my boy. The night is growing darker, but dawn has not abandoned us yet."