Chapter 27;
The rain came down hard, pounding against the windows like fists demanding entry. May 21st. Afternoon. The clouds above were black and restless, and in that storm the air inside the chamber was no less turbulent. My father paced the room with quick, nervous strides, his boots clicking against the wooden floor, his brows furrowed deep in thought. His face looked older today, lined by something beyond years — fear, frustration, and rage boiling all at once.
I stood still in the corner, frozen, like a statue carved from shame. My body stiff, my mind heavy. No matter how many words I rehearsed, they never seemed enough to ease him. He wouldn't listen, not today.
He stopped suddenly and turned his sharp eyes toward me.
"Yuno," he said, voice edged like a blade. "Is the officer here?"
I shook my head slowly. "No, Father."
He cursed under his breath and resumed pacing. His lips moved as he muttered words to himself, words meant for no one but his restless conscience.
And in that silence, the guilt gnawed at me again. If I had been stronger… if I had been faster… maybe Crysta wouldn't have been kidnapped. I clenched my fists. What kind of Holy One was I, if I couldn't even protect my sister?
"Are you done standing there like a fool?!" my father's voice crashed into me, snapping me back to reality.
"I-I'm sorry," I stammered, bowing my head.
He sighed, then sat down heavily on the old oak chair. His face was grim, his tone grave
He fixed me with eyes filled not with hatred but with disappointment — which was far worse.
"The officer told me yesterday," he said slowly, "that they caught one of the kidnappers. He is from the Silver Kingdom."
My head shot up. "…Silver Kingdom?"The Silver Kingdom… Amara. My mind flickered back to the last time I saw her, when Kain's assistant was arrested. Could she be tied to all of this? I needed answers—answers only she could give me.
"The Silver Kingdom…" I murmured under my breath.
Father's gaze hardened. "Listen carefully, Yuno. This is no longer about a missing girl or an expulsion trial. The Silver Kingdom has crossed a forbidden line. And if they continue… this will not end with politics. It will end in war. A war the world has not seen since the ancients."
"War…?" I murmured. "You mean—"
"The Silver Kingdom swore an oath—never to enter our territory for personal gain. Their presence here, their interference… it is not just an offense. It is an act of war."
"War…?" I repeated slowly, my voice barely holding steady.
"Yes," he said firmly. "If the Silver Kingdom continues to meddle, it will spark the flames of conflict. And this… this would not just be a war of kingdoms." He leaned closer, his voice dropping like a whisper of thunder. "This would ignite the Hidden World War III."
The room seemed to darken at his words. My heart pounded.
"World War III… Is it truly that serious?"
"It is," Father replied. "The Silver Kingdom and the Astra Kingdom have long carried bitterness in their blood. Their hatred is woven into history itself. And now, with their spies infiltrating, they are clawing at the cracks of our defenses. If this escalates, Yuno…" He exhaled deeply, as though the very thought weighed down his soul. "…millions will suffer."
The silence stretched, each word hanging in the air like smoke. My thoughts tangled. Crysta. Amara. The Silver Kingdom. Everything was starting to feel like threads of a web too complex to untangle.
Before I could respond, a sharp knock echoed at the door.
My father's eyes narrowed. "At last."
I moved quickly, opening the door. Two figures stepped inside, their presence heavy with authority: Gaius, the king's sharp-eyed assistant, cloaked in shadow-gray robes, and Jason, the stoic leader of magic, his staff gleaming faintly with protective runes.
"Lord Sylestra. Yuno," Gaius greeted, his expression tight. "We're here about the meeting."
"Meeting?" I asked in confusion.
"Yes," Father said, standing to his full height. "I called it. Urgently. We must move two steps ahead before the Silvers move one."
The seriousness in his voice left no room for doubt. We ushered them inside, and soon they sat, their faces carved in stone.
The room grew tenser as Gaius and Jason took their seats.
Jason spoke first, his voice deep and steady. "One of the Silvers was captured. He now rots in the hidden cells, his power bound and sealed."
"Does the king know of this?" I asked cautiously.
"Yes," Gaius replied. "But His Majesty is… preoccupied. Argus has resurfaced."
"Argus?" My voice sharpened. "He's still around?"
Father's jaw tightened. "That bastard is trying to make a comeback. But he won't."
Jason's eyes glimmered coldly. "You're not seeing the bigger picture. Argus's reappearance and the Silver Kingdom's infiltration—they may not be separate. They could be threads of the same web."
A chill ran through me. "…You mean they're working together?"
Jason leaned forward. "Think. The timing is too perfect. Argus escaped the underground prison at the same time the Silver spies enrolled in Astra Academy. The king himself noticed unfamiliar faces during admissions. He allowed it to pass… but now we see the cost of that hesitation."
"So that's why the king called the holy ones to urgent council," I muttered."To keep watch within the academy."
"Yet you failed," Gaius said bluntly. "The Silver spies have already rooted themselves deeper. If unchecked, this will not just be infiltration. It will be…"
"—it will lead to conflict," I finished grimly.
Silence pressed on us.
"Yuno," my father said, "from this day forward, you will move in shadows. No more reckless charges. You must investigate quietly, unseen. We need proof, not suspicion."
I nodded slowly. "And the captured spy… has he revealed anything?"
Jason's lips tightened. "We interrogated him all night. He endured everything. He did not speak. He laughed."
Laughed? A chill clawed down my spine. The Silvers weren't just infiltrators. They were zealots.
Before the weight of that thought could settle, a faint glow flickered at my wrist.My Arcanum Link—a magic communication spell that bound Holy Ones together across distance—glowed faintly.
I excused myself and stepped outside. A figure was waiting in the rain. Liorion. His expression was sharp, his presence urgent.
"Got your message," I said.
He nodded quickly. "Something's happening at the school. In the Crystal Sanctum."
The Crystal Sanctum. My chest tightened. Only Holy Ones, Prefects, and chosen teachers were permitted there. For anyone else to enter…My heart skipped. "The crystal room? How—who could possibly—"
"My sister," he interrupted. "Prisca sent me word. We must hurry."
No time to argue. He extended his hand, weaving the Veilstride Teleportation Spell. Light swallowed us, and in the blink of an eye, the storm was gone.
When the world reformed, we stood before the sanctum. And there—Prisca and Paul stood waiting.
"What are Class E students doing in a restricted chamber?" I demanded.
Prisca stepped forward boldly. "We don't have time for questions. You need to see this."
I frowned, but nodded, following her inside. Paul, however, lingered at the door.
"Not coming in?" I asked.
"I've got other things to watch," Paul said curtly, then vanished into the corridor.
Rude as ever.
Inside, Prisca stopped before the lampstand where the sanctum's sacred crystal should have been. Only… it was empty.
"What are you trying to say?" I snapped. "Your classmates stole the crystal and—"
"Still blind, aren't you?" Prisca interrupted coldly.
Before I could respond, Liorion cut in sharply. "Illusions."
My eyes widened. "Illusions?"
He walked slowly around the chamber, eyes scanning every corner. "The cracks on the floor. The shelves out of place. This room… isn't what it seems."
He pressed his palm against the stone wall. The surface rippled like water, and in an instant the chamber shifted, revealing its true form.
My breath caught.
"An illusionist is among the students," I muttered.
"Most likely," Liorion said grimly.
Prisca stepped forward again, holding a crystal. "Here. The crystal Cain was accused of stealing. Look carefully."
I took it from her hands—and froze. It was false.
"This… is an illusion."
"Exactly," Prisca said firmly. "Someone framed Cain. They planted this in his locker during the court trial. By the time it was presented, the real crystal had already been hidden."
My jaw tightened. The pieces were falling together, but the picture grew darker.
"Where's the real crystal?" Liorion asked.
Prisca pointed to the far corner, where a faint glow shimmered from a crystal stand.
Liorion bent down, scanning the floor. "Prisca… were you the only one investigating this chamber?"
She hesitated. "Yes. Well—Paul knows. I told him. He came to observe, but…"
Her voice trailed.
I exchanged glances with Liorion. Both siblings sharp as blades, yet shrouded in mystery.
As Liorion turned to leave, he warned coldly: "We'll inform the school authorities. But don't mistake this discovery as freedom. Class E is still under suspicion."
With that, he vanished.
I lingered, looking at Prisca. For the first time, I truly saw her not as a reckless student—but as a budding detective, clever and unyielding.
"Prisca," I said softly, "you're sharp. Keep at this. One day, you might rise to be a Holy One."
She smiled faintly.
But then her eyes dimmed. "Yuno… about your sister Crysta… do you think she'll be alright?"
Her voice carried genuine worry.
I forced a small smile, though my heart felt heavy as stone. "Don't worry. Everything will be sorted. Crysta will be saved."
But deep inside, I knew… we had no clue what storm we were about to face.
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✨ End of Chapter ✨