The week passed in a blur of carefully moderated magical performances. Lysander demonstrated just enough improvement to justify his Arcanum placement without revealing his true potential. In classes, he answered questions competently but never brilliantly. During practical exercises, he succeeded with apparent effort rather than ease.
All the while, he practiced with his newly awakened Anima sense in private, mapping the Academy's complex web of magical signatures and political alliances. The modified bracelet Elara had provided proved invaluable, allowing him to monitor his own fluctuating power levels and control his output more precisely.
"Your progress is remarkable," Elara commented during one of their evening meetings in the east garden. "Most people with newly unblocked pathways would struggle for months to achieve such control."
"I'm motivated," Lysander replied simply, not revealing that he was merely relearning techniques he'd mastered in his previous life.
His relationship with Marcus had also evolved. While his roommate hadn't explicitly acknowledged his Drakos heritage, their conversations now included veiled references to "hidden potential" and "conflicting loyalties." Each such exchange built a foundation of trust that Lysander knew would prove crucial in the coming months.
When the night of his second session with Professor Thorne finally arrived, Lysander was more than ready. He'd spent the day in careful preparation, meditating to stabilize his magical channels and conserving energy for the ordeal ahead.
Thorne's office was arranged differently this time—the ritual circle more complex, with additional protective barriers inscribed around its edges. Magister Selene was present again, along with a third figure Lysander hadn't expected.
"You remember Headmistress Vail," Thorne said, noting Lysander's surprise.
"Your Highness," the Headmistress acknowledged with a slight nod. "Professor Thorne has informed me of your... unique situation."
"Is that wise?" Lysander asked, glancing between them.
"The Headmistress has ties to The Archive that predate my own," Thorne explained. "Her expertise in stabilization magic will be essential for tonight's procedure."
This was another deviation from Lysander's previous life, where Vail had remained ignorant of his treatments until much later. The accelerated timeline continued to present both opportunities and complications.
"Tonight we target a more significant blockage," Thorne continued. "One suppressing your connection to external magical sources. The procedure will be considerably more painful than our first attempt."
"I'm prepared," Lysander assured him, taking his position in the ritual circle.
"We'll see," Vail murmured skeptically.
The ritual began with greater intensity than before. All three practitioners channeled energy simultaneously, creating a shimmering field that isolated Lysander's magical signature from the Academy's detection systems. Within this protective bubble, Thorne's probing magic sought out the second blockage.
Pain lanced through Lysander's body almost immediately—not just in his head as before, but radiating through every limb as though his blood had turned to fire. He gritted his teeth, refusing to cry out.
"The blockage is more sophisticated than we anticipated," Thorne reported, his brow furrowed in concentration. "Multi-layered and self-reinforcing."
"Royal work," Vail confirmed, her hands moving in complex patterns to stabilize the fluctuating energies. "Specifically, Empress Lyanna's signature interwoven with another's—someone equally skilled in Umbra techniques."
Lysander's focus sharpened through the pain. His mother had participated in blocking his magic? This information contradicted everything he'd assumed.
"Why would my mother suppress my abilities?" he gasped.
"Protection, perhaps," Selene suggested, monitoring his vital responses. "Anima practitioners were often targeted during the purges that followed the last succession crisis."
"Or containment," Vail countered grimly. "Some talents are too dangerous to develop unchecked."
Before Lysander could process these implications, Thorne's magic found purchase within the blockage. "I have it. Preparing to extract the external suppression layer."
The pain intensified beyond anything Lysander had experienced in either lifetime. Blood trickled from his nose, ears, and eyes as the magical construct fought against removal. His vision blurred, darkness encroaching at the edges.
"His system is approaching critical," Selene warned. "We should stop."
"We're too deep in the process," Thorne argued. "Stopping now could cause permanent damage."
Through the haze of agony, Lysander forced his remaining awareness to focus on the blockage. Using his Anima sense, he could perceive the construct now—a complex knot of Umbra magic wound through his natural pathways. At its core pulsed a signature he recognized from court archives: his mother's magical imprint, distinctive and powerful.
But there was something else there too—a secondary signature intertwined with hers, equally sophisticated but colder, more calculating. He couldn't identify it, but the familiarity sent a chill through him despite the burning pain.
With a final surge of effort, Thorne shattered the external layer of the blockage. Magical energy rushed into Lysander's system, overwhelming his senses. For a moment, he felt connected to everything—the Academy, the city beyond, the entire empire—before darkness claimed him completely.
He awoke to find Selene bent over him, her healing magic gently repairing the damage caused by the procedure. Thorne and Vail stood nearby, engaged in intense whispered conversation.
"How long was I unconscious?" Lysander asked, his voice hoarse.
"Nearly an hour," Selene replied. "You should have been out much longer. Your recovery rate is... unprecedented."
Lysander carefully sat up, assessing his condition. The pain had subsided to a dull ache, but new power coursed through his veins—raw and difficult to control. He could sense the magical energies of the room with far greater clarity, and beyond that, the ambient magic that saturated the Academy grounds.
"The procedure was successful," Thorne informed him, breaking off his conversation with Vail. "You now have access to external magical sources, though your primary blockage remains intact."
"What does that mean in practical terms?" Lysander asked.
"It means you can draw power from your surroundings rather than relying solely on your internal reserves," Vail explained. "A significant advantage in sustained magical work."
"It also means you'll need to learn control immediately," Thorne added. "External channeling is dangerous without proper training."
Lysander nodded, already feeling the pull of magical currents around him. "And the signatures in the blockage? My mother's and... someone else's?"
Thorne and Vail exchanged a loaded glance. "We're still analyzing that information," Thorne said carefully. "The second signature was deliberately obscured."
"By someone with considerable skill and authority," Vail added. "Perhaps equal to the Empress herself."
As Lysander left Thorne's office that night, his mind raced with new questions. Why had his mother helped suppress his magic? Who had worked with her? And most troublingly, had it truly been for his protection—or for everyone else's?
One thing was certain: with each unblocking, he moved closer to the power that had been denied him. And closer to the truth that someone had gone to extraordinary lengths to conceal.