The warning message on the screen pulsed with a rhythmic, damning red light.
> MANA SIPHON ACTIVE: SOURCE - ARCH-MAGE TOWER.
In the silence of the Undercity Core Room, the truth hung heavier than the millions of tons of rock above their heads.
Julian van Thorne sat on the metal grating of the bridge. He wasn't crying. He was staring at his hands—hands that had been trained by the very man who was currently risking the world for power.
"He taught me," Julian whispered, his voice cracking. "He taught me that magic requires balance. 'You take from the stream, you give back to the ocean.' That was his first lesson."
Arthur stood over him. He didn't offer a platitude. He didn't say, "It's okay."
"He lied," Arthur said flatly. "Or maybe he changed. It doesn't matter, Julian. The data is clear. He is draining the grid. That makes him the blockage."
