"Stay where you are and don’t even think about running! Surrender now and we’ll go easy on you!"The shout from one of the masters grew louder, accompanied by the sound of hurried footsteps closing in fast. Judging by the footsteps, it wasn’t just one or two of them—there were four.At the same time, Miralda’s mind raced, trying to figure out a way to avoid being caught.“Damn it! What should I do?” she cursed inwardly.Running was pointless—the masters would catch her in seconds. And if they saw her slipping into the hidden chamber, it would spark immediate chaos.But standing still wasn’t an option either. If she stayed put, they’d capture and interrogate her.If that happened, her plan to access the secret room would be ruined.What Miralda—and likely the rest of the students—didn’t know was that ever since Grandmaster Varom had started leaving his private quarters more frequently to linger near the young duchess, the other masters had begun to grow suspicious. They had no idea wha

“Hahaha! What a bunch of fools!”Watching the four masters leave empty-handed, Miralda could no longer hold back her laughter.The way they scratched their heads like confused children, clearly searching for something they couldn’t find, made them look utterly ridiculous. Yet, they kept on looking—completely unaware.To Miralda, it was absolutely hilarious.She hadn’t left the area at all. She’d been there the entire time, using a camouflage technique that rendered her completely invisible to anyone nearby.But weren’t they supposed to be masters? Shouldn’t they have been able to see through the technique she used?In theory, yes.But here’s the thing: Miralda wasn’t just any student. Her magical talent and mastery had been extraordinary since she was a child.Against these lower-tier masters, she didn’t need anything elaborate to deceive them. A basic concealment spell like this was more than enough to hide her presence.Clutching her stomach, she doubled over in laughter. She hadn’t

"Is this what I've been looking for?" Miralda muttered, bracing herself between the two walls pressing in on either side."Does this have something to do with the spell?"A single book, wedged tightly among others, was glowing with a faint red aura. Out of the entire collection, it was the only one emitting light.The rest were dull, lifeless—no glow, no trace of magic.Miralda extended one hand, trying to pull the glowing book from the tightly packed shelf. But the moment she did, the walls—not just two, but all four surrounding bookshelves—began to close in on her.Creeeeak!Crack!"Aaargh!"A sickening crunch echoed through the room as both of Miralda's shoulders were forced inward from the pressure.She knew she couldn’t stay any longer. She had to get out—now.Reciting a quick spell, her body vanished from the hidden chamber.Puffft!The icy chill of the night air slammed into her like a blade as she reappeared outside. But the bitter cold did nothing to dull the pain shooting th

Shff!The front cover of the book flipped open.A red glow burst forth from its pages, shining upward and illuminating the otherwise dark room, lit only by the pale light of the moon.Miralda, who had lifted her head to glance at the book she'd tossed aside, widened her eyes in shock.“What the hell?!”Shff! Shff! Shff!Page after page fluttered open rapidly, each one releasing a glow brighter than the last.Miralda said nothing, completely mesmerized. She had never seen a book quite this... magical.In the modern age, using a projector to display images or movies on a screen was nothing new. But a book—an actual book—that could project light like that?Unthinkable.Not just for ordinary folks unfamiliar with magic, but even to Miralda—someone who dealt with the arcane every day—it was stunning. Never once had she imagined a book with such a fantastical feature.This book was extraordinary. It left Miralda utterly speechless—enamored, even.Just watching it was entertainment enough. E

“Really? You truly found it, my lady? You’ve actually figured out a solution to this?”Miralda’s eyes lit up with joy. For a moment, she had felt completely defeated—convinced that, with her current abilities, she had no chance against the creature trapped inside her mind. The sheer strength of the beast had shaken her to her core.But Lady Aureliane’s words sparked hope again in Miralda’s heart—and that hope was rapidly growing.“Tell me, quickly! What do I need to do to get rid of this bird?”Miralda spoke excitedly to the image of the Lady projected on the glowing screen, as if she were conversing with the woman in person.And somehow, as if in response to Miralda’s desperate plea, Lady Aureliane said something that made her spirits soar.“Of course,” the Lady replied, a subtle smile curling her lips. Her eyes fixed on Miralda with a teasing glint. “Of course I’ve found a spell that can seal the Phoenix away again.”Lady Aureliane wasn’t truly speaking to Miralda—she was actually t