The decision had been made.Kael Veyron would return to Ashenfall City.Not through its guarded gates, nor along the merchant roads watched by Lord Cassian Thorne’s men. He would find another way to reach Master Ren, uncover the truth about Mira’s silver mark, and stop the Architect before it could use his sister as an anchor.But first, he needed a plan.“Tell us everything you know about the mark,” Kael said.His uncle Ronan sat against the wall of the ruined watchman’s hut. His face was pale, and the silver lines beneath his skin had dimmed only slightly.“The mark appeared on Mira when she was very young, correct?”Kael nodded. “Master Ren noticed it near her collarbone. My mother used to cover it with a silver pendant, but I never understood why.”Ronan closed his eyes.“Elara must have suspected that Mira carried a dormant inheritance signature. She may have hidden it for the same reason she sealed your core.”“Then why didn’t she tell us?”“Because knowledge can become a beacon

The third bell had barely faded when the ground beneath the courtyard trembled.Every assessment stone went dark.The instructors shouted orders, directing the applicants away from the central platform. Some students stumbled as another tremor rolled beneath their feet. Dust fell from the academy’s towering spires, and a deep metallic groan echoed from somewhere underground.Kael stared at the Ninth Spire.The silver emblem above its entrance pulsed once.Then again.A sharp pain pierced the center of his chest.He staggered.“Kael!”Elias caught his arm before he fell.The pain vanished almost immediately, but Kael could still feel something moving beneath his sealed core. It was not the familiar flow of martial energy. It felt like a distant hand pressing against a locked door.A notification appeared.[WARNING: Unauthorized inheritance resonance detected.][Source: Below the Ninth Spire.][Attempted connection rejected.]Kael’s jaw tightened.“Rejected by whom?” he whispered.The s

The ninth bell was still ringing when the academy gates slammed shut.Across the plateau, silver barriers rose from the ground, forming a dome over the Nine Gates Academy. The light swept across the courtyards and climbed the towers, sealing every entrance.Students screamed as the energy passed over them.Some fell to their knees, clutching their heads. Others tried to escape through the outer gates, only to be thrown backward by invisible force.Kael watched from the eastern bridge as the final barrier locked into place.“We’re trapped,” Lyra said.Caelan leaned heavily against Elias.“No. The academy has been locked down.”“What’s the difference?” Brann’s voice came from behind them.He had arrived with Seris after following Lyra’s signal. His staff rested across his shoulders, and his expression suggested he already regretted coming.“A trapped person has no way out,” Caelan replied. “A lockdown means someone has decided nobody is allowed to leave.”Brann glanced at the silver dom