The Magician's Revenge

Chapter 24

The storm had followed Mason for miles. Rain lashed against his cloak as he trudged through the windswept field outside the city.

Behind him, the golden spires of Argent Academy were little more than specks. Before him, hills rolled like sleeping beasts beneath a sky of ash. The land was empty now. Forgotten. No students. No guards. No wards.

Only the wind. And what lay beyond it. He adjusted the strap of his satchel, the pendant of Aethra tucked safely inside. It hadn’t pulsed since the attack.

But he could still feel its weight against his skin, its hum just beneath his heartbeat.

He followed the map Solara had given him. A crude sketch, really. But it marked a single destination with bold black ink, The Hollow Gate.

It was said to be older than Argent itself. A prison. A sanctuary. A rift.

The road curved down into a rocky gorge, where gnarled trees leaned like mourners and pale blue mist clung to the roots. The deeper he went, the colder it grew.

The path ended at a broken arch