Roselle’s hands gripped Runebelle tighter. Her chest ached. A choked sob left her lips.

  [System message]

  Status: Offline

  Name: Runebelle

  Codename: Project Rune

  Lifeforce: N/A

  Magic: N/A

  She hated this.

  She hated this feeling.

  The way it clawed at her insides, the way it made her feel so powerless.

  Her tears dripped onto Runebelle’s pale cheeks.

  Roselle had always known what pain was.

  But this—

  This was something else entirely.

  Alan slowly turned his head and scanned the battlefield.. Bodies were scattered across the beach. Some were half-buried, others were smoldering from the aftershocks of Runebelle’s Chemical Cataclysm.

  He let out a low whistle.

  “She took out all of them…”

  Sylra, who had been standing a few feet away looked just as stunned. “Holy shit…That was crazy.”

  Alan nodded. Then, his eyes swept back toward the others. He finally saw what had happened.

  Runebelle—small, motionless, being cradled in Roselle’s arms.

  Roselle’s body was trembling.

  Risebelle’s face became something close to horror.

  Sylra followed Alan’s gaze and her stomach twisted.

  “…Wait.” Her voice lost its usual sharpness. “She’s not—”

  Alan took a slow step forward. His usual smirk was completely absent.

  Risebelle finally forced herself to speak.

  “Roselle…”

  Roselle didn’t move.

  Risebelle swallowed hard. She didn’t want to say this. She hated saying this.

  “…We have to keep going.”

  Roselle’s fingers curled tighter around Runebelle’s small body.Her chest felt like it was being crushed. She wasn’t ready.

  How could she be ready?

  Alan crossed his arms. His gaze was unusually serious. "We should give her some time."

  Risebelle shot him a sharp look. "Time? Alan, we don't—"

  The fiery haired man held up a hand. "Just hear me out here." He motioned to the battlefield. "All the other mages got wiped out. That means all that’s left in there is Arlysa and the Headmaster. Maybe a few others if they stayed behind, but that’s it."

  Sylra exhaled through her nose and glanced toward the Academy’s massive structure in the distance. "The healers in the medical room aren’t battle-trained. They’re not gonna be a problem.”

  Alan nodded. "We’re not in immediate danger. So, let her have a moment."

  Risebelle clenched her fists. She opened her mouth to say something but when she looked back at Roselle—at the way she shook, at the way her tears wouldn’t stop falling—she couldn’t bring herself to argue.

  And so, with heavy steps and heavier hearts, the group except for Roselle and Runebelle began their slow advance toward the Academy.

  Meanwhile, inside the Academy…

  The cold air inside the Medical Room was thick with the scent of antiseptic and faint traces of magic.

  Gaiza sat hunched over. Her hands were tangled in her disheveled blue hair. Her fingers trembled against her scalp. Her uniform was soaked from her own sobs. Her eyes were red-rimmed and swollen.

  Aliana had been lying there for hours.

  Unmoving. Unresponsive.

  Gaiza had the healers try everything. Healing magic. Mana transfusions. Even shouting, begging, whispering broken prayers she didn't believe in.

  Nothing had worked.

  Her hands balled into fists against her lap. If she had just been stronger—

  A sharp, sudden inhale cut through the silence.

  Gaiza's head snapped up.

  Aliana’s body convulsed once. A shuddering gasp tore from her lips. The mana-infused medical wraps around her arms and legs shattered into a thousand glowing shards.

  Gaiza froze.

  A single moment of hesitation.

  Then—

  “PRINCESS ALIANAAAA!”

  Gaiza lunged forward and grabbed her, fingers digging into the fabric of her robes. Her face collapsed into Aliana’s bare chest with a fresh wave of sobs tearing from her throat.

  “I— I thought— I thought you were—”

  Her voice broke. The words didn’t come out right.

  Aliana's body was still trembling. Her pale blue hair was damp with strands sticking to the cold sweat on her forehead.

  Then—slowly, her lips parted.

  Her voice was hoarse. “…Gaiza?”

  Gaiza let out a choked sound. “Y-yeah! Yeah, I’m here! I’m here—!”

  Aliana blinked. Once. Twice. Her ice-blue eyes, hazy at first, sharpened.

  “…Where are the others?”

  The weight of her words hit like a slab of ice.

  Gaiza flinched. “Th-they—” She swallowed. Hard. “They’re… gone.”

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  A flicker of understanding crossed Aliana’s gaze.

  Then, slowly, she exhaled.

  The last thing Aliana remembered was Kintovar’s voice—sharp, unwavering, and merciless.

  "Do you understand now, Aliana? Why I have no hesitation?"

  She had been on her knees with her breath shallow.

  "You’ve spilled blood you can never wash away."

  Those words clawed at her even now. But no amount of warmth could thaw the ice creeping through her thoughts.

  Gaiza was still crying.

  Aliana swallowed. Her throat felt like sandpaper and yet, her words came out clear.

  “…Gaiza.”

  Gaiza pulled back slightly. “Y-Yeah? What is it? Are you—?”

  Aliana’s ice-blue eyes hardened. “I was wrong.”

  Gaiza blinked. “What?”

  Aliana exhaled slowly. Every breath felt like pulling shards of ice from her lungs. “I… I followed the Academy without hesitation. I swore an oath. I believed in everything they told me.” She let out a bitter chuckle. “I never even considered what I was actually doing.”

  Gaiza’s lips parted slightly, but no words came out.

  Aliana turned her head slightly, staring at the mana-lit ceiling above them. “We called ourselves the righteous ones… But was that ever true? Were we ever really the good guys, Gaiza?”

  Gaiza’s breath hitched. “O-Of course we—” She stopped. Her hands trembled against Aliana’s body. “We… We have to be.”

  Aliana’s gaze snapped to her. She studied Gaiza—how her eyes darted, how her lips quivered.

  She wasn’t certain.

  Neither of them were.

  “…Then why does it feel like we’ve been wrong this entire time?”

  A thick silence stretched between them.

  Then—

  Aliana moved.

  Gaiza felt it before she saw it—the subtle shift in warmth, the way Aliana’s body pulled away from her grip.

  She looked up.

  Aliana was sitting up.

  Gaiza’s breath hitched. “A-Aliana, you’re—”

  And that was when it hit her.

  The warmth. The skin. The bare skin Aliana’s face was buried in.

  Gaiza’s face turned a shade of red so deep it nearly matched Alan’s fiery hair.

  Her entire body tensed. Her eyes flicked down just a little before she immediately snapped her head away. “I— I DIDN’T REALIZE—”

  Aliana followed her gaze, then sighed. "Of course. I’ll need some clothes.”

  Gaiza nodded furiously. “Y-YES! RIGHT AWAY!”

  Aliana gave her an unimpressed glance. “...Gaiza.”

  “YES?”

  “You’re still right here.”

  Gaiza nearly tripped over herself trying to get up. “I’LL BE BACK—!!”

  She bolted out of the room like a soldier retreating from a battlefield, leaving Aliana to sit there with her head tilted slightly.

  Moments later, Gaiza returned with a folded set of clothes in her arms.

  She shoved them toward Aliana without looking. “Here. I, uh—got these.”

  Aliana took them and slipped into the fresh robes. The cool fabric felt strange against her skin, almost unfamiliar after everything she had endured.

  Gaiza finally looked again and then frowned. “Where… where are you going?”

  Aliana finished adjusting her sleeves, then met Gaiza’s gaze.

  “…To pay the Headmaster a visit.”

  Gaiza froze. “W-What?! You—you’re still injured!”

  Aliana turned toward the door. “If you’re coming, get ready.”

  She didn’t wait for a response. With steady steps, Aliana strode forward.

  The halls of the Academy were met with two footsteps against the polished floors.

  Gaiza kept glancing at Aliana. “You’re seriously doing this?”

  Aliana didn’t answer immediately. Her face remained unreadable while walking ahead.

  Then—

  “The Headmaster plans to leave the island.”

  Gaiza blinked. “Yeah…? She already said she’d take us with her.”

  Aliana responded, “That’s what she claims.”

  Gaiza frowned. “You don’t believe her?”

  Aliana’s fingers twitched slightly. “I did.” She slowed her pace. “Until I started thinking.”

  Gaiza tilted her head.

  Aliana’s spoke in a lower tone. “After Thalindra died, the Headmaster allowed the Elite Mages to plant the mana extractors in the Mystical Forest.”

  Gaiza swallowed. “Without her, the forest’s magic is dying…It’ll sink.”

  Aliana nodded. “The magic is the only thing keeping this island above the sea, but that’s not what concerns me the most.” She glanced at Gaiza. “Flight requires more energy than any one person can have. Not unless they have a massive reserve of magic.”

  Gaiza hesitated. “The Headmaster is strong, though.”

  “Strong enough to carry ten thousand mages?”

  Gaiza’s breath hitched. “She—”

  That was when Aliana’s steps halted.

  Gaiza nearly walked into her. “What?”

  Aliana’s face changed. Her gaze went sharp.

  Her mind was racing.

  How had she never questioned this before?

  Gaiza looked confused. “Princess Aliana?”

  Aliana turned to her. “Gaiza. After Kintovar escaped the Academy… our number of mages dropped, right?”

  Gaiza blinked. “Y-Yeah?”

  Aliana’s pulse pounded in her ears. “But Kintovar didn’t kill that many.”

  Gaiza paled.

  Aliana’s breath came slower but heavier.

  “…So where did they all go?”

  The door to the Headmaster’s office was slammed open by Aliana.

  “Headmaster Ai—”

  The woman froze mid-sentence.

  The room was empty.

  Gaiza stepped in behind her. “She’s… not here?”

  Aliana’s sharp gaze swept across the office. The once-grand room was in shambles. Papers littered the floor, some burned at the edges. Bookshelves had collapsed. The massive Blackwood desk was nothing but splinters now.

  Gaiza gasped at the sight.

  Aliana thought, ‘This wreckage… this isn’t just from battle. Something else happened here….’

  Her eyes trailed toward the far end of the room. The Blackwood walls held deep scratches.

  Aliana stepped forward. Her fingers brushed against the grain of the wall. It was warm.

  Gaiza blinked. “Uh… Aliana?”

  Aliana didn’t respond. She pressed her palm against the surface—

  And it reacted.

  A glow pulsed beneath her touch.

  Gaiza sucked in a breath. “What the—?”

  A deep rumble shook the room.

  Before their eyes, a section of the Blackwood split apart, revealing a narrow passageway descending into darkness.

  Gaiza staggered back. “Holy hell—”

  Aliana exhaled slowly.

  “…She’s down there.”

  The moment the words left Aliana’s lips—

  She felt it.

  A chilling force slithered around her mind. It wasn’t physical. No, this was something deeper. Psychic magic.

  Her entire body tensed.

  Footsteps.

  Slow. Measured. Coming up from the dark passage below.

  Gaiza stiffened beside her.

  Then—out of the shadows—they emerged.

  At the front was the Headmaster.

  Silver hair. Molten-silver eyes.

  She moved with an effortless grace. Behind her, stepping in sync was Elena.

  Elena’s sharp red eyes locked onto Gaiza immediately.

  Gaiza felt a cold sweat drip down her back. In that one glance—there was tension.

  The Headmaster stepped fully into the room. Then—she smiled. “Oh dear. What is this? Aliana, you should know better than to push yourself. You should be resting after the disgraceful defeat you suffered at the hands of those abominations and their Master Kintovar."

  Aliana's icy blue eyes met the Headmaster's gaze without. "I'll rest when I get the truth from your own mouth."

  The Headmaster's lips curled into a contemptuous smile. "Arrogant as always, I see. You always carried yourself with an air of superiority and yet you allowed yourself to be defeated by those mere children and Kintovar. It's quite the embarrassment to me, you know?"

  With a wave of her hand, the Headmaster's magic intensified. She rendered Aliana and Gaiza completely paralyzed with her psychic magic.

  Aliana gritted her teeth in frustration. "Her magic has grown even stronger," she muttered while straining to speak. "In the past, I could still move, even if it was nearly impossible….urgh!!"

  The Headmaster tilted her head.

  “You know, Aliana,” she spoke softly. "I once considered you the closest thing I had to a daughter."

  Aliana’s fingers twitched. It took everything in her not to let the words affect her.

  “And Alan,” the Headmaster continued with her tone darkening slightly, “I saw him as a son. My Elite Mages… my finest warriors. And yet, you have all failed me.”

  Her gaze sharpened. “Look at what has happened.”

  Aliana gritted her teeth. The psychic force pressing down on her body was suffocating.

  “A complete disaster.”

  The Headmaster let out a slow, disappointed sigh. “So now, I have to clean up your mess.” She turned slightly and casted a glance at Gaiza, whose entire body was trembling under the pressure.

  “But as for you, Aliana, you need rest.”

  A cruel smile curled her lips. “And in your current state, you’ll be too weak to move.”

  Aliana struggled, but her body refused to respond. The realization hit her like ice water—

  That’s right…

  She wasn’t fully healed.

  That’s why her magic feels even stronger than before.

  Her vision blurred at the edges. She forced out a whisper between clenched teeth.

  “Damn it…”

  Gaiza fought against the crushing weight of the Headmaster’s magic. Her legs wobbled. Her vision blurred but she forced herself to look at Aliana.

  “P-Princess… Aliana…” Gaiza choked out.

  Aliana's body tensed for a brief moment. Then—

  She collapsed. Her consciousness faded instantly.

  "Sleep, my child," The headmaster murmured while stepping forward. She gazed down at Aliana’s unmoving body. Her speech turned almost… affectionate. "When you awaken, you will be in the city."

  A wicked smile curled her lips.

  “You may have failed me, but at least…” she knelt slightly and brushed a cold hand over Aliana’s forehead, "I have found a way to make you useful."

  Gaiza’s breath hitched.

  ‘No… No, no, no—‘

  The Headmaster straightened. "Elena."

  The red-haired woman standing beside her nodded once. She stepped forward and extended her hands. Her fingers moved through the air.

  Gaiza’s stomach twisted. She knew what was coming.

  “Elena—” she gasped. "Stop!"

  But she was helpless.

  Elena's power took effect.

  A pulse of energy rippled through the room as Aliana's body lifted slightly from the ground. A faint, misty-blue aura began seeping from her chest—her magical reserves.

  The Headmaster extended a single hand.

  The energy flowed toward her like a river pulled by gravity.

  The room trembled.

  The air grew heavy.

  The Headmaster inhaled.

  And then she smiled evilly.

  Project Mage