The Crowned Shadow

8

Sleep eluded me that night, Makalai's warning echoing in my mind: *"Once you open certain doors, you may not be able to close them again."* The poem I'd written felt like more than just words now—it was as if something had guided my hand, something tied to the very foundations of the academy.

Dawn found me in the library, seeking answers I wasn't sure I wanted to find. The early morning light filtered through the tall windows, casting long shadows between the shelves that reminded me too much of yesterday's encounter in the hallway. I ran my fingers along the spines of ancient texts, trying to make sense of everything I'd learned.

That's when I saw it – a page trapped between two heavy volumes, its edge torn and yellowed with age. My hands trembled as I carefully extracted it, remembering Makalai's words about curiosity and consequences. The partial title at the top made my heart skip: "...under Families: A Complete..."

The text below was arranged in an unusual pattern, the ink faded but still legible:

"When blood of old returns anew,

The Ruler rises from shadow's hue.

In darkness deep the Destroyer sleeps,

Until the ancient promise keeps..."

The words "Ruler" and "Destroyer" sent a jolt through me. They were the same terms I'd overheard in that whispered conversation about Makalai. My mind raced back to the moment in the courtyard when the ground itself seemed to respond to his presence, to the way the professors fell silent when he passed.

I needed perspective—needed to know if I was reading too much into this. I found Kael, Elara, and Miranda in our usual spot behind the astronomy tower, the same place where we'd dissected academy gossip a hundred times before.

"It's just an old legend," Kael said dismissively, though I noticed how his fingers tightened on the paper's edge. "The founder families are gone—everyone knows that."

Elara nodded, but her eyes kept darting back to the text. "These kinds of prophecies turn up in old books all the time, Isa. They're meant to frighten first-years."

"You're seeing connections that aren't there," Miranda added, but she wouldn't meet my gaze. "Let it go before you get yourself into trouble."

But they didn't know what I knew. They hadn't seen the darkness in Makalai's eyes when he spoke of dangerous truths, hadn't felt the weight of his family's legacy in his words. The secret of his bloodline burned in my chest—a truth I'd promised to keep, even as it tangled me deeper in whatever game he was playing.

That evening, I returned to the library, determined to find the book this page belonged to. The "Founder Families" section was surprisingly sparse, as if someone had systematically removed certain volumes. But there had to be more. My poem from yesterday felt like proof—something in this place wanted these secrets found.

As I reached for another book, the shadows shifted. I spun around, remembering last night's encounter, but the aisle was empty. Still, that feeling of being watched remained, pressing against my skin like a physical touch.

The prophecy's words seemed to whisper in my mind: *"When blood of old returns anew..."* Was this what Makalai meant about doors that couldn't be closed? Was I already too deep in whatever legacy he was trying to reclaim?

I copied the prophecy into my notebook, alongside the poem I'd written. Together, they felt like pieces of a puzzle I was only beginning to understand. Pieces that might get me burned if I wasn't careful.

As I left the library, the sunset painted the corridors in shades of fire and shadow. My own words came back to haunt me:

"Beneath shadowed halls where secrets lie,

Ancient names echo, reaching high,

A legacy, fierce, yet forged in shame,

Bound by blood, consumed by flame."

I couldn't shake the feeling that I'd crossed another line today, stepped closer to whatever darkness lurked beneath the academy's polished surface. The prophecy felt like both a warning and an invitation—and somehow, I knew I was already too entangled to walk away.

The academy's secrets were waking, and I was beginning to understand why Makalai had warned me about curiosity's price.