Chapter Seven — The Girls Who Were Not Supposed to Know

The girls' dormitory had three rules.

The first was written above the door.

NO BOYS.

The second was written underneath it.

NO WEAPONS.

The third had been added by Lyra.

NO SNORING.

It was, unfortunately, the least respected rule in the room.

“Lyra.”

Silence.

“Lyra.”

A low, peaceful snore answered her.

Mei opened one eye from her bed.

Aurora sat up.

“She's doing it again.”

Lyra continued sleeping peacefully, completely unaware that she was committing a crime against everyone around her.

Aurora sighed.

“Should we wake her?”

Mei looked at her.

“No.”

“Why?”

“Because last time she threw a pillow at me without opening her eyes.”

Aurora smiled.

“That did happen.”

Another loud snore.

Mei pulled her blanket over her head.

“I can't believe we were chosen to save two worlds and this is how I'm going to die.”

Aurora laughed quietly.

Across the room, Lyra suddenly stopped snoring.

Both girls froze.

Lyra opened one eye.

“You're talking about me.”

Mei sat up.

“You were snoring.”

“I don't snore.”

“You absolutely snore.”

“I breathe aggressively.”

Aurora covered her mouth, trying not to laugh.

Lyra threw her pillow.

It hit Mei.

Mei threw it back.

Within seconds, all three were laughing.

For a moment, they were simply sixteen-year-old girls sharing a room.

No ancient prophecy.

No powers.

No Academy.

No Veyr.

Just three girls who had somehow become friends.

Then the lights outside their window went out.

All three stopped.

Aurora looked toward the corridor.

“Did you see that?”

Lyra sat up.

“Yeah.”

Mei frowned.

“The eastern wing?”

Aurora nodded.

“That wing is closed.”

Lyra's eyes narrowed.

“Interesting.”

Aurora immediately shook her head.

“No.”

Lyra looked at her.

“I haven't even said anything.”

“You were going to suggest investigating.”

“I was.”

“No.”

Lyra smiled.

“Now I definitely want to.”

---

Across the Academy, beneath several layers of stone and protective wards, Headmaster Seraphina stood in a room that very few people had ever seen.

There were only four people there.

Seraphina.

Master Aurel.

Master Seris.

And the oldest member of the Academy Council, Master Orin.

In front of them stood a large glass cabinet.

Inside it was nothing.

At least, nothing that looked important.

A small crystal rested on a black pedestal.

It was barely the size of a human heart.

But the room around it was protected by enough wards to stop an army.

Seris stared at it.

“The readings have increased again.”

Aurel's jaw tightened.

“How much?”

“Thirty percent since last month.”

Orin slowly shook his head.

“He's feeding.”

Seraphina looked at him.

“With what?”

Orin hesitated.

“Anything with concentrated life energy.”

Aurel looked disgusted.

“Animals?”

“Mostly.”

Seris looked down.

“Unicorn blood.”

Silence.

Seraphina's expression hardened.

“How much?”

“Enough.”

Aurel stepped closer to the cabinet.

“So he's not trying to steal the relic.”

“No.”

“Then what does he want?”

Orin answered quietly.

“To live.”

The room fell silent.

Seraphina stared at the crystal.

“After everything we've done to him…”

Aurel looked at her.

“He shouldn't be alive.”

“No.”

Seraphina's voice was barely audible.

“He shouldn't.”

---

The girls were not supposed to hear any of this.

Unfortunately for the Academy—

Lyra had excellent hearing.

They had been walking through the eastern corridor when voices drifted through a half-open doorway.

Aurora stopped immediately.

“Wait.”

Mei stopped behind her.

“What?”

Aurora raised a finger.

“Someone's talking.”

Lyra leaned closer.

They heard one sentence.

“His energy is increasing.”

Then another.

“He cannot survive much longer without feeding again.”

Then—

“Unicorn blood.”

The three girls stared at each other.

Mei's eyes widened.

Lyra's expression changed completely.

Aurora whispered,

“Come on.”

Lyra grabbed her arm.

“No.”

“We shouldn't be listening.”

“Exactly.”

Aurora looked at her.

“That isn't what you think it means.”

Lyra smiled.

“I know.”

Mei looked between them.

“What are you two planning?”

Lyra's smile widened.

“Nothing.”

Mei immediately sighed.

“That's never true when you say it like that.”

---

They returned to their room later that night.

Aurora closed the door.

“We are not investigating.”

Lyra sat on her bed.

“Agreed.”

Mei nodded.

“Absolutely.”

Silence.

Thirty seconds passed.

Lyra looked at them.

“So we're investigating?”

Aurora sighed.

“Oh, for heaven's sake.”

Mei smiled.

“I knew we'd end up here.”

Aurora sat down.

“Fine.”

She pointed at both of them.

“But we do this carefully.”

Lyra saluted.

“Yes, Captain.”

“We don't enter restricted areas.”

“Of course.”

“We don't touch anything.”

“Obviously.”

“We don't get caught.”

Lyra grinned.

“Now you're speaking my language.”

Aurora stared at her.

“This is a terrible idea.”

Mei smiled.

“But it's our terrible idea.”

Aurora tried not to smile.

Failed.

---

They began with the library.

Aurora searched the official Academy records.

Mei checked old textbooks.

Lyra checked the restricted shelves.

“Lyra.”

“What?”

“You're not supposed to be there.”

“I know.”

“Then why are you there?”

“Because they put the interesting books here.”

Mei shook her head.

Aurora turned another page.

“Nothing.”

“What about the name?”

“Nothing.”

“Try the historical records.”

Mei searched.

Nothing.

Lyra pulled out an ancient book.

Dust exploded everywhere.

She coughed.

“This place is disgusting.”

Aurora took the book from her.

“What does it say?”

Lyra leaned over.

There was an illustration.

Seven figures stood beneath three moons.

Behind them was a dark figure.

Aurora's expression changed.

“That's him.”

Mei stared.

“Were?”

Lyra nodded.

At the bottom of the page, written in faded ink, were four words:

THE HUNGER CANNOT DIE.

Nobody spoke.

Aurora slowly closed the book.

“We're done.”

Lyra looked at her.

“What?”

“We're done.”

“But—”

“No.”

Aurora stood.

“This isn't some school mystery anymore.”

Mei nodded.

“She is right.”

Lyra groaned.

“You two are so boring.”

Aurora smiled.

“And you're alive.”

“Fair.”

They started walking away.

Then Mei stopped.

“Wait.”

She pointed toward the book.

The illustration had changed.

The dark figure was no longer standing behind the Seven.

He was facing them.

And one of the seven figures had a hand extended toward him.

Aurora whispered,

“That wasn't there before.”

Lyra stared.

“Close the book.”

Mei did.

The library lights flickered.

Once.

Twice.

Then a whisper travelled through the room.

Not loud.

Not clear.

But unmistakably human.

“Find me.”

The three girls froze.

Lyra's hair slowly lifted from her shoulders.

Aurora's hands began glowing faintly with water.

Mei's breath turned cold.

Ice spread beneath her feet.

Nobody moved.

Then Lyra whispered:

“Okay.”

A pause.

“I take back what I said.”

Aurora looked at her.

“About what?”

“This being fun.”

And somewhere deep beneath the Academy, inside a room protected by ancient wards, the crystal inside the glass cabinet pulsed once.

Then again.

And somewhere far away—

Were opened his eyes.

He smiled.

Because he could feel them now.

The Seven were finally beginning to look for him.