The sun cast a golden glow over the university grounds, the warm breeze rustling the leaves of the ancient oak trees. Lance sat cross-legged on the grass, a thick textbook open in his lap. His eyes were glazed over as he skimmed yet another dense paragraph on magical theory.
Lyra, sitting upright with perfect posture, pointed at a passage in her own book. “It’s not that hard,” she said, exasperation creeping into her tone. “Look, in ancient times, wizards had to summon demons just to understand how magic worked because there wasn’t enough knowledge about magic back then. What was the one demon race that was willing to help humanity progress? It’s basic magic theory!”
Lance’s head fell back as he groaned dramatically. “There is nothing basic about this! And it’s so boring. I’d rather be out casting spells and actually doing something.”
Nico, lying on his back with his arms folded behind his head, nodded his head in a sage-like manner. “He has a point.”
Lyra’s eyes narrowed. “At least try!” She turned to Oliver, sitting nearby with a relaxed smile. “Oliver, help me out here.”
Oliver shrugged, grinning. “This is fun.”
Lance shot him a look. “Of course it is.”
Suddenly, a dark blur streaked across the sky. Astra, Nico’s eagle-like familiar, swooped down and landed beside him, her feathers shimmering under the sunlight. She clicked her beak and narrowed her eyes at Nico, her wings puffing out in irritation.
Oliver raised an eyebrow. “What’s wrong with her?”
Nico sighed and sat up. “So… I might have tried sending some mental signals to my companion.”
Lance blinked. “And?”
“She didn’t like it.” Nico rubbed the back of his neck. “Thinks I’m favoring my companion over her.”
Lance snorted. “Wow. Jealousy issues?”
“This is the problem with having both a familiar and a companion,” Nico said helplessly. “They both want attention.”
Astra clicked her beak again, glaring daggers at Nico.
“You’re going to have to fix that,” Lyra said smugly.
Nico sighed. “Yeah, yeah…”
Lance leaned back and plucked a grape from a small bowl, tossing it into his mouth. “I’ll figure out the theory stuff eventually. I just need to pass, that’s all. The practical side is where I’m really stuck.”
“Sounds about right,” Nico said, stretching. “We should start preparing for the next Combat Mastery class.”
Lance’s eyes sharpened slightly at that. Combat Mastery happened only once or twice every two weeks, but each session was one to remember.
Lance sat up, his tone dropping into something quieter. “Yeah… I’ll have some stuff prepared by then. It’ll be cool.”
Nico raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Planning something?”
Lance just smirked. “You’ll see.”
****************************************
The playful mood lingered as Lance leaned back on his elbows, the sun warming his face. Nico was lazily tossing a pebble into the air and catching it, while Oliver grinned, clearly amused by the whole conversation. Lyra, despite her frustration with Lance’s magical incompetence, seemed to have relaxed.
“Alright,” Nico said, rolling onto his side, “so are you actually going to—”
CRACK
A burst of silver light split the air just a few feet away, warping the space around it. Lance flinched, rolling onto his knees as the light solidified into two figures — Felix and Bella. An older man with sharp silver hair and a dark overcoat stood behind them, his gaze sharp and assessing. His eyes briefly scanned the group before he gave a subtle nod.
Without a word, he dissolved into thin air, leaving behind only the faint shimmer of light where he had stood.
Felix and Bella both stood there, looking… off. Felix’s normally perfect golden hair was slightly disheveled, and Bella’s hands were tightly clasped in front of her. Their postures were stiff, eyes darting around nervously.
Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.
Nico sat up, his eyes widening. “You’re back! Whoa, never mind—” His smile faded as he took in their expressions. “You two look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
Felix glanced at Bella, who gave a small, shaky nod. He cleared his throat and said, “We need your help.”
Bella stepped forward, her brow furrowed. “And we only trust you with this.”
Lance’s eyes narrowed. His earlier relaxed mood vanished as tension crept into the air.
“What happened?” Lyra asked, her tone sharpening.
Felix hesitated, his gaze flicking toward Bella again. She nodded almost imperceptibly.
Felix sighed. “It’s… complicated.”
Bella’s jaw tightened. “But it’s serious.”
Oliver leaned forward, his playful expression fading. “Serious how?”
Felix’s eyes darkened. “Life and death serious.”
Lance exchanged a glance with Nico and Lyra. Nico sat up straighter, his easygoing smile disappearing. Lyra’s hand had already drifted toward her satchel, where her spellbook was tucked away.
“Alright,” he said, standing up. “Let’s hear it.”
Felix’s jaw tightened. His usual calm demeanor cracked, exposing the tension beneath it.
“It’s our cousin,” he said quietly.
Lance frowned. “Your cousin?”
Bella exhaled shakily. “Yes. We were sent by the royal family.”
Nico raised an eyebrow. “The royal family?”
Felix’s expression darkened. “Our cousin is betrothed to the heir of the throne. And… she’s missing.”
Bella’s gaze hardened. “Kidnapped.”
Oliver let out a low whistle. “That sounds… bad.”
Felix shot him a look. “It is. The royal family tasked us with finding her.”
Lyra’s brow furrowed. “Why you?”
Bella’s lips thinned. “Because our family is one of the highest noble houses. And because we’re blood.”
“And you think we can help?” Lance asked, a little skeptical.
Felix met his gaze, eyes sharp. “We know you can.”
“Why?” Lyra pressed.
Bella hesitated, then said quietly, “Because if we fail… this could lead to war.”
The weight of her words settled heavily over the group. The playful atmosphere from moments ago was completely gone.
Nico rubbed the back of his neck. “Well… that escalated quickly.”
Lance crossed his arms, the hum of his lifestream vibrating through his veins. “Alright,” he said, a slow smile creeping onto his face. “Where do we start?”
Felix’s mouth opened—but then Oliver cut in.
“Hold on,” Oliver said, eyes narrowing. “If this is so serious, why not ask your family for help?”
Felix’s face tightened, his lips curling in distaste. Bella crossed her arms, her gaze sharpening.
“We can’t,” Felix said. “We’re both main bloodline and heirs to the leadership of our house.”
Bella’s tone was sharp. “If we fail… or worse, if we get removed… our family would seize the opportunity.”
“Removed?” Lance asked.
Bella’s jaw tightened. “Executed.”
Lyra stiffened. “Executed?”
Felix’s smile was humorless. “It’s not official policy, of course. But if we disappear or are disgraced… our family would swoop in and install a new heir before the royal family could object.”
Bella’s eyes darkened. “Our family is a pack of greedy bastards who only care about political status. They’d sell us out for a chance at more power.”
Nico let out a low whistle. “Damn.”
Oliver raised an eyebrow. “That’s… comforting.”
Lyra’s gaze sharpened. “And why would this lead to war?”
Felix’s jaw clenched. “Because our cousin is betrothed to the heir of the throne. If she isn’t found, the alliance between our house and the royal family will collapse.”
Bella nodded grimly. “Our cousin’s disappearance will be seen as a political insult—or worse, a declaration of betrayal.”
Oliver whistled again. “So… the royal family would retaliate?”
“Not immediately,” Felix said. “But it would create a power vacuum. Our family would be blamed for failing to protect her. Political rivals would seize the opportunity to undermine us.”
Bella’s tone was cold. “And it wouldn’t take much for that tension to escalate into open conflict.”
Lance’s gaze sharpened. His mind was already working through the implications. This wasn’t just a personal matter—it was political, and dangerous.
Nico let out a long breath. “So… we’re talking about preventing a civil war?”
Felix gave a bitter smile. “Potentially.”
Lyra’s gaze narrowed. “And Chancellor Ellowen? Did you tell her about this?”
Bella nodded. “She tried to help. She even offered us access to the university’s resources.”
Felix’s eyes darkened. “But our family made it clear—this is our responsibility. If we ask the university for help it'll be a direct violation of their order and hence we'll be 'removed' .”
Oliver leaned back. “So what’s the reward? There is a reward, right? ”
Felix’s smile turned thin. “The Great Houses reward those who serve them well. Really well. ”
Bella’s tone sharpened. “And If we succeed, we’ll have political favor from the royal family and influence within the court.”
Felix’s gaze darkened. “And if we fail…”
Bella’s jaw tightened. “We won’t get the chance to fail.”
A low hum vibrated through Lance’s mind. He was already considering the risks—calculating the fallout. His chest tightened. This was dangerous.
“Lance.”
The hum sharpened, and Lance felt the familiar pressure in the back of his mind. William’s voice slid through his thoughts like smoke.
“If I know anything about mortal politics,” William’s voice was cold and measured, “it’s that this is bad—not for them, but for this kingdom.”
Lance’s jaw tightened.
“And if you want to get strong—truly strong and unbeatable—this is something you cannot afford.”
Lance swallowed. “So you think we should help?”
William’s voice sharpened. “No. I advise you not to get involved in it.”
Lance’s fingers curled into fists.
“This will drag you into the heart of political conflict. It’s unpredictable and dangerous.”
Lance’s lips twisted into a slight smile. “Yeah… but they’re my friends.”
“Friends?” William’s tone was sharp. “They will not hesitate to sacrifice you if it means saving their own skin. That is how politics works.”
“Maybe,” Lance said softly. “But I’m not going to sit back and let them deal with this alone.”
William’s silence stretched out. Then, after a moment—
“Hmph.”
Lance’s smile widened.
