Chapter 31: Lighting the Fourth Star
The dormitory. Silence.
Regulus drew the heavy bed curtains, layered them with Silencing and privacy wards, and shut out everything beyond — the praise, the gossip, the wariness, the calculations, and the feverish afterglow of Bella's letter.
He sat cross-legged on the bed, closed his eyes, and sank inward.
The base magical circulation flowed along well-practiced paths, gently nourishing and tempering every limb, every tendon, every bone.
Then, in the upper layer of consciousness, his mental focus condensed and wove itself into structure.
Orion's Belt — three stars — kindled one by one in the dark expanse of his inner sea, drifting with motions imperceptibly slow yet undeniably real.
The Star-Orbit Guided Meditation engaged. The vast imagery smoothed away the tangle of his thoughts.
Once his state of mind was fully restored, Regulus attempted to light the fourth star.
Events were outpacing expectations. His pace had to quicken.