Chapter 11: The Spider’s Web
The upper wing of the academy library was mostly empty this time of day.
Noel liked that.
Quiet. No eyes. Just shelves and time.
He passed rows of titles until he found what he was looking for:
"Magical Structures & Barrier Theory – Applied Defense."
He pulled the book free and flipped it open with one hand, walking it to a nearby table. As he sat, his mind wandered—not randomly, but backward.
To a memory he didn't live.
The Bloody Banquet.
It wasn't just a scene in the book—it was the turning point. The first real tragedy. Nobles slaughtered. Spells detonated in the heart of the academy. Panic. Blood on silk.
A perfectly timed breach that shattered the banquet hall's high-tier protective barrier like it was wet parchment.
'It wasn't brute force. It was precision. Someone knew exactly how to break the academy's core defense enchantments.'