Underneath the Academy, in the depths of Cortos' chamber, I found myself in a near-panic.

How in the Founder's names did Flynn find out about me? I had already learned to suppress my mana well enough that no other apprentice could pierce through my veil and see my full power. I kept any gold and supplies down here, hidden away from prying eyes. I even took efforts to avoid conflict and affect a polite, passive demeanor.

The Awakening.

I came to a stop, a cold feeling running along my spine. It was so obvious, how had I missed it before? The future was uncertain, and stories said that just because one mage may have seen something in their future, does not mean it would be the future. Scholars had gone mad trying to understand the convoluted, complex passings of time and magic used to see the future was strictly forbidden.

If Flynn saw my future, that gave me an ominous realization about my own future. Either he had seen the same things I had, or my destiny as Archmagus was far more set than I realized. Some books on the future mentioned so-called "inevitabilities" or events that were incredibly difficult to alter. Natural disasters, the rising and setting of the sun and the tides coming in all fell under this title. If he saw my future as an Archmagus, was this also an inevitable event?

I took a moment, closing my eyes and listening to the rhythmic breathing of Iron Forging. Months of use made it almost instinctive, but I could gain some clarity from mana's movements into my body. Panic was useless, and I needed a calm, focused mind to figure out my next move.

Opening my eyes, I felt my mind focus, and my heart rate return to normal. I should start with what I know for sure. Flynn was aware of my title as "Aether Blade," though he poorly disguised it behind clumsy metaphors. That meant he must have seen or heard of it in his visions. If he knew who I could become, why had he hidden it and offered me a position?

Looking at it objectively, he wanted me to join his family and use my abilities for his own gains. Maybe he hoped to lead a coup against the crown? Or he was a loyalist, and wanted to present me to the King, claiming that they discovered my talents and wanted to offer my strength to Ferris. That would undoubtedly grant his family great honor and prestige, possibly elevating their position to just below the royal family. They were already close enough as is.

Regardless of his goals, it did not matter much either way. When it came down to it, I could trust the Esttons, but not Flynn or his family. Although I might be able to gain useful resources from allying with them, it would only cause me more problems and concerns. And although I might strive to be logical about it, I had grown more attached to the Esttons than I realized, and betraying them for another lord was distasteful.

Still, I needed to stop Flynn's plots, while also making sure he did not expose my secrets. I might be able to play dumb and pretend I had no idea what he meant by his veiled threat. I doubted that would work, though. He would likely be able to tell I lied, even if I could piece together a convincing lie. And there was a worrying prospect in turning down Flynn's offer.

I would need to prepare for the possibility that Flynn would reveal my secrets after my rejection. If it ever came out that he knew about my potential and did not inform the crown, he might face some consequences. And besides that, Leon told me he was the type to lash out in spite, and revealing my secrets would be typical for that sort of person.

Striding across the room, I picked up a thick book on elementally neutral spells. Because Aether magic was a depressingly underdeveloped field, I needed to create techniques personally, and I had hoped the tome would give me much needed inspiration. Unfortunately, most of its contents were useful only for quality of life, or novelties meant to entertain.

There were spells designed to create artwork based upon whatever the user was imagining at the time, or to create writing only the caster could see. Magic that was able to lock or unlock doors, levitate small objects, or magnify sounds. Even spells that could-

I stopped on one page, reading through the contents curiously. As I read, a smile slowly crossed my face, and the beginnings of a plan began to form. It would require a mana crystal, preparation, and a cautious, strategic mind, but if I executed this correctly, I might be able to beat Flynn. If he wanted to play this sort of game with me, I would gladly show him how outmatched he was.

Flynn answered his door with a confused look, evidently caught off guard by my surprise appearance, exactly as I hoped. Girem once told me that you should always have meetings on your terms. That way, you would be prepared, but your opponents would not.

"Vayne, I didn't expect you to come so soon. You still have four more days until you need to make your choice," he said, tilting his head slightly at me.

"Yes, my lord, but I came to a decision earlier than I thought. But before I answer, I would like to know what my service will entail. As you might imagine, I am hesitant to betray my lords without a more concrete promise."

Flynn raised an eyebrow, a smile on his face as he replied, "Caution is all well and good, but what is to stop you from marching and informing them of what I told you? I might be young, but I'm not an idiot, Vayne."

I nodded several times, before stating, "I swear an oath, on my core itself that I will not speak a word of what you tell me tonight. I will keep your secret."

A few seconds later, I felt something settle onto my core, a sort of weight that was almost impossible to describe. It was an old, barbaric bit of power that weaponized an oath into a primitive form of magic, too simple to even be called a spell. If I broke the promise, it would rebound onto my body, my own mana and intent driving the effect, destroying my core and leaving me a cripple.

Most mages would never willingly make such a promise, considering its risks too severe to consider and relying upon their honor and reputation to prove their sincerity. I only heard about it from the stories of Torros, who famously made several public oaths proclaiming his loyalty to Ferris as a show of intent. Still, I could see a flicker of recognition that told me Flynn recognized what I did.

But I also felt a slow trickle of mana leave my core, and I had to hide the grin that threatened to creep onto my face. The trap was armed, now I only had to hope that Flynn walked into it.

To his credit, he narrowed his eyes suspiciously, staring at me in silence for several minutes. I felt the probing of a rudimentary mana sense onto my core, and after a moment of instinct, I peeled back some of my veils to reveal the oath. It had settled around my center like heavy chains, easy to perceive even with his limited skills.

Flynn's features relaxed, seeming content with what he saw, and he nodded, gesturing for me to sit down.

"Now that was quite the unexpected move on your part. My father employs several mages and has had them all make such oaths. They are quite unpleasant to break, and I doubt you'd be so idiotic as to cripple yourself to see me ruined. I can see that you're far too selfish and cowardly to put yourself at risk over something as silly as honor or duty." he explained, and I noted with interest his admission.

Forcing such oaths from other mages was one of the few forms of magic expressly forbidden, though, for a family like the Sions, the punishment would be light. Still, it might be worth remembering that particular detail, just in case.

He used the same motion as our last meeting, producing a large bottle of wine, which he poured into two glasses. I took a sip, noting that it was another wildly expensive vintage, savoring its flavor for several seconds. Idly, I wondered if he offered me a glass to set me at ease, or to flaunt his immense wealth.

"In my visions, I was present when you were made an Archmagus by the King. I was unsure if you were the same person when I first met you, but when I heard your name and sensed your mana, I was sure. I saw the surprise on your face before, and I very much doubt you are unaware of what I am talking about. Archmagi are rare at best, and even a commoner like you must be aware of your potential. Am I correct?" Flynn began, staring at me and waiting for a reaction.

I debated what to say, but decided my best choice would be to go along for now, and speak honestly. I needed Flynn to incriminate himself, and the best way to accomplish that would be acting as if I agreed with him.

"Yes, you are. I will grow up to become an Archmagus, known as the 'Aether Blade,' at least in one future. But I must ask why you have not told anyone." I responded, keeping my tone quiet and unsure. Flynn was arrogant, and I hoped that by acting like I was in a weaker position, he would make a mistake.

Smiling, Flynn swirled his glass, staring down at it for several seconds before looking back up.

"In my visions, we lose the war, and my family dies in the process. We get dragged into the conflict, and most of us are massacred, though my visions showed that I survive and become enslaved by those invaders. As you might imagine, I would prefer to remain alive and free. My family, my bloodline is not meant to be mere servants." he continued, the ghost of a sneer coming across his face for a brief moment.

"And you want me to kill these invaders?" I probed, injecting a hint of fear into my voice. I took a long, noisy gulp of wine, keeping my gaze down at my lap before looking back up to him.

Flynn scoffed loudly, shaking his head before replying, "Of course not. If you couldn't best that army with the King's help, nothing I can do will change that. King Lyos has the full might and wealth of Ferris behind him, and even my family cannot match what he could provide. But saving a single family might well be within your means."

So, it seems Flynn was a coward, hoping to run and hide while Ferris burned. I noted the irony that both he and I were primarily concerned with surviving this invasion. Of course, I wanted to do so through my own power, but there was a bit of humor found in the parallel.

"With all due respect, is that not treason? You are effectively telling me that you plan to abandon Ferris, and leave your King and country to fall."

Flynn shrugged, stating, "I've always felt that treason is such an ugly word. I prefer pragmatism myself. Unfortunately, we will likely need to remove you from the Academy and bring you to my family estate. There, you can begin your training in earnest to grow powerful enough for our needs. We have some plans to avoid the invasion, but I'm afraid I'm not privy to the full details."

I gave a frown, unsure if that meant his father knew about me as well. That was plausible, but there was nothing I could do about that problem right now. It seems my timetable to leave Ferris would have to be accelerated, regardless of how this meeting ended.

Flynn seemed to take my silence for hesitation, and he smirked before reaching into his pocket. A tiny unmarked bottle, filled with several black pills, was placed onto the table in front of us, and he leaned backward, folding his fingers together across his lap.

"A small gift to show what we can provide you. Those pills will help your training, temporarily focusing your mind so you can control mana with greater ease and control. I'd suggest saving them for when you attempt to compress your mana into a higher form. That stage tends to require an iron-clad will to perform successfully."

"Is this a bribe?" I asked, my tone returning to a quiet, halting one.

"An incentive, if you will. One of many that we can give, when you join us." Flynn replied, an assured look on his face.

"I see. Thank you, my lord. I am glad you decided to tell me such a secret." I said, dropping my face towards the ground. At my final word, I felt my spell respond, the drain on my mana disappearing.

I looked back up to Flynn, finally let the smile I had been hiding slip onto my features. His face twisted from arrogant satisfaction to confusion briefly, before slipping back to a passive confidence. I almost admired his near-perfect acting and control over his emotions, thankful for Girem and Professor Morell's lessons on reading people.

"Well, Flynn, I am afraid I must decline your offer. Although your offer is enticing, I have no interest in betraying my friends and my lord. And although I consider myself a smart person, running and hiding is cowardice, not intelligence. If these invaders can cross an ocean to invade, they will not get frustrated and leave us to our own devices. They will find us and kill us, and I have no interest in dying while protecting you."

Snorting, Flynn let his friendly smile slip into something more cruel.

"If you turn down my offer, I can simply reveal you to the crown. I can claim that I discovered your true potential and that it was my duty to report your power. It would be your word against mine, and no one would take the commoners word over that of a noble. Not that you could muster a defense of your own, with that idiotic oath you swore."

"I am afraid I must correct you. It would be your word against your own word. Hiding my potential is not treason, but certainly planning to abandon your lord must be." I replied, leaning backward while affecting a casual demeanor. I took a sip of my wine, looking over the glass's lip while watching Flynn's face.

When he did not reply, looking confused, I let my grin reappear, before continuing, "Have you ever heard of the mage Remley? It's quite a fascinating story. Remley was a man who loved music more than anything else in the world, developing many spells based upon this passion. One of his earliest creations was an interesting but mostly useless bit of magic that he named Remley's Record."

I paused to finish my glass, before leaning forward and picking up the bottle, refilling my cup halfway.

"It's a relatively simple spell that only requires a prepared mana crystal and a fair bit of mana. Almost like an enchantment, the effect is bound into the crystal, and activated by a trigger word. When the word is spoken, whatever the caster hears is recorded into the stone. Then, with just a small infusion of mana, the sound is replayed back outward, to whoever wants to hear."

A knowing, horrified expression briefly crossed his features, before his features hardened. After a second, the same smile as before came to his face.

"Nice try, but I have seen those crystals. I have several myself. There's no way you have either the mana or the skill to cast that sort of magic. It's far beyond the means of a mere apprentice."

I hoped my smile looked particularly confident, bordering on arrogant. That was the effect I intended, after all.

"I will become an Archmagus, Flynn. It might be beyond your skills, but nothing is beyond mine. Certainly not a trifling trick of magic like that."

"What's to stop me from cutting your legs down now, and marching to your room? Your bracelet would let me into your quarters, and I would have enough time to find and capture that crystal." Flynn said, and I felt his light mana gathering, readying for a battle.

I chuckled in response, making sure to appear as unbothered as possible.

"Oh, that's quite simple. The crystal is actually with a friend. I told them I forgot that I had a meeting to attend, and asked if they could bring it to a professor if I did not return in a half-hour. After listening to it themselves, and verifying that it was intelligible, of course. My 'class project' is not due for several days, but I always have preferred finishing my work early."

I held out one hand, gathering a sphere of green mana and continued, "Of course, if you think you can defeat me in battle and force the location out of me, feel free to attempt it. But last I checked, there was no 'Archmagus Flynn Sion' in my vision."

Truthfully, it was something of a bluff on my part. Flynn was likely the superior combatant, and I was unsure I could beat him if it came down to a fight. But externally, I attempted to exude a casual, almost bored demeanor, looking more annoyed than anything else. Confidence was key to a bluff, and we both knew I had him cornered.

When he did not reply, and I felt his mana dispersing, I finished my glass before standing and smoothing out my wrinkled uniform.

"You know my secret, and you mistakenly believed that made you invincible. But if you ever reveal my secrets, I will release my recording to the entire Academy. Your father may be strong, but even he cannot save you from a high treason charge. I might lose my head, but I will make sure yours rolls right alongside mine."

I gave him another grin, noting with satisfaction that his face was a mixture of rage, hatred, and nervousness. He had abandoned any attempt at appearing friendly and charming. Turning on one heel, I took several steps across the room before pausing and walking back over to the table, picking up the bottle of black pills he had placed onto its surface.

"I almost forgot the evidence of your bribe. That would certainly have been embarrassing. Good evening, my lord." I said, before straightening and walking from the room.

Striding down the hallway, I let out a shaky breath as soon as I turned the corner. It had taken me a half-dozen mana crystals, assistance from Simon, and three sleepless nights perfecting the spell, but I had solved one problem. Flynn was vengeful and would seek revenge, but he would keep my secret to save himself. The recording would only last several months, but that should give me enough time to find a more permanent solution.

Of course, I still had a much bigger problem looming over me since realizing that Flynn knew about the invasion and my future. If he could figure it out, who else knew my secrets?