Isyd entered the Ravasz’s apartment and knocked on their door on the first floor. The door moved ajar and Julya peeked through before letting him through. Norran was pacing up and down the cramped living room, giving him a worried look as he walked in.

“So… what happened?” Julya asked.

“Tekla is compromised,” Isyd said. “Somehow, she knew about the [Outgracing Hex] and the fact that it was completed. She looked surprised when she saw the state of the laboratory so I believe that she wasn’t in on it. However, she certainly knows who is responsible.”

“And she let you go just like that?” Norran said.

Isyd shrugged. “Not really. I suspect she’ll search for us soon. We must hurry and decide on what to do next.”

“I-I think that all of this has grown out of proportion,” Julya said. “Shouldn’t we warn the Academy instead of discussing this between us? The Atelier was attacked for God’s sake! Surely the Tutors or the Dean would know what to do…”

Isyd had actually considered the idea during the night. “What are the chances they side with us?”

“You think they won’t? Whyever not? We are the victims in all this!” Norran exclaimed.

“We have proofs as well, do we not?” Julya added.

“Aye, I think that in the end, the Academy will side with us,” Isyd said. “But this will take some time and some investigation on their side. If Hidrss was here, he could corroborate everything we said and sort this whole thing out in a matter of hours. With him gone, Tekla is the one in charge and she’ll be the one the Tutors will turn to. She’ll have all the power to spin the narrative she wants. After all, I am only a 1st Year of the 1st Opening and you are two strangers Arcanysta. While all of this is happening, it will give sufficient time for the enemy to strike.”

Plus, other Tutors or members of the Academy could as well be in on it… Isyd did not share those suspicions since he had little proof to support them. He could see the fear and anxiety in the couple’s eyes and the last thing he wished was to appear as a paranoid lunatic.

“If not the Tutors’ help, what do you propose?” Norran said.

“Right now, we are at an advantage because we know what the enemy wants: the Blysht, the [Ingracing] and the [Outgracing Hex]. We have them all. The problem is that we lack information, we do not know exactly who we are facing. This is why I want to learn more about your incident in Blotnia.”

“What do you want to know?” Julya said.

“Once you first found out about the Blysht, who did you speak to? Who else knew about it? Who else could have learned about it? Who was in charge of the Guild? Who bought it?”

“Wait, wait!” the woman said, raising her hands against the onslaught of questions. “You are asking a lot, I am not sure we have answers to all of that.”

“I suspected as much. This is why I think you two must return to Blotnia for a while.”

The two Arcanysta looked at him, befuddled.

“Leaving Vilriver… for what?” Julya asked.

“Vilriver may no longer be safe for you, as the events of yesterday’s night proved it. We cannot hope to continue working on the Blysht with the threat of the thieves hanging over our heads. While in Blotnia, you’ll have ample opportunities to find the answers to questions I asked you.”

“And what about you? Will you come as well?” Julya said.

“No, I’ll remain here. I’ll keep the Blysht and the two Hexes with me at all times. Someone needs also to keep up at least the pretence of working on it in case Tekla decides to use that as an excuse.”

Norran exchanged a look with his wife. Isyd could see in their eyes that they weren’t convinced.

“Isyd, listen… I do not think this is a good idea,” Norran said. “You are very mature for your age, I’ll give you that, but we cannot ask you in good conscience to take such risks. You were lucky yesterday night with those thieves, but they could really hurt you! This… this is no longer a game, a small disagreement between Ms Dumnchory and us, but a serious issue!”

“I am well aware of that but—”

Isyd stopped midsentence to look intensely at the entrance door. Two seconds later there were three knocks. Julya jumped on her feet, face pale and Norran seemed to hesitate between standing in front of her or going up to the door to answer. Before he could decide, Isyd had already moved. He stormed across the room and slammed the door open.

In the doorway stood Jadwia Lichtfreund and Kewin Udachur.

“You. Followed. Me.” Isyd slowly said, in a melange of annoyance and disbelief.

Jadwia took an instinctive step back.

“S-she… she wanted to talk to… you,” Kewin stammered. “She said it was important… about last night…”

“I have no time for—”

“I know who ordered the attack!” Jadwia finally said.

Isyd observed her silently for a couple of long seconds. Finally, he grabbed the two of them by their wrist and yanked them inside the living room, before slamming the door shut behind him.

“Say your piece,” he ordered Jadwia.

The young woman swallowed hard and threw a worried glance around her as if only now realizing the situation she’d walked into.

“Two days ago, I was convoked by my Ringleader. He wanted to talk to me about… you. He asked questions; about what you did in the Atelier, and if you counted on joining the Hammer Ring. They prodded and I simply said that I didn’t know but…”

“But?” Isyd repeated intently. Jadwia was trying not to meet his gaze.

“But eventually, I let slip out that you were working on the Blysht… It was an accident! I didn’t mean to and I didn’t say anything more! I couldn’t even say much! I just said the name!”

Julya got up and put a calming hand on Jadwia’s shoulder. Jadwia finally dared look up to meet Isyd’s eyes. Surprisingly, he didn’t look angry, or at least not angrier than he already looked those past few days. His face was expressionless as he stood there, leaning against the door arms crossed against his chest.

“So, you think that after hearing that, your Ringleader decided to organize the attack on the laboratory?” he said.

“Not my Ringleader!” Jadwia said. “There was someone else next to him asking questions: Isaak Kazkan, the first son of the baron! He was the one who seemed interested in the Blysht. He recognized the name the moment I said it. Also, he knew about that Isyd was working with two Arcanysta that weren’t from Vilriver. He asked for your names and where you come from, but I didn’t say anything.”

Kazkan! The final piece of the puzzle took its place in Isyd’s mind. The Ravasz’s incident in Blotnia, the two men Isyd had stumbled upon in the salt mine of Blotnia, the letters on Tekla’s desk, yesterday’s attack… all of it snapped into focus and gave Isyd a full picture of the situation.

“Isyd! You’re having this look again? What is it? What did you figure out?” Naeht asked him excitedly.

He simply smiled at her. This moment of realization had been enough for him to lose track of the conversation. Julya had drawn Jadwia next to her on the sofa.

“…not a big deal,” the older woman was saying, reassuringly. “It may not mean anything—”

“Changing of the plans,” Isyd said as he walked up to them. “You two do not need to go to Blotnia. We know who is the enemy: the Kazkan family.”

“But why would they do that?” Norran asked.

Isyd did not answer immediately. He looked at the man, then past him as his eyes rested on something above Norran’s shoulders. Suddenly, Isyd grabbed him and pulled him back and out of the way. A few seconds later, the entrance door slammed fully open upon a howling gust of wind.

Tekla Dumnchory walked in, hand pointed forward as if about to cast another [Spell].

“You made a grave mistake, Wybrany!” the woman said. “Julya and Norran Ravasz, I demand that you return the rightful property of the Atelier. If you fail to do so, I should assume a breach of the contract that binds us and will be justified in my use of the Arts to apprehend you.”

July and Norran Ravasz jumped on their feet, trying to come up with anything to gain time, but despite her words, Tekla’s attention was solely on Isyd, waiting for his reaction.

Isyd did not move.

He was staring into space, he had barely registered Tekla’s entrance. His mind was focused on something entirely. There was something else… In the perpetual buzz of the Holy Grace around him, Isyd perceived two… no, three disturbances. He could almost recognize them, despite being unfamiliar and faint… They were increasing, spiking… approaching…

Realization hit Isyd like a hammer.

“You led them to us!” he hissed at Tekla.

The two windows of the living room suddenly exploded. Isyd had just the time to turn his head before being lifted off his feet and hurled across the room and crashing through the bedroom door. Momentarily dazed, he heaved and coughed as he got back up on his feet. He first heard the shouts of Julya and Jadwia and Kewin, before he managed to drag himself back to the living room where chaos now reigned.

The three thieves had come back and burst into the room through the windows. Norran was bleeding on the ground from a wound on his head, his wife was kneeling next to him. Isyd cursed himself for being careless, for letting himself be cornered once more in a confined space where he could not fight with all of his strength.

He jumped through the doorway, hand raised, and threw a [Piercing Spell] at the tallest man. The [Spell] was weak and easily blocked by an [Shielding Arcane] hanging at the wrist of the thief. The man hunched down to pick up the Ingraced Blysht and the Lightsphere at the same time Jadwia tried to reach for it. Without hesitation, the man stepped on her hand, loosening her grip. Kewin, next to her, still managed to grab the Lightsphere and rolled toward Jadwia to put himself between her and her assailant.

“You better leave them alone!” Tekla said as she finished her [Spell].

Three blazing red spheres burst forth, aimed precisely at the three thieves. They all activated their [Shielding Arcane] except for the one who held the Ingraced Blysht, who instead cast a [Deflecting Spell]. The flames spheres were not simple fireballs, however, because upon touching the [Wind Shield], they exploded and knocked down the intruders. The third sphere, as it was deflected, hit the Lightsphere Kewin was holding.

The fire met the [Outgracing Hex].

In an explosion of fire and wind, the living room turned into a window into hell. There was a flash of reddish light as everyone was blown back. Isyd could only hear the piercing screech of the Holy Grace as it spiked, and spiked, and spiked some more into an always higher Resonance. All the Lightspheres present in the room, in the building, in the street, whether they were active or not, suddenly blew up. The apartment as a whole shook on its foundations and pieces of the roof began collapsing.

Isyd railed against the blazing heat wave upon his skin; through his squinted eyes, he saw a torrent of flames converge into a maelstrom in the centre of the room. Near it was the only person that had not been blown away by the onslaught: Kewin Udachur. The boy’s eyes had rolled backwards and he was convulsing on the ground.

Two sharp whistles sounded out: the signal for retreat. Isyd saw the men get back up, one picked up at the same time the now broken Lightsphere that held the [Outgracing Hex]. As one man, they all rushed through the entrance door.

The thieves had now the Ingraced Blysht as well as the [Outgracing Hex].

Isyd got up and ran after them without thinking.

He forced himself through the crowd that had gathered and Concentrated the Grace at the tip of his fingers. He couldn’t let them get away with it. Not with the Blysht. It was too important! it was his only chance against the Obcys, he—

“Isyd! The fire!” Naeht called out in panic.

Isyd froze in his pursuit. Heart beating, he looked back to see the house burning in flames. He could hear the screech of the Grace, the screams and cries for help. At the same time, the thieves were getting away. He may never catch them again. They had stolen from him that he had worked so hard to recreate. It was promised salvation from the War against the Obcys!

What mattered the most?

Promise me, Isyd… you must save them…

“God! Fucking! Damnit!” Isyd howled.

He turned on his heels and rushed back inside the burning house.