Part 2On the Eve of Ruin, the First Disciple Was Entertaining a Novice

Rhea's expression was strange, unreadable.

I didn't have time for this. "The Covenant is at the gates! Rhea, you have to help Lady Agnes! I'm going to get the Grandmaster."

Rhea was the most gifted prodigy in our Order. With her help, they could surely hold on longer.

I tried to take flight again, but a hand grabbed the back of my tunic. In one smooth motion, Rhea twisted and threw me over her shoulder, slamming me hard onto the packed earth.

"Oh, cut the act, Caden. Don't play these games with me."

Her words were almost identical to Seraphina's. My mind went blank. "What are you talking about?"

"You're just jealous that Seraphina organized a party for Lysander, aren't you? Is it really necessary to bother the Grandmaster over something so petty? He's at a critical point in his healing. If you disturb him over this, he'll never forgive you."

"Rhea, I'm not jealous!" I scrambled to explain. "The Covenant is really here!"

"Don't lie to me," she scoffed. "Seraphina told us this morning. She said you were upset about her and Lysander and would definitely cause a scene. She even took us down the mountain to reinforce the lower wards herself. Even if the Shadow Lord himself escaped, he couldn't break through them."

I sighed, a wave of exhaustion washing over me. "They stole the Sky-Breaker Axe. Rhea, I swear on my life, everything I'm saying is true."

Perhaps the desperation in my voice gave her pause. She seemed to hesitate. But then a small, pitying smile touched her lips. "You really are a terrible liar, Caden. Sky-Breaker is locked in the Grandmaster's private chambers. How could they possibly have stolen it?"

No matter how I tried to explain, she was convinced I was lying. I couldn't waste any more time. I twisted out of her grip. "Fine, don't believe me! But I have to get to the Grandmaster, or all of Aethelgard will be lost!"

"Don't run!"

The next moment, Rhea produced a set of silver chains. With a single word of power, they flew through the air and wrapped around me, binding me tight.

I struggled on the ground, helpless. "Rhea, let me go! There's no time! Lady Agnes is still at the gate! If you won't save her, are you going to stop anyone else from trying?"

She shook her head. "Stop shouting, Caden. To be honest, Seraphina told me to wait here specifically to catch you. I've been here for a while, and I haven't seen a single cultist." She looked at me with genuine confusion. "I just don't get it. Seraphina and Lysander are perfect for each other, a match made in the heavens. Why do you have to be so conniving and try to ruin their happiness?"

I knew. They all thought I was a scheming, petty villain. And Lysander, their precious Lysander, was a true gentleman.

A year ago, Seraphina had found him, an orphan with no discernible aether, and brought him back to the Citadel. She had insisted on taking him as her personal apprentice, a position of incredible honor. I had argued with her, pointing out how unfair it was to the other, more talented disciples. It broke all our traditions. It was a clear abuse of her authority.

I was trying to stand up for fairness, but somehow, I was branded as being jealous of Lysander.

From that day on, my relationship with Seraphina had grown colder and more distant. When Lysander’s training wand broke, she accused me of sabotaging it. When he "tripped" and fell down a flight of stairs, she accused me of pushing him. When he had a manic episode and was found scrubbing the floors in the middle of the night, she said I had bullied him into it.

It wasn't just her. As Lysander's "misfortunes" piled up, everyone began to see me as the villain, jealous of his closeness to Seraphina.

They all seemed to have forgotten that I was the one betrothed to her.

Worried the chains weren't enough, Rhea placed a paralysis sigil on my chest. She dusted off her hands. "There. Don't be so upset, Caden. I'll keep you company today."

I was so frantic I could have wept. "Rhea, I'll stay with you, I promise! Just... just go back to the Citadel and look! Please! If you're too late, it won't just be Aethelgard that falls, the mortal realms will be plunged into chaos!"

Despite my repeated, desperate pleas, she stood firm. "No. Seraphina said she's planning a firework display from the top of the Citadel for Lysander tonight. I have to take you somewhere else."

As the words left her mouth, the jade pendants we all wore at our waists began to chime violently.

Clang, clang, clang!

The color drained from Rhea's face.

The Citadel Jade trembles for only one reason.

The Great Ward of Aethelgard, the unbreakable shield of the Order, had been shattered.