Chapter 68: Crash landing on the balcony

Chapter 68: Chapter 68: Crash landing on the balcony

Theon’s body froze.

The metallic sound still rang in his ears.

Clang!

For a moment he could not move.

It was like something had struck the ground only a few inches from his head.

Like a thin blade stood embedded in the cracked stone beside him, its edge still vibrating from the force of the impact. Thin cracks spread outward from the point where the steel had pierced the rock.

Theon slowly turned his head.

His eyes narrowed.

There was no one there.

Only the broken mountain.

Only smoke drifting in thick, heavy columns.

Only the distant flames still rising from the destruction, painting the sky in restless shades of red and orange.

His heartbeat quickened.

What was that?

Then Silver’s voice came from behind him.

"Master."

Theon turned.

Silver stood with Ifrith in her arms, her posture steady despite the weight she carried. Her expression was tense. She was looking toward the same direction he was.

Someone was coming.

Not one person.

Several.

Theon’s senses stretched outward.

He could feel them now.

Seven distinct presences moved through the unsettled air, cutting through the residual shockwaves with clear purpose. Two of them carried considerably stronger auras, dense and refined. The other five were far from weak. Together they formed a coordinated group.

They were approaching rapidly from the direction of the academy.

"They’re coming this way," Theon muttered.

Silver nodded once.

"We need to leave."

"I know."

Theon looked around.

The mountain had been practically destroyed. Entire sections of the peak had collapsed into the valleys below. Craters and shattered ridges stretched as far as the eye could see. There was no way something of this scale could remain unnoticed for long.

He turned toward Lyra.

She was still weak from the Flame Empress’s transformation. Her breathing remained shallow, and her steps were unsteady. The strain of serving as a vessel had left her pale and drained.

"Lazaria."

The girl immediately stepped forward.

"I’ll carry Lyra."

Theon nodded.

Fen moved beside them without needing an order, his white form calm and ready.

"I’ll follow."

Theon’s gaze shifted toward Nova.

The primordial demon remained trapped inside Lazaria’s Soul Seal. His body stayed completely limp, eyes vacant, limbs hanging loosely. The seal held firm, quiet and absolute.

Theon stared at him for a moment.

"Can you carry him?"

Lazaria nodded.

"Of course."

She grabbed Nova under the arms and adjusted his weight across her shoulder.

Then she frowned.

"He’s heavier than he looks."

Theon almost laughed.

"You’re complaining now?"

"I’m not complaining."

"You are."

"I’m stating a fact."

Theon shook his head.

"Just move."

They began retreating.

Theon activated Stealth Mode.

Their presence vanished from ordinary senses. The air around them settled into an unnatural quiet, muffling sound and blurring their outlines against the smoke-filled sky.

Silver immediately used wind jet.

The wind exploded beneath them in a controlled burst of force. The group shot away from the ruined mountain, rising high above the smoking peaks and shattered stone. The ground fell away beneath them in a blur of broken ridges and drifting ash.

Theon kept looking backward.

The seven approaching auras continued to close the distance. He could already hear distant voices carried on the wind, sharp and urgent.

"Did you see that explosion?"

"It came from the mountain."

"Something happened up there."

"Keep moving."

Theon narrowed his eyes.

Too close.

He pushed himself forward.

His body protested immediately.

Pain shot through his chest in sharp waves. His breathing became heavier. Three days of sleep had not magically repaired everything. The five years stolen from his life had left a wound far deeper than ordinary injuries, a constant reminder that lingered beneath every movement.

But he ignored it.

They could not afford to stop.

A few moments later they passed above a group of people heading toward the mountain.

Five students.

Two instructors.

Theon immediately lowered himself.

Silver adjusted their trajectory with precise control, angling them higher and faster.

They passed over the group so quickly that the air exploded behind them in a sharp crack of displaced wind. The students stumbled. One of the instructors nearly lost his balance and had to plant a foot hard against the uneven ground.

"What was that?"

The other instructor looked upward.

For a brief moment they saw the silhouette of something enormous flying through the sky—a large bird-shaped form cutting through the clouds with unnatural speed.

"Was that a bird?"

"I think so."

"Forget it. Keep moving."

The group continued toward the destroyed mountain, their attention already shifting back to the smoke rising in the distance.

Theon breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

"That was close."

Silver glanced at him.

"Master, you should worry less."

"I’m surrounded by people who can destroy mountains."

She thought about it for a second.

"That’s fair."

Lazaria suddenly laughed, the sound light against the rushing wind.

Theon looked toward her.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"You’re laughing."

"I know."

"Why?"

She glanced at the unconscious Nova draped over her shoulder.

"I just find it funny."

"What?"

"We’re running away from the people investigating the destruction we just caused."

Theon stared at her.

"...When you say it like that, it sounds worse."

"It is worse."

Fen quietly nodded, golden eyes calm.

"She is correct."

Theon sighed.

"Great. Even Fen is against me."

They continued flying.

The landscape below shifted from shattered stone to rolling forests and then to the familiar grounds of the academy. Soon the Imperial Dormitory came into view, its towers rising clean and intact against the afternoon light.

Theon finally felt some of the tension leave his shoulders.

"Almost there."

Silver increased her speed.

The balcony appeared ahead.

They landed.

Not gracefully.

The entire group crashed onto the stone surface with a heavy impact. Dust rose around them in a brief cloud. Theon stumbled forward several steps before catching his balance against the railing. Lazaria landed on her feet, still holding both Lyra and Nova with steady control. Fen landed smoothly, white fur barely disturbed by the landing. Silver managed to remain standing while carrying the battered form of Ifrith, her footing sure despite the weight.

Theon looked around.

Everyone was alive.

That was enough for now.

He walked toward the edge of the balcony.

His eyes turned toward the distant mountain.

Smoke was still rising from it in thick black columns that stained the sky and drifted slowly with the wind.

Then he raised his hand and began counting quietly, a small, knowing smile forming at the corner of his mouth.

"Five."

Lazaria blinked.

"What are you doing?"

"Four."

She looked toward him with open curiosity.

"Three."

Fen tilted his head slightly.

"Master?"

"Two."

Silver’s eyes narrowed a fraction.

"What’s happening?"

"One."

Theon smiled fully.

A distant scream suddenly echoed across the academy grounds, high and startled.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Theon’s smile widened.

"They really saw it."

Lazaria covered her mouth with one hand.

She started laughing, the sound genuine and bright.

Silver shook her head, though the corner of her mouth twitched upward for a moment.

Fen simply stood there, golden eyes calm and observant.

Theon turned around.

"See? I told you."

A voice suddenly came from behind them.

"You people are truly foolish."

Theon’s smile disappeared.

He turned.

Cryvathar was standing there on the balcony as if he had always been part of the scenery. His posture was relaxed, arms loosely crossed, expression completely unimpressed.

Theon frowned.

"We’re not foolish."

Cryvathar raised an eyebrow.

"You destroyed an entire mountain."

"He was spying on us."

"And your solution was to destroy the mountain?"

Theon paused.

"...It worked."

Cryvathar stared at him for a long moment.

Then he slowly looked away.

"I have nothing to say to that."

Lazaria laughed again, softer this time.

Theon ignored her.

Instead his eyes moved toward Nova.

The primordial demon still lay unconscious under the seal, body limp against Lazaria’s side. The quiet weight of the Soul Seal remained absolute.

Cryvathar noticed him at once.

His expression changed.

He walked closer, steps measured and unhurried.

His eyes narrowed as he studied the sealed figure with careful attention.

"He’s under a soul spell."

Theon immediately looked at him.

"What?"

Cryvathar pointed toward Nova.

"That demon."

"You can tell?"

Cryvathar looked at him as though the question itself was ridiculous.

"Who do you think I am?"

Theon paused.

Then nodded.

"That’s true."

He stared at Cryvathar.

His expression slowly became serious.

"You know a lot about ancient magic."

Cryvathar remained silent.

Theon folded his arms.

"And you knew exactly what was happening when you saw him."

Still nothing.

Theon’s eyes narrowed.

"Who are you, exactly?"

The balcony fell silent.

Cryvathar slowly turned his head.

His gaze moved toward Silver.

Then his eyes narrowed further, sharp and assessing.

"So..."

Silver looked at him.

"You are the one who used that spell."

Silver blinked.

"Which spell?"

Cryvathar eyes shifted toward the distant mountain where smoke still climbed into the sky in thick, unbroken columns.

"The enormous spell that shattered the mountain."

Silver understood.

She stepped forward.

Then she bowed respectfully, her posture formal and precise, head lowered in clear recognition.

"Of course, Master Cryvathar....."

Theon frowned.

Something about the way she said the title made his instincts flare. The respect in her voice carried weight he had not heard from her before.

Silver remained bowed.

Then she spoke clearly, each word deliberate.

"..... NIVARETH..."

She paused for a single breath.

Theon watched her.

His heartbeat slowly increased.

Silver finished the introduction.

"First Primordial Human."

Silence settled over the balcony like a held breath.

Theon’s eyes widened.

His entire expression changed.

For a moment he could not even process what he had just heard.

*First Primordial Human.*

The words echoed through his mind, heavy and impossible, rearranging everything he thought he understood about the man standing in front of him.

He slowly lifted his head.

His eyes remained fixed on Cryvathar.

"...What?"

And in that moment Theon realized that the mysterious being standing before him might be far more ancient than he had ever imagined.