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He’s late.

Augustus’s gaze flicked once more to the decorative clock embedded in a polished block of amethyst on his desk. The gold hands glinted faintly in the late morning light.

It read 11:05.

Or is he not coming at all today? I thought we had an agreement.

Sunlight streamed through the tall windows behind him, welcoming the soft summer light into his office. The room itself was large and immaculate, with only Augustus sitting in it, though arrangements were made for a second desk and chair near his.

He stared at the empty desk that his protégé ought to have sat at.

Augustus knew Luca Frey’s class schedule. On the fourth day of the week, Luca Frey was free of any academic obligations. It was time that should have been available. Yet, for whatever reason, he did not show up.

The contract required Luca to work 15 hours a week. And he was given the freedom to pick his days. The schedule was flexible, self-directed, and extremely reasonable.

Augustus’s fingers began to tap lightly against the desk, the rhythm slow at first, then sharper.

Wait. Is he planning to compress everything over the weekend?

He frowned at this.

There was no such thing as a break over the weekend for the Red Royal Mages. They weren’t in school anymore. Weekends were just an extension of the regular week, though perhaps a little bit more relaxed.

Augustus knew his fellow colleagues required impossible hours of their own interns, working them harder than any full-time employee. They took the brightest students and ground them down until there was nothing left but obedience.

The hazing ritual had always struck him as absurd.

Why hire accomplished students, only to lobotomize them by making them unable to properly study or sleep?

He himself went through that ordeal, and unlike his colleagues, saw no reason to continue such a barbaric tradition.

That was in part why Augustus had set such reasonable conditions upon Luca Frey, his first-ever intern.

Augustus further frowned as he continued tapping his fingers.

But... Was I too lenient…?

His gaze shifted.

And then there’s that.

An envelope made of thick paper, with the royal red stamp, sat on his desk, demanding attention.

Augustus sighed.

He pushed back his chair and rose to his feet, the faint scrape echoing softly through the room.

Yes. I was being too lenient.

He picked up the envelope, slipping it into his robes as a portal formed at his side—its blue edges shimmering faintly.

If he won’t come on his own, I’ll go to him.

Augustus adjusted the cufflinks of his sleeves and stepped forward.

Besides… If this continues, I’ll be forced to work harder than necessary over the weekend myself.

And he had no intention of spending his weekends doing that.

***

It had been quite some time since Augustus had attended Rosel Academy. However, the grounds were far from unfamiliar. He visited several times a month, whether to see his friend Ronan or to represent the crown on one matter or another.

His shoes tapped softly against the cobbled stone path, the midday sun filtering through the tall canopy of pink, fluffy trees that lined the main courtyard. A faint breeze stirred the leaves overhead, carrying with it the scent of summer's blossoms.

And, of course, he was well accustomed to the gazes and whispers.

Augustus lifted his chin slightly and straightened just a fraction more, his red robes settling into a controlled sway behind him. He wasn’t ostentatious—never that—but he did not shy away from attention either. He was a Tier-One Red Royal Mage, and he needed to ensure his presentation matched his heavy title at all times.

“—worked him through the night.”

“And I thought the hazing of the others was bad…”

But apart from the evident looks of delight, there were a couple of strange whispers. Gossip about him hazing Luca Frey filled his ears.

Worked him through the night?

Augustus’s expression didn’t change, though his eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

What nonsense… I haven’t given Luca a single assignment yet.

Augustus shrugged and clicked his tongue. There was no further need to bother with it.

Academy gossip remains as imaginative as when I was a student.

He was, however, curious about how such rumors could have started, given the ample and lenient conditions he had set for the young man.

The administration building stood ahead, its ancient grey stone worn smooth with age. Tall wooden doors stood open, letting in the summer breeze. But the moment he stepped inside, the air shifted—cooler, and faintly scented with a comforting blend of wood, almond, and earthy musk.

He was immediately attended to when he approached the front desk.

“Augustus!”

The voice was warm and familiar.

“Always a pleasure to have you—what purpose brings you here today?”

Matron Elswyth Gale looked much as she always had: short in stature, her silver hair pinned neatly into a tight bun, large glasses perched atop her long nose as she peered up at him with sharp, grey, knowing eyes. This ancient woman had worked here long before even Augustus had studied at the academy. Long before he was even born.

“I need you to summon my protégé,” Augustus replied, inclining his head politely. “Luca Frey. His internship has technically begun, yet he has not reported to the palace.”

“Luca Frey…” Elswyth murmured, already turning to sift through a large binder of neatly organized student profiles. “Ah, yes, yes.”

She squinted through her lenses, then raised a wrinkled hand with perfectly manicured golden nails.

A small shimmer jumped from her lenses and gathered at her fingertips before coalescing into a flicker of light—a tiny construct no larger than her palm.

“Page,” she instructed, her voice firm, “inform Luca Frey that Augustus Vointdel is here for him. Escort him here at once.”

The construct chimed softly, like two crystal glasses tapping against one another, before darting out through the doorway in a streak of light.

Elswyth turned back to Augustus with a satisfied nod.

“He should arrive within ten minutes,” she said. “Would you care for some tea while you wait?”

“I would appreciate that,” Augustus replied with a courteous smile.

He made his way to a small table by a large window, which offered a gorgeous view of the pink trees, the bright green grass, and the academy's main courtyard. Outside, students drifted along the cobbled paths in scattered clusters, their faint voices and the rustle of leaves carried in by the gentle breeze through the large open doors.

Augustus settled into his seat, one leg crossing neatly over the other as he waited.

I’m curious. Was it truly negligence, or something more interesting that kept Luca from showing up for his internship?

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

I had forgotten.

With everything else that had happened, the internship under Augustus had slipped entirely from my mind. That was until that strange, sparkling elemental had found me in the library and dragged me back to the forefront.

No, if anything, it was a much-needed reprioritization. My life literally hung in the balance. Anything else except learning how to communicate and control Void took second place. My studies. The fly. This internship. Even sleep.

“Hmmm….” Augustus sat across from me, leisurely sipping from a cerulean blue teacup.

“You look like shit.”

I didn’t argue. Though such crude language coming from the well-composed mage felt odd.

Instead, I turned slightly toward the window beside us and took in my reflection. My black hair was oily and a bit disheveled. And the eye bags were undeniable.

Augustus set the cup down and sniffed the air, then recoiled.

“You haven’t bathed,” he said flatly. “Clearly.”

Another sniff.

“And I smell an evident use of a Cat Nap Potion radiating from your pores.”

He clicked his tongue in mild disapproval.

“No wonder there are strange rumors circulating….”

“Strange rumors…?” I blinked.

Augustus waved his hand. “Never mind that. Pray tell me why you are in such a state.”

His green eyes were fixed on me. They were sharp, expectant.

I licked my lips.

At least for that, I had an answer that I felt was going to be satisfactory.

“I contracted with a Grade A elemental yesterday,” I said. “I’ve been studying how to properly manage it.”

Augustus raised a brow, interest flickering across his face. “Oh? And what sort of creature did you manage to extract a Grade A elemental…?”

“A cerberus,” I replied.

At this, Augustus frowned and set his cup down. Confusion flickered across his face.

“A cerberus?” he inquired.

“Yes,” I nodded, fully committed to the lie.

“There’s only one known remaining cerberus in existence…” Augustus mumbled.

This, too, I knew.

Paisley had made that abundantly clear earlier this morning. Her expression alone had said enough when I explained Void’s falsified roots. The last known Cerberus was within the depths of the Glimver Dungeon, which her father was warden of.

I wish she had informed me of that before I decided to take inspiration from her initial guess as to my elemental’s original form.

I suppressed a sigh.

But it was too late now.

There was no way to turn back. It wasn’t as if I could pivot to the truth, that my elemental originated from a chaos-corrupted phoenix. That would have required a far more complicated explanation.

Thus, I had determined that it was better to confidently and arrogantly push forward with my lie.

“It was a wild cerberus,” I added. “I connected with it before I arrived at the academy, but I contracted with it only yesterday.”

Augustus’s gaze evaluated me.

“Can I see it…?” Augustus finally asked. I couldn’t tell if he believed me or not, but there was certainly a trace of curiosity to his expression.

“Void,” I said softly, “please say hello to Augustus.”

My shadow moved, extending over the table between us, broken in three areas where sunlight was allowed to remain: two round eyes and a crescent-shaped mouth. A lump of shadow extended out and waved, as a stubby hand might.

It was surprisingly cute in appearance. Disarmingly so. And entirely at odds with what I knew Void was capable of.

Augustus blinked at the sight. Then a bright smile spread across his face, edged with intrigue.

“A shadow elemental…?”

His green eyes caught the light, glinting with interest that he didn’t bother to hide.

“What are its abilities?” he inquired.

I smiled.

I was off the hook.

“It’s easier to show you,” I said. “Please relax and do not be alarmed.”

“Very well,” Augustus leaned back comfortably, his expression full of expectation. “Proceed.”

“Void,” I said gently, “remember to be careful. Please have Augustus wave hello back to me.”

The shadow on the table stirred, then flowed outward in a smooth, liquid motion. It slipped over Augustus’s sleeve and wrapped around his right hand.

His palm lifted. And waved.

Augustus watched the movement with calm interest, as if examining an unfamiliar tool.

It was a very different reaction compared to my own first experience. Perhaps the warning helped. Or that Void was better trained. Or simply because he was a Tier-One Mage and accustomed to the unusual.

If he felt it, Augustus didn’t betray a tinge of fear. There was only mild amusement and curiosity.

“Possession?” Augustus guessed, as he watched his own limb move on its own.

I nodded. “I call it Shadow Puppetering.”

After providing the necessary compliment to Void and instructing him to release Augustus, I moved on to the next skill.

“Void, please nullify the noise coming through the large doorways,” I instructed, pointing behind me.

The shadow reacted more abruptly this time. It spread outward in a thin, expanding veil. It stretched along the table, climbed the legs, and bled into the space around us. Wisps of darkness rose toward our ears, plugging them shut.

The effect was immediate.

Augustus peered behind me, at the two large doors, then back at the shadow.

The voices of the walking students and the rustling leaves disappeared, as if the two large doors had been sealed shut. However, they remained wide open. It was our own perception that was altered.

“Thank you, Void,” I said. “Please undo the nullification and return to the table.”

The silence from the outside broke, filling the space again.

The shadow withdrew, pooling neatly on the table once more, reshaping itself into that same cute, smiling form.

“I call that Sense Nullification,” I stated.

Augustus leaned slightly to one side, his gaze dipping beneath the table, then tracing back up along the line where my shadow met me.

“Is he always connected to you?” he asked.

I nodded. “He is.”

Augustus settled back into his chair, fingers tapping once against the table. “Are those all the abilities he has… or…?”

An involuntary laugh emerged from my throat.

“Oh, no,” I said, shaking my head. “Just the ones I can manage safely. Our contract is still… new.”

I technically lied; I had gained control over a third ability today.

However, given the greedy eyes of the royal mage before me, I decided to leave it at that.

His next words only confirmed my concealment was correct.

“Luca,” Augustus said, leaning forward now, his tone shifting slightly, “I was planning to ease you into this eventually… but what do you say to having a more practical internship experience?”

I frowned faintly. “Practical?”

His smile widened.

“Field experience,” he explained.

Augustus’ green eyes had a slightly unhinged look to them.

“I normally wouldn’t suggest it this early,” he continued, “but with a belden over a thousand—mana restrictions aside—and a Grade A elemental of this caliber…”

He tapped the table.

“I believe you’ll manage just fine,” he said.

I rubbed at my eyes, the fatigue catching up all at once.

“What sort of field experience…?” I asked.

Augustus smiled brighter. “The battlefield. Our kingdom is currently at war with three smaller nations. The southern front, in particular, has been… interesting.”

I let out a slow breath.

Ah. Damn it.

I thought Void’s disarmingly cute appearance would have avoided such a development so soon, but Augustus was a battle-mage. If anyone could have realized the potential of Void’s power, it was him.

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