During the rest of the week, I spent most of my free time attuning to the orb.

  It wasn't very fun or engaging. I found myself wishing I had something to listen to while doing it, some kind of background distraction. But it required too much concentration for that. If my mind wandered even slightly, my mana would just stop flowing into the metal sphere.

  Perhaps one day I'd become skilled enough to control my mana despite my emotional state, but for now I had to accept my limitations.

  My private sessions with Emberheart were picking up pace. I was learning multiple magic circles simultaneously now, and I'd already made decent progress on my new spells. I couldn't use them in any realistic combat situation yet, but at least I could cast them in a controlled environment without completely embarrassing myself.

  Emberheart was an extremely skilled combat mage, and it showed in his choice of spells. Every circle he taught me had practical applications based on real combat situations I might face. We skipped any utility spells or anything that wouldn't be specifically useful for me in a fight.

  When Saturday morning finally arrived, I debated whether to bring the orb with me. I still couldn't control it properly yet, though at least it didn't feel so heavy anymore. Maybe I could just carry it as dead weight?

  In the end, I decided to bring it. If anything happened, I could always make it work with a rule.

  We met outside the academy gates just as the sun was rising. The guards posted there did an excellent job of pretending not to see us leaving, probably because Aurora was already waiting there.

  Soon, everyone had arrived.

  Lina looked nervous, constantly glancing back at the academy like she expected someone to come running out to stop us. Her blue hair was tied back in a neat bun for once, and she wore practical traveling clothes instead of her uniform. She'd brought what looked like three different bags, probably filled with supplies and research materials.

  Mary stood with perfect posture as always, her blonde hair styled immaculately despite the early hour. She wore her platinum uniform with all its status indicators, because apparently even sneaking out required proper presentation. Her expression was calm and neutral, giving absolutely nothing away about what she thought of this expedition.

  Erick looked like he'd just rolled out of bed. His longer hair was messier than usual, barely held back by his metal clips. He'd modified his uniform even more for travel, with extra pockets and loops added seemingly at random. The chain on his belt had something new attached to it that looked like a small tool kit.

  Anya stood slightly apart from the group, her light red hair in its practical braid. Serin floated beside her, the spirit creature seeming more energetic than usual, probably excited to be going somewhere. Anya's expression was unreadable, but there was a tension in her shoulders that hadn't been there before.

  Aurora, of course, looked perfectly composed. Her silvery-white hair caught the early morning light, and her white uniform was immaculate as always. She was clearly in leader mode, having already checked everyone's preparations twice.

  "How exactly are we getting there?" Lina asked, looking around as if expecting a vehicle to materialize.

  "Our transportation should arrive soon," Aurora replied. "This time it should be faster since we can fly directly over. We should be back at the academy by tomorrow."

  If anyone looked at our group from the outside, it would seem like this whole expedition was Aurora's idea. She was leading again, having made sure every preparation was handled correctly. Which was probably for the best, since the rest of us would have just wandered into the forest with no plan.

  "That's a relief," Lina said, relaxing slightly. "I couldn't afford to miss Monday's classes."

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  "That's a shame," Erick said with exaggerated disappointment. "Was hoping to skip a few days."

  "You skip classes anyway," I pointed out.

  "Yeah, but this time I'd have an excuse."

  Soon, a ship approached from the distance. It was similar to the one we'd used during the previous expedition, though it clearly didn't belong to the academy. It seemed to be a newer model based on its condition, with sleeker lines and what looked like improved enchantments along the hull.

  Once we climbed aboard, I noticed the ship was piloted by a man in a well-kept uniform bearing the same symbol as the one on the ship's sail. A private vessel, then. Probably Aurora's family's.

  "I'll take control from here," Aurora told him. "You can rest."

  The man nodded and stepped aside without question. Aurora moved to the ship's controls while the rest of us found places to settle for the journey.

  We arrived at the small village where we'd rested during the expedition. Without the corruption present, it just looked like any other abandoned settlement. Sad, but not threatening.

  "So you remember the exact location?" Erick asked, stretching after the flight.

  "Anya?" Aurora looked to her.

  "I do not," Anya said quietly. "But Serin can lead us there."

  Her tone was completely neutral, her voice low. She was just going through the motions, her mind clearly somewhere else. Probably thinking about her brother, about what we might find.

  Serin, on the other hand, seemed genuinely happy to be in the forest, especially now that it was free of corruption. The spirit creature darted ahead excitedly.

  Led by Serin, we made our way into the woods.

  "The forest is already healing," Lina observed.

  She was right. Where before everything had been dead and grey, now there were small signs of life. Tiny green shoots pushing through the ash-covered ground. Moss beginning to reclaim the tree bark. It wasn't much, but it was something.

  "As long as the corruption is removed, nature follows its course," Anya responded, then fell silent again.

  We walked in silence for another minute, the only sounds were our footsteps.

  "We should have brought Mira," Erick said with an exaggerated sigh. "You guys are awful at making this less boring."

  I couldn't help but smile a bit. "I guess we're just tense."

  "Not an excuse." He gestured around dramatically. "You really think a corruption mage is gonna be standing behind a rock ready to throw corruption at us? Like 'surprise, here's your evil magic!'"

  "You have a point..."

  "We should not become careless," Mary said, her voice perfectly measured. "This territory belonged to our enemy recently. There may still be traps, or they could have returned to complete their ritual."

  "I don't think they'd come back," Aurora said, not seeming bothered by Erick's attitude. "Wherever the corruption from here went, that's where they would go."

  "What if they removed the circle already?" Lina worried, clutching her bags tighter.

  "Unlikely. Emberheart has seen it, so whatever information could be gained from it has already been gained from their perspective. Removing evidence now would be pointless."

  "Who would've imagined a figure of authority hiding information from people," Erick said with mock shock. "Absolutely shocking."

  "Emberheart is protecting us in his own way," Mary defended. "It's what's expected from someone in his position."

  "Well, he could at least tell Aurora," I complained. "She was there. She risked her life."

  "I'm sure he has good reasons," Lina suggested quickly. "I mean, look at what we're doing. He probably wanted to avoid exactly this."

  "He also hid it from Silvani," Aurora added thoughtfully. "And those two trust each other in their own way. I doubt the decision came from him alone."

  "Even worse!" Erick threw his hands up. "Being an S-rank and still taking orders. Man, that's just sad."

  "Not everyone wishes for complete freedom," Mary reflected. "Some find comfort in structure and order."

  "The director is a capable mage," Aurora said. "His presence has kept the Empire from civil war for decades. I can understand why someone would choose to follow him."

  "Not you too," Erick looked genuinely betrayed. "I thought you were cool."

  I laughed despite the tension. Aurora even gave a slight smile.

  "We're here," Anya interrupted, her voice cutting through our conversation.

  The clearing opened before us, exactly as I remembered it.

  And in the center of the rune circle, a small puddle of corruption sat like a dark stain.

  It was expanding outward. Slowly, but definitely growing.

  We all stopped, staring at the impossible sight.

  The corruption was back.