La_mora_que_ame

//chapters every Thursday//
Evan Solene’s arrival at the Veiled Academy is supposed to mark the beginning of his prestigious education in the magical arts. But instead, it quickly becomes a descent into a world of secrets, power struggles, and forbidden magic. Beneath the academy's prestigious reputation lies a hidden truth: its true purpose is far more sinister than anyone knows.

In the midst of this shadowy realm, Evan finds himself drawn to Selene Arkwright, a mysterious and compelling student with a lineage that connects her to the academy’s darkest history. As their bond grows, Evan discovers Selene’s crucial role in a centuries-old conflict that threatens to tear the academy—and the magical world—apart.

The more Evan uncovers about the academy’s true purpose, the more he realizes that his arrival is no accident. The academy isn't just a place of learning; it's a breeding ground for the next generation of dark mages, and the students are nothing more than pawns in a deadly game. With powerful forces aligned against them, Evan and Selene must navigate a web of lies, betrayal, and temptation that threatens not only their love but their very lives.

At the heart of this treacherous institution stands Mira Solene, a teacher with a brutal reputation, who harbors her own dark ambitions. As Evan and Selene uncover Mira's role in the academy’s corrupt leadership, they must decide how far they’re willing to go to expose the truth and free themselves from the academy’s deadly grip.

Crown of Ruins/Garden of the Exiles

Chspter 28: Threads of the Heart

Evan woke standing in Caine's office.

Or rather, a twisted reflection of it. The real headmaster's quarters were all polished oak and orderly shelves. This version stretched endlessly in every direction, the bookshelves warping like melted wax. The scent of burning parchment hung thick in the air.

Caine stood at his desk—except it wasn't quite Caine. His features shifted constantly, cycling through faces Evan recognized from portraits in the great hall: previous headmasters, all the way back to the academy's founding.

Evan moved silently, his dream-form leaving no footprints in the thick carpet of ash. The records should be in the—

"Don't." Isolde's voice, barely a whisper. Her dream-self looked different—older, wearier, with streaks of white in her dark hair. "He'll see you if you get too close."

Evan peeled her fingers away. "What are you doing here?"

"I told you the tonic was dangerous." She nodded to the shifting figure. "He's not just dreaming. He's remembering."

As if on cue, Caine—or the thing wearing his face—spoke. "The seventh sacrifice must be willing," it murmured, flipping through a ledger filled with names. Evan caught glimpses of his own, circled in red. "The stormcaller's blood will—"

Suddenly they stood in the ruined observatory, watching a younger Caine kneel before Lucian. The memory-Caine's hands shook as he accepted a black dagger.

"Remember our bargain," Lucian purred, his fingers trailing through Caine's hair like a lover's. "The academy thrives so long as the Vessel feeds."

The dream shifted again—faster now. A procession of students led to the underground chamber. A silver-haired woman (Selene's mother?) screaming as shadows consumed her. Then—

A library. Not the academy's, but a smaller, homier one. Isolde, perhaps twelve years old, curled in a window seat with a book. The scene was so peaceful it ached.

Evan turned to the real Isolde. Her face had gone deathly pale.

"This is your memory," he realized.

She nodded jerkily. "The day before they came for me."

The door burst open. Men in academy robes. Isolde's father stepping between them and his daughter. The flash of a blade.

Evan reached for her, but Isolde pulled away. "We're here for the records, remember?"

The dream dissolved into chaos after that—fragments of ledgers and lists, the sensation of falling, then—

A hand on his wrist. Isolde's face inches from his, her eyes wide behind her glasses. "Evan, we have to go now."

Behind her, the dream-Caine's head snapped up. Except it wasn't Caine anymore.

chapter 28: Threads of the Heart﻿

chapter 28: Threads of the Heart