Unseen String

Unseen String

Elias was in disbelief.

"This… this wasn't supposed to happen," he muttered to himself in his room.

"None of this happened in the original novel."

In the original timeline, Jullian had been framed for planting an explosive artifact—one engraved with deadly runes—on a student from the Artifact Department. Everyone believed it was his doing, but behind the scenes, it had been the Dark Order's plan to get rid of Jullian—either through expulsion or death.

Elias had studied that event carefully. He knew how they had manipulated Jullian's mana signature and used it against him. And now, Elias had tried to do the same thing… against Arthur.

But this time, he had gone a step further.

He had used a special artifact, crafted by a Divine Smith—a relic capable of replicating mana so precisely that even top-level mages couldn't tell the difference. But such a tool didn't just mimic any ordinary magic. It could even copy mana at the level of a Divine grade core. That meant the fake signature could only be attributed to someone like the Dwarf King.

It was the perfect setup.

The goal wasn't to kill Arthur or get him expelled. Elias just wanted to force him to step down as Yearlord—to remove him quietly, cleanly, from power.

But the plan had failed.

Miserably.

Not only had Arthur survived the setup, but something had gone completely off-script. This wasn't how things were supposed to unfold. The artifact didn't act the way it should have. Someone interfered—someone not in the original timeline.

Elias clenched his fists, a cold sweat on his brow.

"…No. This isn't right. This wasn't in the novel at all…"

Here's your refined novel chapter, cleaned up with strong narration, natural dialogue, polished grammar, and added tension. The scene continues the mystery and internal politics, as Elias retreats and Arthur's group uncovers the truth. I also included insights from Nyx, Jullian, Nyssara, and Saryn, as you requested.

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Chapter: Shadows Unraveled

Bzzzt.

The crystal communicator buzzed sharply.

Elias frowned as he tapped the dial icon. On the other end, the gentle voice of a saintess answered.

"Hello, Mr. Hero," Caelistra said softly.

"Caelistra," Elias said without his usual charm. His tone was sharp, clipped. "Replace the artifact. We're not moving forward with the plan."

There was a pause, then her calm reply:

"Understood, Mr. Hero. I will do it right now."

"Message me when it's done," Elias muttered, fingers tightening around the device.

"I will," she said.

He ended the call and leaned back in his chair. His brows furrowed, anxiety flickering beneath his composed expression.

"Damn it… If Arthur found it, this is beyond me now."

He stared blankly out the dorm window, shadows from the moonlight slicing across his desk.

"I should lay low for now. Wait for the right moment."

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Elsewhere: Arthur's Quarters

The room was quiet, yet it vibrated with a subtle tension—the kind that clings to unsaid truths. At the center of Arthur's desk floated a prism-shaped artifact, glowing faintly. Around it, silver runes spun in slow, hypnotic circles, casting soft reflections across the walls.

Arthur stood silently, arms crossed, eyes locked on the artifact.

Nyx leaned forward, her golden eyes gleaming with curiosity. "So this is what you asked us to get from the lab? It's… beautiful. But I still don't get what it does."

Arthur didn't answer.

Instead, he tapped a rune embedded in the table. A faint hum echoed, and a recording crackled to life.

"One that can replicate his mana," Elias's voice echoed, calm but full of ambition. "Perfectly. Complete and identical."

"You're saying it can copy his mana?" Veylan's voice followed, skeptical. "That's useless. Any high-ranker can tell when mana is artificial. It lacks soul—it's empty."

"Not this one," Caelistra responded, her voice as composed as ever. "No being alive can detect that the mana is artificial. It was forged by a Divine Smith. It is flawless."

The recording ended with silence. No one spoke for several heartbeats.

Arthur finally said, "I planted a magical mic on Georgina. I suspected Elias was plotting something. Now I know."

Jullian crossed his arms, his expression grim. "I never thought our prince would stoop this low. Using divine relics… just to dethrone you?"

Saryn didn't look up from her scroll. "When someone's desperate for power, morality turns into strategy. Elias probably doesn't even see it as betrayal—just a means to an end."

"But people died," Jullian snapped. "Even if they were resurrected, they died. This went too far."

Arthur shook his head. "No. He wasn't behind the recent chaos. I think… he saw an opportunity and tried to use it to frame me."

Nyssara, seated cross-legged on the couch, rubbed her chin. "You're saying someone else started the whole thing—maybe even planned to blow up the artifact lab—and Elias just used the mana artifact to shift the blame?"

Arthur's gaze lingered on the pulsing runes. "Exactly. His plan failed… but that's not what worries me now."

Nyx tilted her head. "Then what does?"

Arthur leaned forward, tapping the prism once more. "What happened to the first years—students trying to kill each other out of nowhere… what is that?"

The room fell into a tense silence.

Saryn finally spoke, her voice quiet. "Hypnosis, maybe? Some kind of mass suggestion spell?"

Jullian looked uneasy. "Even if that's true… how strong would someone have to be to hypnotize half the first-year class in Elydrion Academy, the greatest magical school in the world?"

Arthur walked over to a shelf, placing the prism gently inside a stasis box lined with anti-magic seals.

"That's exactly what concerns me," he said. "If someone with that level of power is targeting students—then this isn't just politics anymore. It's war."

Nyssara frowned. "You're overthinking. What if they just used advanced rune magic? With the right sequence, even mid-level mages can influence minds."

Arthur nodded slowly. "True. If it was rune-based mind control, that would explain a lot. And it would be harder to trace than direct magical manipulation."

Jullian sighed. "Still… this isn't our fight. Catching the mastermind, that's the teachers' job. Headmaster Maxxarion saw everything. We should just focus on keeping our heads down."

Arthur didn't respond immediately. He turned to the window, watching the moonlight reflect off the distant towers of the academy.

"Maybe," he said softly. "But something doesn't feel right."

The others exchanged glances.

And in that moment, though no one spoke it aloud, they all felt it too:

A chill in the air.

A shadow behind the light.

And something terrible waiting just out of sight.