Chương 49: The Night of the Convergence

The Royal Capital did not sleep that night. The Arcane Convergence had entered its most anticipated stage, and the central districts remained illuminated long after sunset. Floating lanterns drifted above the streets, magical performances filled the plazas, and delegations from distant kingdoms gathered beneath the enormous crystal towers that supplied the city with mana. From the upper balcony of the academy, Leo watched the lights without much interest. The city was beautiful.

That was precisely what made him uneasy. Too much light could hide a great deal of darkness. Behind him, the sound of footsteps approached. Alice stopped beside him.

"You've been standing here for almost half an hour."

"I'm watching the city."

"You're watching the eastern district." Leo glanced at her. She was right. The eastern district was several streets away, but the tallest buildings allowed him to see part of it from the academy.

"I noticed something earlier," he said.

"The symbol?"

"And the people beneath the warehouse." Alice leaned against the railing.

"You said there were several of them."

"At least four."

"Are they still there?"

"I don't know." She looked at him.

"You didn't investigate."

"Not yet." Alice nodded. She had learned enough about Leo to understand that when he deliberately avoided a fight, there was usually a reason. Amon's voice suddenly came from behind them.

"There you two are." Leo turned. Amon approached with Masha and Daniel.

"The next event is about to start." Masha looked toward the city.

"Fireworks." Amon grinned.

"Magical fireworks." Daniel corrected him.

"There's also a demonstration from the royal mages." Amon's smile widened.

"Even better." Leo pushed himself away from the railing.

"Let's go." This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work. They returned to the central courtyard. Thousands of people had gathered around the academy's largest plaza. The Arcane Convergence had transformed the area into something almost unreal, with enormous magical formations suspended above the crowd like translucent constellations. Representatives from different kingdoms stood in designated areas. Nobles occupied the upper platforms.

Students filled the lower sections. At the center stood seven enormous crystal pillars. Leo recognized them immediately. They were part of the same magical network that had been connected to the eastern district. The crystals glowed brightly. Too brightly. Leo stopped. Daniel noticed.

"What?"

"Nothing." Leo continued walking. He did not want to alarm the others without evidence. The ceremony began. A royal mage stepped onto the central platform and raised both hands. Mana surged through the seven pillars. The entire plaza illuminated. A wave of light rose into the sky and transformed into enormous shapes above the city. Dragons. Phoenixes. Ancient castles. Battles between legendary heroes. The crowd erupted in applause. Amon stared upward.

"That's incredible." Masha smiled. Daniel looked genuinely fascinated. Even Alice watched the display with quiet appreciation. Leo barely looked at it. His attention remained on the pillars. The third one flickered. Once. Then stabilized. Leo's eyes narrowed. A second later, the fifth pillar flickered as well. Different location. Same pattern. Someone was interfering with the network. Not enough to cause an obvious failure. Just enough to test its response. Leo stepped away from the group.

Alice noticed immediately.

"Leo?"

"I need to check something."

"I'll come with you."

"No." She frowned.

"Why?"

"Because if I'm wrong, there's no reason for you to leave the event."

"And if you're right?" Leo looked at her.

"Then I'll call you." Alice held his gaze for several seconds before nodding.

"Fine." Leo disappeared into the crowd. He moved toward the nearest crystal pillar. Several guards stood around it, but none stopped him when they recognized the academy uniform. Leo placed his hand against the stone platform beneath the crystal. The magical flow was strong. Stable. Then he felt it. A second current. Hidden beneath the main flow. Someone had created a secondary channel beneath the official network. Leo closed his eyes. He followed the current. It moved through the city.

From the central plaza toward the eastern district. Then downward. Into the underground passages. Leo opened his eyes. So that was it. The warehouse wasn't the target. The entire magical network was. He removed his hand. A voice spoke behind him.

"Interesting." Leo turned. Professor Gareth stood several meters away. The instructor's expression was serious.

"You felt it too." Leo nodded. Gareth looked toward the crystal.

"How much?"

"Someone is using a secondary mana channel." Gareth's eyes hardened.

"Can you locate it?"

"Roughly."

"Show me." Leo hesitated. He had no reason to trust anyone with everything he knew. But Gareth was responsible for the students. And if the network was compromised, waiting could place thousands of people at risk.

"This way." They moved away from the plaza. Neither noticed the small figure watching them from the opposite side of the crowd. A black cloak. A silver thread. The figure turned and disappeared between the spectators. Far beneath the city, several people stood around a circular formation. Silver lines covered the floor. At the center was a small crystal. One of the men looked up.

"The network reacted." Another nodded.

"Someone detected the secondary channel."

"Who?" A pause.

"The Heavenly Demon." The first man remained silent. Then he smiled.

"Good." He placed his hand against the formation. The silver lines began glowing.

"Now we know exactly where he is." Above them, the magical fireworks continued. The crowd cheered as another enormous phoenix appeared in the sky. Nobody noticed the faint tremor beneath their feet. Nobody except Leo. He stopped in the middle of the corridor. Gareth looked at him.

"What is it?" Leo stared toward the floor.

"The underground channel just changed."

"How?"

"It isn't transmitting anymore." Gareth frowned.

"Then what is it doing?" Leo slowly drew his sword. The answer came before he could speak. A deep vibration passed through the academy. The seven crystal pillars in the plaza went dark simultaneously. The fireworks vanished. The crowd fell silent. For one heartbeat, the entire Royal Capital became dark. Then— Every magical lamp in the city turned red. A horn sounded from the eastern district. Once. Twice. Then dozens of others answered from different parts of the capital. Gareth's expression changed.

"That's not an academy alarm." Leo looked toward the windows.

"No." Another vibration shook the building. This one was stronger. The stone beneath their feet cracked. Gareth drew his sword.

"Get the students inside." Leo's grip tightened around his weapon. The Arcane Convergence had not been interrupted. It had been used. Thousands of people had gathered beneath the same magical network, exactly as the man beneath the city had intended. And now— the network had begun to activate. End of Chapter 49.