has turned into a secondary battlefield where information warfare might prove more decisive than any magical duel."
Aaron's pulse quickened as Cedric's words confirmed his darkest suspicions about the scope of the conspiracy. "Specific names?"
"Working on it," Cedric replied, taking a careful sip of wine that allowed him to observe Aaron's reaction over the goblet's rim. "There's a serving girl in the kitchens who asks too many questions about our meal schedules, and one of the tournament judges has been receiving messages from sources that don't match his supposed allegiances. Sleep lightly, my friend—we're being hunted by professionals."
The fire crackled in the silence that followed, embers spiraling up the chimney like the souls of the men Aaron had killed earlier. He rose from his chair, the weight of conspiracy and counter-conspiracy settling on his shoulders like a familiar cloak.
"Get what rest you can, Cedric," he said, moving toward the spiral staircase that led to the dormitory's upper levels. "Dawn will bring new challenges."
"Sleep is for dreamers and the innocent," Cedric replied, but he set down his goblet and stretched like a cat preparing for a hunt. "I'll keep watch while you recover from whatever unpleasant business kept you out past midnight."
Aaron climbed the spiral staircase, moonlight streaming through stained glass windows that depicted the legendary binding of the Crystal Nexus by Emperor Alexius. The ancient magic that held Eldoria's realm together was more fragile than most citizens realized, requiring constant maintenance by those who understood the delicate balance between order and chaos.
His chamber's blood-ward recognized his approach and disengaged with a soft chime, protective crystals flaring briefly before returning to their dormant state. The room beyond was a study in contrasts—noble privilege and Earth-born pragmatism existing in careful harmony. His bed bore House Valeria's green and gold colors, while his ancestral sword hung on the wall like a reminder of duties that transcended personal desire.
At the window, he could see the Mage's Spire glowing against the night sky, its peak crowned with the communication crystals that linked the Academy to the Imperial Palace. Princess Riona's arrival was less than a week away, bringing with her the full weight of House Aurelius's political ambitions and the expectations of a marriage that would reshape the kingdom's balance of power.
Aaron withdrew his private journal from its hidden compartment, the leather-bound volume protected by wards that would incinerate its contents if anyone else attempted to read them. His quill moved across the pages in swift, precise strokes, mapping the web of conspiracy that threatened to entangle everyone he cared about.
House Shadowmere's plan was becoming clearer with each piece of intelligence gathered. Prince Dorian's faction sought to use the tournament as cover for eliminating rivals while positioning themselves as the stability Eldoria needed in troubled times. But the deeper question remained: why now? What prize justified the risk of open civil war?
The answer lay somewhere in the tournament's true purpose, the real reason why the Crown had chosen this moment to display the kingdom's magical prowess before representatives from every major power in the known world. Aaron suspected that the official explanation—strengthening diplomatic ties through cultural exchange—was only a fraction of the truth.
His sword caught the moonlight as he turned from the window, House Valeria's ancient motto etched in silver along the blade: "Through cunning, we endure." The words had guided his family for eight generations, through wars and plagues and the rise and fall of dynasties. They would guide him now, as he prepared to match wits and steel against enemies who had already demonstrated their willingness to kill.
House Shadowmere had made the mistake of believing that Aaron Valeria was simply another privileged heir, unprepared for the realities of life-and-death politics. They would learn otherwise, as corporate rivals in his previous life had learned too late. The predator they sought to eliminate was already hunting them, and the lessons of two lifetimes would determine who survived the coming storm.
Outside his window, the Academy slept in the embrace of ancient protections, unaware that its halls had become a battlefield where the kingdom's future would be decided. Aaron Valeria stood watch in the darkness, a guardian whose past life had taught him that survival often required becoming the monster that others feared to face.
The tournament would begin in four days. By the time it ended, the shadows that threatened House Valeria would either be eliminated or victorious. Aaron intended to ensure that only one outcome was possible, regardless of what it cost his soul in the process.