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    <b>[Location: Leoncrest Castle - Tower 2]</b>


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    [Date: January 6, y. 486 of the Fourth Age]</b>


    Zeke bounded up the stairs of Tower 2, taking them two at a time. His afternoon was wide open again with Professor Harold still away, and the prospect of free time made him grin.


    Winter sunlight streamed through the narrow windows, casting long rectangles on the stone steps.


    Reaching Elise''s door, he rapped his knuckles against the wood, eager to see what adventure they might find today. The door swung open, but instead of Elise''s usual smile, she greeted him with a frown.


    "What''s up?" he asked. "Something wrong?"


    "Not wrong exactly," she sighed. "I was planning to convince you to try a new recipe I found, but my Principles of Magic professor just hit us with a surprise test tomorrow. I''ve got one night to read through almost four hundred pages."


    Zeke whistled. "Ouch. Want help studying?"


    "I don''t think it would do much good," she replied, shaking her head. "When I read, I sort of zone out and forget the outside world exists. I''m really sorry."


    "No worries!" Zeke said with an easy shrug. "I''ll find something else to do. Good luck with the studying!"


    As Elise closed her door, Zeke turned and headed back downstairs, mind already racing with possibilities. It was strange – most students had no trouble filling free hours, but he still hadn''t found that perfect hobby.


    Growing up at the Godfrey estate, his days had been structured around avoiding his father''s disappointment rather than pursuing interests.


    He was considering heading back to his room to see what Ralph was up to when a voice called from behind.


    "Hey! De''Godfrey?"


    Turning, he spotted Ingrid striding toward him, her short black hair slightly tousled as though she''d been outside. Unlike her usual composed self, she had a restless energy about her.


    "Hey Ingrid! What''s up?"


    She sighed, shoulders dropping slightly. "I don''t know. I''m bored."


    "Same here," Zeke nodded. "My afternoon professor is still away, and I''m terrible at doing nothing."


    "Me too," Ingrid said, frowning. "I usually study, but all my classes have lighter loads this week. Must be something in the air – half the staff have been summoned to their home estates for one reason or another."


    She paused, something mischievous flashing in her eyes. "If you want to do something, I''d be game."


    "Like what?" Zeke asked, immediately interested. "I''m up for anything."


    A small smile flickered across Ingrid''s face. "Want to go see if we can find the tomb of Dorian Le''Dorik?"


    The name made Zeke start slightly. "Who''s that?"


    "Who''s that?" Ingrid''s eyebrows shot up in disbelief. "Only the first student to ever graduate from the Academy! They say he loved this place so much that when he died, he was buried somewhere on the grounds. His tomb supposedly contains loads of treasure, and no one''s ever found it."


    "The odds of us finding it seem pretty slim then," Zeke pointed out, though excitement was already building in his chest.


    "Oh, I know," Ingrid shrugged, "but the alternative is going back to my room and staring at the wall until it''s dark enough to sleep. Are you coming with me or not?"


    Zeke grinned. "Lead the way!"


    Twenty minutes later, they were trudging through the Academy grounds, heavy cloaks wrapped around them against the winter chill. Most of the snow had melted during a brief warm spell, though patches still clung to the shadows of trees and walls.


    "So how''d you get interested in this tomb?" Zeke asked as they crossed the stone bridge spanning the river. Below them, icy water thundered over rocks, sending up a fine, frigid mist.


    "I read about it in a book about Academy legends," Ingrid replied. "Most students focus on ghost stories or the sewer worms, but the tomb caught my attention. A first-year spending time in the library? I know, shocking."


    "Hey, I''ve been to the library," Zeke protested. "At least three or four times."


    Ingrid laughed. "Three or four times in half a year? I''m there three or four times a week!"


    They passed through the Training Woods where a handful of students were engaged in sparring matches despite the cold. Soon they reached the edge of the Old Woods, where ancient trees grew so closely together their trunks seemed to merge into a single knotted mass.


    "From what I''ve read," Ingrid said, pausing at the low stone wall marking the boundary, "the tomb should be somewhere in there, fairly close to the school. Ready for some real exploring?"


    "Born ready," Zeke replied, vaulting over the wall.


    The difference between the Training Woods and the Old Woods was immediately apparent. Here, the ground was uneven and treacherous, with hidden dips and rises concealed by years of fallen branches.


    Even without leaves to block their sight, progress was slow. Dried vines crisscrossed between trunks, and thorny brush grew so thickly in places they had to force their way through.


    "This place is wild," Zeke said, ducking under a low-hanging branch. "No wonder they don''t use it for training."


    "They used to," Ingrid replied, carefully picking her way around a tangle of roots. "Centuries ago, before they cleared the Training Woods. Hard to believe now, but apparently first-years would get lost in here all the time."


    Zeke laughed. "I can see why. I''d be lost already if I wasn''t following you."


    As they pushed deeper into the forest, Zeke began to wonder if Ingrid had more information than she was sharing. She moved with purpose, occasionally consulting what looked like mental landmarks.


    Finally, they ducked under a massive fallen tree and stepped into a small clearing.


    "Here!" Ingrid announced triumphantly.


    Zeke looked around, uncertain what he was supposed to see. The clearing was mostly bare, with patchy grass still holding wisps of snow.


    As his eyes adjusted, however, he noticed several weathered cobblestones poking up through the ground.


    "I was on an expedition with Victoria a couple weeks ago," Ingrid explained, kneeling to examine one of the stones. "We were doing a navigation exercise – blindfolded, dropped in the middle of nowhere, find your way back to the Academy."


    "And you could?" Zeke asked, impressed.


    "Easily," she shrugged. "Finding direction in a forest isn''t hard if you know what to look for, and the Old Forest has distinctive features. Anyway, I stumbled across this place and have been wanting to come back ever since."


    "You think this is the tomb?" Zeke asked, tapping one of the cobblestones with his boot.


    "More likely an old training dungeon," Ingrid replied. "There are about two dozen active training dungeons scattered throughout the grounds, but historical records mention over a hundred throughout the years. Most are so far gone you''d be lucky to find a couple stones, but this one seems more intact."


    "So how do we find the entrance, if there is one?"


    "We look," Ingrid said simply. "And if we don''t find anything today, I''ll come back in spring with a shovel."


    They began methodically searching the clearing, checking under tree roots and brushing away years of accumulated debris. Finding nothing, they widened their search to the surrounding area, but still came up empty-handed.


    After about twenty minutes, Ingrid returned to the center of the clearing, muttering to herself.


    "Two hundred feet... left turn... right turn... traps..."


    "What are you doing?" Zeke asked, joining her.


    "Just thinking," she replied. "I originally thought these cobblestones might be part of an entrance, but now I''m wondering if this is actually the roof of one of the main chambers. That would explain the clearing – no soil above it for trees to root in. If that''s the case, the entrance should be nearby."


    She scanned the area, then pointed. "Probably that way, judging from the lay of the land."


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    They pushed through more underbrush until suddenly the ground dropped away. They stood at the edge of a sharp ravine about ten feet deep, with walls of broken rock and exposed tree roots.


    "Careful," Ingrid warned, beginning a controlled slide down the slope. She used roots as handholds, testing each one before putting her weight on it.


    Zeke followed her example, adrenaline pumping through his veins. This was the kind of adventure he''d read about in books but never experienced growing up in the sheltered Godfrey estate.


    At the bottom of the ravine, Ingrid pointed ahead. "There!"


    Zeke rushed forward, excitement building. A stone arch was cut into the ravine wall, mostly hidden by dried vines. Beyond it, a dark tunnel plunged into the earth.


    Ingrid formed a ball of light in her palm and strode forward. "Come on."


    "Do you think this is the entrance?" Zeke asked, following close behind.


    "Not the original one," she replied, her voice echoing slightly in the narrow passage. "This was probably a side tunnel. The main entrance would have been elsewhere, but the ravine formed and cut through the old passage. So yes, it''s an entrance now, but not the one people would have used in the old—"


    She stopped abruptly as they reached a solid wall of stone. "Days."


    Zeke frowned, running his hand across the obstacle. It wasn''t a pile of rubble from a recent collapse – this was ancient, the stones long since fused together by time and pressure. It was simply a dead end.


    "Well, that''s frustrating," Ingrid sighed, biting her lip. "Nothing to be done about it, though."


    To Zeke''s surprise, she turned and walked back out of the tunnel without another word, heading toward the Academy rather than returning to the clearing.


    "Ingrid?" he called after her. "Aren''t you going to keep searching for a way in?"


    "No," she replied, glancing back with a puzzled expression. "I told you, I''ll come back with a shovel. It''s getting too late now – I''ll wait for the break between winter and spring terms, then spend a few days working on it properly. Nothing more we can do today."


    "Couldn''t there be another entrance?" Zeke pressed, catching up to her. "If one ravine cut through a tunnel, maybe another did too."


    "Possible," she conceded. "Unlikely, though." She paused. "Do you want to keep looking?"


    "Not particularly," Zeke admitted, feeling the cold more acutely now that they''d stopped moving. "I wasn''t exactly raised to be an explorer. I just figured you were set on getting in there."


    Ingrid shook her head, continuing through the trees. "If there''s one thing I learned growing up in a mercenary family, it''s that if you run into a problem once, you''ll likely run into the same problem again using the same tactics. If we found another entrance, it would probably just be collapsed too. Better to try a different approach entirely."


    "Makes sense," Zeke nodded, hurrying to keep pace. "So what was it like, growing up in a family of mercs?"


    "Mercenaries," she corrected sharply. "Mercs is a derogatory term. And it was... hard, in many ways."


    She paused as they climbed over a fallen log, then ducked under a cluster of hanging vines. "We moved constantly. Village folk thought we were thugs, nobles saw us as tools. Few people respected what we did."


    "Sorry to hear that," Zeke said sincerely.


    "What made our family different was that we actually investigated every conflict," she continued, picking her way across a particularly rocky section. "If hired to storm a castle, we''d talk to both sides first – discreetly, of course – to understand why. More than once, we ended up working against the people who''d hired us initially."


    Zeke grinned. "Sounds like a good way to do business to me!"


    "When your livelihood depends on nobles paying you to fight, it''s not ideal," Ingrid replied dryly. "That''s why we''re trying to establish ourselves as a minor noble house. We''d still do what we''ve always done, but with the stability and respect that comes with a title."


    "Your family sounds... interesting," Zeke said, genuinely impressed. "I''d like to meet them someday."


    "Being away from them has been the hardest part of all this," Ingrid admitted, her usual tough demeanor softening slightly. "I''ve been here three years, and it already feels like forever. Victoria helps – she''s a great friend – but she can''t replace family."


    "No," Zeke agreed, thinking of Artax. "No one can."


    They walked in companionable silence after that, both lost in their own thoughts. The light was starting to fade, long shadows stretching across the forest floor.


    Zeke''s mind wandered to his upcoming Trial, wondering if Professor Harold would return in time for a few more practice sessions.


    So deep in thought was he that he almost didn''t hear Ingrid''s sudden shout.


    "Zeke! Get down!"


    Something in her voice triggered an instant response. As she lunged toward him, he was already dropping to the ground. Her body collided with his, driving him flat as something whistled through the air where his head had been moments before.


    A solid thunk followed, and Zeke rolled to see a knife buried nearly to its hilt in a tree trunk.


    Heart pounding, he scrambled to his feet as Ingrid did the same, her eyes scanning the trees around them.


    Someone had just tried to kill him.


    "This way," Ingrid hissed, grabbing his arm and yanking him behind a large oak. "Stay low!"


    Zeke pressed his back against the rough bark, every sense suddenly heightened. The forest seemed too quiet – no birds, no rustling leaves, just the sound of his own breathing.


    "Did you see where it came from?" he whispered.


    "That direction," Ingrid pointed west, deeper into the forest. "About fifty yards, I think."


    Zeke peered cautiously around the tree, seeing nothing but more trees and undergrowth. "Who would—"


    "Questions later," Ingrid cut him off. "First priority is getting back to the Academy grounds. We''re sitting targets out here."


    She was right. Neither of them was armed beyond a small utility knife Ingrid carried, and whoever had thrown that blade clearly knew what they were doing.


    "Options?" Zeke asked, scanning for the quickest route back.


    "We could make a run for it," Ingrid said, "but that exposes us. Or we can stay under cover, move slow and careful."


    "Slow gives them time to circle around," Zeke pointed out. "I say we run."


    Ingrid nodded grimly. "On three. One... two..."


    A second knife thudded into the tree just inches from Zeke''s face.


    "Three!" he shouted, grabbing Ingrid''s hand and bolting.


    They crashed through the underbrush, all attempts at stealth abandoned. Behind them, branches snapped as their pursuer gave chase.


    Zeke ducked instinctively as something whizzed past his ear – a third knife, this one missing by mere inches.


    "They''re gaining!" Ingrid gasped.


    The edge of the Old Woods was still at least two hundred yards away, and every step felt like wading through molasses. Worse, they''d been driven off course, away from the most direct path back.


    "We need to split up," Zeke decided. "I''ll draw them off – you get back and bring help."


    "Absolutely not," Ingrid snapped. "If we separate, they''ll just pick us off one by one."


    A flash of movement to their right caught Zeke''s eye. Their attacker was paralleling their course, moving with surprising speed through the dense forest.


    For a brief moment, he caught a glimpse of a dark cloak and hood – then they disappeared again behind a thicket.


    "There!" he pointed. "Wearing black!"


    Ingrid nodded, immediately changing direction to put more obstacles between them and their pursuer. They scrambled over a fallen tree, splashed through an icy stream, and darted behind a dense stand of pines.


    "Keep moving," Ingrid urged when Zeke paused to catch his breath. "The Training Woods are just ahead – there''ll be students there!"


    Hope surged through Zeke''s chest. If they could just reach the more populated area, they''d be safe. He pushed forward with renewed energy, ignoring the burning in his lungs and the scratches on his face from low-hanging branches.


    Then disaster struck.


    Ingrid''s foot caught on a hidden root, sending her sprawling forward with a cry of pain. She rolled, clutching her ankle, face contorted in agony.


    "Go!" she hissed. "Get help!"


    Zeke didn''t hesitate. Instead of running toward safety, he dropped to her side. "Put your arm around me."


    "What are you doing?" she demanded. "You need to—"


    "I''m not leaving you," he said firmly, helping her to her feet. She winced as she put weight on her injured ankle. "Lean on me."


    With one arm supporting Ingrid, they moved forward at a painfully slow pace. Every shadow seemed to conceal their attacker, every rustle of leaves a warning of impending danger.


    "They''re toying with us," Ingrid muttered. "If they wanted us dead, we would be already."


    "That''s comforting," Zeke replied grimly.


    Suddenly, the trees thinned ahead of them, revealing the stone wall that marked the boundary of the Training Woods. Relief flooded through Zeke – they were almost safe.


    Then a figure stepped out from behind a tree directly in their path. Cloaked in black, face obscured by a deep hood, they stood completely still, blocking the way forward.


    Zeke froze, every muscle tensed. "Run," he whispered to Ingrid, stepping in front of her protectively.


    "I''m not leaving you either," she replied, her voice steady despite her injury.


    The figure raised an arm, and moonlight glinted off a fourth knife. Zeke braced himself, ready to dodge, to charge, to do anything that might give Ingrid a chance to escape.


    Then the impossible happened.


    "Enough," called a familiar voice from behind them. "I believe they''ve learned their lesson."


    Zeke spun around, disbelieving, as Adrian the librarian stepped out from between the trees, looking perfectly at ease.


    "What?" Zeke managed, utterly confused.


    The hooded figure lowered the knife and pulled back their hood, revealing—


    "Victoria?" Ingrid exclaimed, shock and anger warring on her face. "What in the nine hells are you doing?"


    Victoria shrugged, twirling the knife casually between her fingers. "Teaching a lesson. Students venturing into the Old Woods alone need to understand the dangers."


    She glanced at Ingrid''s ankle. "Are you actually hurt?"


    "No," Ingrid said flatly, putting her full weight on the supposedly injured limb. "I''m not."


    Zeke looked between them, understanding slowly dawning. "This was a setup? You two planned this?"


    "Not exactly," Adrian said, stepping forward. "After your little adventure finding the Room behind the lion, I became concerned about your growing appetite for exploration without proper preparation."


    "So when Ingrid mentioned you were bored and suggested an expedition," Victoria continued, "I asked her to lead you somewhere challenging but ultimately safe, where we could stage a... let''s call it a practical demonstration of why the Academy has rules about venturing into certain areas."


    "You could have killed me!" Zeke protested, anger rising. "Those knives barely missed!"


    "I never miss unless I mean to," Victoria said simply. "Twenty years of training under the best weapons masters in House Reinfir ensures that."


    "And Ingrid?" Zeke turned to her, feeling betrayed. "You were in on this the whole time?"


    "Not until we entered the Old Woods," she admitted, looking somewhat apologetic. "Victoria contacted me while you were examining the clearing. The plan was just to scare you a little, make you appreciate the dangers."


    Zeke shook his head, struggling to process everything. "And the tomb? The training dungeon? Was any of that real?"


    "Oh, that was all true," Adrian assured him. "Though finding them would require more than an afternoon''s exploration."


    "So all of this was to teach me... what? Not to explore? Not to have adventures?" Zeke demanded.


    "To be prepared," Adrian corrected gently. "To understand that real adventures require real skills and real preparation. What if Victoria had been a genuine threat? What would you have done, unarmed and untrained in wilderness survival?"


    The question hung in the air between them. Zeke wanted to argue, but he knew Adrian was right. He''d rushed into potential danger with no plan, no equipment, and no way to defend himself or Ingrid if things had gone wrong.


    "Fine," he conceded. "Point taken. Next time I''ll be better prepared."


    "Next time?" Victoria raised an eyebrow. "You''re a stubborn one, aren''t you?"


    "You have no idea," Zeke replied with a hint of a smile. "So, since we''re all friends again... any chance you might share the actual location of the tomb?"


    Adrian laughed, shaking his head. "Some secrets should remain earned, not given. But I will say this – if you complete your Trial successfully, I might be persuaded to offer some more accurate guidance for your explorations."


    As they walked back toward the main Academy buildings, Zeke''s mind was already racing with plans. Adrian was right – he needed to be better prepared. That meant training, equipment, and research.


    But far from discouraging him, today''s "lesson" had only strengthened his resolve.


    There were secrets hidden throughout Leoncrest, and he intended to find them all – only next time, he''d be ready for whatever dangers awaited.


    <b>[Scene Close]</b>


    <b>[Earned Emblems:]


    Heart of the Warrior


    Endurance</b>


    <b>[Active Quests:]


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    <b>[Be Prepared: Gather proper equipment for future explorations]</b>


    <b>


    [Trust Issues: Decide whether to forgive Ingrid and Victoria]</b>