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    [Location: Leoncrest Estate - Training Woods]


    [Date: May 10, y. 486 of the Fourth Age]


    "Alright, here''s the plan," Ingrid whispered as they approached the Academy walls. Instead of heading toward the main gate, she veered right, toward a section where the stone was rough and weathered. "We''re not using the normal entrance. Too many guardgoyles patrol there."


    She pulled a grappling hook from her bag, testing its weight in her hand. With practiced ease, she swung it in a wide arc and sent it sailing over the wall.


    The hook caught with a soft clink.


    "You''ve done this before," Zeke observed with admiration.


    Ingrid tugged the rope to ensure it was secure. "Getting into castles is a specialty of mine."


    "I''ll go first," Victoria said, gripping the rope. "Keep watch while I climb."


    She scaled the wall with surprising agility, disappearing over the top. Elise went next, followed by Ingrid.


    When it was Zeke''s turn, he grabbed the rope and pulled himself up, feeling the strain in his arms after the day''s intense training. Still, he climbed steadily, heart racing with the thrill of the forbidden adventure.


    At the top, he found the others crouched in the shadows of a merlon. The Academy grounds spread before them, bathed in moonlight.


    Stone guardgoyles perched on rooftops and patrolled the walkways, their eyes gleaming with an eerie blue light.


    "What are those things exactly?" Zeke whispered as they watched a guardgoyle lumber past below.


    "Stone constructs," Elise explained. "They''re enchanted to patrol after curfew and catch any students out of bed. The older students say they eat rulebreakers, but that''s probably just a rumor."


    "Probably?" Zeke grinned. "Let''s not find out."


    Ingrid pointed to a path of shadows along the wall. "That''s our route. Stay low, move only when I signal, and don''t make a sound."


    They descended the inner wall using a drainage pipe, then crept from shadow to shadow, freezing whenever a guardgoyle turned in their direction. Zeke could hardly believe they were doing this, breaking curfew, sneaking past magical guardians, risking expulsion if caught.


    It was exactly the kind of adventure he''d dreamed about as a kid.


    When they reached the castle walls, Ingrid spotted an open window the guardgoyles used to enter and exit the building. They waited in tense silence as one of the stone sentinels clomped past, then Ingrid peered inside.


    "Alright," she whispered, turning back to them. "We''re close to Tower 2. When we get inside, girls will go one way, and Zeke will have to go another. You good with that, Zeke?"


    "No problem," Zeke nodded confidently. "I''ve snuck through the Academy before. This isn''t my first midnight adventure."


    "Good." Ingrid flashed him a rare smile. "Then we''ll catch you on the flip side. See you tomorrow! Or... whenever."


    "I''ll see you bright and early for training," Victoria added.


    "And I''ll see you for cooking class tomorrow night," Elise chimed in.


    With nods all around, the three women scrambled through the window one by one. Victoria stayed a moment to help pull Zeke up, and with one last whispered farewell, they split up.


    The girls headed toward Tower 2 while Zeke turned in the direction of his own dormitory in Tower 1.


    The moonlight streaming through the high windows created pools of silver light on the floor, beautiful, but dangerous, as they offered no cover. Zeke stuck to the shadows, moving from one darkened doorway to the next, freezing whenever he heard the distinctive scrape of stone feet on marble.


    The guardgoyles moved with surprising predictability, following the same routes each night. Zeke quickly learned their patterns, timing his dashes between hiding spots to avoid their glowing eyes.


    When one lumbered past the alcove where he hid, he counted under his breath, knowing exactly how far he could go before the next one appeared.


    This is actually kind of fun, he thought, feeling his heart race with each narrow escape. Better practice than any training course Ingrid could design.


    He was nearing the central corridor that led to Tower 1 when he heard footsteps behind him, light and quick, not the heavy tread of a guardgoyle. Instinctively, Zeke ducked into a shadowy doorway, pressing himself against the wall.


    A small mouse scurried up beside him, and Zeke frowned in confusion. An instant later, the mouse transformed into Elise, her face ashen white.


    "Elise?" Zeke whispered. "What''s going on?"


    She drew in a shaky breath. "It''s Victoria and Ingrid. They..." She bit her lip. "They just got captured by the guardgoyles!"


    Zeke felt his stomach drop. "What happened?"


    "We goofed," Elise explained, running a hand through her hair. "We miscounted some patrol steps, I think. A new guardgoyle appeared faster than we expected. We tried to hide behind some curtains, but before we could, they were on top of us. I managed to cloak myself with magic, but Victoria and Ingrid..." She shook her head.


    "We have to rescue them," Zeke said without hesitation, his eyes bright with determination. No way he was leaving his friends to face punishment alone. "Where were they heading?"


    "This way. Come on!"


    Elise transformed back into a mouse, and with a wave of her hand, cast a spell of invisibility over Zeke. He watched as a matching mouse with darker fur appeared on the floor below him, marking his invisible presence.


    They raced after the guardgoyles, passing a half dozen more of the stone sentinels on their patrol routes. Zeke also noticed other students hiding in shadows or crouched behind statues, apparently, they weren''t the only ones breaking curfew tonight.


    "Where do you think they''re taking them?" Zeke whispered.


    "I don''t know," Elise hissed back. "Now shut up. We''re invisible, not inaudible."


    One of the guardgoyles twisted its head around, staring directly at where they stood. For a heart-stopping moment, Zeke thought they''d been discovered, but then the creature turned away and continued on.


    The guardgoyles dragged Victoria and Ingrid toward Tower 12, the Headmistress''s tower. Zeke frowned as they began ascending the long spiral staircase.


    Why were they going up? He''d always assumed captured students would be taken to some dungeon or holding cell.


    He and Elise followed quietly, watching as their friends struggled against the guardgoyles'' grip. Victoria and Ingrid''s movements seemed oddly sluggish, as if they were fighting against more than just physical restraint.


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    "They''ve been hexed," Elise whispered, barely audible. "Sleep magic. Standard guardgoyle tactic."


    Up and up they climbed, passing floor after floor, until Zeke''s suspicion was confirmed. Ahead loomed the massive oak doors of Headmistress Florence''s office.


    As the guardgoyles reached it, they rapped out a pattern on the wood, three quick knocks, three slow, two fast.


    The doors swung open with a low rumble. Zeke and Elise darted inside just before the doors closed behind the guardgoyles and their captives.


    "Where do you want to put ''em?" one guardgoyle grumbled. Its voice was like stones grinding together. "Leave ''em here on the floor? Been ages since we actually caught someone."


    "No, you idiot." The second guardgoyle whacked the first on the head. "Here. These chairs. Put ''er there. Now get that rope."


    Zeke watched, fascinated despite the danger, as the guardgoyles placed Ingrid and Victoria in chairs opposite the Headmistress''s desk. Victoria made one last attempt to break free, but the guardgoyle pushed her back, and she slumped over, unconscious.


    Ingrid soon followed, both of them bound tightly to their chairs.


    "There we go," the first guardgoyle grunted with satisfaction. "That''ll hold ''em. A nice little present for the Headmistress when she gets up in the morning. Make sure you''re on a balcony close enough to listen, it''s pretty funny when she finds people like this."


    The two guardgoyles stomped back to the door and knocked out their code again. When the door swung open, they lumbered out, leaving Victoria and Ingrid unconscious and bound in the creepy office.


    Once the door closed, Elise dropped the invisibility spell. "Whew," she sighed. "That was close." She looked around, shivering slightly. "Wow. This place is even creepier at night than in the day."


    "Tell me about it," Zeke agreed, eyeing the preserved specimens and strange artifacts lining the walls. Jars containing body parts seemed to glow faintly in the moonlight streaming through the high windows.


    He hurried over to his friends and tried shaking them awake. "Come on, come on. We need to get out of here before someone catches us."


    Elise examined them, then shook her head. "They can''t hear you. They''ve been hit with a sleep enchantment, and a powerful one. Unless we find someone who can remove it, they''ll be out for at least eight hours."


    "Great," Zeke said, his mind already racing with possible solutions. "So what do we do?"


    "Well, we can''t leave them here," Elise drew a small knife from her boot. "I''ll cut the ropes, you keep them from falling."


    "Wait." Zeke held up a hand. He examined the knots binding Victoria and smiled. "I can do this."


    The knots were far less complicated than the one from his third Trial. Working quickly, his fingers loosened Victoria''s bindings, then Ingrid''s.


    As the ropes fell away, Elise coiled them neatly and returned them to the shelf where the guardgoyles had found them.


    Their friends now slumped unconscious in their chairs, free but unable to walk. Zeke scratched his head, considering their options.


    "Alright," he said. "Now we just need to get them all the way from Tower 12 to Tower 2."


    "And I''m the only one capable of the invisibility magic," Elise added, looking worried. "That''s going to be a problem."


    "Can you carry one of them?" Zeke asked.


    "Maybe," Elise shrugged. "I''ve carried baby calves before, and although that sounds simple, they can get pretty hefty. I think I can manage one, but I''m not sure I can do that and maintain the magical field at the same time."


    Zeke thought for a moment, then reached into his robes. From an inner pocket, he pulled out one of the blue Aura Gems he and Ingrid had retrieved from the ancient mine.


    "Would this help?" he asked, holding it out to her.


    Elise took the gem, turning it over in her hands. Her eyes widened as she recognized it. "This is one of those gems you got from the dungeon with Ingrid?"


    "Yup," Zeke nodded. "I haven''t had much use for it yet."


    "Let''s see if this works then," Elise closed her fist around the gem.


    The crystal began to glow, floating upward from her palm. It spun in midair, pulsing with blue light, before settling into a steady, soft glow.


    Elise plucked it from the air and tucked it into her pocket.


    "Perfect," she said, looking more confident. "I can feel it boosting my magic already. Alright, let''s do this."


    「???????? ?????? ??????????????????」


    【Magic Enhancement: Active】


    【Duration: Until removed】


    【Effect: Significant boost to magical output】


    Working together, they hoisted their unconscious friends. Zeke helped Elise get Ingrid into a fireman''s carry across her shoulders, then did the same with Victoria.


    The weight was considerable, but thanks to all those training sessions with weighted robes, Zeke could handle it.


    "Ready?" he asked, adjusting Victoria''s position to distribute the weight more evenly.


    "As I''ll ever be," Elise replied, visibly straining but determined.


    She activated her invisibility spell, and they all vanished from sight. Zeke approached the door and knocked out the same pattern he''d seen the guardgoyles use.


    To his relief, the doors swung open, and they stepped out onto the landing.


    The descent down Tower 12''s spiral staircase was a grueling test of strength and balance. Each step sent jolts through Zeke''s knees, and Victoria''s weight threatened to topple him forward.


    Sweat beaded on his forehead as he carefully navigated the stairs, concentrating on each movement.


    "You doing okay?" he whispered to Elise, who he could hear breathing heavily nearby.


    "Just... peachy," she gasped. "Nothing like... carrying your friend... down hundreds of stairs... while invisible."


    Zeke grinned despite the strain. "Think of it as training for the Mountain Run."


    "You''re... insane," Elise replied, but he could hear the smile in her voice.


    When they finally reached the bottom, Zeke''s legs were trembling, but he felt a surge of satisfaction. One challenge down, several more to go.


    Moving through the hallways presented a new problem. With their unconscious friends, they were much wider than before and couldn''t fit through the same hiding spots.


    They split up, maintaining about twenty feet between them to navigate around the patrolling guardgoyles.


    The stone sentinels seemed more alert now, perhaps sensing something amiss. One stopped directly in their path, its head swiveling as if sniffing the air.


    Zeke froze, holding his breath as the creature''s glowing eyes swept across him.


    Just when he thought they were clear, Victoria''s foot slipped from his grip and knocked against the guardgoyle''s wing. The creature snarled, spinning around with surprising speed.


    "Who''s there?" it growled, stone claws extending.


    Zeke backed away slowly, careful not to make a sound. The guardgoyle took a step toward him, then another.


    Just as it was about to reach out, a crash echoed from down the hallway, Elise had knocked over a decorative vase as a distraction.


    The guardgoyle whirled and charged toward the sound, giving Zeke the chance to slip away. He''d have to thank Elise later for the quick thinking.


    After what felt like hours of stop-and-go movement, dodging guardgoyles and hiding in shadows, they finally reached Tower 2. But their greatest challenge still awaited: climbing up to the fourth floor where Victoria and Ingrid''s room was located.


    Zeke stared up at the seemingly endless staircase, took a deep breath, and began to climb. Each step was a battle, his legs burning and lungs straining for air.


    Victoria''s weight, which had been manageable on flat ground, now felt like a ton of bricks.


    "One step at a time," he whispered to himself. "Just like the mountain will be."


    He focused on placing one foot in front of the other, counting steps to distract from the pain. Behind him, he could hear Elise''s labored breathing as she struggled with her own burden.


    When they finally reached the fourth floor, Zeke''s legs were shaking, but triumph surged through him. They''d made it! Elise dropped her invisibility spell as they reached the door to the girls'' room.


    "Hold on," she panted, setting Ingrid down carefully. She fished through her friend''s pockets, searching for the room key. Behind them, the unmistakable sound of stone feet on stairs echoed from below.


    "Hurry," Zeke urged, glancing nervously at the stairwell.


    "Got it!" Elise whispered, producing a small iron key. She unlocked the door just as the heavy footsteps reached their floor.


    Zeke ducked inside with Victoria, then turned back to grab Ingrid. Elise scrambled in after them, slamming the door shut just as a guardgoyle rounded the corner.


    They held their breath, listening as the creature stomped past without stopping.


    The tension broke, and they collapsed against the door, dissolving into silent, exhausted laughter. Not because anything was funny, but from pure relief at having made it through their midnight adventure.


    "We did it," Elise gasped, wiping tears of mirth from her eyes. "I can''t believe we actually pulled that off."


    "Never a dull moment at Leoncrest," Zeke replied with a grin.


    Once they caught their breath, they arranged their unconscious friends more comfortably on their beds. Elise used a touch of magic to position them naturally, as if they''d simply fallen asleep after returning from their evening out.


    "Oh, before I forget," Elise said, reaching into her pocket. "Here''s your gem back."


    She held out the Aura Gem, which had dimmed to a dull blue. Zeke took it, noticing it felt cool to the touch rather than warm as before.


    "It didn''t get used up?" he asked, surprised.


    "It''s not a consumable," Elise explained. "It just amplifies your Aura while you''re using it. Pretty remarkable, actually."


    Zeke studied the gem for a moment, then handed it back to her. "Keep it."


    "What? Really?" Elise''s eyes widened.


    "I have more," Zeke shrugged. "Besides, you might need it again, especially if we keep getting into situations like this."


    "That''s... thank you," she said, clearly touched by the gesture. "I don''t know what to say."


    "Just call it payment for saving our friends," Zeke replied. He moved to the door, listening for any guardgoyles in the hallway. "Now I just need to make it back to Tower 1 in one piece."


    "You sure you''ll be alright?" Elise asked. "You could stay here if you want."


    "And have your roommate find a boy in her room tomorrow morning? I think I''ll pass," Zeke chuckled. "Besides, one person sneaking through the halls is a lot easier than two carrying unconscious friends."


    "True enough," Elise nodded. "Be safe. Don''t get eaten."


    "Not planning on it," Zeke grinned.


    [Scene Close]


    [Earned Emblems:] Heart of the Warrior,  Endurance, Cunning  Golden Touch


    [Active Quests:] [Guardgoyles (reprise): Get back to your room without being caught]