Chapter 118: A Day with Seraphina
Chapter 118: A Day with Seraphina
"I called you because I received a letter from Moonlight Arts Production Company."
Andras’s attention sharpened at once.
"Is this about The Dreamweaver’s Labyrinth?"
"Yes," Evelyne replied, a clear note of satisfaction in her voice. "Director Aldren wrote that the moving picture play will be completed within a month. They intend to release it shortly afterward."
A rare trace of surprise crossed Andras’s face.
"Completed in a month? It hasn’t even been a full month since we delivered the script. They’re producing the entire play in less than two months?"
Evelyne gave a small, knowing smile.
"I was surprised as well. But the director took a strong liking to the story. He wants to move as quickly as possible. My own insistence that they prioritize it didn’t hurt either."
Andras leaned back slightly against the headboard, the crystal orb resting lightly in his hand. Its soft blue glow illuminated the quiet room.
"That’s good news," he said after a moment. "Unfortunately, I won’t be able to watch it with you. I’m still at the academy."
Evelyne looked at him as though he had said something absurd.
"Of course you will. I’ll write to the Headmistress and request temporary leave. She’ll approve it."
Andras considered the implications carefully.
A short leave would not only allow him to return home earlier than planned, but also create a convenient opportunity to handle certain matters along the way—matters he had no intention of discussing with anyone.
"Very well," he said at last. "I’ll watch it with you, Mother. It seems I’ll be able to see you again sooner than expected."
Evelyne’s expression softened in a way that was rare for her in public but familiar to him in these private conversations.
"Yes. We’ll watch it together. Until then, take care of yourself... and try not to cause too much trouble."
A faint, amused look touched Andras’s face.
"I’ll try."
"Come home safely, Andras."
"I will. Goodbye, Mother."
"Goodbye."
The light within the crystal orb faded, returning it to its ordinary pale color.
Andras held it for a moment longer before offering it back to Lyra. She accepted it with both hands and left the room quietly, closing the door behind her.
Alone again, Andras lay back and stared at the ceiling.
On Earth, a full moving picture production could easily take twelve to eighteen months from the moment a script was finalized to the day it reached an audience.
Writing, casting, filming, editing, and the countless smaller stages in between often stretched the process across more than a year.
In this world, magic and specialized craftsmanship compressed that timeline into something almost absurd.
The efficiency was impressive, even if it still felt slightly unreal.
Leaving the academy for a short period in a month’s time was also convenient.
Before returning to Darkmoor, he could make a detour to the location where Lucian was supposed to obtain another important opportunity in the original story.
If the pattern with the Ring of the Eternal Reservoir repeated itself—if that item was already gone when he arrived—then he would stop treating these discrepancies as isolated accidents.
Someone was interfering with the opportunities he had marked for himself.
If it happened again, he would find the person responsible and ensure they regretted the decision for whatever remained of their life.
Andras exhaled slowly and forced the thoughts aside.
There was no benefit in dwelling on possibilities that had not yet revealed themselves.
He closed his eyes.
Sleep came without resistance.
---
Morning light filtered through the curtains in thin, pale bands.
Andras opened his eyes, sat up, and moved through his routine with quiet efficiency. He bathed, then dressed in clothes suited for leaving the academy rather than the usual uniform—dark trousers, a well-fitted shirt, and a light outer coat that was understated but clearly of good quality.
His appearance was appropriate for a day outside without drawing unnecessary attention.
When he stepped into the common area, Lyra was already waiting near the table, her posture attentive as always.
"Should I prepare breakfast, Young Master?"
"No. I’m leaving the academy for the day. I’ll eat outside."
Lyra inclined her head.
"Understood. Have a good day, Young Master."
Andras gave a short nod and left the room.
The corridor of the first-year residential building was quieter than usual.
Most students who intended to leave for the day had either already departed or were still preparing. The usual hum of conversation and footsteps was thinner, replaced by a more relaxed stillness.
He stopped in front of the door marked with the number two and knocked once.
It opened a moment later.
Seraphina stood in the doorway.
She had chosen a light, elegant dress in soft shades of white and pale blue that complemented her long silver-blonde hair and sapphire eyes. The dress was refined without being overly formal, suitable for a day beyond the academy walls.
Her hair fell loosely over her shoulders, catching the morning light as she looked at him.
There was a quiet composure in her posture, though a faint trace of curiosity lingered in her expression, as though she was still adjusting to the idea of spending an unstructured day outside the academy with him.
"Good morning," Andras said. "Are you ready?"
"Good morning, Andras. Yes. I’m ready."
"Then let’s go."
They walked side by side through the residential paths toward the main gates of Ambrose Academy.
The rest day had drawn many students outside. Small groups moved ahead of them, some already discussing plans for the nearby city, while others simply enjoyed the freedom of an unstructured day.
Laughter and light conversation drifted through the air.
The atmosphere near the gates was lighter than during regular class hours, the usual sense of discipline softened by the absence of scheduled lessons.
At the gatekeeper’s cabin, Andras and Seraphina stopped before the open window.
The older man inside glanced up from a thick register, his expression neutral but attentive.
"We’re leaving the academy for the day," Andras said.
The gatekeeper gave a brief nod and made a short note in his book.
"You may pass. Be back before the gates close at night . Once they’re sealed, no one enters until morning."
"Understood."
They stepped through the gates and onto the broader roads leading away from the academy grounds.
The air beyond the walls felt marginally freer, less bound by the rigid order of the campus. Carriages rolled past at intervals, their wheels kicking up faint dust, while the distant noise of the nearby commercial district was already audible.
Vendors called out their early offers. People moved through the streets as they began their day, and the occasional clatter of goods being moved into place echoed between the buildings.
After a short stretch of silence, Andras glanced at Seraphina.
"Have you eaten breakfast?"
"No," she replied. "Not yet."
"Then we’ll eat first. Everything else can wait."
Seraphina gave a small nod of agreement.
They continued into the nearby district at an unhurried pace.
The streets closest to the academy were cleaner and more orderly than the deeper parts of the city, lined with well-maintained buildings that catered primarily to students and visiting nobles.
Shops were beginning to open, their windows displaying goods ranging from practical supplies to more refined items aimed at young aristocrats with disposable allowances.
Andras observed the storefronts as they walked, passing several options before eventually stopping in front of a clean, well-kept restaurant with a quiet exterior and large windows that allowed plenty of natural light inside.
The place looked suitable—neither too loud nor overly luxurious.
He led the way inside.
A server approached promptly and guided them to a table near one of the windows. The interior was calm, with polished wooden surfaces and enough space between tables to allow private conversation.
Soft morning light filled the room, while the low murmur of other early patrons created a steady, unobtrusive background.
They ordered a light breakfast—simple dishes that would not weigh them down for the rest of the day.
The food arrived without much delay.
For a time, they ate in relative quiet.
Outside the window, people continued moving along the street, their voices rising and falling in an unstructured rhythm that felt distinctly different from the academy’s controlled environment.
Andras watched Seraphina for a moment as she ate, her movements composed and unhurried.
The events of the previous day still lingered at the edges of his thoughts—the conversation about the assassination attempt, the way her expression had shifted when she learned he had kept it from her, and the careful way Aurelia had stepped in to ease the tension.
That small fracture in their usual dynamic had not fully closed.
Today was an opportunity to observe her more closely outside the structured environment, without the constant presence of other students or the weight of scheduled classes.
He set his utensil down lightly against the plate.
"Seraphina."
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