SAGE'S POV

Stepping inside the Nexus, I was met with a wide, magickally adorned room that looked like something pulled straight from a dream I didn't know I had.

Meron palang secret sanctuary na ganito sa academy?

Regal couches were stationed perfectly in front of a grand, roaring fireplace. Flanking the hearth were towering bookshelves, interspersed with displayed pots of flora whose vibrant leaves faintly shimmered with an inner light.

Right in a cozy corner, the space was filled with hammocks, plush beanbags, tables cluttered with glittering gemstones at mga maliliit na mga trinkets na umiilaw sa malamlam na liwanag ng kwarto.

Twinkling fairy lights hung in a chaotic yet deliberate arrangement across every wall, casting a warm, enchanting ambiance over the room and illuminating the ancient paintings gracing the stonework. Sa bandang sulok ng silid naman, may isang spiral staircase paakyat sa ikalawang palapag.

"Haaaaay!" Pabagsak humiga si Geo sa isang bean bag at sinusobsob niya ang kanyang mukha sa malambot nitong surface. "So fluffy..." he muffled into the cushions.

"My precious treasures!" Via squealed. Mabilis siyang nagtungo sa isang shelf at walang pasintabi na kinuha niya ang kumikinang na bato na nakadisplay roon.

"Octavia, put it back," pagsuway ni Kane. "Those are display artifacts left by the previous owners of the Nexus. They are not your personal toys."

My eyes drifted away from their bickering to study the numerous paintings. Most of them depicted symbols of high mysticism—intricate celestial maps, detailed renderings of ritual candles, tarot cards, and tapestries bearing the signature primary colors of Ashburn.

Pero may isang partikular na painting na nakakuha ng aking atensyon.

It was a large, heavily gilded frame showcasing a warm scene illuminated by the soft, flickering glow of scattered candles across a wooden table. Pitong witches ang nagtitipon sa paligid nito, nakangiti at may bahid ng saya ang ekspresyon na nakaguhit sa kanilang mga mukha. Ilan sa kanila ang nakaupo at tila naglalaro ng mga tarot cards sa parehong lamesa, habang ang iba naman ay nakatapo at nakatuon ang kanilang atensyon sa isang witch na nakaupo sa gitna. She held an open grimoire, appearing as though she were spinning an enchanting tale for her companions.

Naniningkit ang mga mata kong nakatitig sa painting.

Slowly, almost magnetically, I took a step closer to the frame. I couldn't shake the sudden, eerie wave of familiarity bleeding through the artwork—especially when I looked closely at a few of the witches' faces.

"So this is... the Nexus?" I asked in a quiet voice, the atmospheric nostalgia of the room pressing heavily against my chest.

"Yup!" Geo bounced upright on the beanbag, a wide grin breaking across his face. "Katulad ni Headmaster Salem, tayong magkasama dito ang tanging nakakaalam sa kwartong 'to." Binalingan niya si Ashriel at binigyan siya ng thumbs-up gesture. "Tanungin mo si Ashriel tungkol dyan. He was the one who personally requested the space back then."

Cerise nodded gently, her features softening. "We were incredibly lucky... the Headmaster actually took his request into consideration."

A flicker of genuine surprise crossed my mind. "He just handed you the keys?"

Granted, Headmaster Salem had been overwhelmingly generous to me from the exact moment I arrived at Ashburn.

Noong una, tuluyan akong nag-aalala, hindi makatulog sa kakaisip kung paano ako mabubuhay sa isang mundong wala akong kaalam-alam. Wala akong dala ni isang gamit mula sa dati kong tahanan—kusa lang akong sumama kay Geo, biglaan, padalos-dalos ang mga naging desisyon ko nung mga oras na iyon.

Even now, whenever that memory resurfaced, I felt a violent urge to smack myself across the forehead.

Nakakakonsensya.

To my complete bewilderment, shortly after my official enrollment into the academy, natuklasan ko na yung mga living expenses ko rito, academic allowances, at mga personal necessities ay sinagot na mismo ni Headmaster Salem.

Dala ng matinding hiya at deep-rooted guilt, I had eventually gathered the courage to confront him in his office, explicitly attempting to reject his charity. I practically begged him to give me a job, insisting I would do any manual labor or tasks he required para lang masuklian ko ang tulong niya sa akin.

But stubborn as he was, nginitian lang ako ni Headmaster saka siya nagkibit-balikat. He looked me in the eye at sinabi niya na ang tanging hinihingi niya sa akin ay ang pag-aaral ko nang mabuti.

'That's all I need from you.'

Maybe he was right. Perhaps the finest way to show my profound gratitude was to simply focus, swallow my pride, and work hard in my classes. Pero kahit ganon, hindi ko maiwasang isipin na balang araw, I would find a way para suklian ang lahat ng naitulong niya sa akin.

"Originally, the old man set this place up exclusively for Ashriel, but he eventually let the rest of us in," Geo explained, tilting his head meaningfully in Ashriel's direction. "I mean, duh! It helps kung anak ka ng Headmaster!"

Anak siya ni Headmaster Salem?

Huh. Talk about textbook legacy privilege.

"Uh... w-well, yeah," Ashriel chuckled nervously, reaching up to scratch the back of his neck in visible embarrassment. "It's a bit complicated, nothing grand." He quickly gestured to the room at large, offering a warm, disarming smile. "Just... make yourself at home, Sythria."

Bahagya akong napaigtad nang biglang sumulpot sa aking tabi si Via, may dala-dala pa siyang bato na pabago-bago ang kulay.

"Oooh! Sythria, tingnan mo 'to!" she gushed, vibrating with the pure, unadulterated excitement of a child presenting a surprise. "It's shimmering like a literal rainbow!"

Slowly, I reached out to take the stone from her palm, turning it over beneath the firelight to inspect the fluid, hypnotic shifts of color.

I let out an appreciative hum, genuinely impressed. "The Nexus just keeps things like this lying around?"

"Hm. Those stones—and practically every artifact in this room—belonged to none other than the seven witches who served before our generation," tugon ni Kane. Kaswal siyang nakasandal sa isang bookshelf na naglalaman ng mga crystals at geodes. "That painting behind you, are the High Witches of the Consilium themselves. I'm certain you already knew them."

My gaze snapped back to the gilded frame, my brow pulling together as a sudden, sharp realization dawned on me. Maigi kong sinusuri ang mga mukha na nasa painting. Most of them were instantly recognizable from my last encounter with them—well, except for one specific witch clad in a striking white robe right in the center. And come to think of it...

Hindi ko rin mahanap ang mukha ni Headmaster Salem kahit saan sa canvas.

"Who is that witch in the middle?" I asked, squinting through the candlelit shadows at the central figure.

Sigurado akong hindi ko pa siya nakilala. I certainly didn't recall seeing her during my first meeting with the Consilium.

"You're not supposed to ask about her," Kane replied flatly, crossing his arms over his chest. "She is no longer recognized or acknowledged by the Consilium Primus."

Not recognized?

Mula sa sulok ng aking mga mata, I noticed the rest of the squad instantly stiffened at Kane's words, their attention perking up, though they collectively chose to keep their mouths locked tight.

"She committed a severe transgression against a law enforced by the Supreme Witch herself," Kane elaborated, his voice dropping into a chilling register. "She vanished entirely before the Consilium could carry out her death sentence."

Bahagya akong napanganga dahil sa kanyang sinabi.

Muli kong tiningnan ang babaeng nasa gitna ng oil painting. What kind of catastrophic crime could she have possibly committed for them to completely exile her, scrubbing her from history and treating her as if she were a ghost who was never meant to exist?

"Grrr..."

Natigil ang pag-iisip ko nang makarinig ng mahinang ungol sa tabi ng aking paa. I snapped my head down—only to freeze as a massive, obsidian-black wolf stepped into the firelight, its piercing eyes a mirror image of Kane's.

Instinctively, unti-unting akong humakbang paatras.

"Skoll!" Cerise's face instantly lit up. She dropped into a crouch beside the predatory beast, buried her hands in its thick fur, and gave its massive head a soft, adoring pat. "Ayaaa, are you just getting cozy here in the Nexus?"

I looked up at Kane, who was merely observing the interaction with a completely blank, unreadable expression.

"Skoll," panimula ni Ashriel. "He essentially acts as the unofficial bodyguard of the Nexus."

I turned my attention back to him. "Is this room strictly off-limits to everyone else?"

Ashriel nodded. "Yeah. You could say this space carries an incredibly special classification."

"Huh. Special..." I murmured under my breath.

"The Nexus was originally engineered centuries ago by the very seven witches in that painting," Ashriel explained, his tone shifting into a deeper, more thoughtful cadence. "They utilized it as their primary war room—a sanctuary where they mapped out tactical strategies to protect the realm of Ashburn."

Cerise offered a gentle smile.

Cerise smiled gently. "That's precisely why the room is packed with so many ancient relics—historical artifacts, specialized magickal tools... lahat ng kanilang naiwan. Our Headmaster went to great lengths to ensure they were flawlessly preserved."

"Tama-tama! Sila ang pinaka-elitistang estudyante noong panahong nag-aaral pa sila dito sa academy, which is exactly how they managed to construct this place," pinagmamalaking saad ni Geo. "Oh di ba? Swerte lang, parang tayong may VIP treatment dahil lang pinayagan tayong makapasok."

"No Gustavo."

I glanced over at Kane as he shifted his weight, moving away from the shelf. He adjusted his uniform collar, ruffling Skoll's thick fur with a quiet, exhausted groan. "He simply trusts us to properly maintain the integrity of this room."

Mahinang natawa si Ashriel at tinanguan si Kane.

"He's right. This sanctuary also functions as a secure holding facility for lost-and-found relics, as well as high-grade contraband confiscated from students that we are legally required to log..." His voice trailed off slightly before he smiled. "But he also granted us total autonomy to utilize the free space for whatever we see fit."

For the first time since I met him, I actually agreed with Geo. May special treatment nga sila dito.

"And now, you're just casually sharing all of this with me?" nakaangat ang isang kilay ko na tanong sa kanila.

Ashriel met my gaze directly, a small, sincere smile playing on his lips. "You're a part of this team now, Sythria."

I immediately averted my eyes, completely caught off guard and unable to formulate a coherent reply.

"Everyone. It's time to get down to business," Kane announced, his commanding voice instantly cutting through the room.

The once playful, relaxed atmosphere dissipated in a flash as the group gathered with quiet anticipation, kanya-kanyang upo ang lahat sa mga surrounding couches, while Ashriel's fire magick flared, casting long shadows across the hearth.

Ilang segundong namayani ang katahimikan sa kwarto hanggang sa may isang bagay na inilabas si Ashriel mula sa bulsa ng kanyang blazer.

The air turned razor-sharp the exact moment he placed a metallic object onto the wooden table. A pristine school brooch—the letter 'G' gleaming faintly under the amber glow of the fire.

"We recovered this during the course of our mission," Ashriel stated, his solemn gaze sweeping over every face in the circle. "And we all know exactly what it signifies."

Napasinghap si Cerise.

"A s-student brooch?" Bakas ang pag-alala sa mukha niya. "What... what exactly happened out there?"

"Long story short?" Via interjected, her tone practically dripping with raw frustration. "We conducted an investigation regarding the three missing witches and ended up in a massive brawl with a pack of devourers, which led to a high-speed chase after a witch cloaked entirely in black." She leveled a sharp, accusing finger at the metallic brooch. "And they dropped that."

What?

"Gaaaaaah. Hindi ko talaga sila mapapatawad, ang lakas ng pagkakatama nila sa likod ko no!" Geo groaned, aggressively rubbing his shoulder. "Sinipa niya rin si Teddy," he huffed, crossing his arms and pouting like a child. "Who does that?! Who physically assaults a literal familiar?!"

Cerise gasped a second time, a tremor of panic bleeding into her words. "So the perpetrator is a... Grandis?" Her gaze locked onto the brooch, her trembling hands tightly clutching the edge of the table. "As in, isa sa mga senior students natin ang may kagagawan nito?"

Seryoso?

Napako ang tingin ko sa brooch. Strange. If this person truly belonged to the upperclassmen of the academy... wouldn't they have guarded their school brooch with their life?

"Wait, hold on a minute," pagsisingit ko sa usapan. "Are you absolutely certain they dropped it by accident?"

"The residual trace of the magick bleeding from the brooch tells a very specific story," Ashriel noted, his eyes flashing with a brief, ethereal glow as he analyzed the object now resting in Kane's gloved hand. "I can sense they dropped it completely by accident. The emotional imprint left behind is a chaotic mix of sheer panic and intense annoyance."

"Which means," I reasoned, testing the logic, "that witch probably has no idea they even lost their brooch in the first place..."

"If that's the case, then they're either walking around acting completely normal today, or they're actively hiding," Via surmised, shrugging her shoulders before letting out a frustrated sigh. "That gives us a distinct tactical advantage—unless, of course, kung narealize na nilang nawala 'yon at uunahin niyang hanapin yung brooch before we can identify them."

Kane let out a low hum. "I can see now why you chose not to report this discovery directly to the Consilium Primus."

"Duh, obviously. After all, aren't we legally obligated to report directly to the WICCA Warden Division the moment we return from an official bounty?" Via stated in a matter-of-fact tone, slanting a pointed look at Kane, who merely returned it with a blank stare. "Since kontrolado ng division niyo ang pag-mamanage ng mga mission bounties, sino ba dapat ang unang lalapitan namin? Naturally, the Captain!"

She didn't even give Kane a window to speak. With a dramatic flip of her hair, she pressed on.

"MIND YOU. Halos lahat ng miyembro sa WICCA ay grandis. The absolute second we broadcast this information to the higher-ups, it would set off alarms—not just within the divisions, kundi sa buong academy.

A tense, suffocating silence settled over the room.

Napalunok ako ng mariin bago nagsalita, pilit na iniintindi ang mabigat na realidad ng usapan. "So you're essentially saying that one of our own is a... a traitor. How bad could this individual actually be?"

The entire squad collectively groaned in deep frustration at my question, reacting as if may tinapon akong bomba sa gitna ng lamesa.

"Riiiiight. I completely forgot to mention the other delightful little detail," Via said, nervously biting her lower lip. "Not only did this traitor launch a lethal attack against our squad... they've actively been kidnapping witches too!"

Kidnapping?!

"Nasaksihan pa nga namin kung paano nakidnap ng salarin ang huling biktima," lumingon sa akin si Geo, his face losing all of its usual color. "We chased after Mr. Stickman into the cavern, but by the time we breached the interior, nakita naming patay na siya. The traitor had already driven a blade straight through his heart." He shook his head, a shudder rolling through his frame. "An actual weapon, Sythria. Devourers don't kill their prey with blades."

I flinched slightly at the raw intensity in Geo's voice as his volume spiked.

"And let's not forget our academy's sacred code. Misplacing or losing your assigned brooch means..." Cerise whispered, unable to finish the sentence.

"It means you are officially branded as disloyal to the academy," Kane finished for her, his voice hard as stone. "We are strictly commanded to secure it at all costs."

"It's not just an arbitrary rule; it's a tradition. It means something," Ashriel added grimly. "That single incident during the mission raises some incredibly serious questions."

Sa pagkakataong 'yon, naghahari naman ang katahimikan sa aming lahat. Lahat ay tahimik at mukhang malalim ang kanilang iniisip ngayon.

Unbelievable.

And this traitor was operating concurrently during their active mission? Does that mean, they too are also on an assigned mission... one that also takes place in that same village? Hindi ako sigurado kung posible iyon sa mission bounty system namin. But if that was true, why on earth were they murdering their fellow witches? Weren't these missions explicitly designed to protect, serve and defend the citizens of Ashburn?

My gaze drifted down to study the uniform collars of the people sitting around me.

"All of you still have your brooches accounted for," maingat na sabi ko sa kanila.

Instinctively, everyone's hands moved to touch their respective collars.

My mind raced as I mentally categorized each of them. "Ashriel, Via, Kane—all wear the Grandis brooch." I shifted my gaze to the right side of the couch. "Cerise and Geo... wear the Sapientis brooch. At ako?" tinuro ko ang aking brooch. "Apprenticium."

The room fell silent. The weight of my observation settled everyone like a storm.

"Then it should be relatively simple to track down the culprit, right? We just look for whoever is missing a brooch from their uniform collar," I concluded, turning to look at Cerise, whose features were twisting into a deeper, more anxious frown.

"I think identifying the actual face behind the mask is going to take a significant amount of time, but... we do happen to have Kane and Ashriel sitting right here," Via noted, arching a knowing eyebrow at the two boys. "They are active members of the WICCA Wardens, after all."

"Hm... it seems we are currently in the absolute best position to unravel this mystery ourselves, at least for the time being," tumatanong sagot naman ni Ashriel. "Kane's authority as a Warden Captain grants us unrestricted access to confidential mission logs and patrol schedules. Because of that, we can conduct a full-scale investigation without raising a single shred of suspicion."

Cerise perked up slightly, her eyes wide. "But if we're w-wrong to present this case to the High Consilium... do you really think they would hesitate to pin the entire crime on us if we don't bring them ironclad, undeniable proof?"

Ashriel nodded grimly at her question.

"If we marched into the High Consilium with nothing but a stray brooch and zero context, they would immediately question our judgment and motives." He shot a calculated glance at Kane. "But by routing the investigation through Kane first, we are effectively allowing an officer of higher authority to spearhead the case, which drastically reinforces our credibility."

I pulled a face, my brow furrowing. "So your grand master plan is to just aimlessly wander the academy grounds and pray you spot someone walking around without a brooch? That sounds incredibly reckless—"

The words died in my throat when Kane flashed a sharp side-eye directly in my direction, mababasa sa kanyang ekspresyon na hindi talaga siya sang-ayon sa mga pinagsasabi ko.

I instinctively pouted, quickly averting my gaze to look anywhere else but at him.

"Nope," Via grinned, shaking her head vigorously. "We are going to be incredibly smart about this. Kane's access to the Warden databases will be our definitive starting point." She shifted her gaze toward Ashriel. "And with this boy's hypersensitive witching sense, he should be able to cross-reference the magickal residue bleeding off that brooch."

"About that," bahagyang napangiwi si Ashriel, his brow knitting as if he had just been handed a difficult riddle. "I can generally only identify the familiarity of a magical aura to link it back to a specific individual... I can't magically pull a name out of thin air."

Naiintindihan ko ang limitations ng witching sense niya. Ashriel could perceive the unique color and texture of an aura, but he couldn't instantly attach a legal identity to it.

"...but I will do everything within my power to assist Kane on this directive."

After a few tense minutes of deliberation, Kane finally let out a long, slow sigh, offering Ashriel a definitive nod of agreement. "We will execute this operation under total radio silence to ensure we catch them completely off guard. The exact second this investigation goes public, the traitor will cover their tracks."

We all exchanged a series of long, profound looks. Slowly, one by one, everyone in the circle nodded their heads in absolute agreement.

After all, we each understood the catastrophic consequences if we acted carelessly.

Honestly, naabala pa rin ako. Just why... Why would a witch commit such a horrific betrayal against their own kind?

Lost in my own head, I stared blankly into the distance, my eyes mindlessly anchoring onto the oil painting of the seven witches.

Then, without warning, the entire room shuddered violently.

A deafening, explosive BOOM reverberated from the exterior world, rattling the stone foundations and instantly ripping me out of my thoughts.

"FREAKING OMENS, ANO 'YUNG SUMABOG?!" bulalas ni Geo, nanlaki ang kanyang mga mata bago siya tumakbo papunta sa spiral staircase.

Without a second thought, the rest of us bolted right after him, racing up to the second level.

As the open sky rushed to greet us, we spilled out onto the expansive stone rooftop of the castle. Sabay-sabay kaming sumandal sa mabatong railing ng kastilyo at tumingala sa ibaba.

My eyes nearly bulged right out of my skull at the sheer horror of the spectacle.

What. The. Actual. Hell.

"ARE THOSE A MILLION SPIDERS?!" Geo shrieked.

"Geo... just say endless!" Via barked back, her voice tight with terror.

It was an absolute, skin-crawling nightmare.

Down below, the courtyard had dissolved into pure, unadulterated chaos, showing a warzone of frantic students desperately battling a gargantuan, crawling wave of thousands upon thousands of arachnids swarming the entire academy.

A/N: Ephron's character visual reference.