Бесплатный фрагмент - The Supreme Guardian

Part 1: In Search of Self

Chapter 1: Signs of Fate

I clutched a yellowish sheet of paper in my hands and laughed. An owl had brought me a letter! A real one! In our world of messengers and email, wizards still prefer to use birds. Such folly! It would have been better if they used pigeons, at least those don’t draw attention. And then, they finally decided to inform me that I am a mage. Me! The Guardian of Secret Knowledge! I might be the most powerful sorcerer of the past decade, yet they invite me to a school!

Opening the window, I let in the fresh air and looked outside. Silence and peace. As always. The windows of my five-story building overlooked an old overgrown park. Few people ever walked there, fearing ticks, stray dogs, or maniacs. The wind gently swayed the mighty branches of an ancient oak tree, towering amidst the unkempt undergrowth. How old might it be? Surely no less than three hundred years. With each year, it grows bigger, stronger. Yet here I am, seemingly starting to weaken. Otherwise, how could a local group of mages sense me, find me? Or perhaps it’s fate? A sign that I should find a successor? Nonsense. I’m in the prime of my life! Nevertheless, they’ve somehow discovered me, and I decidedly don’t like it.

I closed my eyes and focused. The house was still shrouded in a network of magical weavings, securely hiding me from the outside world. A beautiful pattern of shimmering lines enveloped the building in a thin web, invisible to the naked eye, but the glow was clearly dimmer. The energy supply from the source had weakened. But why?

Opening my eyes, I turned around, walked to the peeling cupboard, and pulled out a tattered world map. On the old faded paper, glowing lines began to appear over the continents, intersecting in a chaotic manner.

— This can’t be… — I breathed in surprise.

For the first time in my life, I saw something like this. The ley lines had shifted their historical location, intertwining into an unfamiliar, unusual pattern. And these changes were clearly not for the better. The scale of the impending, dare I say, catastrophe was hard for me to even imagine. My gaze returned to the crumpled letter brought by the owl. Well, nothing happens by chance, and if fate leads me to the academy of magic, so be it.

The sun had already set below the horizon, plunging the small provincial town into gentle twilight. In the week since receiving the letter from the academy, I had to do colossal work. I handed over all my duties to fellow Guardians, checked the safety of the artifacts under my control hidden around the world, and arranged for a few months’ leave with my superiors. Only a couple of trifles remained before heading to school: buying school supplies and changing my appearance. While the first task posed no problems, as all items on the attached list would be delivered directly to the academy, changing my appearance would require more effort. Approaching the mirror, I paused for a moment, staring at the reflection. A tall man with regular features, a neat beard, and nondescript gray eyes. A typical Guardian. Sighing, I ran my hand over my stomach, where a six-pack was once visible. Once this is all over, I need to hit the gym again; I’ve completely lost shape.

Having admired my reflection enough and acquiring a few new complexes, I pondered. Spells for changing appearance are quite complex and energy-consuming. Moreover, they’re rather pointless. The simplest anti-illusion charms can shatter any level of deception. However, this rule only applies to ordinary mages, unable to discern the true essence of things. Closing my eyes, I focused on weaving a delicate web of energy strands, tightly enveloping my body. A basic connection to the internal magical core was all it took. No artifacts or enchantments could break through this sealed illusion. And why doesn’t everyone do this?

Opening my eyes, I peered intently into my reflection. There, on the other side of the mirror, a seventeen-year-old boy gazed back. Average in height, with a thick mane of chestnut hair and striking green eyes. The rest of his face was nondescript, unremarkable, just as I had imagined.

***

At the train platform, people milled about, stumbling underfoot and being frankly irritating. Why must the journey to school necessarily be by train? Such a ridiculous tradition! At least I didn’t have to run into a wall.

The school train was, to put it mildly, unremarkable. A standard suburban electric train. What else could one expect from Russian Railways? Securing a vacant seat in the middle of the carriage and leaning back, I promptly fell asleep. My ability to sleep anywhere, under any conditions, I consider the most valuable of my magical arsenal. It saved my life more than once during my student years, letting me rest peacefully amidst endless senior parties in the adjacent dorm room.

I was awakened by loud conversations. Surprisingly, I found myself already lying on a soft, rather wide bed. But then again, what’s so surprising about that? We are, after all, in a magic academy. They must have transported us somehow. Thankfully, they didn’t change my clothes in my sleep.

— Oh, you’re awake! Someone shouted from my right. You really can sleep! I didn’t like this guy at all. In general, I dislike people speaking to me when I’m groggy, but this dark-haired, bespectacled kid was particularly annoying. No one should be so boisterous. I could turn him into a statue for a few centuries, but… that would reveal me. I’d better save that idea for later.

— Get dressed quickly! Dinner will be soon, and then the freshman initiation! he continued, oblivious to my scornful glance. By the way, what’s your name? — Seva, I replied curtly, rising from the bed. — I’m Zheka! We’re going to be roommates! — I gathered… I muttered gloomily, inspecting the items delivered from the online store.

In a large cardboard box, notebooks, textbooks, and stationery items were neatly arranged. Fortunately, they didn’t force us to write with quills. However, robes were still in vogue, unfortunately. Delivery was efficient, but they had forgotten one thing — they didn’t send a staff.

A staff is the primary conduit for magic in this world. For me, it was somewhat redundant, as I had become accustomed to manipulating magical flows without external artifacts. However, its absence would undoubtedly draw unwanted attention, which I preferred to avoid. So, I had to adapt.

Hiding from my pesky roommate in the restroom, I transported myself back to my apartment. Don’t think that all mages can use spatial transitions; it’s a rare ability, mastered by only a select few after years of training. I rummaged through the closet, the storeroom, even checked the balcony. Unfortunately, no suitable artifacts were found in the apartment, but nothing stopped me from crafting a staff myself.

Peering out the window, the old oak tree majestically stood at the center of the abandoned park, beckoning me with its mighty branches. The hint was clear. Weaving another spatial transition spell, I teleported right to the tree and gently landed, leaning against its rough trunk. Why do people consider trees inanimate? Trees are remarkable beings, capable of conducting magic. And you can even talk to them, if you know how.

Sensing the flow of magic within the old tree, I sent a light mental impulse and… the oak responded. Understood. With a loud crack, a long dry branch fell to the ground. Just what I needed. I tenderly stroked the thick bark, expressing my gratitude, and got to work. Picking up the stick, I closed my eyes, concentrated, and began methodically wrapping the future staff in a web of spells, turning an ordinary dry branch into a fine conduit of magic.

— What were you doing in there for so long? my roommate suspiciously eyed me as I finally returned from the restroom. And why did you need a staff in there? — The more you know, the sooner you age, I said instructively, carefully placing the staff on the bed. Oak, covered with intertwining runes… I had created a splendid artifact. And judging by Zheka’s envious gaze, he liked it too. Well, let him be jealous. By the way, didn’t he mention something about dinner?

The banquet hall’s tables were groaning under the weight of food. What a spread! No coffee, no desserts, no pastries, not even meat. Just porridge and fish. But in such quantities! Enough to feast on! And ribbons hung over the tables, creating a festive atmosphere. Well, I’ve seen worse.

The hall was filled with a crowd of chattering students. The division was simple — each year had its own long table. I didn’t know any of my fellow first-years, having slept through the entire journey to the school, but my annoying roommate was actively greeting everyone he saw. I guess I won’t judge him.

— Welcome all old and new students to the State Academy of Magic, Sorcery, and Witchcraft! Oh my! It was none other than Kazimir Vseslavsky, the famed director and, coincidentally, the most talentless mage of all times! How did I not recognize him at once! — Welcome to our alma mater! Eat, drink, rest! But remember, tomorrow we start our studies! continued the director. And not a single word about the impending planetary-scale catastrophe? Seriously? Though what else should I expect from Vseslavsky? Incompetence! A slight mental impulse — and the unfortunate director, hurrying to his table, finds his pants dropping. Oops! No underwear? How embarrassing… Wait. I caught the gaze of a stern old man at the teachers’ table. Did he notice the weaving? Impossible. Too subtle a stream of magic. Not every Guardian would discern it.

— Zheka, do you know who that teacher sitting to the right of the director is? I casually inquired of my noisy roommate.

— He’s a sorcery professor, I think, — my roommate replied cheerily, not stopping his enthusiastic consumption of rice porridge. — Why? Got an eye on him?

I snorted like a horse at my own joke, but the guy immediately received a not-so-gentle smack on the back of his head from the girl sitting next to him.

— Idiot, — she commented calmly. — Don’t mind him, he just doesn’t know how to behave properly…

Was she talking to me? Why was this girl standing up for me?

— I’m Asya, this goofball’s sister, — she continued. — And what’s your name? You’re his roommate, right?

— Seva, — I introduced myself modestly. — Yes, we’ll be sharing a room. And don’t worry, I’m not easily offended.

And I’m not one to hold grudges. I’ll get even and forget. A tiny weave of magic slipped unnoticed from the tip of my finger, hitting Zheka squarely in the forehead. Nothing serious, just a simple hairdressing charm with a delayed effect. He’ll learn not to laugh at me.

Asya, my roommate’s sister, was quite attractive. Long dark hair, a small nose, straight teeth… What was her name again? Asya, right? I should remember that. But what am I thinking? We’re on the brink of a global catastrophe, and I’m admiring girls. Still, there are quite a few attractive ones here. Especially in the senior years… Magic really does wonders!

But I didn’t like that sorcery professor one bit. He spent the whole evening trying to bore holes into me with his gaze. He should have been looking at his plate instead. Hanging his huge nose over the table and staring at the top of my head. No, this won’t do.

A few thin weavings, tied to a source and… nothing? What do you mean, nothing? For a moment, I stared in disbelief at the strange professor, and that was enough to catch his fleeting smirk. He had destroyed my spells! The nerve! Who was this guy?

Unfortunately, no answer came to my mental exclamation…

Chapter 2: Locked Away

As the first rays of the sun appeared over the horizon, I was awakened by a scream of despair. Opening my eyes reflexively, I rolled off the bed and pointed my staff ahead, ready to deflect the spells of an unknown enemy. However, the reality was more mundane, though no less amusing. My hairdressing spell from yesterday, with its delayed effect, had finally worked, turning my roommate’s thick hair into a green mohawk half a meter tall.

— Punk’s not dead! I cried out, unable to contain my laughter.

The funniest part about this spell was that it wasn’t so easy to remove. Even if you shaved off all the hair, the hairstyle would restore itself in about thirty minutes. Well, he wanted to be the center of attention, so I helped him!

— Did you do this? — Zheka roared. — How do I get rid of it?

— How should I know? — I lied with a senseless smile. — They haven’t taught us magic yet!

He’ll get used to it. People adapt to everything. He’ll walk around like this for a week or two and then accept it. The heavy toll of a bell echoed through the school. Time to get up. And what’s on the schedule today? They handed out those sheets yesterday, didn’t they… Ah, here they are! So, two classes of sorcery, magic theory, maganalysis, and an introduction to pharmaceutical alchemy. Not bad, I can live with that. I’ll also get to meet the sorcery professor.

The dining hall was shrouded in a thick silence. It seemed as if all the students were under a spell of sleepiness. What a feeble young generation, ashamed after just one night of revelry and drinking. They even discussed my new friend’s hairstyle with half-hearted enthusiasm. Pity, I had put effort into that.

What’s for breakfast? Pancakes and tea? That’s what I like. Especially with sour cream. But where is it? No sour cream? This is a mockery!

— Good morning! — Asya joined us.

She really is pretty. I wonder, is she already eighteen?

— What’s up with you? — the girl eyed her brother’s hairstyle suspiciously. — Have you gone mad?

— Leave me alone, — grumbled Zheka, devouring the pancakes. And I should take his example, considering the first class was starting in just a few minutes, and I really didn’t want to be late for the suspicious professor.

The sorcery professor’s office was, to put it mildly, unusual. Oak shelves lined the walls, filled with stuffed animals, inexplicable powders, and preserved organs of magical creatures. Although the heart on the top shelf looked suspiciously human… And the label on the jar, “cor humanum,” translates from Latin as “human heart.” Who is this guy?!

— Take your seats! — bellowed a voice from the teacher’s desk.

How did he get there? Did I not notice his arrival? Impossible! Judging by my classmates’ bewildered faces, they hadn’t seen him either. Some sort of mystique. Or magic?

— My name is Altair Ivanovich. Today’s topic is gravity-defying charms, or simply put, levitation. The levitation spell is one of the simplest in your curriculum. I will draw the weaving on the board; you just need to memorize it, visualize it, and fill it with power using your staff. Direct the weaving at something from your stationery. You probably don’t have the strength for anything more.

Altair Ivanovich? Is he joking? And what is he drawing? Why is the weaving enclosed in a circle? These aren’t levitation charms. Or… Wait. I’ve seen this before. That’s upper astral magic! Nobody has used it for thousands of years!

A soft pop sounded to my right, and the neighboring desk turned to dust. That’s why these charms were discontinued. The slightest mistake in weaving turns them into something destructive and deadly.

— Nothing serious. You’re just learning, — the teacher commented calmly. However, the tension in the classroom noticeably increased.

By the end of the class, only one desk remained intact — mine. I successfully pretended that I couldn’t do it, and Zheka was too upset with his mohawk to try anything. Better that way.

— Alright! — clapped Altair Ivanovich, clearly amused. — There’s nowhere left to write, so you’re all dismissed. See you on Friday!

Great. Just hope no one decides to practice in the common lounge. At this rate, there’ll be no furniture left.

— Vsevolod, I’d like you to stay behind!

Is he talking to me? What does he want from me? Interesting. I returned to my seat and patiently waited for my classmates to leave the gloomy auditorium.

— Ah, greetings, Guardian! — the sorcerer cheerfully announced — And what have you forgotten in our alma mater?

This was troubling. Exposed on my second day? What kind of Guardian does that make me? Yet, the worst part was still not knowing what to expect from this peculiar individual.

— Whom do I have the honor? — I inquired, carefully concealing my own curiosity.

— Oh, you haven’t figured it out yet! Well…

Oh dear, seems like I shouldn’t have asked. The professor’s eyes yellowed, teeth growing rapidly, and his already large nose started to resemble a medium-sized squash, his skin turning scaly and blackened. A sight no one would wish to see. But then it all became clear. A dragon. An ancient dragon in human disguise. How could I have not realized? And what was this oversized lizard doing in our world?

— Our world is closed to dragons, — I calmly stated — In the name of the Guardian, I command you to return beyond the veil.

— Make me! — the sorcerer laughed with a roaring chuckle.

I despise dragons. Wise, nearly immortal, incredibly powerful, yet they act like children! Well, time to show my true power. Grasping my staff firmly, I threw a portal spell without looking. In the middle of the wall, where the blackboard once was, a shapeless black spot appeared, shimmering like gasoline in the sun. The thin fabric of our reality tore open, paving a way to the spirit world.

Now, just a small matter of pushing the mighty dragon into the portal. What is he doing, by the way? Ah yes, spells of the upper astral — a dragon’s favorite magic. In the next moment, my desk burst into flames, turning to ash. A pity, I had taken such good care of it.

The next weaving seemed intended for me. Falling to the floor, I let the lethal spell pass over my head. One of the shelves melted into the ground as a murky green sludge. Hmm… I wouldn’t want to be in its place.

Rolling to the side, I quickly sprang to my feet and raised the most powerful of my protective weavings — a dome of shadows. The entire space around me was cloaked in a dark, semi-transparent smoke. Timely, as several of the dragon’s spells shattered against the shield, showering me with bright sparks.

The situation became a stalemate. The sorcerer couldn’t break through the dome of shadows, and I couldn’t attack, as I was spending all my energy maintaining the shield.

— Why are you here? — growled the dragon, momentarily ceasing to hurl combat charms at me.

— Ley lines have shifted, the tension point is above the academy. I’m investigating the causes, — I replied truthfully, dragons have a keen sense for lies — And what are you doing here?

— You came to expel me? — the teacher expressed genuine surprise — I’m actually working here! Kazimir and I are old friends, he asked me to substitute as the sorcerer this year. She’s on maternity leave. And I don’t want to go back to the spirit world, I’ve only got three years left until retirement!

A dragon nearing retirement? That was new. But I still needed to get out. I couldn’t hold this shield forever. Well, I could, but I didn’t want to.

— I propose a truce! — I shouted — You help me with my investigation, and I’ll cover for you with the other Guardians!

The sorcerer pondered. For a long time. He seemed quite keen on killing me. Dragons don’t like Guardians. But it’s not our fault! Protecting the world from intelligent magical beings — that’s our job!

— Alright… — the professor grumbled — We shall aid each other. Without my knowledge, you’d hardly cope.

***

The old castle was enveloped in a sleepy silence. Students were catching up on sleep after the first day of classes. Even my restless roommate had dozed off, allowing me to slip out unnoticed and visit my new ally — the dragon in human guise.

— Why do you think the ley line shift is connected to our academy? — the sorcerer posed a logical question.

We had been intently studying the map of magical currents for several tens of minutes, locked away in his gloomy office. The lines on the map glowed, shimmered, and twitched, entangling the earth in an asymmetric web.

— At this point, the country’s two largest magical arteries converge, — I pointed at the intersection of thick silver lines. — And it’s precisely where the academy is located.

— Magical educational institutions are always built near a power flow, to make it easier for students to sense the movement of magic, — the professor calmly retorted. — I see nothing unusual.

— But what if someone is deliberately drawing energy here? — I couldn’t let it go. — I have a gut feeling something’s amiss. Are there any strong mages in the academy?

— You and I, — the dragon smirked. — The rest are mediocre, nothing remarkable.

— But this can’t be a mere coincidence. Magical currents have never changed. Not once in history have the ley lines altered their position.

Frustration began to build in me. Not understanding the situation was driving me mad.

— In that, you are correct, — the teacher unexpectedly agreed with me. — Lines of force are constants in this world. Like the speed of light in a vacuum, the value of elementary charge, and Planck’s constant. They shouldn’t change.

— Then, we shall ponder…

It would take immense power to alter any fundamental quantity. But who here could possess such strength? My thoughtful gaze swept the dining hall. Could it be one of the teachers? Or some upperclassman? What if it’s Zheka? Look how skillfully he plays the fool. Or maybe he’s not playing… In any case, it could be anyone. Even Asya. But it would be a shame if I had to fight her. Better she joins my side. Maybe I should get married? Exactly! I’ll finish this business and then marry. Possibly even to Asya!

— Asya, do you want to go to the city on Saturday? — I asked casually.

Apocalypse or not, personal life goes on.

— On a date, you mean? — she inquired suspiciously, squinting.

— Yes, — I replied simply.

After all, I’m not seventeen anymore to be shy about such conversations.

— Okay, — Asya quickly agreed, warily glancing at her brother.

However, Zheka was too engrossed in devouring his porridge to pay attention to the surrounding conversations.

Perfect. At least we’ll eat well on Saturday. This endless porridge for lunch and dinner is getting tiresome. I want meat! And a pastry! And coffee!

— You’re right, — the sorcerer began without preamble, unfolding the ley line map on the table. — Look! The pattern has changed again, the intersection over the castle is even thicker. Someone really is pulling magic here.

Well, this was to be expected. Magical energy is weakening across the planet, artifacts and spells are failing. At this rate, people will soon see the true form of the Egyptian pyramids or, worse, gain access to the Library of Alexandria. We couldn’t allow that to happen.

— Why would anyone need so much energy? I know of no spell that would require such a potent source, — I confessed honestly. — Unless…

— Precisely.

The dragon confirmed my unspoken, yet dreadful suspicion. Only one ritual required such colossal magical expenditures. The sorcerer realized it first. Indeed, I had become complacent in my role as a peaceful Guardian. But what now?

Unexpectedly, the castle trembled. Powders and jars tumbled from the long-suffering shelves, shattering on the stone floor. Potions mixed, forming a murky, foul-smelling, hissing puddle. Without a word, the dragon and I dashed for the exit, but before we could take a few steps, everything ceased as abruptly as it had begun.

— And what was that? — the sorcerer inquired.

If only I knew. Closing my eyes, I focused on my inner magical vision. At first glance, nothing in the castle’s enchantment structure had changed, but…

— We’re cut off from the outside world, — I realized in surprise, peering at the barely discernible intricate weavings covering all walls. — A Veil of Despair.

— A Veil? Seriously? — even the veteran dragon was a bit flustered. — So no communication at all? No owls, no mail, no portals, no spatial jumps?

— Not even the Guardians can pass through a Veil of Despair, — I stated grimly. — There will be no help. We must deal with all problems ourselves.

— Should we try to break through? — the sorcerer stared thoughtfully at the wall. — Got enough power?

— The enchantment is powered directly by the ley lines, — I shook my head. — Even if we join forces, we’ll achieve nothing. We’re trapped.

Or, conversely, in an ark. It depends on the intentions of the unknown sorcerer. As long as the castle is enveloped by such a powerful Veil of Despair, it’s the safest place in our world. However, Russians don’t give up that easily. I’ll exert every effort to bore even a tiny hole in this defense. Just for the sake of curiosity.

— I have an idea, — I cheerfully informed the noticeably disheartened dragon. — How are you at developing spells?

The sorcerer laughed. He understood me.

Students of the State Academy of Magic, Sorcery, and Wizardry went about their personal affairs, relaxing after a hearty dinner. Some read, some slept, others cuddled in the dark corners of the castle, and a few quietly drank with roommates in the dormitory. Students, what can you expect?

But in the sorcerer’s office, true, unique magic was being wrought. The creation of magical weavings required knowledge in magical theory, maganalysis, the history of ancient spells, languages, numerology, and many other disciplines. Even with the combined efforts of the Guardian of Secret Knowledge and the ancient dragon, the work proceeded frustratingly slowly.

I tore myself away from the calculations and looked around. The once ordinary lecture hall had succumbed to the chaos of knowledge. Books, ancient scrolls, manuscripts in dead languages, and papers with mathematical calculations were strewn everywhere. We had spent the whole day at work, deriving a new spell formula. Yes, it was far from perfect, but it was finally time for a trial run.

The first application of new spells is the most dangerous stage in enchantment development. The slightest error in calculations could turn the simplest spell into a fiery tornado, an icy hailstorm, or a localized earthquake. In the worst case, the new weaving would do nothing at all. Why is this the worst scenario? Because a spell always does something. If nothing happens to you, it’s quite possible that an entire species of bird has vanished on the other side of the planet, a glacier has melted, or a small town has been destroyed.

I stood up and uncertainly stepped into the center of the runic circle drawn on the lecture hall floor. The dragon nodded encouragingly, but just in case, he crawled under the old teacher’s desk and shielded himself with a dozen protective spells. Some friend he turned out to be.

Casting one last glance at the diagram of the new weaving, I mentally repeated the words of the verbal spell. Yes, unlike the familiar mental-nonverbal form, new spells are always created with words. It’s a sort of developer mode, designed for more complete control over the weaving.

I was getting distracted. My nerves were playing up. According to the plan, this spell should momentarily breach the Veil of Despair and transport me to the old oak in the overgrown park near my home. Well, all calculations were checked, the words learned, it was time to start. Leaning on the staff, which now served as a conduit to the very oak from which it was made, I knelt down and closed my eyes. The schematic of the new weaving immediately appeared before my inner eye.

— Azm ego khranitel vokatus et silam natura. Servus serv quadrum elementa vokatus liberta. Vedi via indespectus eb quae ed quae.

I carefully pronounced each word, fearing to make any mistake in the details. The spell was a blend of Slavic, Latin, and ancient Atlantean dialects. I was invoking the power of nature, the energy of all four elements, asking to pave the way from the existing to the existing. Our idea was as simple as it was brilliant. Using the forces of nature, we wanted to connect two parts of a whole — the oak and the staff made from its branch. Such a connection should pierce a momentary breach in the Veil of Despair and transport me to the familiar park, along with the staff, of course.

The floor began to vibrate slightly, the staff heated up, and the weaving quickly gained power. Unexpectedly, the lecture hall was enveloped in impenetrable darkness, instantly destroying our hard-wrought spell.

— It didn’t work… — I sighed in disappointment.

— It did! — a voice chuckled from under the teacher’s desk.

As the darkness dispersed, I understood the dragon’s amusement. The spell had indeed worked. Only in the opposite direction. A meter away from me stood a majestic old oak. The very one from the overgrown park beneath my apartment windows.

We spent the entire night with the dragon fruitlessly searching for errors in the calculations, but we couldn’t reverse the polarity of the new weaving.

— What shall we do now? — the teacher asked wearily, sitting under the oak now towering in the middle of the lecture hall.

— We need to find the orchestrator, — I replied without hesitation. — Before it’s too late.

— We certainly won’t manage it alone… — the dragon said tiredly.

— And since no one outside can help us, we’ll have to seek allies within the academy, — I continued for him. — Do you have any trusted students?

— Where from? — the spellcaster was surprised. — I’ve only been working here for a week. Have you forgotten?

Indeed. My thinking had slowed down. Still, we couldn’t do it alone; we needed more people. But who could we involve in the search for a powerful, destructive mage? Upperclassmen were out of the question; there was a high chance that one of them was behind this. The professors were similarly suspect. Maybe the freshmen? They’re clueless, of course, but in the absence of anything better…

— What if we ask Kazimir for help? — Altair Ivanovich suddenly suggested. — I’ve known him for many years; he’s a reliable man.

Kazimir Vseslavsky? That overhyped nonentity, only good for beating carpets with a staff? And how exactly could he help us?

— He’s not a very strong mage… — the spellcaster hesitated, seeing the outrage on my face. — In fact, he’s a very weak mage. But do we have a choice?

There really was no choice. Besides, Kazimir had influence among the students, which could be significant in our situation. Even a dozen mediocre mages from the senior classes would be a force to reckon with. But it was also worth involving the freshmen. There was no way out of the castle anyway, and my date was off, so why not get to know each other better? And provide some entertainment for the girl.

That was our decision. The dragon went to persuade the director, and I leisurely headed to the student dormitory. Asya was fortunately awake but unfortunately flatly refused to participate in any adventures without her brother. Well, Zheka could be useful too. In the decisive battle, he could distract the enemy with his green mohawk.

We decided to hold the first meeting of the operational headquarters for preventing the apocalypse in the same much-troubled spellcaster’s office, near the only intact table under the crown of the majestic oak.

— You’re probably wondering why we’ve all gathered here? — I began in a mysterious whisper. — A global-scale catastrophe is looming, and the culprit is here. In our academy. We’ve been sealed off from the outside world by the Veil of Despair — a powerful spell of the highest order. We can’t leave the castle walls to ask for help, so we must act ourselves.

— Uhh… — Zheka extended, not too meaningfully.

I didn’t expect anything else from him.

— What kind of catastrophe, and why exactly should we prevent it? — Asya asked suspiciously. — And who appointed you the leader?

A smart girl indeed. Maybe she’s really worth marrying?

— Simply because you are the only ones we trust. The matter is too serious to let anyone else know, — Kazimir unexpectedly intervened. — And you are the strongest students of the first year! I say this to you as the director of the academy.

Well done! He emphasized the importance of the moment, flattered them, played his position, and didn’t reveal any useful information! A professional! Too bad he’s only good at smooth talking. And he looks authoritative — a gray beard down to his belly, baldness, deep wrinkles all over his face… You wouldn’t guess the man’s barely in his thirties.

— Now we need to find someone who is behaving strangely. Skipping classes, not showing up in the dining hall, wandering at night, constantly writing or calculating something, — the spellcaster took over. — In short, we need a list of all suspicious persons. I will watch the fourth year, the director will oversee the teachers and fifth-year students, and you, my friends, will have to monitor the rest.

I would also use my magical vision to check everyone for illusion spells. However, Altair and I decided not to inform the director, Asya, and Zheka about all the details of the operation. At least, we chose not to talk about the nature of the impending ritual and the fact that I’m a Guardian and he’s a giant intelligent lizard. In short, we omitted the trivial details. Surprisingly, Kazimir didn’t know that his old friend was a dragon. But then, why be surprised if even I was fooled by the spellcaster’s disguise.

Chapter 3: Beyond Oneself

At dinner, the headmaster announced a glitch in the academy’s protective spells had us trapped inside. He vowed to fix it soon. And everyone believed him. I tell you, he’s a smooth talker!

During the weekend, our world-saving team collected intel on all castle dwellers. Students mingled, played cards, drank, partied, and drank some more. No one was hunkered down with books or calculations. Teachers too were quite normal, taking care of their affairs and resting after a workweek.

It seemed our plan had hit a snag, but then fortune stepped in. On Sunday night, Kazimir went to the kitchen for a drink and spotted a dark figure leaving the library. But in the dark, he couldn’t make out this mysterious book lover, and naturally, Kazimir failed to cast the night vision spell. Well, what to expect…

And we would have been clueless again, were it not for one small detail — all the library walls were adorned with mirrors. Few modern mages could explain their presence, but past wizards would have known instantly, even laughing at the ignorance.

Centuries ago, all books, especially magical ones, were extremely valuable. Naturally, they were guarded meticulously. But how to guard an entire library around the clock without extra expenses? Simply by hanging magical mirrors on the walls and integrating them into the castle’s defense system.

Soon, barrier charms, magical marks, and various copying spells emerged, making the mirror system obsolete, turning into an unusual decorative element. Everyone forgot about it, except the Guardians.

I wandered slowly through the reading hall, inspecting the ancient mirrors in their hefty gilded frames. I needed to find a special one — the control panel for the system.

Ancient mages were insightful, knowing knowledge could fade over time, so they always left hints. But what kind? Among so many identical mirrors, how to find the right one? What should make it stand out?

— Stop! I stopped at a dusty mirror. It looked no different from the others, but… something about it caught my attention. What exactly? It seemed ordinary, only the gold plating was better preserved. I cautiously scratched the frame and momentarily froze in surprise. This wasn’t gold plating! It was pure gold! Ah, those ancient, cunning mages!

But how to activate it? For access, a password, a code phrase was needed. How could mages pass it down through generations? How was it preserved in the annals of history? And then… I smiled at my own guess and stepped back to see my reflection better.

— Mirror, my light, speak and reveal all truth!

A fine ripple spread across the mirror’s surface, and soon, a pretty girl in a kokoshnik appeared in the reflection.

— Greetings from the voice assistant of the mirror defense system — Marfusha. How may I assist you? she said sweetly.

— I need to see who visited the library last night, I said, anticipating the capture of our elusive mage.

— That’s all you want to see? Marfusha snapped back unexpectedly. No hello, please, or a compliment! So demanding! She crossed her arms and turned away.

Yes, modern AIs had a long way to go compared to the creations of ancient mages. Who knew she would be so intelligent?

— Please forgive me, I said guiltily. I didn’t mean to offend you. You are very beautiful. And the kokoshnik suits you incredibly well. Could you show me last night’s visitor? Please!

— So, you think flattery will get you everywhere! Marfusha snorted angrily in the reflection. You think I’ll just forget how you offended me? I’ll help you, but what’s in it for me?

Great, she was bargaining too!

— If you show me, I’ll hang you in my house and compliment you every morning, I blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

Marfusha pondered. For a long time. I even began to suspect she had frozen, but no.

— Alright, she agreed. But don’t you dare deceive me.

Deceiving her was the last thing on my mind. I’d always dreamed of a magical mirror. I had the perfect spot in my hallway, with a stunning view of the wardrobe. The mirror’s surface rippled again, images flickered, and after a while, an image of a person appeared.

Finally, the situation was becoming clear. Observing the students and teachers, we had completely overlooked the service staff and the janitor. None of them had great power, but as they say, still waters run deep…

So, our powerful mage-janitor had exposed himself. What remained was to set a trap, capture, and eliminate him. Or maybe just reprimand him with a note in his file, something like, “Attempted to perform a deadly ritual capable of killing many people while on duty.” We’ll decide on the spot.

At the operational staff meeting, silence reigned. We sat in the enchanter’s office, exchanging silent glances, waiting for at least one viable idea. Little hope rested on Kazimir and my friends, but from the dragon, I expected some valuable insight. After all, an ancient, wise, powerful creature! But he just tapped his fingers thoughtfully on the tabletop, glancing sideways at me. The question that concerned us all was — how to catch such a powerful mage?…

***

The castle was enveloped in nocturnal silence. Even the sounds of the storm raging outside couldn’t penetrate the veil of despair that securely hid us from the outside world. The plan to capture the destructor-janitor was exceedingly simple, yet effective. Our united team of world savers stood frozen opposite the janitor’s bedroom.

The enchanter stepped forward, I stayed a step behind, Asya stood to my right, and Zheka to my left. The dragon was to attack the janitor with his favorite upper astral spells, I was to cover us all with a shadow dome, and the siblings, acting as walking batteries, were to power Altair and me. That was the entire plan. Oh, and Kazimir! The director was entrusted with the most challenging mission — to stand guard.

Everyone took their positions and readied themselves. I created a shadow dome and gave an encouraging nod to the dragon. The enchanter cautiously approached the door, knocked quickly, and dashed back, hoping to make it under the dome in time. And he did. We all froze in anticipation.

The janitor’s bedroom door creaked open, and the mage stumbled heavily into the corridor. A flash of lightning briefly illuminated our adversary’s face. Asya gasped, Zheka swore crudely, and the ancient dragon involuntarily stepped back. Well yes, our janitor always looked dreadful: crooked yellow teeth, a mad gaze, black claws, foul breath… But he had always been like that! What’s there to fear?

Unable to bear the tension, the dragon hurled some dangerous nonsense from his lethal arsenal at the mage. Anticipating trouble, I strengthened the shadow dome, turning it into an almost impenetrable magical shield. But it turned out to be unnecessary.

Struck by the enchanter’s spell, the janitor collapsed lifelessly to the floor. Altair and I exchanged glances. Had we just so easily subdued a powerful mage who nearly destroyed our world?

— Go poke him with your stick, I suggested to the dragon.

— It’s not a stick, it’s a staff! the teacher protested. — And anyway, you need to, you go!

— Can’t, I’m holding the shield, I replied guiltily.

The enchanter snorted disdainfully but didn’t argue. Emerging from under the dome, he cautiously approached our fallen foe and timidly prodded him under the ribs with his stick. Sorry, staff. The mage on the floor didn’t react. Growing bolder, the dragon crouched next to the janitor and made several hand movements, apparently using druid magic.

— He’s unconscious, Altair Ivanovich stated in surprise. — It all turned out to be much simpler than we thought, right?

Indeed. Too simple. But even better. I waved my staff, dissolving the shadow dome. And I was about to cast a binding spell on the destructor-janitor, but everything suddenly went awry.

A powerful blow from behind knocked us off our feet. My head spun, images flashed before my eyes, and it felt like consciousness was being sucked into a vortex. But it all stopped as abruptly as it had begun.

I lay on the floor, staring at a guy with beautiful green eyes. Interesting, where did he come from? Weren’t there just five of us? Though, I had seen him somewhere before. Definitely seen. But where?

The realization came unexpectedly. I was lying on the cold stone floor, looking at myself. But how could I be both there and here? Had I been knocked out of my body? I remembered a similar trick from the last shamanic war. My body stirred clumsily, awkwardly. Our gazes met, a spark seemed to pass between us, and my body screamed. I had no idea I could yell so loudly!

But what exactly had happened? My mind was working slowly but surely. I extended my arms and closely examined the slender female fingers. It became clear. Astral displacement spells. Our friendly group had been body-swapped. And apparently, I was in Asya’s body. My hands involuntarily slid over my chest… Yes, this was definitely Asya.

— Quiet! Zheka unexpectedly barked at me. Or rather, someone in Zheka’s body yelled at mine. How complicated everything was…

To my surprise, my body quieted down. That was good.

— Who among you is Seva? growled pseudo-Zheka angrily.

I think I know whose body he ended up in. I modestly raised my hand. Or should I say, she raised her hand?

— Seriously? the dragon laughed. That’s offensive. He has a green mohawk, and he’s laughing at me.

— You’re in my body! Kazimir yelled. Was that directed at me? And here I thought Asya had ended up in my body, otherwise, who was screaming like that?

— What’s happening?! I cried out again. Well, the other me, who’s no longer me. — Give me back my body!

Oops! He’s yelling at Zheka! Or rather, the dragon… I’m completely confused now. So, I’m in Asya’s body, the dragon is in Zheka’s, Asya is in Kazimir’s, and Zheka is in mine. I think that’s right. Which means, logically, Kazimir should have transferred into the enchanter’s body. By the way, where is he?

— Kazimir is missing, I voiced aloud. — Where is that scatterbrain again? We asked him to stand guard!

— Who knows, shrugged dragon-Zheka. — You’d better tell us how to swap bodies back.

Good question. Too bad I don’t know the answer. I’ve heard of such a spell, but I have no idea how to reverse it. The enchanter quietly swore. Apparently, he understood from my look the complexity of the situation. Yes, we were in a bind…

The dining hall was overcrowded. Students were chatting, joking, eating, and completely unaware that something terrifying was happening right next to them. Namely, I — the Guardian of Ancient Knowledge, a powerful mage, a master of ten orders — was walking around the magic academy in a woman’s skirt! Not to mention that a freshman was sitting in the director’s chair, and a pensioner dragon was strutting around with a green mohawk.

I sighed wearily. What had I learned in these few days? Practically nothing. There was no information about these vile astral displacement spells in the library. On the bright side, I saw Asya naked, which, in principle, was also a good outcome. Plus, I learned how torturous it is to wear tights. And how awful it is to walk in heels. And how annoying it is to comb and wash long hair. And how infuriating bras are!

In short, I learned a lot of new things. And for the first time, I felt weak. Not physically, no. Asya turned out to be a rather mediocre witch, her staff didn’t suit her at all, and half of her internal magical channels were clogged. How she managed to cast spells at all, I couldn’t understand.

I couldn’t use ninety percent of the spells while in her body. Even the simplest weaves worked only half the time. Meanwhile, Zheka in my body was doing great. In these days, he almost destroyed half of the academy’s classrooms. He recently used all my power to lift a pencil off the floor. And he did. Along with the floor and all the students in the auditorium. In short, he’s a fool…

Pushing away my half-empty plate, I scanned the students. They were so carefree, so happy. The teachers, on the other hand, were clearly nervous. Maybe they sensed the change in magical fields? Or were they actually concerned about the disappearance of a colleague? The seat to the right of the director was still empty. Where on earth had Kazimir in the dragon’s body disappeared to?

***

The gentle pre-dawn silence enveloped the ancient castle. I stood frozen near the window, watching as the sun’s rays peeking over the horizon habitually dispersed the twilight. I couldn’t sleep. Either due to the realization that I might remain a girl forever or due to the premonition of impending doom.

Kazimir was gone. So was the steward. We had scoured every dark corner of the castle, but to no avail. The ritual was drawing near, and there was nothing we could do. It seemed I had lost this battle even before it had begun.

— Asya! Uh, I mean, Seva! The enchanter is calling everyone urgently! — Zheka, who had comfortably settled into my body, burst in on me.

We jumped up and hurried to the dragon. A small flame of hope was kindling in my heart. Could he have found something? Maybe we could switch bodies back? Or had he discovered the villain-steward’s lair? In any case, we had to hurry.

As soon as we crossed the threshold of the enchanter’s office, he rushed toward me.

— I’ve figured it out! — the dragon exclaimed joyfully. — I know how to buy us time!

Now, this was interesting. By my calculations, we had only a couple of hours left until the ritual. What had he come up with?

— The Veil of Despair can’t be penetrated even by its creator, which means he’s still in the castle, — the enchanter continued without pause. — We just need to move the castle somewhere else. Far away from the power concentration.

The logic in the teacher’s words was definitely there. And I even knew how to do it, but… I had absolutely no energy for it. All my strength was with Zheka, and I shuddered to imagine what such sorcery might result in his execution.

But once again, we had no choice. Nor did we have time for reflection and calculations. I nodded to the dragon, grabbed Zheka by the hand, and dragged him to the center of the room. The enchanter understood without words, grabbed the chalk, and quickly began to draw a runic weave on the floor. We couldn’t delay.

— Listen to me carefully. — It’s hard to look imposing in the fragile body of an eighteen-year-old beauty, but fortunately, Zheka listened to his sister and was frankly afraid of her. — Now, you’ll visualize this weave, — I extended my hand, and an intricate pattern appeared in the air above my palm, — and fill it with power. If you make a mistake in even one line, we’re all dead. Understand?

Zheka nodded uncertainly, carefully knelt down, closed his eyes, and began the ritual. Soon, there was a loud clap, and the castle shook so violently that we barely kept our feet. Did this fool actually manage to move us into a spatial pocket? The darkness outside the windows confirmed it — Zheka had succeeded!

— Seva, did you explain to him how to anchor it to the source? — the dragon whispered.

I looked at my companion in surprise. What a strange question. Why explain such elementary things?

— You know they only study anchoring in the third year?

That was a real blunder. What does it mean? He closed the loop? I stared wide-eyed at my satisfied roommate. Damn it! He not only transported us into a spatial pocket, but he also put a temporal loop on the castle!

— What have you done, you idiots?! — someone roared, bursting into the auditorium.

It was the dragon! Well, I mean, someone in the enchanter’s body, which was now taking on its true form of a huge reptile. And why was he yelling?

— Decided to stop me?! The great Vseslavsky himself?!

Oops! I was completely lost. So Kazimir was actually in the dragon’s body. But why then was he angry? He couldn’t possibly be the villain. As if hearing my thoughts, the director hurled some deadly filth at me. What was he doing? Why did he need all this? Where did all this power come from?! The questions remained unanswered. Kazimir’s spell reached its target. Jerking aside, I collapsed onto the floor like a broken doll. Before darkness completely engulfed my consciousness, I managed to see my friends also helplessly falling to the stone floor.

Outside the windows, darkness reigned. We stood near Zheka, who was seated in the center of the runic circle. Wait! We were just killed a moment ago! Or… I slapped myself on the forehead. A time loop. Good job, Zheka! Well done!

— He’s about to burst in! — I shouted to my bewildered friends. — Hide!

My call worked. Asya, Zheka, and I dashed to the oak tree, while the enchanter traditionally crawled under his table. Just in time, it must be said.

— What have you done, you idiots?! — Kazimir roared, bursting into the auditorium and transforming into a huge lizard on the move. — Decided to stop me?! The great Vseslavsky himself?!

Kazimir suddenly fell silent. Apparently, he did not expect to find his adversaries missing. And why is he repeating the same thing? Interesting… It seems the loop closed on me, Asya, Altair, and Zheka, as we were closest to the center of the ritual execution. Does that mean the time transfer activates when one of us dies?

— Why are you doing all this? — the enchanter unexpectedly yelled, peering out from under the table.

Strange. I hadn’t noticed any suicidal tendencies in him. Kazimir laughed with a roaring laughter.

— You think I didn’t know you were a dragon?! — he growled. — From the moment we met, I’ve been preparing this plan to seize your body! I’ve been accumulating power for many years and waiting for the right moment!

Now that was confusing. He seriously decided to unleash an apocalypse just to become a dragon? And they say I come up with complicated plans.

— I longed to gain the ancient power of the dragon! — the director continued his rant. — I sent the previous enchanter on maternity leave! I invited you to take her place! I shrouded the castle in the Veil of Despair! I framed the steward! I took your body! And I will destroy you all! Every one of you!

Kazimir laughed again, his laughter filled with madness. And power. We all knew that we couldn’t stand against a dragon. Or rather, I could have… if I were in my own body.

The director swung his clawed paw, sending another deadly weaving at Altair. The enchanter awkwardly jerked his green mohawk and ungracefully fell to the floor. I was ready to be thrown back in time again, but… nothing happened. Why? Ah, I get too distracted during battles. Another of Kazimir’s spells hit me in the chest. Well, at least it was painless this time.

Outside the windows, darkness reigned. Once again, we stood near Zheka, sitting in the center of the runic circle.

— Again? — Asya, stuck in the director’s body, was surprised.

— Yes, again, — I grimly confirmed, walked to the enchanter’s table and climbed on it with my feet. The rest of the company rushed to the oak tree, hoping to find shelter behind its mighty trunk again. So, the loop only triggers if all four of us die? Well, I’ve seen worse.

— What have you done, you idiots?! — Kazimir roared, bursting into the auditorium and transforming into a huge lizard on the move. — Decided to stop me?! The great Vseslavsky himself?!

— Yeah, — I calmly replied. — You wanted to seize the dragon’s body, gain power, and you slept with the enchanter. We all know that. Want some tea?

The director froze in place and looked at me bewildered.

— How do you know?! — he exclaimed, ignoring my question about tea. Too bad, we could have resolved everything peacefully over tea.

— I have my sources, — I waved my hand significantly. — Better tell me, why did you decide to conduct the ritual of forced evolution? Why change the structure of ley lines if you just want to steal a dragon’s body? Why all the complexity?

— I didn’t change anything! — Kazimir roared. — And I’m not planning any ritual! And besides, you’ve annoyed me, stupid girl!

Before I lost my life again, one single thought flashed through my mind — how is it that he’s not conducting the ritual?

Outside the windows, darkness still reigned. Once again, we stood near Zheka, seated in the center of the runic circle.

— I’m tired of this! — Asya shouted, and it seemed she started crying. I understood her, but I had no time for tears.

— If he’s not the one conducting the ritual, then who is? — I quickly asked the enchanter.

— I have no idea, — he shrugged, clearly upset. Yes, it’s not every day that old friends betray you by inhabiting your own body.

— What have you done, you idiots?! — Kazimir bellowed, bursting into the auditorium and again transforming into a huge lizard. — Decided to stop me?! The great Vseslavsky himself?!

— Shush! — I snapped. — Stop yelling. Better tell me, what role do I play in your plan?

Perhaps Kazimir didn’t even know that I was the Guardian. What if my admission to the academy was really just an accident? I don’t believe it! He could sense the true nature of a dragon, but not my power?

— And what do dragons usually do with beautiful girls? — The director laughed and grabbed me with his huge scaly paw. — They kidnap them! So, I will kidnap you. And marry you!

Wait a minute. Marry me? No, I disagree. And besides, I wanted to marry this body first! When it still belonged to Asya! And how, pray tell, am I supposed to fulfill my marital duties? I, for one, love girls, not huge reptiles.

However, my moral turmoil didn’t concern the director. Gripping my-Asya’s body tightly in his paws, he swiftly, as far as it was possible with his size, slipped out of the auditorium. Well, at least he clearly doesn’t know that I’m the Guardian.

I leaned against the cold, damp wall of my cell. So, it’s time to think. What do we have? I’m an adult man in the body of a young girl, locked in a dungeon guarded by a real dragon who wants to marry me. And the dungeon itself is in a castle hidden somewhere outside our reality and trapped in a time loop. Plus, I still don’t know who initiated this whole mess with shifting ley lines. Did I forget anything? Doesn’t seem like it. Well, I’ve seen worse.

Chapter 4: In the Power of Chaos

A spider was crawling up the wall. I wonder where it’s going? Isn’t it cold in this damp dungeon? Why hasn’t it escaped from here? I would have escaped… If I still had the strength. But the door is locked, there’s a dragon outside, and there are no secret passages in the cell. I’ve checked several times, all to no avail.

The most I could do now was maintain a small fire in the center of my tiny cell to avoid freezing to death. At the same time, I was developing the girl’s inner energy channels to make her a little stronger. All my hope was now on my friends. Or more precisely, on Altair. Zheka and Asya are good kids, but they lack experience.

Suddenly, the spider disappeared from sight, and the fire noticeably dimmed. The underground prison slowly filled with billowing darkness, and soon I couldn’t even make out my own hands. I’ve seen something like this before…

— It worked! — a voice exclaimed as the darkness began to recede.

— There she is! The beauty! — the enchanter practically shouted in my ear. — And you didn’t believe it!

The darkness finally dispersed, and I could finally see my surroundings. I was sitting in the middle of Altair’s office, with Zheka standing next to me, looking at me admiringly. I got it. The enchanter figured out how to use our experimental — from the real to the real — spell. Last time we used it to bring a huge oak tree into the academy, and now they pulled me out of the dungeon. Brilliant! Zheka, in my body, had tried to merge with my spirit, trapped in Asya’s body. Well done! But they could have figured it out sooner.

— Thank you, — I sincerely thanked my rescuers. — How are things going here?

— It’s complicated, — the enchanter didn’t hide it. — The castle is still in a time loop. We still haven’t found the organizer of the forced evolution ritual. And we still don’t know how to switch bodies back. We only figured out how to get you out.

— Well done. Confinement always does me good. I have a new plan, — I said cunningly and clapped my hands.

Yes, this gesture would have looked cooler in my own body, but I didn’t have a choice.

***

You devise a plan, set everything up, and then you end up being the bait. Why do they treat me like this? Monsters. Just got out of the dungeon, didn’t even have time to warm up, and now I have to go back already. The gloomy stone corridor stretched far down into the darkness. As I recalled, there should be a large hall at the end. Oh, it’s so far from the sorcerer’s office! Why didn’t I think of setting up an ambush somewhere closer? I just hope Asya’s physical form is up to the task, otherwise… I don’t even want to think about what might happen.

Here, I need to turn and… yes, there it is. A huge black dragon lay in the middle of the large hall, peacefully reading a book by the light of the sparse torches. Quite a sight, I must admit. But there was no time to admire, it was time to act. And boy, was I scared!

— Hey, you! Overgrown lizard! I’m talking to you! You’re a fake, not a dragon! Can’t even keep hold of a girl!

Seems like he finally noticed me. And got very angry! Very angry indeed! Okay, now to run! Run and don’t look back, shedding adrenaline by the handful!

I tried to encourage myself as best I could. But in a situation where a gigantic fire-breathing lizard is chasing you, it’s hard to focus on anything. I think I just ran past the right turn… No, here it is!

Bursting into the sorcerer’s office, I stopped opposite the colorful tapestry, honestly stolen from the director’s bedroom. To hang this artwork, Altair even had to get rid of several bookshelves. Why did we need the tapestry? Its purpose was quite obvious — it covered a huge hole in the wall.

As soon as I stopped, my friends took positions around me. Unfortunately, the dragon was not far behind, and I didn’t even have time to catch my breath.

— Tsk-tsk-tsk, — hissed Zheka. — Come here, my little bird!

Yes, this guy could get on anyone’s nerves. Roaring, the dragon lunged at us, forgetting all about magic. Well, his loss.

The portal to the spirit world, hidden under the tapestry, received us very gently, as if we had landed in the arms of a loving aunt. This kind of transition worked with completely different substances of our universe, so the veil of despair was no barrier to it. This step was a Last Chance, we took it out of desperation. The chances of returning from the spirit world were very slim. Especially for a dragon.

However, there were certain pluses to such a transition.

— Hooray! — someone shouted to my right as the portal fog cleared. — I’m back in my own body!

And there’s the first plus. Crossing the threshold of reality removed all spells cast on a person. And I must admit, being back in my own body felt great. I could feel the strength again, sense the energy flows, catch the whispers of magic. And judging by the happy exclamations around, my friends were also happy with the astral return.

— And who are you? — Zheka suddenly yelled, staring at me suspiciously.

Ah yes, crossing the threshold removes absolutely all spells. Including illusion magic. How did I not think of that!

— Vsevolod. A high-category mage, master of the Order of the Guardians of Secret Knowledge, and your classmate, — I introduced myself modestly. — I came to the academy to prevent an impending disaster. Just having some trouble with illusion magic right now.

— Seva? — Asya asked in surprise. — You’re quite handsome!

So I was ugly before? Thanks!

— And by the way, — the girl continued, her eyes twinkling mischievously, — after what you’ve seen and done, — she meaningfully ran her hand over her body, pausing briefly over her chest, — you simply have to marry me!

Indeed. How else? Especially since she’s offering herself, so I should take the opportunity before she changes her mind.

— Agreed, — I nodded seriously. — As soon as we get out of the spirit world and deal with the end of the world, we’ll get married. I promise.

— Relax, I was just joking, — the student smiled.

— Too late, young lady, — the sorcerer laughed, having also successfully restored his body. — You just made a magical contract. You should think before saying something to a Guardian. Asya snorted and turned away, not believing the teacher. No matter, she’ll have time to come to terms with being my bride. For now, we should look around. Where have we ended up? And where, by the way, is Kazimir?

The place we found ourselves in resembled someone’s living house from our world. High ceilings, expensive carpets on wooden floors, crystal chandeliers, paintings on the walls, and luxurious leather furniture. You wouldn’t immediately say it’s a completely different world.

— Be careful, — I warned. — The world of spirits lives by different rules. Our magic doesn’t work here, and even physics is different. I hope they understood me. We walked through the spacious hall but found nothing interesting. The sorcerer suggested splitting up, checking the whole house, and then regrouping. Well, said and done.

I took Asya by the arm and pulled her towards the staircase leading to the second floor. Now that she’s my bride, we need to spend time together. But seriously, I was just worried about her. After all, her body had become almost as familiar as my own over the past week.

— It’s beautiful here, — she whispered in awe. Before us was a spacious, bright room with a huge panoramic window and a white grand piano near it. Along the walls were sturdy leather sofas and beautiful live flowers. There was even a neatly arranged fireplace! And the windows offered a view of a well-kept garden with emerald-green trees. It was indeed very beautiful. Someday I’ll build myself a mansion and have a room like this for music.

Asya approached the piano, carefully opened the lid, and ran her delicate fingers over the keys. A beautiful musical ripple sounded, and several glowing lights appeared in the room.

— Oh! — the girl exclaimed. — What’s that?

— Those are spirits, — I shrugged. — Everything in this world is under their control. Music, physics, magic. I flicked the light switch, lighting the chandelier. Miraculously, the room filled with myriads of tiny glowing dots.

— These, for example, are spirits of light, — I continued explaining. — And those you summoned are spirits of music. Don’t try to understand this world; just accept its rules. We’re just guests here.

— They’re beautiful! — my bride exclaimed, looking at the glowing dots, each a separate spirit with a beautiful face and translucent wings. — Can you show me something else? Easy. It’s hard not to find a spirit in the world of spirits. I approached the fireplace, took a box of matches from the shelf, struck one, and threw it onto the logs. The wood blazed brightly, forming a red fiery creature resembling a small human.

— That’s a fire spirit, — I said. — Quite dangerous, but only if you feed it. Wood, for example.

— Can you talk to them? — Asya asked curiously.

— Theoretically, yes. But only shamans can do that, — I nodded. — Unfortunately, I don’t have that specialization. These are just lower spirits, something like our insects. But there are higher ones — they are quite intelligent beings.

— What about technology? Internet, television, phones, social networks? Do they exist here? — the girl asked, genuinely interested.

— Everything exists here, — I smiled. I liked her childlike curiosity, and I was more than willing to satisfy it. — It’s just that everything works differently. Phones are replaced by spirit-brothers. They always feel each other and can instantly transmit messages over any distance. The Internet is replaced by spirit-librarians. They communicate with the spirits of books and can find almost any information. Television is spirit-actors. They give mini-performances, play out whole movies, organize concerts… All live. And there are no social networks here, by the way. But there is an equivalent to email: spirit-postmen can deliver a message to any part of the world in just minutes.

— Amazing! — Asya breathed excitedly. — I want to see all this!

I shook my head.

— You can’t. There are not only nice and kind spirits here but also very dangerous ones. And our magic doesn’t work here. We need to get out of this world as soon as possible.

At that moment, a blood-curdling scream came from below. Asya and I exchanged glances and rushed to the first floor. I don’t know what my bride was thinking, but my mind was occupied by only one thought — I hope we haven’t disturbed the spirits of ancient chaos.

Have you ever been afraid? Felt that nasty, vile, sticky fear wrapping around your soul? Experienced the crowds of goosebumps running down your back, making the hair on your head move?

Kazimir was afraid right now. And how could he not be, with something human-like but with scales, claws, and fangs approaching him? Yes, it was just a transitional form of the dragon’s transformation, but that didn’t make it any less terrifying. Apparently, the sorcerer had finally found his traitorous friend who had taken his body and now craved revenge. The director himself cowered under a coffee table, covering his head with his hands and screaming hysterically. Well, fine. The main thing was that these weren’t spirits of ancient chaos.

— Are you just going to stand there and watch? — Asya yelled in my ear. — He’s going to kill him! So what? Kazimir had killed us three times. Each one of us! And who am I to interfere in the affairs of old friends? But you can’t show weakness in front of your fiancée. And let’s not forget, we are in a foreign world.

— Calm down, — I said to Altair. — Don’t you dare spill blood in the world of spirits. Once we get out of here, you can even eat him. Asya elbowed me unpleasantly in the ribs. Well, it could’ve been worse… but it still hurt. There’ll definitely be a bruise.

To my surprise, the sorcerer listened to me and without argument took on a human form. Apparently, he was familiar with the customs of the spirit world.

— I don’t eat that, — the sorcerer grimaced in disgust. — We can just leave him here. Let him survive as he wishes. Kazimir, hearing his fate, jerked and hit his head on the tabletop. How did he even become the director of the magic academy? Yelling in pain, Vseslavsky began massaging the injured spot, smearing thick blood on his bald crown. Well, that’s what he deserves. Wait. What do you mean, blood?

I slowly turned my gaze to the sorcerer. Though I wish I hadn’t. Seeing fear on the face of a powerful ancient dragon is a bad sign. A very bad sign. But maybe we’ll be lucky?

The house shook. There was a rumble and the sound of breaking dishes from above. Unfortunately, we weren’t lucky.

— Should we run? — Asya whispered fearfully, clutching my arm. I exhaled wearily and shook my head. It was too late to run. And you can’t escape from spirits in their world. Especially from the spirits of ancient chaos, who had been offended by blood.

The surroundings began to change rapidly. The bright hall on the first floor gradually turned into ruins. The expensive furniture crumbled into chips, the wallpaper faded and peeled off the walls, beautiful paintings transformed into messy smudges, and bright carpets became worn and stained… Everything around us descended into chaos.

We stood frozen in the center of the room, back to back. Even Kazimir took his rightful place in our ranks. After all, a grudge is a grudge, but it’s better to fight together. The room began to fill with a cold, nasty fog. Our clothes instantly got soaked, and clinging to each other became downright unpleasant.

— Everyone close your eyes! — I shouted, hoping my friends would listen. — Stand still and don’t move!

One must not look upon the spirits of ancient chaos. The human psyche is unprepared for such a shock. I heard once a Guardian survived after looking into the eyes of a chaos spirit. But upon returning home, he used pliers to pull out all his teeth, made a necklace from them, and gifted it to his beloved, smiling toothlessly with joy. Better to keep the eyes closed… better safe than sorry.

— How dare you disturb the spirits of chaos with human blood? — boomed a voice above us.

Yes, the spirits of chaos and their phrases are always disordered. Still, I wonder what they look like. Maybe just a peek? No, I mustn’t. Must concentrate and pull myself together. Am I a Guardian or what?

— We didn’t mean to disturb you! — I shouted. — We’re lost souls! Guests in your world! We just need to return!

— And how do you wish to leave? — the spirits laughed heartily. — Your magic doesn’t work here!

Of course, they’re right. Our magic doesn’t work here, and we can’t open a portal. But there are other ways — secret paths of the spirits, for example. But how to ask them to guide us? Chaos is a very poor helper. But what if…

— You’re right! — I took a risk. — We want to stay in the world of spirits!

— What?! — It seemed both the spirits and my friends shouted simultaneously. Well, I do know how to surprise.

— For your audacity, back to your world you shall be sent! — thundered the voice above us. I must be a genius. Good thing the spirits of chaos love to do everything backwards and aren’t particularly smart. — And you’ll be stripped of your minds too!

That, I hadn’t accounted for. Thousands of quiet whispers began to sound from all sides, merging into an unpleasant mush of hissing sounds. The mind tried to analyze the information, but the meaning of the words kept slipping away, scrambling thoughts in my head. Why do I always miss some detail when I make brilliant plans? How could I forget the spirits of chaos’ ability to affect people through the auditory sensory system?

— Everyone, think of something good! — I yelled, hoping to drown out the chorus of ghostly whispers. — Distract yourselves! Remember the best moments of your life!

The worst part was that it was impossible to shield oneself from the spirits’ influence by simply plugging ears. The voices sounded inside the head, distracting and confusing. Gathering all my willpower, I tried to relax and remember the best day of my life. Unfortunately, that was easier said than done. Either because memories kept slipping away, or because I simply had nothing to remember.

Stop! There it is! When was it? Probably five years ago. I was standing on a small cliff, and beneath my feet stretched an endless sea. I watched as the sun slowly sank below the horizon, painting the sky in a gentle pink hue and leaving a bright sunset path on the dark water. A light breeze picked up the spray of the waves crashing against the rocks and threw it in my face, like a kiss. Somewhere in the distance, I could see the white sail of a magnificent yacht. It didn’t disturb the moment… on the contrary, it completed the picture, making it whole, real. What did I need on that cliff? I don’t remember. Seemed like I was hiding some ancient artifact. Successfully? That’s not important now. At that moment, I found something greater — inner peace.

The voices in my head quieted down, and the noisy spirits of chaos were no longer heard. Did it work? I should check… but I’m a bit scared to open my eyes.

— Kazimir! — I shouted. — What do you see around?

Why not? He’s the only one present I don’t pity.

— I see an oak, — Kazimir replied after a pause. — A huge, green one.

All clear. I cautiously opened my eyes and looked around warily. Indeed, we were standing near a tree in the sorcerer’s office.

— You can open your eyes, — I graciously permitted. — Is everyone alive?

A discordant chorus of feeble responses followed. Excellent. They can speak, so all is well. Well then, welcome back to us.

Chapter 5: The Neverending Story

Outside the castle windows, primordial darkness still reigned. Having returned from the world of spirits, we found ourselves again in the sorcerer’s office. None of us knew what to do next. The entire academy was still trapped in a time loop, locked in a spatial pocket outside our reality. And we still had no idea who was orchestrating the ritual of forced evolution. Initially, we wanted to banish Kazimir from our friendly company, but after appreciating his plan to seize the dragon’s body, we kept him as a villain-consultant.

— What do we know about the ritual of forced evolution? — I paced the office, musing aloud. — The ritual was created as a panacea, a cure for all diseases. However, after practical trials, it had a downside — it forced evolution, and not always appropriately. Mice grew gills, rabbits developed trunks, and rats even began to read minds…

— Wait, — Asya interrupted me. — You said this is the first time the ley lines have shifted. But how was this ritual performed before if it requires so much energy?

— Failing grade! — I cheerfully chided her. — Ancient magicians used magical power capacitors — pyramids, henges, and more. This allowed them to perform such energy-intensive rituals without tapping into free energy and altering ley lines.

— But why doesn’t our mage conduct the ritual using these capacitors? — Zheka wondered.

— That’s a good question! — I praised my roommate. — I don’t know. Maybe because using stored energy requires permission from the international council of mages, or maybe for some other reasons.

— Has anyone ever conducted this ritual on humans? — Kazimir cautiously asked.

Damn trickster! Still hoping to evolve into a dragon!

— Of course, — I didn’t hide it and grinned. — The Atlanteans decided to take a risk and covered the whole of Atlantis with the ritual’s weave. After which they turned into dolphins. Want the same?

Kazimir turned pale and shook his head negatively. Good. He’s getting smarter.

— We need to get out of the spatial pocket, — the dragon said tiredly. — Since Kazimir laid the veil of despair, it’s possible that the ritual organizer isn’t even in the castle.

Indeed. To cast the veil, one had to be inside the space. That was the basis of our search. But if someone else was preparing the ritual, they could have stayed outside. Meaning we need to go back and start searching anew.

There was just one tiny thing preventing me from immediately performing the return ritual to the real world — the time loop. I could have untangled it with my eyes closed, but the time loop had its own laws. For example, the first to die inside the loop would die upon exiting it. And this feature worried me the most because I was the first to die inside the loop. But I couldn’t leave my friends in the closed time circle either, I didn’t have the right.

Ah, I never knew I would meet my death willingly. But that’s the fate of Guardians — to sacrifice themselves for others. I sat in the runic circle and methodically untangled the unfortunate weave. I wonder, will Asya cry? Maybe I should tell them? No, better not to say. Ignorance is bliss.

I carefully reconfigured the power flows, feeling the vibrations of space. And how did I agree to trust Zheka with this? No wonder he messed up. A loud pop sounded, and bright sunlight hit my eyes. It worked! Great! Wait. Why am I still alive?

Suddenly, a pain-filled scream echoed, and Asya collapsed to the floor. Damn it! When will I learn to consider all factors in my plans? I was in Asya’s body when Kazimir killed me in the time loop! Idiot!

I rushed to my fiancée. Just hoping she would survive. Pushing Zheka aside, I fell to my knees before the girl, weaving diagnostic spells of the druids on the go. Her pulse was rapidly fading, vital signs dropping. What to do? It should have been me in her place! Need healing weaves, therapeutic rituals, anything! I can’t lose her…

My mind was blank. Not a single thought. As if all magical knowledge was instantly erased from memory. I saw the dragon applying ancient druidic weaves, but it was all in vain. Spells, charms, rituals… I needed to come up with something. Rituals? Of course!

— The ritual of forced evolution was created as a cure for all diseases, — I repeated my own words. — It should help. We’ll conduct it ourselves.

— Have you gone mad?! — the dragon shouted. — The ritual needs a very powerful magic conductor. Even your homemade staff can’t channel all the accumulated energy into a specific person. You’ll repeat the mistake of the Atlanteans!

— I won’t, — I quietly replied.

Need a powerful conductor? I looked at the mighty oak in the middle of the auditorium. Will it do? I don’t know, but there’s no choice.

— Zheka! — I yelled at my shocked roommate. — Bring Asya to the oak! Quickly!

Without asking questions, he picked up his sister and carefully seated her at the roots of the tree, leaning her back against the mighty trunk.

I confidently approached the oak and knelt before it, pressing my forehead against the warm tree bark. I felt its power, the streams of magic flowing through it.

— You helped me once, help now… — I whispered barely audibly.

A clear pattern of a powerful spell formed in my mind, and its delicate structure immediately began to fill with force. At first gently, a small stream, but the flow kept increasing and increasing until it reached its peak. I could barely hold the weaving. The old oak creaked under the pressure of energy but did not give in. Focusing the magic, I carefully placed my hand on Asya’s forehead, channeling a colossal flow of magical energy through her body.

The girl screamed and arched in pain. Tears squirted from her eyes, but the main thing was she was alive. I did it! We did it! Struggling to remove my hand from Asya’s face, I tiredly lay on the floor. I hope she doesn’t turn into a dolphin or grow a trunk. We’ll handle the rest somehow.

The castle lived its own life. Students were slowly learning, drinking, and having fun, while teachers desperately tried to instill at least a bit of knowledge into their thick heads. The sorcerer also returned to his professional duties. Asya was still recuperating in the infirmary but was recovering quickly. No extra limbs grew on her, and no new organs seemed to have appeared yet. Even Kazimir returned to the director’s chair, giving me a magical oath that he would never again try to become a magical being.

But we never found the organizer of the ritual of forced evolution. However, now I was grateful to him. I don’t know what our villain had in mind, but he helped save a person’s life. And for that, he has my thanks. Magic was gradually returning to the world, and the pattern of ley lines was slowly restoring. Yes, many artifacts around the planet were rendered useless, but we managed to avoid a catastrophe, and that’s the main thing.

I no longer had any reason to stay at the academy, but just before leaving for home, I remembered one unfinished business. After saying goodbye to my friends and setting a date with Asya for the weekend, I slipped unnoticed into the library.

— My light, mirror! Speak and tell the whole truth!

Ripples spread across the mirror surface, and soon Marfusha appeared in the reflection.

— Hello, beauty! — I cheerfully greeted her. — Ready to move?

— And what took so long? — the voice assistant pouted offendedly. — You could have hurried up with your ritual!

Now I’m confused.

— Which ritual should I have hurried up with? — I asked suspiciously.

— Well, this one! The evolutionary compulsion or whatever it’s called… — the girl indifferently waved her hand.

I’m completely lost.

— Marfusha, my sunshine! Could you please explain why you think I conducted the ritual of forced evolution? — I kindly asked.

— Well, how, — the girl in the reflection looked at me in surprise. — You asked me yourself to start drawing the world’s magical energy using the castle’s protective charms, to conduct this ritual and save someone. So I connected to the academy’s storage system and drew power from the ley lines…

This is nonsense. What does it mean? Marfusha is the villain who almost left our world without magic? Or is that villain me? I don’t understand anything.

— My darling, — I smiled kindly. — And when did I ask you about this?

— When creating the mirror protection, you asked, — the girl rolled her eyes. — Like three hundred years ago… And by the way, you didn’t say goodbye, rude!

I think I’m starting to understand.

I paused on a small cliff. Beneath my feet stretched the boundless sea, annoying seagulls screeched around, and the sun unpleasantly scorched. Unfortunately, sunset was still far away. In my memories, this place was definitely better. But that’s not important. This time, I was interested in the artifact I had once hidden here.

Moving a huge boulder with a simple weaving, I carefully descended to the ground and pulled out old wooden prayer beads from the hiding place. I never thought I’d want to use them, but fate always has its plans.

Time travel is a very dangerous and unpredictable thing. Take, for instance, the paradox of the missing starting point. I learned about the plan to save Asya yesterday from Marfusha but told her about this plan hundreds of years ago. Yes, I can go back to the past and inform the voice assistant about the details of the operation and the timeline will be restored, but… it doesn’t add up. I’ll be telling Marfusha in the past what I learned from her in the present, and she in the present will be telling me what she learned from me in the past. Complicated? Very. And the main question — when did I actually come up with this plan? I hate temporal paradoxes.

I cautiously wrapped my wrist with the powerful artifact, squinted my eyes, and activated the ancient mages’ gift. Oh, I’ll feel bad when the other Guardians find out about this! The wind suddenly intensified, throwing cold sea spray in my face. I cracked open my eyes and exhaled in amazement. Night had fallen. Or rather, it only seemed to me that night had come. In reality, the ancient artifact had transported me back several hundred years, and I had just ten minutes to prepare my brilliant plan.

Not wasting any time, I concentrated and teleported to the academy’s library. The familiar hall was empty. Even the bookshelves were barely a quarter filled. A sad sight. But the mirrors around ostentatiously glittered with gold.

I rushed to a familiar mirror, not thinking about the possible activation of protective charms. According to my calculations, the mages hadn’t yet set up the system, which meant I could access the factory settings.

— My light, mirror! Speak and tell the whole truth! — I blurted out on the go.

Ripples spread across the mirror surface, and a girl appeared in the reflection, unchanged for hundreds of years.

— Voice assistant of the mirror protection system Marfusha welcomes you. How may I assist you? — she said politely.

— Change of factory settings, — I began. — Time interval — two million six hundred thirty thousand hours. Upon expiration of the time interval, begin drawing the world’s magical energy using the castle’s protective and storage charms.

— Time interval set, — Marfusha said complaisantly. Young still, quite harmless. — Would you like to leave any explanatory comments?

— I would, — I nodded. — The magical energy will be needed to perform the ritual of forced evolution, which will help save a student of the academy.

— Comment recorded, — the voice assistant smiled. — Would you like to make any other changes?

I would, but I completely ran out of time. Only three minutes left. Without saying goodbye to Marfusha, I teleported to a sparse forest on the outskirts of a tiny village. In a hundred years, it will turn into a small, but quite charming city, and only an unkempt park under the windows of my apartment will remain of the forest.

I quickly knelt down, scooped up a handful of soil, and placed a pre-prepared acorn in the hole. Someday it will grow into a mighty, beautiful oak. Someday it will save a good person’s life.

The prayer beads on my wrist crumbled to dust, I jerked sharply and was literally hurled into the present time. Well, it seems I managed everything in time.

Part 2: Offspring of the Abyss

Chapter 1: The Last One

I stretched, laboriously stifled a yawn, took a cup of aromatic coffee, and approached the window. After our recent adventure, the park near my house had hardly changed. Except for the mysterious disappearance of the old oak, of course. I honestly wanted to return the tree, but the dragon-charmweaver adamantly refused to give it back. He claimed that the mighty oak was now the highlight of his office. And here I naively thought his highlight was a human heart preserved in a three-liter jar.

The disappearance of the oak, by the way, piqued the interest of journalists from tabloid newspapers, ufologists, and conspiracy theorists. But the main thing is that none of their theories even came close to being as insane as the mundane reality. A pity. If everyone knew that I saved the world, they would immediately give me a hero’s star. I would have become famous, starred in commercials. Maybe for some expensive car… Or at least socks. On the other hand, why do I need it? They might dig up that I was the one who caused all this commotion. And then what?

Anyway, it was funny, of course. I nearly destroyed the planet, and I was the one who saved it. What an achievement. And a good holiday it was, entertaining. It’s a pity that I have to go back to work soon. Interestingly, why haven’t they called me back yet? After all, the Guardians are facing many problems now: artifacts all over the globe are discharging due to a lack of energy, masking charms are malfunctioning, and certainly, rifts in the veil of our reality are appearing. Look, people might start noticing magic soon. Or maybe my colleagues have already dealt with it without me? I’ll come back to everything ready… That would be great.

— Stop admiring the views! You’ll be late for work! — a bright female voice sounded from the corridor.

Yes, it’s good that I swiped Marfusha after all. She would be gathering dust in the castle now, but here it’s more interesting for her and more fun for me. I wove her into the protective charms of the entire house, she controls them so it won’t turn out like last time. Now she informs me about any fluctuations in power. My smart girl. And as an alarm clock, she’s simply irreplaceable… In a word — an assistant.

And now she was definitely right. I was indeed already running late. Putting the empty cup on the windowsill, I put on a jacket over my T-shirt, smoothed my tousled hair with my palm, and teleported to the Guardians’ headquarters. By the way, calling this building a headquarters, in my opinion, was incorrect. Our place of work resembled more a state museum. A highly secured, secretive, incredibly extensive museum-library. Yes, that’s exactly it.

I found myself in the middle of a huge hall. High bookshelves with books and artifacts of ancient mages surrounded me from all sides. More precisely, with a small part of the artifacts entrusted to our headquarters. The most dangerous ones were here, and the rest were equally distributed among the Guardians and rested in hiding places all over the planet. For example, ninety-three powerful artifacts were under my care. Or rather, now ninety-two.

However, something in the surrounding environment categorically displeased me. But what exactly? I slowly walked among the shelves toward my office, trying to understand what was bothering me. Wait! Why is it so quiet?

There was always noise and bustle in the headquarters. Hundreds of Guardians from all over the world wandered through the main hall, carrying books and studying artifacts. Periodically someone yelled, cursed, or laughed. In rare cases, even fights broke out. True, only with fists. Using magic in the main hall was strictly prohibited. With such a number of artifacts, it was akin to smoking in a powder keg, and the distinctive feature of the Guardians, as is known, was precisely prudence. But I had never heard such silence.

Turning at the nearest crossroads, I approached the stairs leading to the second tier of the hall. Usually, this balcony was used by observers to watch what was happening in the main hall, but even they were not to be found. I leaned on the wooden railing and peered intently into the dimness of the room. No movement. Absolutely. The main hall of the headquarters was completely deserted.

But where is everyone? Even during the last war of shamans, there were duty Guardians here, ready to fight and repel an attack in case of an assault. But there were no duty officers. Nobody. Oh, I feel that serious problems are looming again. I knew I should have stayed on vacation longer. Well, I’ll get to the office and contact one of my colleagues and find out everything.

The protective spell on the door of my office let me inside without any trouble. A thick layer of dust covered the worn, massive table, the shelves of old cabinets, and even the small sofa. Strange… The entire headquarters building was entwined in a dense web of conserving charms, and this was the first time I had seen dust here. Could there have been some kind of malfunction? Or maybe someone played a prank? Anyway, it didn’t matter. A short mental impulse, and the dust rose into the air and immediately vanished. Thankfully, using magic in the offices was allowed.

I habitually glanced at the world map, covered with an uneven network of ley lines, and smiled. Magic was gradually returning, and the magical streams had almost taken their usual places.

Settling into the office chair, I took out my cell phone. Yes, Guardians used phones too. It’s much easier to make technology impervious to high concentrations of magic than to send postal birds every time. Pigeons, owls, and ravens — they were more a tribute to traditions and a beautiful gesture, but for work communication, it was easier to just call.

However, none of my colleagues picked up the phone. Even my grumpy chief refused to pay attention to me. All this was strange.

— Well, if you don’t want to talk on the phone, let’s try to contact you another way, — I thought.

Extending my hand forward, palm up, I lowered my eyelids and began to fill a complex, intricate weaving with power. Feeling a pleasant heaviness on my forearm, I opened my eyes and smiled. On my hand sat a beautiful indigo-black raven, as if woven from swirling darkness — the oldest method of sending messages between Guardians. The ghostly messenger required quite a lot of energy but could find the recipient anywhere in our world. Rumors even said it sometimes found them in other worlds too. A smart bird, overall.

— Find any other Guardian and deliver the message, — I ordered the raven and scribbled a few words on a piece of paper. My messenger cautiously took the note in its beak and dissolved into a dark mist. Well, let’s wait…

I was about to walk to the coffee machine when the raven returned.

— Good job, that was fast, — I praised the bird and extracted the reply from its beak.

“Contact me if you read this message. Guardian Vsevolod I.”

Something I don’t understand. Did the raven bring me my own message? Why? Did I formulate the order poorly?

— Deliver this to any other Guardian! — I said clearly and handed the ghostly bird the message.

The raven looked at me thoughtfully and shook its head negatively. What kind of joke is this? Did I mess up the weaving? I closed my eyes and focused on magical vision. The naughty bird immediately appeared before me as a tangled ball of shimmering lines. Yes, the weaving was complex, but perfectly executed. So why then did it refuse to deliver my note? A terrible guess pierced my mind. I abruptly opened my eyes and looked at the bored raven.

— You’re not delivering the message because you can’t find the addressee? — I asked, with slight anxiety in my voice.

The bird nodded in agreement. Damn it! What does that mean? Could the ghostly messenger really not find a single other Guardian? But where did they disappear to? I slowly sat down on the old sofa and thoughtfully looked into the black eyes of the ghostly messenger. And now what to do?

***

— No, no, and no again! — the sorcerer decisively waved me off and nervously paced around the office. — I won’t step foot into the Guardians’ lair!

For half an hour, I had been trying to persuade my former teacher to help me. However, the dragon wouldn’t even hear of rescuing my colleagues. And honestly, I understand him. Since ancient times, we, the Guardians, have protected our world from intelligent magical races from other worlds, including massive lizards capable of taking on human form. The fact that Altair managed to stay unnoticed was the exception that proved the rule.

Still, I desperately needed help. All my fellow Guardians had vanished, and of all the other mages I knew, the dragon was undoubtedly the most prepared. And probably the smartest. But how to persuade him?

— Aren’t you curious to see the most powerful artifacts of the ancients? — I asked again. — Or try to read the Great One Almanac in its original form? Where’s your draconic curiosity?

— I got rid of it many years ago, — the sorcerer looked at me seriously. — And only because of that, I managed to stay in this world.

— Fine, — I gave in. — What do you want in return for your help?

— You’ll owe me a favor, to be called upon when I ask, — the dragon smirked. — And you’ll pull me out of the spirit world if your colleagues send me there.

Any favor? That’s quite a price, of course. But fair.

— Agreed, — I nodded. — When do we leave?

The sorcerer paused for a moment, glanced at the reddening sunset outside the window, and waved his hand dismissively.

— Let’s go now!

That’s more like it. I firmly grabbed his forearm and deftly wove the spatial transition spell. The surroundings instantly transformed. Gone were the shelves with flasks, the student desks, and the majestic oak. Even the stone walls of the castle dissolved. Now we were surrounded by millions of books and thousands of artifacts.

— Wow… — the dragon exhaled in amazement. — Not a bad office you’ve got here!

Not bad? The main hall is the jewel of our world! The greatest creation of several generations of Guardians! A magnificent example of the symbiosis of magic, technology, and architecture!

But as I inhaled to start my tirade, the sorcerer managed to derail me again.

— Why did you bring me here, by the way? — he asked innocently.

Why?! To help, of course. But… what help can he offer if even I don’t know what to do?

— We need to check the records of the duty chroniclers and inventory all the artifacts.

— All of them? — Altair asked suspiciously, eyeing the numerous shelves with magical relics.

Yes, many. Or rather, very many. But what can we do?

— Will you at least make some coffee? — the dragon resigned to his fate.

Now that’s a good idea. I didn’t even have lunch today. And they’re probably serving porridge with butter at the academy now… But coffee it is.

Leaving Altair to wander among the rows of artifacts, I leisurely strolled towards my office, enjoying the silence and peace. I don’t know what happened to my colleagues, but I liked this atmosphere in the headquarters. The main hall had transformed from a noisy office into a very cozy library. No one was rushing between the rows, carrying stacks of books, or chatting on the work phone. Beautiful!

I was so relaxed and lost in thought that I hardly noticed a loud explosion somewhere deep in the building. But I did notice the next one. And the third as well! What’s happening there? I dashed towards the loud sounds, remembering whether I had warned the dragon that magic couldn’t be used here…

Apparently, I hadn’t warned him. It seemed so obvious that I didn’t think to mention it! And evidently, I should have. The frenzied sorcerer was running towards me, shouting something. What, I wonder? The colorful explosions behind him completely drowned out his voice. But I immediately understood the meaning of his shouts and turned to run as well.

I’ve been running too much lately. Away from a dragon, and now because of a dragon… Well, I’ll have time to scold him later. If, of course, we survive. But why are we running?

I stopped abruptly, and Altair crashed into me, nearly knocking me off my feet. Grasping his arm tightly, I wove a transition spell. In an instant, we were standing on the shore of an azure sea.

— Damn it! — the dragon cursed and collapsed onto the scorching sand. — Why didn’t you say that magic can’t be used?!

— You could have figured it out yourself, — I reproached him. — Who uses magic in an artifact repository?

— But we teleported right to the shelves! — Altair protested. — I thought they were protected somehow…

— How do you teach magic students if you don’t know such basic things? — I wondered. — Any spatial movement spells leave residual traces only at the point of transition! Therefore, you can teleport into the main hall, but it’s strictly forbidden to teleport out! I only pulled us out now because there was nothing left to lose!

— So, what now? — Altair looked at me guiltily. Seems like I did shame the retired dragon. — Will all the ancient relics be destroyed by a chain reaction? — The protective weavings should work, — I shrugged uncertainly. The enthusiasm to save colleagues from an unknown trap suddenly waned. Just thinking about what awaits me when the bosses see the destroyed main hall and hundreds of ruined artifacts and books is terrifying. Well, we’ll deal with that later. Hopefully, something in the headquarters will survive.

— Hey, where are we? — the sorcerer suddenly asked, looking at the bright sun. — Wasn’t it evening? — Bermuda, — I replied proudly, observing the dragon’s surprised expression. — You mean to say that… — Yes, — I nodded in agreement, interrupting my friend. — The Bermuda Triangle still hides many secrets from people. I sat down on the hot sand next to Altair and gazed at the calm sea. The Guardians vanished, and the headquarters, possibly destroyed along with a bunch of priceless artifacts, relics, and books. Well, it could be worse.

***

I practically ran through the gloomy corridors of the State Academy of Magic, Sorcery, and Witchcraft. Why must magic schools always be located in ancient castles? In the past, it was understandable, constantly defending against inquisitors and pagans, but now? A tribute to tradition? At least they installed central heating in the dormitories. I can’t imagine how everyone lived here a hundred years ago with such drafts. Surely, they all had a perpetual runny nose…

The wizard’s office welcomed me with pleasant dimness and silence. Altair was peacefully studying something, sitting at his old desk right under the canopy of a mighty oak. He really looks great here! I hope the dragon remembers to water it. The teacher tiredly raised his eyes to me and lazily motioned me over with his hand. Yes, these clueless students have exhausted the poor reptile. I even feel a bit sorry for him.

— Hello, — I cheerfully nodded to my comrade. — Why did you call? And so urgently at that? Altair’s call caught me just as I was about to take a shower and relax. After all, Guardians are humans too. And constantly jumping around the world is quite energy-consuming.

— Well, here, — the sorcerer indifferently nodded towards the table, — take a look. Hmm, what do we have here? A world map? And why is it all in white spots? Did he spill milk on it? Dragons are such strange creatures. Wait a minute! I took a closer look at the map. Volga Bulgaria? Khazar Khaganate? Rus’? What year is this map from?!

— Is this what I think it is? — I looked suspiciously at the teacher. — It’s a dragon’s map of the veil, — Altair condescendingly explained. Well, I had already guessed that. — And the white spots are breaches. The protective veil of this world is unraveling. What do you mean the veil is unraveling? I suspected such a scenario, but it stood as an unbreakable wall for over a thousand years, protecting our world from hostile incursions from other worlds. Occasionally, some curious and cunning dragon might slip through unnoticed, but they were always caught, and the holes in the defense mended. But now, judging by the map, only about half of the veil remains.

I felt uneasy. I cautiously sat down on a wooden chair opposite the sorcerer. He wisely remained silent, allowing me to grasp the scale of the tragedy myself. What does this mean? No Guardians, no combat artifacts, no headquarters, and the veil nearly gone?

— Now all the dragons will flock to us, — I looked at Altair a bit bewildered. — And we won’t even be able to hide them. Imagine what will happen? People will notice them, start killing them. And your kin are vindictive, they will seek revenge. A war between humans and dragons…

— Are you serious right now? — the teacher looked at me as if I were an idiot. — We dragons are very curious, but, as you know, not fools. None of my kind will venture into this world after the fall of the veil. First, it’s uninteresting to walk where it’s allowed, and second, they will understand that the veil didn’t collapse for no reason. And we really don’t like meddling in other worlds’ problems.

— So you’re saying the fall of the veil doesn’t pose any serious threat? — I was surprised, but Altair’s words considerably reassured me.

— Are you a Guardian or what?! — the sorcerer suddenly roared at me. — Do you really think the veil protected your world from dragons? Does your incompetent generation consider our kind the highest threat?!

— Well, actually, yes… — I cautiously responded, trying not to further enrage my friend. — We mostly protect against you. Sometimes there are outsiders from the spirit world or kamikazes from minor parallels, but it’s always small fry.

— Alright, — Altair exhaled tiredly, gradually calming down, — I’ll tell you a story of your own world, ignoramus. In ancient times, long before the veil was even thought of, this world faced a terrible threat. All dragon attacks and large-scale shamanic wars pale in comparison to the beings that came here. Our people call them “ekrhg’rakrges,” which literally translates to “invisible killer.” If I’m not mistaken, the Guardians called them “unseen nightmares” or “nezmares,” which, I think, is the same thing. Nezmares are inhabitants of the upper astral plane, from whom dragons long ago borrowed their favorite type of magic.

— Unstable upper astral charms, — I nodded understandingly. — I see. But what makes these nezmares so dangerous? Honestly, I’ve never even heard of them.

— Because you should have read the Great One Bestiary! — the sorcerer sharply interrupted. — It should be described in great detail there!

— I just haven’t gotten around to it yet… — I sheepishly replied to his reproach. — Always no time, you know. But it’s stored at the headquarters.

— Which I most likely destroyed, — the dragon guiltily nodded. — Honestly, I don’t know much about nezmares. I remember they’re nearly elusive, even invisible. Normal charms don’t affect them, they can drive you mad, and feed on the energy of living beings. Ancient mages prepared the protective veil for almost a hundred years to expel these creatures. But all the specifics should be in the bestiary.

— So we need to return to the headquarters. I leaned back in my chair and pondered. Return to headquarters? How exactly… As far as I know, in an emergency, a full system of protective charms tied to an AI like Marfusha activates. And if this AI decides that the Guardians’ office has been attacked, it will weave such a web of security weavings that even an army of dragons won’t break through, let alone a lone mage.

But there was no other option, as there was no copy of the bestiary. The Complete Collection of Magical Creatures, written by the Great One, couldn’t be copied with spells, and no one bothered to manually photocopy it. Who knew access to the headquarters would be suddenly cut off? But I definitely didn’t want to face nezmares unprepared, so — we’ll have to sneak into headquarters.

I looked at the dragon and gave a conspiratorial smile. Well, things are getting more and more interesting, which means it’s time to gather a full-fledged team!

Chapter 2: At the Bottom

— So, we just have to enter your office and grab some old book from the library? — Asya clarified suspiciously after I finished narrating our immediate problems. — Then why do you need us?

I guess I should have delved deeper into the details. But why burden them with unnecessary knowledge? They might back out.

For about ten minutes, Asya and Zheka had been listening to my misadventures, but it was clear they didn’t understand their role in the upcoming escapade. Frankly, I wasn’t sure how they could help either, but it’s always more fun together. Plus, they might learn something useful.

— In essence, you got it right, — I replied after a pause, addressing my fiancée.

A couple of weeks ago, I had officially proposed to her, and she had accepted. How could she refuse, given our magical oath? But traditions are traditions. So, we decided to have the wedding next summer, after the end of the first year. Though, I still had to meet her parents — it wouldn’t look good otherwise.

— And where is this office located? — Zheka inquired, still sporting his green mohawk.

— You’ll like it, — I smirked slyly. — A very picturesque place…

Our rented yacht had been sailing the vastness of the Atlantic Ocean for several hours, guided by an old, worn compass I found on a shelf next to a rifle. Interestingly, I had never been hunting in my life, nor had I ever owned a gun. So how a real rifle ended up in my cupboard was beyond me. But the compass was given to me long ago when I was still a trainee Guardian. It was the only way to find the sole real entrance to the headquarters.

However, our expedition now felt more like a vacation for the well-off: Asya, in a rather revealing swimsuit, was sunbathing on the deck; Zheka stood at the bow, pompously sipping cocktails from the mini-bar found in the cabin; and the dragon and I were at the helm, checking our supplies.

— Canned meat, dried meat, sausage, a loaf of bread, fish cans, beans, four liters of water, and spare clothes, — the sorcerer whispered, listing our provisions. — Enough?

— I have about the same, — I nodded. — Should be enough. I hope we’ll manage in a couple of days.

Teleporting to the headquarters using spatial transition spells didn’t work. As expected, the protective enchantments activated, shielding the Guardian’s office from any external invasion attempts. This was the first such case in my memory, and honestly, it was a bit alarming.

Our main issue was that thousands of years had passed since the headquarters were established, and each generation of Guardians had tried to add something new to the main entrance’s protective spells. Even my own security designs were there! So, a long and perilous journey lay ahead.

Suddenly, the compass glowed a soft green, and its needle started spinning chaotically.

— We’ve arrived! — I shouted. — Drop anchor!

With a casual wave of his staff, the dragon let the anchor plunge into the sea with a loud splash.

— And where’s your office? — Asya stood up, looking around in confusion.

— Not far, — I beamed. — Right beneath us.

Asya slowly removed her sunglasses and started drilling me with her gaze.

— Right nearby? — Zheka coughed, almost choking on his cocktail.

— What do you mean ‘beneath us’? — the girl asked, almost hissing.

I must admit, I felt a bit frightened for a moment. But just for a moment.

— Literally, — I continued smiling. — But don’t worry! Altair Ivanovich will quickly get us down there, right? — I looked expectantly at the dragon.

— Why me? — the sorcerer was surprised. — I can’t even swim.

— But you’re a massive lizard, — it was my turn to be amazed. — Can’t you handle it?

— I’m a reptile, not an amphibian! — the dragon roared angrily at me.

I stepped back cautiously, concerned for my safety. He really didn’t get the joke.

— Can’t we just create some magical bubble, get inside, and go bubble-bubble-bubble… — Zheka chimed in.

He must have been drinking alcohol. How many cocktails had he had? About ten?

— Actually, that’s a good idea, — the sorcerer suddenly switched from anger to grace. — Maybe we’ll do just that.

— The main entrance is covered by a confusion dome, — I declared both sheepishly and proudly. — My experimental design. It scrambles all spell weavings inside the dome, except for artifact and ritual ones. Simple light spells could cause a local tsunami or a rainbow of slugs. The outcome is unpredictable…

— But those are your spells, so you can remove them, right? — Asya asked logically.

— Well… — I became even more embarrassed. — There’s a small flaw. To remove the dome, you have to apply spells, and the dome scrambles them… In short, neither I nor the other Guardians could remove it after installation.

— Why did you try to remove it? — the dragon inquired suspiciously.

He was beginning to grasp the magnitude of the problem.

— Because it altered all the protective spells laid before, — I confessed humbly. — Except for the artifact ones, of course.

— So, even if we manage to get down there, we’ll encounter a mess of unpredictable protective enchantments from hundreds of Guardian generations? — Asya asked calmly. — I won’t do it, sorry. And I won’t let my brother either. We’ve had enough of your adventures.

She was right, of course, but…

— Asya, — I smiled affectionately at my fiancée. — We need you. Besides, didn’t I mention the Kraken that sinks anchored ships in the Bermuda Triangle? Its name is Tuzik, by the way…

The girl paled. And so did Zheka… Even the dragon turned a shade lighter! Perhaps I should have mentioned Tuzik earlier. Or not at all. But what’s done is done.

— You’re joking, right? — Zheka, now sober as a judge, eyed me warily.

As if in response to his question, ominous bubbles began to surface around the yacht, emerging from the depths. Indeed, I probably should have prepared them mentally in advance.

To the horror-stricken screams of my friends, Tuzik surfaced. Well, just a part of him — pink tentacles, twenty meters in length and about half the width of our yacht. Long seaweeds dangled from the suckers, raining down on our modest vessel. Surprisingly, even the dragon screamed. For the first time in his life, he probably felt tiny. Well, it was a good learning experience for him.

I closed my eyes and weaved a dome of shadows around the yacht. It was unlikely to be much help in this situation, but it felt somewhat reassuring. Soon, following the tentacles, the head of the Guardians’ tamed monster appeared, and my hands instinctively reached for the backpack with supplies.

— Tuzik! — I bellowed, simultaneously opening a can of fish. — Catch!

After tossing the tin to the kraken, I turned to my stunned friends.

— Sardines in tomato sauce, — I explained with a smile. — His favorite. Often feed him after work.

My friends, petrified with terror, just blinked silently, probably trying to incinerate me with their gaze. Someday, they might succeed, being practicing magicians and all… but I’d rather not test that.

— Tuzik! — I called out to the pet again and, seeing that he recognized me, dispelled the dome of shadows. — Wrap!

Understanding the command, the giant mollusk swiftly began to entwine the yacht with the tips of his tentacles. My friends screamed in unison and bolted into the only cabin. Right thinking. Following them, I quickly sealed the airtight door and cast an air bubble spell. Yes, the magic could turn into something terrifying and deadly, but it still felt safer with it.

The yacht creaked and tilted. Tuzik was sinking our rented vessel. A pity, but hopefully, the insurance would cover everything — nobody is safe from a kraken attack in the Bermuda Triangle. A genuine force majeure.

Meanwhile, my companions fell silent again. Had they resigned themselves? Or calmed down?

— I. Will. Kill. You! — Asya articulated each word with furious precision.

At least she wasn’t panicking. Zheka had fainted altogether. I really did choose a strong-nerved fiancée. Joint trips are quite beneficial for relationships, helping to unwind, change the scenery, and understand each other better. Maybe I should explain this to her…

— Joint trips… — I began, only to receive a sharp slap and fall silent, chastened. Apparently, I was wrong somewhere.

— Trips?! — the girl screamed at me. — You nearly killed us! You said we just had to sail to your office and grab a book! Was it so hard to warn us that the office is at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, guarded by a bunch of protective spells and a giant squid?! — Asya’s anger escalated. — I don’t want to be part of your schemes! And I don’t want to marry you! You’re a reckless idiot, always risking other people’s lives! I can’t stand to see you anymore!

Having finished her tirade, the girl climbed onto the sole armchair in the cabin and hid her face in her hands. It seems I really overdid it with the surprises, and we hadn’t even reached the office yet.

I cautiously crouched in front of Asya. The dragon tactfully turned away, pretending not to hear us. At least Zheka was still in a deep faint.

— Listen, — I began carefully. — I’m really sorry for presenting myself in such a way. By dragging you into this adventure, I wanted us to get to know each other better. Besides, you and Zheka need real-world experience in using magic, and this adventure is perfect for that. I can teach you things you’ll never learn in seminars or lectures. And I can protect you, trust me. No matter how scared you are now, remember, you’re with a true Guardian, who once nearly destroyed the world trying to save your life.

— What? — the girl looked at me, puzzled, while wiping the tears rolling down her cheeks. — What do you mean ‘nearly destroyed the world’?

Oops. Looks like I let slip too much. When will I learn to watch my tongue? Even the dragon was glancing at me with interest. But I couldn’t confess that I was actually behind the whole ley-line shift fiasco! Well, it’s time to lie elegantly.

— The slightest flaw in the forced evolution ritual could have wiped out humanity as a species, — I blurted out. — But I’m a professional and always know what I’m doing. Please, trust me.

Asya nodded uncertainly. It seemed to work. Grandiose phrases always work with eighteen-year-old girls. Someday she’ll realize that although I’m a professional, I almost never know what I’m doing.

— Ahem… — the dragon interrupted our idyll with a polite cough. — Excuse me, professional! Do you happen to know how much longer we have to dive?

That overgrown lizard! He’s even sarcastic!

— About forty minutes, — I estimated. — Tuzik isn’t very fast, and the depth is over eight kilometers.

— How much?! — Asya and the spellcaster exclaimed in unison. Even Zheka seemed to twitch.

— Trust me, I’m a professional! — I smiled reassuringly at Asya and winked at the dragon unnoticed.

The main thing now was that we were finally approaching our goal. We’d deal with minor issues like immense pressure as they arose. That’s always been my approach. And it always works. After all, I’m a Guardian!

***

It turns out, sinking in a magic-protected yacht is quite dull. Even Zheka, who had come to his senses, was no longer panicking. In fact, no one else was expressing fear. Perhaps my grandiose speech had calmed everyone, or maybe they were just tired of being scared. After all, we’d been descending for forty minutes and nothing terrifying had happened yet.

The dragon proposed doubling our protection by adding his own air bubble spell, but I forbade it. Yes, double protection is good, but only until the shields start morphing into something unimaginable. The spellcaster, taught by bitter experience of reckless magic use, didn’t argue. A pity. It would have been nice to have someone to blame if things went awry.

Asya remained seated, legs on the armchair, thoughtfully staring at the opposite wall. Zheka was quietly conversing with the professor, while I, comfortably seated on the floor, pondered deeply. What awaited us ahead? Could we make it to the headquarters? Where had the other Guardians disappeared to? When would the invasion of the Nizmors begin? Where did the rifle in my closet come from? Too many questions whirled in my head, yet I had no answers to any of them.

Suddenly, the yacht jolted as if we had hit the bottom. And why ‘as if’? Most likely, we had indeed finally reached the bottom. A loud crack sounded, and the entire cabin shook.

— What’s happening?! — Asya exclaimed, a hint of fear in her voice.

Both the dragon and Zheka looked to me for an explanation.

— We’ve reached the bottom, — I explained calmly. — Now Tuzik will drag us to the main entrance, and the air bubble spell will vanish. From this moment on, any magic you use will function improperly, so be cautious.

No sooner had I reminded my companions of the dangers of using magic inside the dome of confusion than my air bubble burst with a soft pop. Dark orange, sticky sludge, smelling like the contents of a cesspool, poured in from all sides.

— Yuck! — it seemed we said it in unison.

My eyes teared up from the acrid stench, and I barely suppressed the urge to vomit. What was this filth? I recalled no spell with such an effect… But it didn’t matter! We had to get out of here fast!

I opened the airtight cabin door and stumbled onto the deck, hoping to escape the smell. Not much of the deck, or the yacht itself, remained. Basically, only our cabin, protected by the air bubble, a few deck planks, and part of the mast were left. A pity for the little vessel, but at least we were alive.

— What is this filth? — Asya shouted, following me out.

— This appears to be a vivid demonstration of the dome of confusion, — the spellcaster explained calmly. — Quite an intriguing weave. Will you teach me?

I nodded silently. Why not teach a good person? Even if he’s not exactly human.

— Where are we? — Zheka was the first to address our surroundings.

Tuzik had dragged the remains of our yacht into a large cave, dimly lit by magical torches. Its vaults disappeared into darkness, and far in the depths, a tiny bright red dot was visible.

— This is the entrance hall, — I said uncertainly. — I’ve never been here, but I roughly know what we need to do. My office building is in the center of this system of underwater caves. During construction, the Guardians walled off all other approaches to the headquarters, leaving only the central one.

— Why aren’t we being flooded? — Asya asked apprehensively.

— Magic, — the dragon smiled, and I nodded in agreement.

— Everything here is indeed protected by fundamental-artifact magic. That’s when the building itself is the artifact, — I explained, seeing the puzzled looks of the students. — The most unshakeable and reliable magic. That’s why the cave wasn’t flooded even when I cast the dome of confusion. The lighting and ventilation also operate on artifact spells, by the way.

— So we’ll always have air and light? — the dragon clarified.

I nodded, confirming his theory.

— At least that’s a relief.

— What do you mean ‘always’? — Asya suspiciously glanced at the professor. — How long, may I ask, did you plan this excursion for?

— A couple of days, — I shrugged. — I did mention it. — You said we’d spend a few days in Bermuda! — the girl yelled at me. — You didn’t specify that it would be at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean! I don’t even have spare clothes with me! — she pointedly looked at her rather immodest swimsuit. — I didn’t even grab my sundress from the deck when I was hiding from your pet!

— Don’t worry, — I smiled gently. — I’ve brought everything necessary. Spare clothes for you, and even a change of underwear. Luckily, I remember your sizes well…

My fiancée turned beet red. Was it embarrassment or anger? I really didn’t want to find out. I returned to the cabin, grabbed the backpack soiled with stinking slime, and pulled out three sets of spare clothes: for myself, Asya, and Zheka. After all, we are responsible for those we bring on a journey.

The girl snatched her set from my hands and pushed me out of the room. Well, the better. Changing in the fresh air is much more pleasant than in a cabin drenched in stinky substance. Apparently, Zheka and Altair came to the same conclusion, swiftly getting rid of their dirty clothes.

However, just as I managed to remove my shorts, the cabin door flung open, releasing a girl ruffled with anger.

— Vsevolod! I won’t go anywhere in this! — she exclaimed. — Are you mocking me?!

And what didn’t she like? It was fine to sunbathe in a swimsuit made of a few strings, but as soon as a dress is a bit shorter than decent, she gets angry. I just don’t understand these girls…

— What’s wrong? — I decided to play dumb. It usually works.

— What’s wrong?! Your shorts are longer than this dress! — Asya pointedly nodded at my boxers.

Well, she had a point.

— Alright, — I agreed dejectedly. — Look in the backpack. There should be some sports pants. And find sneakers for yourself and your brother.

— Is it bottomless or what? — Asya looked at my backpack in surprise.

— Space expansion magic, — I explained, then thought a bit and added. — Artifact-based.

The spellcaster looked at the nondescript backpack with respect. On the black magic market, such an artifact was quite expensive, even a dragon-pensioner couldn’t afford it. And all because these bags were made exclusively by Guardians using ancient mage technologies. What’s the big deal? We need to eat too, and you don’t earn much from volunteering to save the world. So we have to take odd jobs… Sabbaths, so to speak.

When everyone finally changed and was ready to continue our challenging journey, I stepped forward and stopped.

— Focus, — I said seriously. — The jokes end now. As soon as we cross this hall, we will enter an area where all sorts of chaos reign. Any careless step could be our last, so from this moment on, you must obey me unconditionally. Is that clear?

My companions nodded in agreement. Surprisingly, even the dragon decided to refrain from arguing. He must have realized the seriousness of the moment. Or just doesn’t want to perish… Who knows with these lizards.

— We have to travel several dozen kilometers through a cave labyrinth filled with traps. And I hope everyone remembers that using magic is highly inadvisable. Stay alert, don’t panic, follow my lead, and then we can return home in a couple of days. And most importantly, there’s no way back, so we can only go forward!

I hoped my friends heard and understood me. We couldn’t afford any mistakes. Any slip-up could be fatal for the entire team. I glanced back at the glowing dot in the distance. It was time to start.

Chapter 3: The Deadly Labyrinth

We crossed the hallway swiftly and, surprisingly, without any trouble. Torches illuminated the path; there were no traps, and the red dot we approached turned out to be a small glowing door. Cautiously, I touched the handle and hesitantly pulled it towards me. The door creaked open slowly, letting us into a dark cavernous corridor. I thought I heard a disappointed sigh from the dragon. Indeed, I was expecting something more thrilling too.

— Amazing… — Asya breathed out in awe. — How are we going to get through all this?

The dragon and I turned in surprise towards the girl, who was peering at the stone corridor over her brother’s shoulder. What had captivated her? A cave is just a cave. Damp, gloomy, all stone…

— What exactly do you find challenging? — the dragon inquired politely, with a smile.

— Are you joking? — Asya looked at him as if he were an idiot. — The place is dripping with magic! Even the air glows! There are these tiny sparkling lines everywhere, and over there, — she casually pointed further down the tunnel, — some blotches are moving!

I was confused, and so apparently was the spellcaster. Closing my eyes, I focused on my inner magical vision… and was astounded. The cavernous corridor was drowning in neat weaves, brimming with power. They were everywhere! On the walls, the floor, the ceiling, in the air! Everywhere! And indeed, there were unidentifiable blotches in the distance. But how had Asya seen all this?

I opened my eyes and looked at the astonished girl. Innate magical vision? Without years of training? I had never heard of such a thing. And I had been in her body! Wouldn’t I have noticed? It seemed impossible. But then what was it? There had to be some explanation…

Wait! What happened after we returned to our own bodies? Of course! The forced evolution ritual. How intriguing! Had she developed magical vision? Astonishing!

— What’s that? — Asya suddenly asked, peering into the distance. Her face grew more focused and tense. — Looks like that thing is coming towards us…

What “thing”? Ah, that! Indeed, a light, semi-transparent entity, vaguely resembling a human, was approaching us.

— Petrovich! Friendly! — I shouted.

The silhouette paused for a moment as if listening, then just dissolved into the air.

— Forgot to mention something again? — my fiancée hissed through clenched teeth. — One of these days, I’ll definitely kill you!

— It’s just Petrovich! He’s sort of a guardian here, — I protested. — Of all our problems, he’s the least significant!

— Excuse me for interrupting, — the dragon interjected. — But why is there a guardian here?