The moment the connection with Yohn's spirit faded completely, Velrion did not allow the silence to linger for long. The unease that had settled in his chest demanded movement and he acted on it without hesitation.

He turned sharply from the window and moved across his room with purpose. His robe shifted behind him as his thoughts aligned into clear intent.

Within minutes, he had already summoned the three individuals he trusted most within the Arcane Authority, calling them through direct channels that did not invite delay or question.

Eldric arrived first. The old man's presence was composed and analytical as always, followed by Varden whose heavier steps carried a grounded strength that contrasted the tension in the air. He brought a sword to his hip as always. Finally Arven whose quieter demeanor masked a perceptiveness that rarely missed anything important.

The moment they gathered, Velrion did not waste time on formality. The urgency in his expression alone told them that this was not a routine discussion.

"Yohn contacted me," Velrion said immediately. His voice steady but carrying a weight that immediately drew their full attention. "He initiated it himself, contacting me first through my spirit."

Those words shifted the atmosphere. Eldric's eyes narrowed slightly in thought while Arven tilted his head just enough to show interest, but it was Varden who reacted more openly, his brow furrowing as he crossed his arms.

"He never does that," Varden said bluntly. "Not unless something's very very wrong. But I guess, this is indeed something very wrong right now."

Velrion gave a small nod. "Exactly. He said something big is happening and insisted we meet. Tonight."

Eldric stepped slightly forward, and spoke with his tone more measured. "Do you think it's related to what we've been observing? The instability in the Magic flow in the air and the Sky Anchor disturbances?"

"It has to be," Velrion replied without hesitation. "Yohn wouldn't involve himself otherwise. If he reaches out to me first, then he has found something. Something significant enough that he couldn't ignore it."

Arven remained silent for a moment before speaking with a calm but precise voice. "And he asked to meet you alone?"

Velrion's gaze shifted briefly. "Yes."

Varden let out a low grunt at that, clearly dissatisfied. "That's the part I don't like. Why alone?"

Velrion exhaled quietly. "I don't know. But if this is Yohn, then there's a reason for it. He's never acted without purpose."

There was a brief silence as the three of them considered it. Their shared understanding of Yohn, both his brilliance and his eccentric nature, left little room for doubt. He was not someone who would create unnecessary complications, especially not now.

"Then we go," Eldric said finally, his tone firm. "Or rather, you go. If he asked for you alone, we respect that for now."

"We'll stay ready in case something goes wrong," Varden said, nodding, though his expression remained guarded.

Arven gave a slight nod as well. "If Yohn is involved, then this is worth the risk. I guess. That crazy bastard never acted like this before."

Velrion looked between them, then gave a small, decisive nod. The choice had already been made the moment Yohn spoke. This only confirmed it.

"Tonight," he said. "We'll find out what he knows."

—

Night came slowly but inevitably, and with it the quiet shift of the city into a more subdued state. The lights of Leonora dimmed into scattered glows, and the hum of activity lowered into distant murmurs. By then, Velrion had already made his preparations.

Another spirit had been sent ahead, carrying confirmation of the meeting location as instructed. Now Velrion moved through the outer edges of the city alone.

His usual presence as Archmage was gone, concealed beneath a carefully constructed disguise that altered both his appearance and the way his Magic resonated. To anyone who looked at him now he was nothing more than an ordinary old man moving through the night without purpose or importance.

But beneath that disguise, his awareness remained sharp.

He reached the outskirts where the structured elegance of Leonora gave way to older and less maintained sections.

The house stood where Yohn had indicated, tucked into a quiet corner far from the central districts.

It looked aged, its structure worn and slightly leaning, with walls that had long since lost any sense of care. To anyone else, it would have appeared abandoned or forgotten.

But Velrion felt it immediately.

The moment he stepped close, his senses caught the presence within. It was unmistakable. Controlled, familiar, and layered with a depth that only someone like Yohn could carry. It was not overwhelming, but it was precise, like a mind that never stopped observing. Velrion found himself made a crooked at this familiar presence again.

Velrion paused briefly at the entrance, his gaze steady as he confirmed what he already knew.

Yohn was waiting inside by himself.

Without hesitation, he pushed the door open and stepped inside.

The door creaked softly as he stepped inside and the dim interior revealed its occupant without delay.

Yohn was already there. He was seated in an old wooden chair that looked as though it had endured decades of use without ever being replaced.

The room itself was sparse compared to the tower he resided in. But it carried the same quiet density of thought and purpose that always surrounded Yohn.

There were already scattered notes, faint markings on the walls, and subtle traces of Magic woven into the space like an extension of his mind.

"This place is connected to somewhere else. This must be like his temporary abode." Velrion thought.

Yohn did not rise to greet him. He remained seated, leaning slightly back as if he had been waiting for some time without impatience.

On his left shoulder perched a black bird, its feathers smooth and unnaturally still. It did not move like an ordinary creature. There was a presence within it, a pulse of Magic that was controlled and aware.

Velrion felt it the moment his senses brushed against it, and he immediately recognized that it was not just a companion but something more. The creature's eyes reflected intelligence, observing him with a quiet sharpness that made it clear it understood far more than a normal beast ever could.

Velrion allowed a faint smile to form as he took a few steps closer, his gaze shifting briefly between Yohn and the bird before settling back on his old acquaintance.

The familiarity of the scene, despite everything, eased some of the tension that had built within him.

"It's been a while," Velrion said, his tone lighter than before. "How are you holding up this time?"

Yohn did not return the smile. His expression remained steady and his eyes held none of the casual warmth that might have answered such a question. Instead, he gave a small shake of his head.

"I didn't call you here to talk about useless things," Yohn replied flatly.

Velrion let out a short snort at that, the sound carrying more familiarity than offense. He had expected nothing less. Yohn had never cared for unnecessary conversation, and time had not changed that.

"Still the same, I see," Velrion said, the faint amusement fading as he straightened slightly. "Alright then. What is it that you wanted to talk about?"

Yohn's posture shifted just enough to signal the change in tone. The casual stillness that had surrounded him before tightened into something more focused.

Even the black bird on his shoulder seemed to settle further. Its presence became sharper as if it too recognized the shift.

"This," Yohn said, his voice lower now and carrying a weight that immediately cut through any lingering familiarity, "is about what's been happening recently."

His eyes locked onto Velrion's eyes.

"If we don't do anything about it quickly, it will turn into a disaster. Not a small disaster. But a large-scale one that this world might not recover from."

The seriousness in his tone erased any remaining ease in the room.

Velrion's expression hardened almost instantly. The Archmage returned in full as his focus sharpened.

"I had a feeling it was connected," Velrion said quietly. "The disturbances, the instability… they're not isolated."

He stepped closer, his gaze steady.

"Then explain it to me," he continued, his voice firm now. "What exactly is happening?"

Yohn leaned back slightly in his chair, his fingers resting loosely against the worn armrest as his gaze remained fixed on Velrion.

The black bird on his shoulder tilted its head once, as if listening along.

"First," Yohn said, "you must already know about the three beings who came from another world."

Velrion's eyes narrowed at once. The tension in his posture tightening.

"Yes. I do." His voice carried a sharper edge now. "They've already intruded into the three major Sky Anchor sites. We've been tracking their movements since then."

He paused briefly, studying Yohn more closely.

"What do you know about them?" he asked.

Yohn did not flinch under the scrutiny. If anything, his expression became more certain.

"They're not enemies," he said calmly. "They're not here to harm this world. They're trying to help us."

Velrion's gaze hardened at that. The answer did not sit well with him, and it showed.

"You're certain of that?" he asked, his tone measured but clearly skeptical. "Three unknown entities appear out of nowhere, interfere with the most critical structures in this world, and you conclude they're here to help us?"

There was a pause, but Yohn did not waver.

"I didn't come to that conclusion lightly," he replied. "I know it because they came to me directly."

That stopped Velrion.

For a brief moment, the composure he had maintained slipped, his eyes widening in clear surprise before narrowing again with sharper intensity.

"They came to you?" Velrion repeated.

Yohn nodded once.

"They explained everything," he said.

—