Arist instinctively turned to look at the real space beside him—there was nothing there.
But when he looked at the mirror again, the ominous grey mist still hovered next to his reflection, as if it were a part of him!
A fear that completely overturned his perception of reality gripped his heart tightly.
With his diamond-level magic prowess, he couldn't explain what this power was or why it appeared here!
The only thing he could be sure of was that it wasn't an illusion technique or a spiritual attack...
"What... is this thing..."
Arist's voice was dry, and he instinctively raised his hand, his fingertips beginning to gather the faint blue light of source power, attempting to analyze every inch of space in the study again.
He had to figure out what this strange grey mist was!
However, just as he was about to cast, a clear and rhythmic sound of footsteps echoed in the hallway outside the study.
Followed by three respectful and restrained knocks on the door.
"Professor... it's , Skein, your most loyal servant." A young and humble voice ca from outside the door.
As if worried about the weight of his voice, he hesitated for a mont and then added a sentence.
"I have so discoveries about 'Prince Colin' that may be important enough to report to you... As you said before, any new clues must be reported to you imdiately."
Arist was silent for a long ti, dispersing the glow from his fingertips.
He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the tumultuous waves in his heart, and quickly glanced at the huge floor mirror with the corner of his eye.
In the mirror, the ominous grey mist remained.
It seed to have sensed the visitor outside the door, rolling more violently, countless twisted faces appearing to be smiling at him with mockery and anticipation through the mirror.
"The opportunity for verification has co... another ."
"Shut up..."
Arist squeezed out a sentence through clenched teeth, then closed his eyes.
When he opened them again, all traces of shock had disappeared from his face, and he put back on the mask of Professor Arist.
"Co in." He said in a steady voice devoid of any emotional fluctuations.
The door opened automatically.
Skein walked in respectfully.
The young man kept his head down at all tis to avoid offending the temperantal professor with his gaze.
He quickly walked to the desk and said concisely and briskly.
"Professor, I noticed that Prince Colin has recently been getting quite close to a preparatory student nad Ilana Otavia. Although there is no direct evidence to prove that anything beyond friendship has happened between them, His Highness seems to have a good impression of this lady, not only entrusting her with many important tasks but also secretly providing her with considerable academic help... to the point of causing so jealousy."
Arist raised an eyebrow, gesturing for him to continue.
Skein paused, then continued, "And more interestingly, Miss Ilana seems to be in a bit of trouble lately."
"A lady nad Lassitina, out of jealousy, is teaming up with her small clique to give Miss Ilana a lesson in the upcoming 'All Souls Festival maze trial'."
"Although you might not be interested in such trivial matters, if we can help Prince Colin solve this problem at the critical mont, not only can we gain his favor, but also draw closer to Miss Ilana, who is closest to him..."
Skein's words ca to a halt.
He was about to continue explaining the plan when he suddenly felt the professor's gaze, as sharp as a needle, piercing him in a way he had never experienced before, as if it would pierce his soul on the spot!
Skein's heart skipped a beat, and he instantly felt a chill.
He felt like his throat was being gripped by a hand, unable to make a sound or breathe.
In front of a diamond-level strongman, a re bronze-level apprentice seed as insignificant as an ant crawling under a spider's web.
Just as Skein was about to suffocate, the pressure on him suddenly lifted.
Arist spoke.
"Skein, have you ever seen anything beside ?"
His voice was sowhat dry, like a corpse ghost in a maze, sending chills down one's spine.
"Thing?" Skein responded tremblingly, then raised his head blankly, following the professor's gaze.
Beside the professor, there was nothing, only the ancient tapestry on the wall, the nearby bookshelf, and the mottled shadows cast by the moonlight over the curtains.
"Professor, I don't understand what you an." Skein replied nervously, feeling increasingly uneasy.
"It's nothing."
Arist withdrew his gaze, the ripples in his eyes instantaneously settled.
He confird.
Skein could not see the grey mist hovering beside him, nor hear the whispers seemingly from another space.
Arist pondered for a mont, as if the earlier loss of composure had never occurred. He refocused his attention on the intelligence Skein reported, casually instructing.
"You observe first, you can help him as a favor when necessary... but don't do it in my na or do anything extra."
"If there's an opportunity, you can use it as a chance to get close to Colin."
"Yes!"
Skein, relieved, finally relaxed his tense nerves.
He respectfully accepted the orders and quickly withdrew from the study, which made him feel extrely oppressed, as if escaping from it.
The heavy door closed with a "click," isolating the inside and outside into two worlds.
The calm mask on Arist's face instantly vanished, and he turned sharply, staring at the massive floor mirror on the wall.
"Interesting," his voice carrying a hint of amusent, "only I can see you."
The grey mist in the mirror rolled more violently, as if enjoying his loss of composure and the growing interest.
"Of course."
The intimate yet eerie whisper echoed again, accompanied by sinister laughter, "After all, I am part of you, dwelling deep within your soul."
"Stop pretending to be mystical, who exactly are you?" Arist said word by word, "I'm asking you for the last ti."
Just before Arist was about to completely lose patience, the voice from the void finally gave the final answer.
"I am your pride."
"Or rather—your divinity."
Divine?
The anger in Arist's eyes instantaneously froze at the sound of this word, then transford into sheer bewildernt and shock.
"Divine..."
He repeated the word lowly, as if savoring the world's sweetest nectar, and gradually his face in the mirror wore a sickly smile.
"That is indeed interesting... Are you saying I'm a divine spirit?"
"Congratulations, do you want to award you?" the taunting voice wafted from the twisted grey mist, making it hard to discern whether it was mockery or praise.
Arist restrained his smile.
"No need, but I just want to know why ?"
He still harbored a trace of vigilance in his heart.
As a scholar exploring the void, he wouldn't be foolish enough to believe anything blindly.
Moreover—
He suspected that the voice actually ca from elsewhere, perhaps the void they had been gazing at.
The grey mist let out a soft laugh.
As if not caring about his apprehension at all, it spoke in a casual tone.
"Actually... there's no special reason."
"You weren't the best choice, and we didn't initially choose you."
"But, it could also be you."
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