As soon as the anomaly was spotted, news of the patrol's findings was swiftly dispatched to the Gray Cage. Within the hour, an official investigation had been launched. When Orion arrived at the scene, he was greeted by the sight of over twenty Gray Cloak mages, already engrossed in scouring the area. The sun's rays were hot this day, enough to make Orion forget that it was well and truly autumn; the Gray Cloaks dashed around sporadically nonetheless.

Some of the men had their flickering Glyph Wands brandished, making use of inspection-type spells in an attempt to uncover any pieces of evidence their intruder could have discarded or to confirm whether or not there was an intruder, to begin with, substantiating instead to be little more than an oversight concerning the barrier's construction. Orion's Essence told him it was the former, though he desperately longed to be proven incorrect.

Positioned on the far western side of the island, it was no surprise that such a discovery wasn't immediately detected. However, Orion was adamant about not confining Gray Cloak squadrons solely to the academy grounds. His unwavering commitment to the safety of his students and staff members meant that every inch of their floating sanctuary needed to be safeguarded at all times.

Glancing back the way he came, all of Glyph Academy could fit within a cupped hand. It appeared as little more than an amalgamation of boxed shapes, and its spires merged with the titanic cliffs it was built upon, yet, in Orion's gaze, a perfect image had been captured, and he could view the academy as little else than what his imagination perceived. It'd take half a day to reach the island's perimeter; fortunately for them, magic had gifted humanity with magic circles, specifically, those that could teleport matter.

Gray Cloak officers stopped what they were doing with jerks and stutters to pay their respects, bowing their heads at him as Orion passed, Raze and Sidney trailing him closely from behind. At first, it was an odd thing to get accustomed to; however, nowadays, he hardly paid much attention to their reverent gestures.

He found Captain Gervas—the leader of the Gray Cloaks—conversing with three of his officers, one of whom was hastily jotting down every detail being slung at him, though his pencil stopped its scribbling as the officer laid eyes on Orion, and a wave of surprise spread on his face. Grunting, Gervas spun around to bark at he who dared to interrupt his investigation...only to silence his yet-to-be-shouted insult when Orion nodded at him, the shorter man clamping his mouth closed like a trap.

"I can see you all are hard at work," Orion said, trying to disguise the growing perturbation in his voice with what he hoped sounded poised. "I won't keep you long. I only want to...get a summation of what's transpired here and be informed of any findings you've made thus far."

Raze stopped by Orion's side sharply, beaming glaring eyes. "Start from the beginning."

Clearing his throat, the scarred man motioned his officers off elsewhere, and he didn't speak until the three had reached a distance where prying ears couldn't stare. "I'm confident Lady Altair has given you the rundown by now. While it saddens me to profess we haven't made much grounds, one thing is certain."

"That being?" Raze prodded impatiently.

"This isn't an accident or some fault in the barrier's design," Gervas continued in a heavy tone, looking at them with a grimace of a disappointed dragon. "It was intentional, the act of some magic user capable of penetrating a high-level barrier. I know you've come hoping that I'd disclose pleasant news, but as of right now, we've got a dangerous predator roaming the island."

Orion heard the curse Raze whispered under his breath. "It doesn't make sense. Who would do this? Some deranged rogue sorcerer? A Follower of Dreyfus?"

"Off the top of my head, I can think of one suspect, in particular." Orion tensed as he glanced over to Sidney, who examined the breach with her inquisitive stare and a hand blanketing her mouth. "It wouldn't be farfetched, would it? I've been informed that the Arcanum has had many encounters with them over recent years."

"Eclipse," Raze said, a dense putridness to his tone.

Gervas spat into the ground. "Damn animals, the lot of them."

"But what reason would they have for targeting Glyph, and now of all times?" Orion asked, more to himself than to the others. "It just seems too random."

"It'd be a hopeless endeavor to theorize what that unholy group of warlocks could be concocting," Raze said sternly. "Most importantly, we must track down whoever's clawed their way into the campus. If they are a member of Eclipse, then time truly is of the essence."

Orion gave a nod. "Agreed."

"Forgive me, sir," Gervas said, resting a hand over his chest and bowing toward his headmaster as Orion moved past him. "I have failed you. For it was I whom you entrusted to oversee Glyph's security...and I couldn't even do that much."

"It's quite all right, Gervas," Orion assured him. "You've served this academy for countless years. It's natural for you to make a mistake now and again. You're only human, after all."

"I understand that, sir. But it wasn't just one mistake that I've made," Gervas grunted, still with his head lowered. "I should have alerted you of this from the start...but I suppose...the hubris in my abilities deluded me into thinking that wasn't necessary."

Orion peered at him from over his shoulder. "By what are you getting at, Gervas?"

"You knew of this already?" Raze asked, angrily confounded. "And you never bothered to inform anyone?! To inform me?!"

"Allow me to explain myself," Gervas uttered, practically sinking in on himself. "I thought I could handle it before things got out of hand. I was wrong. Truth is, I was already aware that something was afoot in this academy, and when Marsh told me of his findings, it all but confirmed that—"

"Allan?" Raze stammered.

Sydney raised a brow at him. "What does the professor have to do with any of this?"

"I'll only say...that he had a hunch as well, and he came to me hoping I'd have more insight into what's happening. We agreed to keep it a secret from you, although he reasons that he didn't want to stir up a panic. Moreover, back then, he was under the suspicion that our intruder was, in actuality, one of ours."

"So he believed a traitor was amongst us," Orion chuckled. "I'd expect no less from a mage like him."

"I hardly see the humor in this, sir!" Raze shouted.

"Believe me, Raze. Nobody is taking this more seriously than myself." As he spun around to meet everyone, Raze shuddered in his spot and instinctively took a step back. Why this was, Orion couldn't tell. Perhaps the expression he was wearing was unsightly, and that suspicion only enhanced in his mind as he spotted similar expressions masking a few of the Gray Cloaks close by.

"How shall we approach our situation, sir?" Sydney inquired beside him, her confident tone not matching the wariness in her eyes.

"Efficiently," Orion whispered, ensuring only she could hear him, before sweeping his arm out in front of him. "Our top priority is the safety of our students! Midterms can wait! Cancel all exams and escort the students back to their dorms. All archgates are to be deactivated until further notice. Not a single sorcerer leaves this island unless I give the word!" Orion shifted a scowl at his scarred Gray Cloak figurehead. "Captain Zane!"

"Ah, yes, Headmaster Valerian!"

"Take your strongest mages and lead a separate patrol unit. I want the entire academy grounds inspected within the next hour," Orion ordered with a fire in his lungs. "I shall deal with you and Professor Marsh at a later date. Until then, show me why Headmaster Verano appointed you as captain."

"Yes, sir! That I can do!" Gervas roared, showing his back to him as he turned and snarled at his men. "You heard Valerian! Get to work, you dogs!"

The weathered sorcerer strode off to rally his forces, hands clasped behind his back. Meanwhile, Orion looked again at the breach. This barrier, like so many others, was translucent for the most part, but keen eyes could make out the rippling, oily surface that extended over the entire island like a massive dome, warping the view of the outside world into a vague, blurry haze.

The breach was a stark contrast to the barrier's nearly invisible blueprints. It appeared as a solid tear, as if a large knife had sliced through it, causing a section of the enchanted construction to flicker and split in half. "Something else is bothering me," Orion muttered. "Why hasn't she said anything about this yet?"

"The Founder?" Sydney said curiously.

"She loves this academy more than anyone. The fact that she's remained silent could mean that..." Losing a breath, Orion darted around frantically, hesitating until his gaze settled on a similarly shocked Raze. "Find Hound, quickly! Both of you must go to the Heart at once!"

Raze shrank back in alarm. "A...As requested, sir! But, why all of a sudden...?"

"Just do it, Raze," Orion said anguishedly, slapping a gloved hand over his face, jaws clenched and eyes narrowed. "I'll rendezvous with you there once I've assured every student is safe."

*

* *

The pounding of boots against grassy soil was matched by the beating of her heart against her chest, growing louder and louder as three figures approached them down a pathway shrouded in the freckled shadows of the enormous elabora trees.

Elaine, hunched down on her knees, cautiously peered over the neatly trimmed hedge just as they hurried past her: two boys-a gangly, drowsy-eyed fellow and another lad with a bit more heft-led by a blonde-haired girl wielding a gleaming wand in her hand. Elaine Harwood sprang into action, charging with gritted teeth and visible panic sundering her expression.

It'd been...disarming when Elaine observed herself—a replica of herself—crawl off the notebook pages, standing quietly and idly in the forest clearing after Kara had drawn her to life. She wasn't a complete clone, mind you. If Elaine looked close enough, she could, in fact, observe "imperfections" that usually came in the form of an exaggerated body part or a miscoloration of either her skin coloration or clothing.

One ear would be bigger than the next. Her left eye was red, while the other was a natural blue, making her appear as if she'd Rymevai in her blood. Her navy-colored uniform was dull in certain areas and brighter in others, while sections of her skin color faded to a gray, blemishing the fake with multiple colorless patches littered up her arms and legs.

Kara openly acknowledged that she had not yet mastered the spell. However, the only aspect of her clone that matched the original, in this case, herself, was that of her blonde hair. This consistency was no accident. For some inexplicable reason, Kara identified Elaine's hair as one of her most distinguishing features; Elaine wasn't sure whether to take that as a compliment or an insult.

The duplicates of Laurence and Rolland weren't much better—Kara had portrayed the second Laurence as much slimmer than he truly was, and it seemed that she had overlooked drawing all of Rolland's fingers, as one hand only had three fingers and the other was missing a thumb. Nonetheless, Kara was an artist, and true art could not be hurried.

Regardless, Elaine felt a surge of confidence in their ability to play their roles effectively, and her belief was validated as she watched the scene unfold. Peering out from behind the hedge, her gaze narrowed as three more figures emerged, clearly in hostile pursuit of the false Sparrows. The wind tousled Mercedes' ponytail, giving it the appearance of a wild creature's tail as she ran, closely followed by Edgar and the third member of their odd ensemble.

"Quickly!" Mercedes snapped. "Adeline's counting on us! We won't let these Sparrows escape!"

A panting Edgar attempted to keep up with her, sweat sprinkled on his face. Mercedes must have worked the poor lad ragged since last Elaine had spotted them. "And pretty soon...I...won't be able...to duel them...properly...Not when I'm...already worn out..."

"Oh, quit being dramatic!" Mercedes spat back. "You don't see Cael complaining, do you?!"

"That's because...I'm pretty sure this guy isn't human," Edgar wheezed, glancing at the smaller boy sprinting alongside him. "No offense..."

"Just keep moving," Cael replied irritably. "Let's not prolong this."

Crouching beside her, Elaine caught Laurence's grimace. "Fritz, Cael's with them. This is going to be a nuisance and a half."

"Ssh!" Elaine scolded him quietly, holding a finger to her lips. "We stick to the plan."

"You're underestimating him, Elaine," Laurence yawned. "Cael doesn't talk much, but his sorcery skill matches that of someone like Abigail and Mason."

"Really? He doesn't look like much."

"The best mages never do," Laurence shrugged. "It's a part of what makes them so dangerous."

Admittedly, Elaine didn't know much about Cael Tywin, just that he hailed from a powerful Noble House and was Kliff's roommate. He was a short kid with a squared jaw, darkish hair fixed into a bowl cut, and navy-colored eyes that were always half open. As for the kind of magic he specialized in, or how proficient he was in combat, well, that was anyone's guess. But still, she couldn't turn back now, not when she'd been the one to suggest the plan in the first place.

"It isn't too late," Laurence murmured. "We could still walk away before we trip and fall."

Elaine groaned at him. "Jeez, pessimistic much? I'm starting to suspect you don't have any faith in me."

Laurence leered at her. "That shouldn't come as a shock to you. I've been opposed to your little "strategy" from the get-go, especially since our chances of success are at an all-time low. This class may be a nuisance, but I have no interest in failing."

"Play your part, and you won't have to," Elaine grunted. "Now be quiet. They're getting close. We wait for our moment as planned."

Laurence rolled his eyes. "As planned..."

Approximately ten or fifteen meters past them was where it would all begin. She hadn't been afforded the grace of time, so very few areas in the vicinity would present them with the highest possibility of success. However, assuming how her three targets reacted, of course, she deemed this would be the perfect spot to stage a counter-offensive.

The fake Elaine, Laurence, and Rolland clones' sprint slowed into a steady strut as they neared the end of the pathway, blocked off by a wall of earth that climbed several feet into the air where the ledge of a cliff was perched above them. Interestingly enough, this titanic ridge wasn't far from where Elaine had been attacked by the saber-toothed white tiger earlier. She could only pray to Aeris that she wouldn't have another run-in with the beast; that would be disastrous for everyone.

Mercedes closed in on the clones with a confident smirk as an exhausted Edgar stumbled into position next to her, bending over on his knees. Behind them, Cael lingered, reaching for the wand strapped to his waist. "Nowhere left to run," Mercedes called over to the clones. "So what'll it be? Do you wish to duel us? Or are you going to be wise and surrender peacefully? There's no shame in calling it quits when the odds aren't in your favor."

"Please choose the latter," Edgar said, panting as he wiped the sweat from his forehead. "And do any of you have a glass of water, perchance? I'm dying here."

Mercedes' smirk soured into an impatient frown. "Come on! We don't have all day. Adeline wants us to vanquish the entire Sparrow Team. You buying them time won't change anything. Not when the famous Glacial Girl is on the scene."

Unaware to either of them, in the absence of a functioning vocal track, none of the clones were able to speak. Kara had explained that it wasn't necessary to draw a tongue and vocal cords to maintain the illusion as she had swiftly sketched their doppelgangers on sheets of paper. Mercedes and Edgar were quite evidently not catching on. Cael, on the other hand, passed by Edgar with a discerning gaze.

"Something's not right," Cael said in his barely audible tone of voice. "Their Essence Signatures...are weaker than they should be."

"Who can blame them? Maybe they're just worn out from running all day. You know, like me," Edgar grunted.

"No, Essence isn't affected by an organism's physical strain. A mage can run to the edge of the country and still have enough magical energy to cast a high-level spell." Cael pulled out his wand and aimed the Luarence clone. "No mage could make it into Glyph Academy if they were so weak. In other words, these can't be real mages. Primary Magic: Iraitus!"

The forest was illuminated by a sudden flash of brilliant turquoise light as a powerful ball of magic energy burst from Cael's wand. The energy surged forward and struck Laurence in the chest, hurling him off his feet and sending him crashing into the earth ridge. Upon impact, the fake disintegrated in a dramatic explosion of oily, black and white shards. Laurence was gone.

"Light and Shadows! What have you done?!" Edgar screamed, grabbing the sides of his face. "You killed him! See?! What did I tell you, Mercedes?! This guy is insane! And we're practically his accomplices now! Fritz, I'm too young to go to jail!"

"Silence yourself," Cael sighed. "These creatures aren't the real things. They're just replicas of our classmates. Have a look." Cael motioned to the remaining clones, now crumbling into clusters of oily shards as they were erased from reality.

"Th...They were fake?" Edgar asked cautiously.

"Seems as so," Cael nodded. "I reckon this must be Kara's doing. She specializes in charms of that nature."

"Then, if that's the case," Mercedes said, "where are the real ones?"

Elaine saw no better chance than this. It was now or never. Pitching her up from below the cover of Glyph Forest's foliage, Elaine shouted, "Do it now, Rolland!"

Her piercing screams caught their attention, prompting Cael to swiftly turn around and catch a glimpse of the portly kid emerging from the other end of the wooded trail, clutching his wand in front of him. Elaine could feel his anxiety, sensing the instability of his magical energy. Rolland had warned them about his limited spellcasting abilities, highlighting him as the primary concern for the success of their plan.

With a look of concern etched on his face, Rolland came to a sudden halt and gripped his wand tightly as vivid green lights started to shoot out from it in radiant bursts. Like Kara, Rolland had trusted her, and now it was only fair for Elaine to do the same. "Plant Magic!" he screamed, squeezing his eyes shut. "Irella!"

The startled Griffins stood stunned as clouds of dust and earth erupted at their feet. Like giant leviathans emerging from the Shadow, sinuous green tendrils adorned with thorns snaked up their legs, ensnaring them up to their waists. Mercedes couldn't contain a startled scream, while Edgar, attempting to cast a spell, found his dominant arm coiled and restrained by the tightly binding vines.

In mere seconds, Elaine watched as the trio of Griffins were entangled by the relentless growth of thorny vines, their every movement causing them to constrict further. The plant's greedy tendrils wound around their legs, waist, arms, and shoulders, leaving only their heads untouched by the encroaching greenery.

"Argh! Edgar, do something!" Mercedes ordered panickedly, wriggling her body frantically to escape, but to no avail.

"What do you expect me to do?!" Edgar grunted back as taut vines pulled his arms into his sides. "I dropped my wand! Ouch! Dammit, Rolland! Was it really necessary to make them so thorny?!"

"Ugh! Boys are so useless! Guess it's up to me, then!" Despite her situation, Mercedes hadn't managed to lose grip of her wand, which was held low to her waist. Elaine spotted when embers of yellow-tinted energy engulfed the tip of her Advanced Wand like a torch sparked with life. "Mineral Magic: Disper Ecit!"

Around the girl whose blonde hair was now billowing in swirling gusts, small figures started to rise out of the ground, floating steadily in the air, orbiting her general proximity. They were...rocks? Stones polished to shine, and they appeared sharp enough to cut through the skin easily.

First, there were only a handful, but as more kept popping out of the earth at Mercedes' feet—silverish rocks, multi-colored geodes, bizarrely-shaped minerals—Elaine instantly became aware of what was about to occur, and she rushed from the treeline towards Rolland in a hurry, as did Kara from the opposite side of the forest path where she had remained hidden until that point.

"Rolland!" Elaine shouted, reaching her hand at him. "Watch out!"

He shot a strained glance at her, confused. "Wh...What?"

"Too late, you guys," Mercedes smirked. "Now, you're all in my line of fire!"

All at once, Mercedes' arsenal of minerals—each rotating with kinetic energy—shot away from her like multi-colored bullets and flew in their direction as quickly as a heartbeat. Elaine held her hands in front of her as the minerals assaulted them. Luckily, most of them missed, and Elaine suspected it had something to do with Mercedes' awkward position. However, those that did meet their mark ignited bursts of fiery pain on her.

Elaine felt the impact of one geode on her thigh, another hit her in the chest, and a third collided with her diaphragm. If the last one had been a little higher, it could have struck her weak point. Glancing quickly at Kara, she saw her also trying to dodge the flying minerals, but it was impossible to escape them all. Elaine winced as she watched a blue-colored rock crash into Kara's arm, causing her to scream in agony and sink to the ground.

However, the only person not seeking refuge was Rolland, who stood firmly in place, unmoved with his dominant arm still held in front of him. Elaine realized then that Mercedes was no longer aiming for her but for the mage keeping them captive. She watched in horror as minerals erupted out of the forest floor and hurtled toward Rolland with deadly speed, targeting where it would hurt the most.

The miniature comets bombarded him, one after the other, each one striking him with relentless force and precision. At this point, Elaine didn't even bother evading them—and neither did Kara, for that matter—as their adversary had redirected all her attention to the plant mage. The jagged rocks flew past him, tearing away fragments of Rolland's uniform, revealing patches of deep purple bruises and puddles of blood seeping into the fabric, leaving behind a pattern of red dots on his clothing.

Elaine's eardrums throbbed as what sounded like bullets pelting a wall echoed around her. The storm of minerals hammered into him relentlessly, consecutively, vigorously, until, finally, Mercedes had won an inch of her foe, forcing him back a step, and even so, Rolland stood unfaltering, much to Mercedes' own irritation, who was leaning forward from within her mummified prison of vines. Out of her gaze shot daggers that assaulted Rolland every bit as much as the minerals themselves, the girl more than likely wondering how he managed to hold his ground against such an onslaught as Elaine was herself.

"Rolland! That's enough!" Kara screamed worriedly from where she was crouched to the ground. "Move, you big idiot! This isn't worth—"

"Not yet!" he shouted, lowering his bleeding head. "The plan isn't finished yet!"

"Would you forget about the stupid plan already?! This is just an exam! None of it matters if you get seriously hurt!"

"That's just the thing. We...We're training to be sorcerers. Mages who put their lives on the line to help others! If I can't even endure something like this, what chance do I realistically have?! I'm not as talented as you, or Elaine, or Kliff, or any of the mages in our class! Someone like me...who is already at the very bottom...can't afford to give up!"

Kara grimaced at him. "Rolland..."

"I want to be a Professional Sorcerer! More than anyone!" he shouted fiercely, and in the next instant, a vivid ruby-colored slab of rock smashed into his face, exploding into a cloud of dust that enveloped his entire head. Despite the impact, he somehow remained standing. As Elaine hesitated, she caught a glimpse of his swollen right eye and the blood seeping from his nose and lower jaw. His face was covered in blackish bruise marks resembling scattered polka dots. "Elaine!" he cried desperately, his opened mouth revealing rows of broken teeth. "I can't...hold the spell...for much longer!"

Breaking out of her dazed trance, Elaine nodded at him. "Right! Leave it to me!" With determination, Elaine leaned forward and burst into a sprint, racing toward the flurry of flying minerals. As she slid into position, she swiftly drew out her wand and took aim at the three captive mages in her line of sight, not so much as flinching as a sharp piece of crystal sliced open the side of her face.

This plan can only work if everybody plays their part accordingly, Elaine reminded herself as Essence flowed out of her Core, extending the gleaming commoner's wand before her. "For the sake of my teammates, I won't lose this!"