These kingdoms' ancient conquests caused massive disillusionment in Mystacor. Disillusionment turned into confirmation as, one night, Emeth Auctor saw a vision of the future.

❂❂❂

Micah went to Mystacor in a semi-old fashioned way: through mirror-traveling to the city of Kathedel, then taking a carriage to the gorge. His sister, and Ver – now twenty years old – were the best reasons for returning to Mystacor. Arvina was the necessary evil.

Micah sighed as the carriage rolled up to the gorge, and he paid the coachman two eclipses for his trouble. Then he exited, walking to the edge of the gorge and tossing his pack over his shoulder.

After counting to three, Micah took the leap of faith and jumped into the fog, slowing his descent with levitation. Scarcely had he landed on the plateau when it moved him across the divide between the Etherian supercontinent and the isles of Mystacor.

Mist stuck to Micah's skin; sky-rays flapped in the foggy air above him. The plateau lurched, dropping him off at the landing platform to Arxia. Arvina had received word of his arrival two days prior and would be waiting here.

Micah listened to Dels and other species conversing in accented Meyan, and with a smile, he gazed around. The golden apple tree was still there. The pink cobblestones remained, and the grandiose buildings had endured the war untouched.

But Micah had never seen this place as home. Not even during his time with Light Spinner – although living with her was the closest to home he had following the Horde's invasion. But he'd never been comfortable with Arvina, who tried to force him into the mold of western lifestyles. Who didn't understand his struggles to learn in school. Who saw his previous exchange parent as a monster.

"Micah!" Arvina's voice called. He turned around to find the Head Sorceress standing a distance away with Castaspella and Veritas.

A burst of happiness flooded him as he saw his old friend, and he rushed over, collapsing into Ver's arms as she laughed giddily. "Oh, Micah..." she cried, squeezing him tight. Micah held her back, the girl who was like another sister to him.

Casta cleared her throat. "Well? Are you gonna hug me, Mike?" Micah took his turn at hugging his true sister, his only sibling. She was thirteen now – the same age he'd been when he began his studies under Light Spinner.

And she was growing up without him.

Casta pulled away. Her black hair was twisted into Tropicil buns on either side of her face, and her eyes – a paler brown than his – sparkled. "How's the war? Are you beating people up?"

"You bet!" Micah said, forcing a grin. She sees you as a hero. Don't let on how much pressure there is, don't say anything...

Arvina's voice cut through the exchange. "Touching as this is," she said coolly, "Micah has come on official business from the Rebellion. Run along, you two."

Casta blew a raspberry at Arvina, who returned it with a stern look. Ver shrugged apologetically at Micah and took Casta's hand. "Come on. Let's go get a treat."

Casta's eyes lit up, and she skipped away with Ver. Micah watched them longingly as Arvina stepped up beside him. "Micah, walk with me," she said, leading them up to the Great Hall. "What troubles you, my dear?"

Micah breathed in deeply. "Well," he said, "it's about the war."

They walked up the stairs to the Great Hall. "If this is another attempt to recruit Mystacor, I must decline," the Head Sorceress said.

"It's not," Micah said. "I need information about Shadow Weaver."

Arvina sighed. "The dark sorceress?"

"Yeah," Micah said as they entered the place where he'd attended school. Arvina knit her brows together. "She can use a runestone," he said as they walked through the Hall of Sorcerers. "She has access to the Black Garnet, somehow – a secondary connection to it, where she has to recharge her powers."

"And you want me to weigh in," Arvina said, staring ahead. The satyr paused for a long moment, debating if she should say something to Micah.

Micah swallowed. "Madame?"

"There is precedence for these studies," Arvina said. "But not in a way you will like. We examined the protection spell last night – the Lady Weaver infiltrated Mystacor."

"What?"

"We have the situation under control," Arvina said in a quiet voice. "And I will not be swayed by her intrusion. We will commit to nonviolence. But..." She sighed. "I feel the urgency you discussed now. I may not be a part of your alliance, but you are my son. I will provide you with the information you seek...if you can accept it."

"I'll listen to whatever information you give me," Micah said, force behind his voice. "I have to stop her."

"If that's all you want to know, the answer is simple: you must eliminate the source of her power."

"It's not easy to shatter a runestone."

"King Chevalier of Arxia accomplished it five hundred years ago, with the Stardrop."

"That was different. Magic was much stronger back then, and he was a Seraphite steward. My power's no match for that." He gave an agitated sigh. "Come on, Arvina. Spit it out. I need more information about the runestone connection she has."

They stopped at the Lunarium; Arvina opened the door. "I must find the studies on such matters in the Forbidden Archives."

"Angella said the idea of forcing a runestone connection hadn't been tested."

"She's wrong. It has been, once." Arvina slipped her badge into the keyhole, and the stone in the middle glowed. Moments later, the door unlocked with a hiss, authenticating her entrance.

She entered the vault, looking through the books for quite some time. Then she emerged with a spiral-bound notebook. Micah frowned; most of the items in the Forbidden Archives were dusty scrolls and antiquated books. What was this modern piece doing there?

She handed him the notebook. "Madame," he said with a blush, "I'm not a Guild member."

"That is irrelevant. You are a king, and this information is crucial." Her eyes were cold. "Read it."

Micah hesitantly opened the pages. A diagram of the Black Garnet rested in the center of the page. Beside it were many notes about connection to the runestone – written in firm, neat Meyan.

Day one of studies. Magic scholars acknowledge that runestones are not simply placed in the hands of any common soul. They must choose to bond with their hosts, and often will recognize a princess or prince from the genetic ties they have to their parents. The reason is unknown why Princess Scorpia is the exception, but perhaps one could form an artificial bond...

Micah stopped reading, his eyes blurring with tears. "Light Spinner. She was studying runestone magic before she died."

"She never told us, either," Arvina said. "When we dealt with her estate, we uncovered a letter from Princess Estila discussing Scorpia's ailment. It seems she abandoned the project, but her notes remain."

"Do you think Shadow Weaver was here for her work?"

"Impossible – she had the power of electricity long before her visit. We checked the entirety of the Great Hall, and found nothing missing. It's almost as though she was just here to...look around."

"Then what are you suggesting? That she copied Light Spinner's studies?"

Arvina lowered her eyes. "It is very possible, Micah. Perhaps she finished what Light Spinner started. But there is another solution to this puzzle. A grave one."

"What?"

The Head Sorceress turned away, her eyes troubled. "I won't rush to conclusions just yet. My idea...it would tear you apart."

"I have to know. I can handle it."

The Head Sorceress shook her head. "I believe it's possible that Shadow Weaver herself wrote those notes. That she survived on the Black Garnet's power, and her true identity is that of your old teacher."

✧✧✧

Nell arrived at Mystacor a day later, traveling with Queen Angella across the world in an instant. "Do you think he's alright?" the queen asked softly as she ran a hand over her round belly.

"Micah survived dark magic. I think he'll be fine." Nell hadn't missed the pain, the worry, in his friend's voice as Micah begged them to come meet him. What had he discovered?

The platform lurched to a halt, and Nell took Angella's hand delicately, leading her up to the edge of Mystacor. "He should be in the Great Hall," Angella said, her voice shaky. "Let's go."

She gathered her skirts and stepped up to the Great Hall, and Nell opened the doors. As soon as they entered, he spotted Micah in the Hall of Sorcerers, gazing at a statue.

"Oh, Micah!" Angella cried, shuffling toward him as quickly as she could. Micah's eyes lit up just as she crushed him in a hug, and he gripped her back, visibly relaxing in her arms. Her mere presence could shine through the clouds of her husband's troubles. Just like my dear Alura, Nell thought as he looked at her Guild statue.

"What's going on?" Nell asked as he joined them.

Micah clutched a yellow spiral-bound notebook close to his chest. "I told Arvina about what we discovered."

He took a deep breath, then handed the notebook to Nell. He read the first few paragraphs. A diagram of the Black Garnet...a paragraph about the sort of connections they had to the princesses...

He grew sick all of a sudden. Angella peered over his shoulder. "What does this mean?" she asked.

Nell trembled, handing the notebook back to Micah. "Al– Light Spinner. She was running experiments on the Black Garnet...trying to force a connection, like Shadow Weaver."

Dead silence sat among the three of them. Alura, sweeping across Etheria and causing destruction while under the Spell of Obtainment? The thought chilled Nell to his core.

Micah scowled, looking down at the notebook. "It's impossible," he said. "I cast a location spell after she left – she was dead."

"We presumed her dead because she had arrived at the Fright Zone," Angella corrected him gently. "Perhaps –"

"No," Micah insisted, more firmly. "She wanted to stop the Horde, Angie. Don't you get it? We can't trust Arvina. You know how much she hated Light Spinner. You know –"

"Hate?" Arvina's voice called from the entrance to the classrooms. The Head Sorceress walked toward them, her long skirts billowing. Her starry crown glowed around her head, demanding respect. "I never hated her. But she made her choice long ago – if you can't accept that, I'm afraid we won't get anywhere in solving this predicament."

"You're wrong. You know Norwyn lied to her," Micah replied, anger in his voice. "It was always more complicated than you think –"

"That is a tangent to the topic at hand," Arvina interrupted. "You must ask yourself something, Micah. Are you convinced of a lie, or afraid of the truth?"

"That's quite enough," Angella said firmly. "It's irrelevant to the question of Shadow Weaver's power. Regardless of her identity, she was able to finish the late Emeth's work."

Arvina's face twisted into a scowl. "Queen Angella of Bright Moon, this is the most relevant information to learn. The question of whether Micah has a personal tie to Shadow Weaver is an immensely important one, for one specific reason."

"And that is?" Micah broke in. He looked legitimately angry now, his dark eyes glittering passionately.

"Micah," Arvina said. "You must stop her. You are her only equal in power, and if your misplaced attachment to her stops you from your duties...you don't deserve to wear Bright Moon's crown." She walked down the hall, robes trailing behind her.

Nell looked back at his friend; tears glimmered in Micah's eyes. "It doesn't matter," the younger man said. "We're going to use these notes to stop Shadow Weaver. And we're going to free the world from the Horde's control." He stood firm, looking taller than he was. But Nell couldn't ignore the dull sorrow that remained in Micah's eyes.

❂❂❂

Did you know...

- This chapter was very emotional to write. In Starwalker: Prime, the thought of Shadow Weaver being Light Spinner wasn't broached until the third act. However, I think unraveling the mystery now is a better course of action, especially given how much Prime suffered from it.

Tell me what you think...

- How will Micah come to terms with this new information?