Magick, Monsters & Murder

Riniock moved through the day with practiced normalcy, careful not to betray the thoughts racing in his mind. He attended his first lesson without issue, spent time training during breaks, exchanged casual chatter with Niann, and followed up with another lesson. By the time the acolytes gathered in the main hall for dinner, the day had unfolded as routinely as any other.

 Yet, despite his composed exterior, Riniock's watchful eyes noticed Jorian lingering at the edges, still doggedly pursuing his investigation.

 Maintaining his usual routine was no longer just about preserving a façade; it was a calculated effort to avoid giving Jorian anything to latch onto.

 Tonight, I'll end this charade once and for all! Riniock thought, his jaw tightening with determination. The quiet fury building within him found an outlet in the bent fork he gripped too tightly, a subtle testament to the storm brewing beneath his calm demeanour.

 'I'm going to excuse myself,' Riniock said as he pushed back his chair, his plate now empty. 'I'll head to bed early tonight.'

 'Alright,' Niann replied, though a flicker of concern crossed her face. 'Everything okay?'

 'Just tired from all the training,' Riniock answered with a casual shrug.

 'Got it. Well, I'll stay here with Elred,' Niann said with a small smile. 'Catch you tomorrow then.'

 Riniock nodded, gave a quick wave, and strode towards the dormitories.

 As he left, Jorian's gaze followed him, sharp and unwavering. True to form, the staff member discreetly trailed him all the way back to ensure that Riniock had returned to his bunk. Only when he was satisfied did Jorian retreat to his own chamber, his mission for the evening seemingly complete.

 But Jorian wasn't the only one who had an interest in Riniock's movements. Another shadow trailed behind them, their identity and presence a complete mystery.

 From his dormitory window, Riniock observed Jorian's departure with a faint smirk. Persistent as ever, he mused. His alibi was intact, witnessed by both Niann and Elred during his public departure.

 Satisfied, Riniock slipped out into the night. Cloaked in shadows and moving with purpose, he navigated the campus with care, ducking behind walls and skirting around lit paths. Each step was calculated, his ears alert for any sound that might betray the presence of others.

 Tonight, there could be no mistakes.

 Jorian's chamber was a chaotic sprawl of disarray. Books lay scattered across the floor, papers were strewn haphazardly over the desk and bed, and the dim flicker of a few candles barely illuminated the mess. It seemed as though Jorian had been too preoccupied to care for order, his focus consumed by something else entirely.

 The man sat in a chair next to his bed, staring intently at the wall, his eyes fixed as though it were a canvas upon which unseen stories unfolded. For a long time, he didn't move, the only sound in the room the faint crackle of candle flames.

 Finally, Jorian stood and approached his bedside table. With deliberate motions, he opened the drawer and began retrieving items.

 Riniock, watching through the window from his concealed vantage point, stiffened as his eyes fell on the first object. That's Odrean's dagger…he cursed inwardly, recognising the very blade he had used to silence Odrean in the glades.

 But worse was yet to come.

 Jorian lifted another item from the drawer – a wand. Riniock's breath hitched as he identified it immediately, the intricate etchings and carvings marking it as his own. That's the wand I used in the test!

 As though the revelations weren't damning enough, Jorian pulled out a small phial filled with a luminous blue liquid. Riniock's eyes narrowed. The phial Professor Idrass gave him…What is he planning to do with that?

 Tension mounted as Riniock grappled with his next move. Whatever Jorian was up to, it was no coincidence. The stakes had just been raised dramatically.

 Riniock braced himself for action, his heart pounding as he tied a cloth over his face to obscure his identity. The shrouded night and his concealed appearance would be his only allies should anyone catch sight of him during what came next.

 Inside the chamber, Jorian muttered aloud, seemingly speaking to an invisible confidant.

 'With this, I can prove someone murdered that acolyte,' he said, holding up the dagger. 'Now the question remains...who killed him? This is that Riniock's wand. I hope Professor Bhallen will go easy on me for swapping this wand from the storages.'

 Riniock's fists clenched as he watched Jorian bite the stopper off the phial and spit it aside. The man let a few drops of the luminous blue liquid drip onto the dagger's handle. Almost instantly, glowing patterns emerged – fingerprints which would unmistakably be his own.

 'Moment of truth,' Jorian murmured, his voice tense with anticipation. 'If the prints on this dagger match the ones on this wand, then the culprit is –'

 Jorian reached for the wand with deliberate care, intending to repeat the test.

 But before he could complete his plan, the window to his chamber shattered into a cascade of glittering shards. A shadowy figure vaulted through the opening, landing in a crouch. The dim candlelight made it impossible to discern their identity, the mask obscuring their face completing the air of menace.

 'Who in Murat are you?' Jorian screamed, instinctively raising his arms to shield himself from the flying glass.

 The intruder stood to their full height, the shattered window framing their silhouette against the night. Riniock knew his time to act had come.

 Without hesitation, Riniock seized a nearby chair, hurling it with force towards Jorian. The staff member barely had time to react, flinching as the chair struck him squarely. The impact forced him backward, and the fragile phial slipped from his grip, shattering against the floor in a pool of glowing blue liquid.

 'BASTARD!' Jorian roared, clutching his side in pain. 'Who sent you? Did Riniock pay you to destroy the evidence?'

 The accusation hung in the air, but Riniock had no intention of indulging it. Destroying the evidence might have been a sensible move, but that wasn't his plan.

 Jorian had meddled too long and too deeply in matters he had no business investigating. In Riniock's mind, the outcome was clear. The man's relentless pursuit had left him with only one solution: silence Jorian permanently.

 The only thoughts that coursed through Riniock now were of death – swift, decisive, and absolute.

 Riniock spread his palms wide, summoning swirling currents of elemental wind that crackled with latent energy. The air in the room shifted, charged with an intensity that made the candles flicker wildly. His stance radiated menace, a silent declaration that Jorian's earlier conclusion had been far from the truth.

 The realisation struck Jorian like a hammer, his bravado dissolving into desperation. He staggered back, hands raised in a futile attempt to placate the storm brewing before him.

 'Wait!' he cried, his voice cracking with panic. 'We can work this out! There's no need for this!'

 But Riniock's expression, hidden behind his mask, betrayed no mercy. His only reply was the growing chaos of the magickal winds, a harbinger of the fate Jorian had unwittingly invited upon himself.