Summoned with an SSS-Rank Portal Skill

The academy was unusually still, the silence amplified by the lingering fatigue of the previous night's revelry. William learned that the annual festival commemorated the founding of Snowpeak Academy, a tradition seemingly absent in the future iteration he knew.

They moved through the shadows, utilizing the foliage and the darkness as cover. When they reached an exposed section of the courtyard, Marcel turned to William, a sense of urgency in his eyes.

"Now's the time," he whispered.

William nodded, summoning his limited mastery of the invisibility spell.

[Minor Invisibility (A Rank): Turn you and anyone around you invisible for a maximum of 1 minute]

[Cost: 40 Mana]

One minute was all they had to cross the open ground undetected. He cast the spell, their forms shimmering and fading into the darkness. They hurried across the open space, their footsteps silent against the cobblestones.

The academy now had guards patrolling the grounds, a security measure absent before. The invisibility spell, despite its limitations, was crucial for their infiltration.

Once inside the main building, they breathed a sigh of relief. The halls were deserted, the silence broken only by the distant creak of floorboards.

"This way," Marcel whispered, beckoning William to follow.

William, however, held him back. "We need to be cautious," he warned, recalling his late-night encounter with Professor Lincoln. "What if there are other professors lurking about?"

"You're right," Marcel agreed, his excitement tempered by a newfound caution. "Let's not ruin this now."

They moved through the darkened corridors, their senses heightened. Every sound sent a jolt of apprehension through them. But the sounds were merely the whispers of the wind and the settling of the ancient structure.

They reached a familiar door, the entrance to the academy's lavatory.

"Why are we here?" William asked, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"This is where the secret passage is," Marcel explained, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. "Can you believe it? The architect was a genius. I stumbled upon it while taking a shit."

"I don't want to know that," William said, a disgusted expression on his face.

The passage wasn't inside a toilet, thankfully. It was located near the sink. Marcel revealed a button hidden underneath. When pressed, a panel on the wall slid open.

"No way no one has found this yet," William said, surprised.

"There are multiple bathrooms in the school. No one uses this one," Marcel explained.

That explained why it remained undiscovered, though William doubted it would stay that way for long.

With the passage revealed, it was time to explore.

"Have you ever been inside?" William asked, curious about the secret area.

Marcel nodded. "Yes, but I didn't venture far. It's a little creepy."

They entered the passage. William cast a candlelight spell to illuminate the space.

A staircase descended—a typical feature of secret passages. They proceeded cautiously, focused on their footing.

Their initial fear of being discovered by guards or professors had faded. Now, a new fear arose: what if the place was dangerous? Could there be monsters lurking within?

They descended for about five minutes before reaching a stone room of decent size. Cobwebs clung to the walls, and a few old crates lay scattered about.

"This looks like a storage room," William observed.

"Yep. That's what I thought."

They approached the only door in the room and pushed it open. Beyond lay a hallway with multiple rooms on either side. It resembled an academy. William, initially skeptical of Marcel's claim, now believed him.

"What the hell is this place?" William exclaimed. "This really does look like an academy. Did you ever talk to Grant? Maybe ask him about the school's construction?"

"I did. There was nothing here when construction first started. I know because I was here helping them."

"You what?"

Marcel smiled, slightly embarrassed. "You know the journey from where I live is long, right? I heard about the construction and came to help to earn some money. I didn't want to use my family's."

William sensed underlying issues with Marcel's family and refrained from further questions. He knew the academy was new but hadn't realized how recent.

"Did you explore any of the rooms here?" William asked, his gaze shifting between the many doors lining the hallway.

There were many rooms within.

Marcel, however, hadn't explored them. "This is the farthest I came. When I saw this alone, it scared me, so I turned back."

William didn't blame him. He would have been scared too.

"Let's explore together then," William said. "No need to split up. We have plenty of time."

Marcel liked the idea. He wouldn't want to be alone down there.

The first room on the right resembled a classroom, but the furniture was destroyed, except for the professor's sturdy stone table near the board.

Other similar rooms reinforced their theory of an old academy.

"Do you think this academy was built on the surface where we are building now, or was it always underground?" Marcel asked.

"Underground," William answered confidently.

"Why?"

He pointed at the room's walls. "What's missing?"

Marcel thought for a moment, then realized. "Oh, right. There are no windows."

The entire place lacked windows. It was an underground academy.

But what academy was it? William had never read about anything like it. It looked abandoned.

They had many questions but no answers. Eventually, they found the library.

It contained few books. Most were gone.

"They took the books and scrolls before leaving," William said. "Classic."

But some remained. William opened one, finding the writing completely foreign.

"I have no idea what this is," he said, tossing the book to Marcel. "Do you?"

Marcel glanced at it. "Nope. Unlike any writing I've ever seen. But we can take it back and research it. It might give us some answers."

William nodded. After collecting the remaining eight books, they continued exploring, discovering a strange room.

It had an altar and a chalice, resembling a ritual chamber.

"This could mean this academy practiced the dark arts," William said.

That would explain the academy's hidden location. No one condoned the practice of dark arts. Anyone aware of their existence would seek to eliminate them.

But an entire academy underground, atop a mountain? William suspected they had survived for centuries, delving into forbidden knowledge.

They explored the remaining rooms, finding most empty or uninteresting. That changed when William discovered an office.

He searched for anything useful, finding a letter tucked away in a drawer.

Written in a familiar language, it was addressed to someone within the academy, likely a high-ranking individual.

"Look at this," he said.

Marcel joined him, and they read the letter together.

An unknown friend warned the recipient that their location had been discovered and urged them to leave. They suggested relocating to one of the archipelago islands, deeming it safer than the mainland.

After reading the letter, William and Marcel shared a common desire: to visit the Snowpeak branch on that island and study there.

"This is valuable information," Marcel said. "We should head back."

As they prepared to leave, a chilling grunt echoed from the hallway outside. William and Marcel stood there, not knowing that to do.

"This doesn't sound human," William whispered, "let's hide, and prepare for a fight."