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Nyra nods. "Exactly."

"So the Silent War didn't begin when history says it did." No one answers. Because we all know. Wars rarely do.

Rhyven looks toward me. "You alright?" The question is casual. Too casual. Nyra absolutely notices.

"I'm fine." His eyes remain on mine. The bond says he doesn't believe me. I don't know how I know that. I just do. "I'm fine." I repeat. Finally he nods. Accepts the answer. Not because he believes it. Because it's mine to give.

We work until evening. Stopping feels impossible now. Every new record pushes the beginning farther back. 414. Maybe 413. A river turning unnaturally still for minutes. Bird migrations shifting. A fae settlement reporting three days of dreamless sleep. None of it dramatic enough to become history. All of it strange enough to matter now. Nyra circles the earliest confirmed date. 413. Then sits back. "Four years."

Cassian whispers. "At least."

Rhyven's jaw tightens. "Before the war."

"Before anyone admitted there was a war." Nyra corrects. That distinction hangs in the air. Heavy. Important.

By sunset Professor Neris arrives. She reads the timeline without speaking. Takes nearly five minutes. Then finally asks: "Where did you find this?"

Nyra shows her. Public records. Botanical reports. Trade ledgers. Nothing restricted. Professor Neris looks almost impressed. Then deeply worried. "This changes the historical sequence."

Rhyven nods. "It changes preparation."

Professor Neris looks at him. "Meaning?"

"We're behind." No one argues.

She folds her hands. "The Council needs to see this."

My stomach drops. Nyra immediately says, "Not everything." Professor Neris looks toward her. Nyra gestures toward our notes. "If they see every source, they control the interpretation." Gods. Her mother. Of course. Professor Neris considers her words. "Copies. Only copies." Nyra adds. "Keep originals accessible."

A faint approval touches Neris's expression. "Agreed."

Rhyven stands. "Chief meeting." Again. Caelen is going to love that. Before leaving, Rhyven looks at me. No words. The bond flickers. Question. Alright? I think. Not words. Not actually. Just the shape of one. I nod once. His shoulders relax. Then he leaves.

Nyra waits until the door closes. Then turns toward me. Slowly. "Oh, no."

I blink. "What?"

She points toward the door. Then toward me. "Something is happening."

Cassian looks between us. "What?"

"Nothing." I say. Nyra smiles. Not pleasantly.

That night, I understand just how badly we underestimated the bond. I'm brushing my hair when anger hits me. Not irritation. Anger. Hot. Controlled. Sharp enough to make my hand stop mid-stroke. Rhyven. I know instantly. Somewhere across the Academy something has happened. The sensation lasts maybe ten seconds. Then lowers into something colder. Restraint. I stare at my reflection. This isn't proximity. This isn't Dominion. He's far away. And I can feel him anyway.

A knock sounds at my door twenty minutes later. I open it. Rhyven stands outside. Of course. I lean against the frame. "You were angry."

His expression freezes. There. I said it. No pretending. No avoiding. "You felt that."

"Yes." Silence. "What happened?"

"Council." He says quietly.

"That explains nothing."

"They dismissed the timeline."

My stomach drops. "They what?"