Zeke was shocked by Sophia's revelation. How had this happened? Hadn't Sophia just said that Mara was Maximilian's equal? He couldn't imagine his mentor being captured by an opponent of a similar level. Then how had it happened to Mara, who was his equal in both strength and wit? His confusion must have been evident on his face, as Sophia provided an explanation to Zeke's unasked question.

"No, it was not Maximilian who captured her," Sophia said, her voice heavy with sorrow. "A team of infiltrators managed to sow discord among the foreign nobility. One particularly greedy commander in charge of supplies was swayed to betray his country. He had claimed that there was an emergency with the supply lines to lead her into a trap."

Zeke felt a sense of dread wash over him as Sophia continued. "She was captured by a team of specially trained mages and disappeared from the front." He had a feeling that he knew where this story was going, and he hoped against hope that he was wrong. But as he looked at Sophia, tears in the corners of her eyes, he could already tell that his fears were coming true.

"Maximilian was surprised by the sudden ease of his job on the western territory. He had encountered almost no resistance in his skirmishes. He probably assumed that Mara had been temporarily recalled or something similar. Nevertheless, he was determined to take full advantage of this opportunity. He spent weeks triumphant in battle, with a constant smile on his face. It was said that he would often remark, 'I wonder how she'll come back from this,' and similar sentiments. But his joy came to an end when the next batch of reinforcements arrived. He discovered that a squad from the Emperor's personal troops was among them. At first, Maximilian was delighted to receive elite troops as reinforcements. His delight, however, quickly turned to shock when he saw Mara among them."

Sophia was clearly on the verge of tears as she told this part of the story. It was a strange sight for Zeke to see the usually always-composed Sophia in such an emotional state. She seemed to be more invested in this story than Zeke had realized. Sophia wiped at the corners of her eyes and continued.

"Maximilian tried to talk to Mara, tried to find out what had happened that she would betray her country. The two of them had spoken many times, and he could not fathom why she would join the empire's side now. As he approached her, he quickly noticed that something seemed strange about her. The mages from the Geistreich family tried to get in his way, to stop him from investigating further. However, they could not stop the commander of the western wall without any legitimate reasons.

Maximilian tried to get Mara to explain her situation. He needed to understand what had brought about this change. But the woman simply ignored him, paying no mind to his ever more fervent attempts to get an answer from her. When their eyes met, Maximilian finally noticed that there was neither recognition nor any kind of life left in her eyes. The story claims that he looked devastated when he finally let go of her and returned to his chambers.

After weeks in the imperial dungeon, what had emerged was not the same person Maximilian had known anymore. The person in front of him at this point was only a puppet with the ability to use Mara's magic at everything that her handlers pointed at."

Sophia stopped her story at this point to take a look at the expression on Zeke's face. Zeke wasn't sure, but he thought that he saw her searching his face for judgment of what her family had done.

Even though Zeke was disgusted by the practices employed by the imperial family in this story, he didn't blame Sophia for any of it. She was only 17 years old, how could he hold her responsible for events that took place long before she was born? He gave her a reassuring smile and said, "It's fine, I think I've got the highlights of what happened. You don't have to continue if you don't want to."

But Sophia shook her head. "No, you're still missing an important part of the story," she said, before continuing to tell him the final part of Maximilian's tale.

"After Maximilian discovered what had happened to Mara, he seemed to be a changed man. His mood grew darker with every passing day he spent on the front. Every time he watched as Mara was 'used' to bring another victory to the empire, he became more bitter. This all came to a head one night, when something happened that sent Maximilian over the edge. It's not known exactly what transpired, but the consequences of the events are still felt today."

Sophia's voice was full of emotion as she recounted the final chapter of the story. "That one night, the entire legion that was garrisoned at the western wall could hear the enraged bellows of Maximilian. It is said that even the enemy troops that were laying siege to the western wall were so intimidated by the raw feeling of pure hatred they heard in that voice that there was no attack on the wall in the week following that night.

When morning came on the next day, the soldiers were shocked to discover a grizzly scene. Every member of the special unit sent by the emperor was hanging by their neck. Their bodies were charred and broken. They looked like they had been used as chew toys by an adolescent dragon. The night guard, who must have been aware of what happened, didn't speak a word either.

Maximilian departed alone in the morning, he entered the enemy camp with a bundle strapped to his horse. He returned a couple of hours later. He was unhurt, but his package was missing. The rumor says that he brought the remains of Mara to the enemy commander. He wanted them to send her home and have her buried beside her ancestors, where she deserved to have her final rest."

Sophia finished the story and could no longer hold back the tears that were freely streaming down her face.

Zeke could also feel his eyes starting to sting as he listened to the tragic events that led to Maximilian's hatred for the Geistreichs Mind Magic. He had not known the level of pain buried behind the expression he had seen on his mentor's face. The man had barely seemed affected as Zeke had asked about Mind Mages.

What level of self-control must his mentor have reached to talk so casually about a subject of such deep personal trauma? Zeke didn't think for a second that Maximilian had gotten over this loss. He had always wondered why Maximilian never taught him about the noble houses and wars. He had assumed that Maximilian just wasn't very knowledgeable about the subject. Now, however, he was certain that Maximilian just didn't like to talk about his past in the service of the empire.

As Zeke thought back to the events of the story, something seemed off to him. He couldn't help but ask Sophia, "Was there no punishment for Maximilian after he killed those men?"

Sophia just shrugged. "You have to understand, at the time, Maximilian was one of the empire's most beloved heroes. The story of his forbidden love with Mara was one of the most popular tales the noble young ladies would whisper about. He was simply too influential to be publicly punished. And it must also be said that Maximilian quit his post as commander of the western wall the same day he left through the gates, never to return. If the stories are to be believed, the soldiers cried as they saw him exit the gate, and they yelled after him, begging him to stay. His last words are still remembered to this day."

Zeke was intrigued and asked, "What were the last words he left behind?" Sophia paused for a moment in concentration, the girl had gotten her emotions back under control and was now trying to assume a stage persona. She was clearly relishing in the dramatic atmosphere. Zeke stared at her intently, as if trying to will the words to come out faster through the weight of his gaze alone.

The girl started to act out Maximilian's actions as if this were a scene straight out of her favorite play. With a flourish, Sophia struck a dramatic pose, as if she herself were the hero who had come up with the line, and recited Maximilian's words to him:

"A true soldier serves only one master - honor. I cannot stay, for I have no master left to serve."

Zeke was struck dumb by the words his master had left behind all those years ago. Whatever Maximilian had witnessed that night must have completely shattered the image he had of the empire in his mind. Something in that statement deeply resonated with Zeke, and he could feel his heartbeat speed up uncontrollably. To distract himself, Zeke posed another question.

"Why did Maximilian stay in the empire after all that had happened with Mara?" He couldn't help but wonder why his mentor would still work for the betterment of the empire after the tragedy he had just learned about.

Sophia replied easily, "It's probably for the people. Maximilian always had a special connection with the common folk. He loved them, and they loved him back. Even now, hundreds of years after he disappeared from office, there are still common families in the empire who treat him like a hero. His deeds have been passed down from father to son for generations."

Zeke was shocked, he had never known that Maximilian was such a famous person. He had always interacted with the old man as if he was talking to a friendly grandfather. He couldn't help but feel a sense of pride for his mentor, knowing that his legacy lived on through the people he had served so selflessly.

Zeke's heart was pounding in his chest, the sensation more intense than he had ever experienced. He clutched at his chest, trying to steady his breathing with measured inhales and exhales. Sophia, noticing something amiss, stepped closer to him and reached out a hand to check his temperature. "Zeke, is everything alright?" she asked, concern etched on her face.

Before she could even make contact with his forehead, Zeke stood up abruptly and grasped her throat, lifting her off the ground as he snarled like a wild animal. Sophia's face paled with fear, eyes wide with shock at what she saw in Zeke's eyes.

The expression of pure terror on her face jolted Zeke back to reality. He immediately released her, watching as she crumpled to the ground, coughing. A heavy atmosphere descended upon the room as they both struggled to process what had just occurred.

"Y-Your eyes!" Sophia exclaimed, her hand flying to her mouth in shock. "What is wrong with them, Zeke?"

Zeke was at a loss for words, but he was grateful for the distraction from what had just happened. He turned to the shiny metallic teapot on the table, using it as a makeshift mirror to examine his eyes. What he saw made his blood run cold. His pupils were elongated, vertical slits, like those of a snake. He recoiled in horror, backing away from the teapot.

But as he watched, the pupils slowly returned to their normal shape, and he let out a sigh of relief. He turned to Sophia, who was staring at him with caution in her gaze. The girl was evidently shaken by what she had witnessed.

"I-I don't know what happened," Zeke stammered, running a shaking hand through his hair. "My eyes... they just... changed. Something like this has never happened before, I swear!"

Sophia's expression softened slightly. The fact that Zeke seemed just as rattled as she made her calm down a bit, but she still looked wary. "We should get you to a healer, Zeke. This isn't normal."

Zeke shook his head, he couldn't go to a healer with this problem. "I can't," he said, "I know the root cause of the change, and no healer can help me with this."

Sophia had regained her composure by now. She sat back down on the couch and patted the spot beside her, inviting Zeke to join her. He obliged, grateful for her forgiveness. The girl simply watched him, her eyes filled with questions, but she refrained from speaking.

Zeke hesitated, torn between the urge to confide in Sophia and the fear of her betraying his secret. He couldn't bring himself to trust her with the truth of his dragon heart. But as he looked into her eyes, he could see the hurt and disappointment that his lack of trust caused her.

Sophia stood, ready to leave, but Zeke's hand shot out, gripping her wrist tightly. He pulled her back to the couch, and she sat down willingly. Sophia's gaze never left his face, waiting for him to speak.

Zeke sighed deeply and began to tell her the tale of his adventures over the summer. Despite his apprehensions, he revealed the truth about his dragon heart and the circumstances that came with it.

Sophia listened with an intense focus as Zeke recounted his incredible tale. The revelation of the dragon's heart in his chest was a shock for her. But the more Zeke talked, the more he felt like it was a good idea to share his burdens with Sophia. The tension in his shoulders disappeared as he conveyed his secret to her.

"Thanks for trusting me with this, Zeke," Sophia said, giving him a grateful smile.

Zeke nodded, relieved that he had confided in Sophia. She seemed to be deep in thought for a moment before asking, "Do you have any idea how you're going to deal with this? If the heart starts acting up like this every day, you won't be able to keep it a secret for long."

Zeke had also realized the gravity of the situation. The amulet that Maximilian had given him was no longer able to contain the effects of the dragon's heart. He had to come up with a plan, and fast.

Sophia looked out the window and noticed that the day had grown dark. "I think you should go home for today, Zeke. You should tell your mentor about the changes in your heart. It would be a real problem if your secret got exposed," Sophia advised.

Zeke nodded, knowing she was right. Sophia walked him to the gate, and they exchanged a quick hug before Zeke stepped out into the cold evening. He knew he had a lot of thinking to do, and he couldn't put it off any longer. He had to find a way to control the dragon's heart before it was too late.

Zeke was just rounding a corner when he realized that the usually crowded streets of the noble district had gotten strangely quiet all of a sudden. The change was so jarring that Zeke was woken from his deep contemplation. Confused, he turned around, only to stare into the eyes of a man who stood just behind him.

Zeke heard a noise from his back and realized that there were more people around him. He was trying to use his [Perfect Spacial Awareness] to analyze the situation. Before he could even form a clear picture of what was happening, however, he could feel the world growing dark around him.

The last thought he had before blacking out was that he might be able to send a telepathic message to Sophia from here. But as he slumped to the ground, he knew that it was too late. He was surrounded by unknown assailants, and he had no idea what their intentions were. All he could do now was wait and hope that they would show mercy.