Later that afternoon Evan sat alone at a stone desk inside the quietest corner of the great library. Columns of golden sunlight spilled across the parchment sheets scattered around him. He had begun writing drafts for a new system of magic education but the constant flow of ideas made it hard to focus. Every chant he reviewed revealed new flaws Every note led to another rule Every old spellbook cracked open another unanswered question.

He rubbed his temples “Why did no one study this before me How did an entire kingdom skip the idea that spoken magic might need proper language rules”

A soft voice answered behind him “Because we forgot”

Evan turned. A woman with long pale hair stood near the bookshelf wearing a scholar’s robe embroidered with subtle blue lines. Her eyes were sharp quick observant like someone used to reading more than speaking.

“Who are you” Evan asked

She bowed slightly “I am Myra a linguistic researcher well what used to be a linguistic researcher years ago before my department was dissolved The kingdom lost interest in language studies long before I was born”

Evan blinked “Wait you study language You are the first person I have met here who even uses that word without looking confused”

Myra smiled faintly “I read your notes this morning The ones you left on the east table You are building something I once dreamed of building before the academy declared language irrelevant to magic”

“Language irrelevant” Evan repeated “Your entire magic system is language”

“Yes” Myra said “But the kingdom forgot that centuries ago We treated spells as divine tradition not linguistic structure”

She sat across from him lowering her voice “Evan your work is not just new It is rediscovery You are not creating a field You are reviving a lost one”

Evan leaned forward “So you are telling me someone understood this before”

“Long ago” Myra said “There are old records mentioning articulation scholars They believed the mouth shaped magic But their work was ridiculed buried or lost No one knew how to prove it The world moved on”

Evan exhaled slowly “So I am not the first Just the loudest”

“Perhaps” she said smiling “But maybe the world needed someone loud”

He showed her his newest chart “This is the rhythm map It shows how pacing affects stability”

Myra leaned over the parchment her eyes widening “This is incredible Your analysis mirrors fragments I saw in ancient text The rhythm of speech guiding mana flow It makes sense”

He stared at her “I need help organizing all this I am drowning in charts I need proper terminology a system that scholars can use I do not want this to become a chaotic mess of notes”

Myra nodded “If you allow it I will help you build a lexicon for magic articulation”

“A lexicon” Evan repeated “Like a dictionary”

“Yes A dictionary of magical sound A reference for every mage in the kingdom”

Evan felt something spark in his chest excitement so sharp it almost hurt “Yes I need that Myra I need someone who understands language not just magic”

She smiled “Then we begin tonight”

Hours passed as they worked side by side Evan analyzing sounds Myra organizing them into meaningful categories labeling consonant types vowel groups rhythm sets and breath functions. She wrote quickly with elegant script her mind connecting ideas almost faster than Evan could explain them.

At one point she whispered “This is not the language of magic Evan This is the language of the world itself”

Evan looked up “What do you mean”

“Magic is not just sound Magic is the world responding to sound It shapes itself around the structure we give it This language is ancient not human not elven not draconic It may be older than life here”

Evan felt a chill run through him “So the spells are echoes of something older”

“Yes The world once spoke this language freely Mages simply learned pieces of it and built spells from fragments”

Evan leaned back thinking hard “Then if we can uncover the full language structure we might be able to speak the world’s original voice”

Myra’s eyes widened “That might be possible You could restore spells forgotten by history not by memory but by articulation You could create spells no one has imagined”

Evan stared at the scrolls “I am starting to realize this is not just education reform This is reconstruction of the world’s oldest tongue”

Myra nodded “And you Evan Hartley are the only one who sees all of it clearly”

He lowered his voice barely audible “I never asked for this responsibility”

“But you are the one who can carry it” she said “No one else hears magic the way you do”

Serin appeared suddenly at the doorway “Arilon requests both of you The king’s envoys have arrived They wish to speak with the Spell Articulation Master”

Evan’s heart dropped to his stomach “What I am not ready for that”

Serin smirked “The kingdom believes you are”

Myra gathered the scrolls “Come Evan The world is listening now”

He stood slowly breathing steady just like he taught the students
He whispered to himself

“Rule four is coming
And the kingdom is not ready”

But he walked toward the envoys anyway
Because somewhere deep inside
He was.