Forbidden magic was one of those things no sensible wizard would even think to meddle with. It was an ancient rule. Simple. Absolute. Anyone who crossed that line should have their memories erased. No exceptions. No room for questioning.

At least that's how it was supposed to work.

But, for some reason, when it came to you, things never seemed so simple.

Qifrey knew this better than anyone.

He could repeat to himself as many times as he wanted that he still needed the information you possessed about the Brimmed Hats. He could say that there were unanswered questions, loose ends, and secrets that perhaps only you could clarify.

It was a reasonable explanation.

Logical, even.

The problem was that you had long since ceased to be just a source of information.

Long before the mysteries, the forbidden magic, and everything that now placed you on dangerously opposite sides, there were only two children learning magic together.

Qifrey still remembered all the happy moments... and the problems.

Some things never changed.

That's precisely why he could never make the decision he should.

Erasing his memories didn't just mean eliminating a threat. It meant erasing his own existence from his history.

Every time you appeared in the studio, that feeling returned. A strange tightness in his chest. An unease he couldn't control. It wasn't fear. It wasn't surprise either. It was something much more complicated. Something he avoided confronting by name.

The girls, on the other hand, had no difficulty showing what they felt. They all adored your presence. Agott feigned indifference, but always ended up paying attention when you started a story. Tetia practically vibrated when you appeared. Richeh seemed fascinated by anything even slightly unusual you did. Coco observed you as one observes a figure straight out of a fairy tale.

Because you had never learned to hide who you were. You never knew how to contain yourself. You never knew how to stay away from problems. You never knew how to stop being yourself.

Olruggio noticed all of that too. In fact, he noticed even more than he should have. It was the only explanation for not having reported your presence after so many visits. Not because he agreed with the situation. But because dealing with Qifrey's reaction would be infinitely more complicated.

Even so, there were times when even he needed to admit that you crossed the line.

Like now.

"Don't teach that to them." Qifrey's voice cut through the room. It wasn't loud or aggressive. But it was enough.

The laughter disappeared immediately. The symbol you were drawing remained incomplete on the paper. A drop of ink slowly trickled from the tip of the pen, staining the sketch. For a few seconds, the only sound present was the uncomfortable silence that settled in the room.

You still held the pen at your fingertips. Steady. Controlled. After so many years, manipulating it seemed as natural as breathing. And that was precisely what bothered him. Not because you were irresponsible. Quite the opposite. You were skilled enough not to hurt anyone.

That had never been the problem.

When your eyes met his, you immediately noticed. His expression remained serene. His posture remained calm. But there was hidden tension there. The kind only someone who had known him for a long time could notice.

Qifrey had always been good at hiding worries. Good at smiling. Good at appearing calm when everything was falling apart. But nobody can hide everything forever.

Small cracks were appearing. And this was one of them.

It didn't really have anything to do with the Brimmed Hats. Or with the girls. Or even with forbidden magic.

It had to do with you.

With the fact that every symbol you drew, every secret you pursued, and every boundary you crossed brought you a little closer to danger.

And he hated that. He hated it because he couldn't stop it. As much as, in his most selfish moments, he wished he could. His gaze wandered for a moment.