I barely registered the morning sunlight before I heard my mother's voice.
"Wake up, Kael."
I groaned, turning over in bed, my body aching from the previous night's restless sleep. Every muscle felt like it had been crushed under the weight of an anvil, a lingering reminder of my first encounter with the Arcana Core's raw energy. Sleep clung to my eyes, my mind desperately trying to slip back into unconsciousness.
But then her next words cut through the haze.
"You only get one chance. If you delay, I won't help you anymore. Say goodbye to the Empire Academy."
That jolted me awake. My eyes snapped open, and I sat up so fast my head spun. "I'm up! I'm up!" I called, scrambling out of bed.
I splashed cold water on my face, letting the chill shock me into full awareness. My mother wasn't one for empty threats. If I wasted this opportunity, she'd leave me behind without hesitation. After a quick bath, I threw on my clothes and hurried downstairs.
She was waiting at the bottom of the stairs, arms crossed. "Took you long enough."
I huffed but said nothing. She led me down a narrow hallway, stopping at a wooden door that looked older than the rest of the house. I'd barely ever been down here. The basement.
She opened the door, and dust filled my nose as we stepped inside. The room was bigger than I remembered, but it was in complete disarray. Old wooden crates, broken equipment, and thick cobwebs filled every corner.
"Your first task," my mother said, "is to clean this place until it's spotless."
I blinked. "…You brought me down here to make me clean?"
She smirked. "Think of it as training. Discipline is part of being an Arcane Knight."
I wasn't convinced. This felt more like a way for her to get out of housework. But I had no choice.
The dust was unbearable. My fingers turned black with grime, and my arms ached from moving the heavy crates. Time seemed to drag, and the midday sun was high in the sky before I finally finished. My clothes were soaked in sweat, and I was sure I smelled like an abandoned attic.
I wiped my forehead and went upstairs, only to find my mother gone.
"Seriously?" I muttered.
She'd probably gone to the kiosk. Sighing, I made my way through the streets, ignoring the occasional glance from passersby.
At the market, my mother was busy handling customers. I approached her and crossed my arms. "I finished the basement."
She barely looked at me. "Good. Now, help me with the shop."
I groaned. "You said you'd train me if I cleaned it!"
She sighed, finally turning to me. "Patience, Kael. I still have work to do. If you want training, you'll have to wait a little longer."
I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to stay calm. Hours passed like days, but I did what I could to help. By the time we finished closing the shop, the sky had turned a deep orange.
The moment we got home, I rushed ahead of my mother, throwing open the basement door. "Come on, let's start now!"
She chuckled, following at a more relaxed pace. "You're eager. That's good."
She led me to a far wall inside the basement and placed her hand against it. Her palm glowed faintly with Arcana energy, and the wall shifted. A hidden door slid open, revealing a dimly lit chamber beyond.
The air inside was… heavy.
I took a hesitant step forward. The moment I crossed the threshold, a force slammed into me. My chest tightened, and my limbs trembled.
"W-what is this?" I gasped.
"The walls are made of refined Arcana Crystals," my mother explained. "They absorb and concentrate energy, creating an environment saturated with Arcana."
I could feel it—waves of energy pressing down on me from all directions. It was suffocating.
"This is where you'll train," my mother said.
I took another step, and my entire body seized up. The Arcana Core inside me surged wildly, completely out of control. A searing pain ripped through my veins, and I collapsed to my knees, screaming.
It felt like my body was being torn apart.
"Suppress it!" my mother ordered. "Focus, Kael!"
I couldn't. The energy was too wild, too overwhelming. I gritted my teeth, trying to contain it, but my body refused to obey. Every second felt like an eternity of agony.
Then, suddenly, I was yanked backward. The moment I left the chamber, the pain vanished.
I gasped for breath, drenched in sweat.
My mother looked down at me, unimpressed. "If you can't handle this, forget about becoming a Knight."
I clenched my fists, frustration burning in my chest. I wasn't going to fail.
"Tomorrow," she continued, "you're going to keep trying. Every day until you can suppress that energy."
Thus began my personal nightmare.
For weeks, I endured hell. Every morning, I woke up, stumbled into the basement, and forced myself into the chamber. At first, I couldn't last more than a few seconds before the pain became unbearable. But little by little, I endured longer.
Three weeks in, I could suppress the energy for a few minutes before slipping up. The pain was still there, but it wasn't as unbearable as before.
A month later, I stepped into the chamber and felt… nothing.
The energy inside me remained still. I exhaled slowly, keeping my breathing steady. I had done it.
My mother watched me carefully. "Not bad. But let's test something."
Before I could react, she kicked me in the stomach. Hard.
The sudden impact knocked the breath from my lungs, and the Arcana Core inside me surged violently. The pain returned instantly, and I collapsed.
I suppressed it as quickly as I could, and though it took a few moments, I managed to regain control.
She sighed. "Took you too long."
I scowled. "You kicked me!"
"That was the point. Suppressing energy while standing still is easy. But if you can't maintain control while fighting, it's useless."
I gritted my teeth. She was right, but that didn't mean I liked it.
Lira ascended the stairs without a word, her expression carefully composed. But as she reached the main floor, she allowed herself a small exhale, the ghost of a smile flickering across her lips.
Suppressing that much energy in just a month… more than impressive.
She knew better than to say it aloud. Kael had made remarkable progress, far beyond what she expected, but if she told him that, his confidence might turn into arrogance. Strength was important, but so was discipline. If he entered the Empire Academy with unchecked pride, he wouldn't last long.
Lira straightened, shaking off her thoughts. No time for sentimentality. He wasn't a child anymore—if he wanted to walk this path, he would have to endure the hardships that came with it.
Downstairs, Kael remained in the chamber, panting as he fought to suppress another surge of energy. The pain was still there, but he had learned to push through it. Control no longer felt like an impossible battle, more like a stubborn opponent—difficult but not unbeatable.
He repeated the exercises over and over again, fine-tuning his ability to keep the Arcana Core's power locked away. The moment he lost focus, it flared up again, threatening to overwhelm him. But with each passing day, he failed less and succeeded more.
Morning after morning, he woke up sore and exhausted, but he kept going. He had to.
By the end of the week, Kael stood in the center of the chamber, his breathing steady, his energy completely suppressed.
His mother watched him from the entrance, arms crossed. She had been testing him in silence, waiting for the moment he could fully contain his power without struggle.
At last, she nodded. "Impressive."
Kael turned to her, blinking in surprise. She rarely gave him praise.
She leaned against the doorway. "With the Empire entrance exam around the corner, you'll make a fine knight."
Kael froze. "Around the corner?" His stomach twisted. "I thought it was in another month."
Lira shook her head. "It was moved up. The exam takes place in nine days."
Nine days.
The words hit him like a hammer. He had expected weeks of preparation—time to refine his skills, to ease into more advanced techniques. But now, he had barely more than a week to get ready.
For a moment, doubt crept in. Could he really do this? Was he strong enough?
Then, just as quickly, resolve took its place. He didn't have time for hesitation.
"Then there's no time to waste," he said. "Teach me how to manipulate elements. Now."
Lira's gaze was unreadable. "No."
Kael's confidence wavered. "Why not?"
"You need to rest." She turned away. "We start that part of your training tomorrow."
Frustration built in his chest, but he knew arguing was pointless. His mother's word was final.
He exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. "Fine."
Lira didn't respond. She simply walked upstairs, leaving him alone in the quiet basement.
Kael stood there for a long moment before finally heading to his room.
As he lay in bed, exhaustion took over. His body ached, his mind swirled with possibilities, and yet… beneath it all, there was something else.
Excitement.
For the first time in his life, he wasn't just dreaming of becoming an Arcane Knight.
He was getting closer to it.