The wind in Ebonreach carried the scent of stone and ash, always heavy with the weight of the city's past. Quinn stood in the courtyard again, training blade in hand, as sweat dripped down his brow and soaked his collar. But something had changed.
His hair.
It had begun subtly—just a few strands at first, shimmering silver under the torchlight. Now, two years later, the dark brown had faded almost entirely, replaced by a soft metallic silver that caught the light like moonlit steel. He noticed it in the mirror one morning, brushing it back from his face with a frown.
"Mother," he had asked, "am I… changing?"
Queen Elira had run her fingers gently through his hair, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "Perhaps it's a family trait. The royal bloodline carries strange legacies. Silver has always suited the gifted."
He had wanted to believe it. Needed to. And so, he let the matter rest.
Now ten, Quinn had grown taller, leaner—his body hardened from years of training, though he was still dwarfed by full-grown soldiers. Pain was no longer a stranger. Neither was discipline. His days began before the sun rose and ended long after the stars blinked into the sky. Every bruise, every scar, became a quiet reminder of his promise: to never be left behind again.
And now, it was time.
The gates to the Academy loomed ahead, carved with runes older than the city itself. This was where noble-born children were trained in the art of battle, strategy, and magic. Where the future of the realm was shaped through pain and ambition.
Quinn stood among them—outsiders whispered still, calling him "neutral" behind his back. A prince without a Gift. A boy with no magic.
He didn't care.
Let them whisper.
He hadn't come for praise or status. He had come to become strong. Not just for himself—but for Sofia, wherever she was. For Elira, who had never stopped believing in him. For every dream burned into his bones.
He stepped through the gates of the Academy with his head high, silver hair gleaming in the sunlight.
Let them test him.
He would not break.
Not again.