The meeting room was still.
Veyna had just left, her words lingering like the scent of old parchment and polished steel. Around the roundtable, the remaining captains exchanged thoughtful glances.
"So… he accepted the gift?"
"Reluctantly. It was made for him, after all," another captain replied, voice calm but edged with curiosity.
"But instead of returning, he sent a boy," said a third. "No known Crest, just a Soul Blade."
"He's an unknown element," someone added. "That makes him a variable."
"What does Veyna think of him?"
A pause. Then a low chuckle.
"She didn't say much. Only that he's rough… but promising."
Silence settled in again, then the eldest of them spoke. "Then we'll judge for ourselves. If the boy wishes to stand among our ranks, he must earn it."
The decision was unspoken—but unanimous.
---
Empire Military Academy – The Next Day
Kael Ryuu adjusted the collar of his newly issued uniform.
Clean lines. White with red trim. A sharp contrast to his weather-worn cloak and tunic. The weight of his old life still clung to his boots, but he couldn't deny the shift inside him. Something was changing.
His dormitory was modest. Spartan bed. Desk. Iron wardrobe. But the stillness gave him time to think—and right now, Kael needed that.
He stepped outside into the brisk morning air.
The academy grounds sprawled out before him in all directions. Cadets moved in tightly organized formations or disappeared into towering buildings. The capital's grandeur still overwhelmed him—its scale, its energy.
He wandered aimlessly, half-intentionally, until he stopped before a building that felt different.
Massive stone columns. Arched stained-glass windows. And inscribed above the doorway in gilded letters:
The Grand Imperial Library.
Kael's breath caught in his throat.
Inside, the scent of old paper and ink hit him instantly. Dozens of scholars moved between towering shelves. Magical orbs floated near the ceiling, casting warm light over the polished floors.
He started small—books on military history, anatomy, and elemental combat theory. But soon, he was knee-deep in arcane linguistics and ancient wars.
What surprised him wasn't the volume of knowledge—but how easily he absorbed it.
Page after page, diagram after diagram, seared into his memory with unnatural clarity. Soulborne ability? Or something else?
Hours passed.
A tap on the shoulder stirred him from his trance. "We're closing," said a librarian softly.
Kael nodded, eyes still scanning the paragraph before him. "So much to learn… so little time."
He stepped out into the cooling dusk. Just as he turned the corner to head back, something caught his eye.
A wide, open structure. Glass-paned and humming with magic. Inside, dim lights illuminated racks of weights, combat dummies, and movement-assisting contraptions he couldn't name.
The gym.
The door was unlocked.
Kael stepped in, eyes wide. It was empty—except for one person doing reps with magically charged resistance bands.
He took one look at the equipment and completely lost composure.
He darted from machine to machine, inspecting levers, enchanted pulleys, and resistance simulators. "What… this targets your back and core? What even is that?!"
The lone student looked up.
"You new?"
Kael froze mid-gasp. "Uh… yeah."
The trainee grinned. "Name's Riven. You?"
"Kael Ryuu."
"Well, Kael, welcome to hell." He tossed him a towel. "You'll be needing that."
Kael caught it—grinning for the first time that day.