Morning — Classroom F
Morning came.
The Academy stood bathed in golden spring light, birds chirping over cobblestone paths, flowers blooming like nothing had ever been wrong.
But none of that light reached Classroom F.
That room… it felt like a crypt today.
Broken desks still lay scattered from yesterday's chaos. A cracked window let in just enough wind to carry in the cold, but not the light. The silence among us was tense, like everyone was trying not to breathe too loudly in case something heard.
I slid into my seat at the back, my hands tucked in my sleeves. My right hand still pulsed faintly—an echo of last night's void surge. A sensation like cold lightning trapped beneath my skin.
Too much. Too soon.
"You made Krell piss himself," someone whispered behind me, equal parts terrified and impressed.
I didn't turn around. Let them talk.
Then Elfes entered—his coat swaying behind him like a blade about to draw. His boots clicked once, twice, and then he stood still. His gaze scanned the room, cold and precise.
Then it landed on me.
Just for a moment.
His eyes narrowed—not in suspicion, but calculation. Like he was watching a fire and timing its explosion.
But he said nothing.
"Today," he said flatly, "we begin elemental resonance. The foundation of higher magic. For most of you… a waste of time."
Subtle stab. One girl flinched like he'd slapped her with a spell.
"Try anyway."
He began passing out resonant catalysts—smooth, rune-carved stones designed to help us touch our elemental affinity. Mine was dark gray, cold, and completely unremarkable.
Perfect match.
Around me, others managed flickers—a tiny flame, a breeze, a glow. Even Krell, still nursing his broken pride, coaxed out a trembling ember.
I gripped mine tight.
Felt… nothing.
Then—crack.
The stone split in my palm with a sharp fracture. No glow. No magic.
Just a voice, soft and distant, curling around my spine like smoke:
"Waiting, master…"
I froze.
No one else reacted. No one else heard it.
Only me.
Afternoon — The Library of Ashes
I wandered after class. Told myself I was looking for answers. Truth was—I just didn't want to be around anyone who had questions.
Something inside me had shifted. Or maybe something had woken.
I found myself deep in the Library of Ashes—far past the open reading halls and common spell scrolls. The air here was thicker. Older. It smelled like burned paper and forgotten oaths.
And then I felt it.
A tug.
One book. Bound in black leather, silver lettering faint beneath centuries of dust.
"Lost Realms of Forbidden Echoes."
The moment I touched it—pain.
Fire. Screams. A battlefield burnt black. And me—standing alone in the center. Cloaked in void. Eyes like twin abysses.
Then—silence.
Just a book again.
I opened it, despite the pain. The words were written in an ancient script. And yet… I could read them.
"The Void is not destruction.
It is memory unbound."
Before I could blink, a hand slammed the book shut.
"Elfes?" I started.
No. Worse.
Alvion. With Elfes just behind him, arms crossed, jaw tight.
"This area is restricted," Alvion said, voice low. "You shouldn't be here."
He took the book from my hands. Didn't look angry.
Just… wary.
They left without another word.
The silence stayed with me.
And so did the whisper.
Lunch Break — Cafeteria
I found Arsia and Feona sitting at one of the back tables.
Which was weird. I almost forgot my promise to them.
They never ate here. And judging by the way half the cafeteria turned to stare, neither did anyone expect them to.
When I walked in, they waved.
Waved.
Like we were some kind of friend group. Like I wasn't trying to be a mob character in my own life.
Whispers rippled around us like flies.
"That trash prince ?"
"Did he charm them?"
"Maybe he's got a curse that attracts hot women—"
I ignored it.
Sat down. Tried not to look like I was too used to being socially invisible.
"What should we eat?" Arsia asked.
"Anything," I said, trying to sound chill.
Mistake.
They ordered everything.
Platters stacked. Sizzling meat, magical noodles that tried to crawl off the table, floating soup bowls, enchanted fruit that sparkled.
I blinked. Took a breath. Almost died trying to keep up.
Feona, licking her fingers, finally asked, "Where did you go last night? We saw you on the balcony… then a moment after you're gone ."
Damn.
I'd checked every angle when I left. Thought I was in the clear.
So that's how I got caught? Because of a balcony?
"I… went looking for a rare herb," I muttered.
Technically not a lie. The loot had some herbs in it.
Feona raised an eyebrow. Sharp. Too sharp. I dodged her stare like a criminal evading divine judgment.
Right then, Cyan—my roommate—appeared like a summoned spirit and smacked me on the back.
"Yo, how's it going?"
"This," I said, gesturing vaguely at the chaos, "is lunch."
I introduced him. "Cyan. My roommate. Muscle freak. Also the second son of Delcia kingdom ."
Arsia looked at him. "You don't act noble."
"I try not to," Cyan grinned.
We actually laughed. For once, I didn't feel like a loser anymore .
Evening — The Cave
I returned to the cave again, hidden beyond the academy cliffs. I'd brought food—some bread, dried meat, and enchanted water that didn't taste like chalk.
I didn't expect company.
Two elves stood near the girl I'd saved—Nyra. A brother and sister, judging by their eyes.
The moment they saw me, they flared with spirit energy—symbols glowing at their palms, stances low.
"Stop!" Nyra cried. "He's the one! He saved me!"
Both of them paused mid-attack.
The boy lowered his stance. "You?"
I nodded. "Yeah. Me."
They were like nyra , so , I feel a bit bad that why --
I gave them the same gift I gave her—a glimpse. Not just power, but the sensation of freedom. Of choice.
The boy's name was Kryl, his sister Isfa.
They were suspicious. Then grateful. Then awkward.
I told them, half-joking, "Start something. Help people like you. Save who you can. I don't know—make an organization or something."
Then I handed them some gold.
Just a handful.
Enough to live.
I didn't think much of it.
A
But I should have.
Had I known what that single moment would become…
I might have given them more.