A year had passed since the day she found him.
High in the mountain ranges where clouds drifted like giants in slow motion, a wide clearing opened beneath the pale sky. Suspended stone platforms floated above the earth, held aloft by ancient runes glowing softly with residual magic.
One after another, enormous winged creatures descended, their six wide wings beating heavy gusts through the air. Four curved horns framed each of their three heads, and bronze fur bristled along their shoulders as they landed. These were intercontinental mounts—living relics from a forgotten age, now used to carry people between the distant kingdoms.
One of the creatures let out a low, thunderous breath and lowered itself beside the others. From its back, a lone hooded figure leapt down. He was lean, worn by travel, a heavy pack slung over one shoulder and his steps firm with purpose.
He walked to a stone counter where an elven attendant stood watching. The elf's beard was thick and braided with silver; a magical eyepatch glowed faintly over his left eye, inscribed with runes that pulsed like a heartbeat. His gaze followed the boy with the wariness of someone who'd seen too many things arrive broken.
Noah opened a small cloth pouch and placed three flat stones on the counter. Each was dull gray with a softly pulsing green triangle at its center. He slid them forward.
"Straight trip from the Human Kingdom?" the elf asked, accepting the runes. "That route shakes most passengers to the bone. Surprised you didn't lose your lunch."
Noah gave a half-smile. "After what my master put me through this past year? That ride was practically a vacation."
The elf chuckled once, low in his chest, and scratched his beard.
"Thirty years doing this. First time I've heard that one... Anyway." He tucked the runes into a drawer. "Good luck, kid. Where to next?"
Noah adjusted the strap on his shoulder and looked toward the rising trail ahead.
"To the Elven Summoner Academy."
Silence stretched between them. The elf blinked slowly. His eyepatch shimmered.
He reached into the drawer again and pulled one of the runes back out, placing it gently in the boy's hand. "You'll need more than luck."
Noah gave a quiet nod, slipped the stone into his coat, and turned toward the path.
From where he stood on the lower ridge—near the base of the same mountain that held the Academy at its peak—Noah could see the Elven kingdom spread out far below. Its elegant towers and silver streets shimmered like carved glass, nestled within an endless forest that stretched beyond the horizon in every direction. Even from this height, the kingdom looked small, distant, almost fragile compared to the wild vastness around it.
The trail ahead of him wound steeply upward, carved into the mountainside, twisting through dense trees and jagged stone. The floating platform behind him hovered close to the cliff's edge, anchored to one of the last stable terraces before the climb became treacherous.
And high above—so high it seemed almost to pierce the sky—stood the fortress of silver and blue. The Elven Summoner Academy. Even from here, its silhouette cut sharp against the fading light, its banners catching the wind like shards of sky. The colors were unmistakable. Bright. Untouchable.
Noah followed the trail, replaying his master's instructions in his mind.
"Just applying won't be enough," she told me. "There's a practical test, and if you fail, they won't even look at you."
I really hope there's no written exam… No matter how much I begged, Master always said the same thing: 'Books can wait. What you need to train is your Soul Heart.' I heard it so many times, but after six months of hell, I finally understand what she meant.
He raised his palm. In a breath, wind began to swirl around it, condensing into a narrow vibrating blade. He flicked his wrist and launched it toward a nearby rock.
At first, nothing happened.
But a few steps later, behind him, the rock split clean in two—so sudden it was as if the stone itself hadn't had time to register the blow.
He didn't blink. His eyes were calm. Cold.
This is just the beginning. When I find them… I'll make sure it doesn't end quickly.
The path wound upward until it spilled into a vast courtyard carved into the mountain's summit. The moment Noah stepped past the final ridge, he froze.
Dozens of students were arriving—some stepping through glowing portals, others descending on smaller, more refined mounts. All of them elves. All of them dressed in embroidered cloaks and robes that shimmered with spellwoven threads. He looked down at his scuffed boots and travel-worn coat, then up at the grand gates before him.
Etched into the marble arch above: the symbol from his pendant. A chalice surrounded by curling leaves, silver against the stone.
What had looked from afar like a fortress now revealed itself to be something else entirely. The Academy.
Delicate towers stretched skyward, elegant and precise, shaped from white marble that caught the sunlight like polished bone. Bridges arched between buildings like strands of silk, and students moved across them in quiet clusters, laughter echoing through the breeze. Yet beneath the beauty, there was a stillness—something ancient and unyielding in the bones of this place.
He followed signs toward the registration hall.
Inside, an elf sat behind a wide stone desk, scanning his token with a glowing slate. He glanced up, expression unreadable.
"Name?"
"Noah."
The elf flipped a page on a thick, rune-bound ledger.
"Elemental affinity?"
Master said most people only have one… If I tell him I'm attuned to all of them, it'll just raise questions.
Noah lowered his voice. "Wind."
Another page turned.
"Weapons?"
Noah shifted slightly, revealing the sword strapped at his side.
"Runed blade."
The elf's eyes lingered on it, curious.
"You're aware that only Light-element wielders typically manage to sync with a runed weapon?"
Trying not to draw more attention than necessary, Noah replied flatly, "It's a family heirloom. Is that a problem?"
The elf gave a slow shake of his head. "Not at all."
After a pause, he tapped something into a glowing tablet and gave a curt nod. "You've been assigned to Trial Zone C. A partner will be assigned shortly."
Noah frowned. "I work alone."
The elf didn't even look up. "Not here, you don't. Pairing's been the standard for over a thousand years. If you're unhappy with that, you're welcome to leave. Otherwise—go where you've been told."
Noah's jaw tightened. He nodded once and turned away.
The waiting room beyond was quiet—just a single long couch and a tall window that opened to the mountain's edge, where clouds drifted across the cliffs far below. He didn't sit. He paced. Let the silence sharpen his thoughts. Reviewed everything Master had drilled into him over the past year, one strike at a time, like lining up blades on a table.
Then, the door creaked open.
An instructor stepped in, followed by a tall elven girl with long, golden hair and steady, focused eyes. She stood just a little shorter than Noah—around 5'10"—with perfect posture and a presence that felt almost visible. Her movements were graceful, measured. A silver saber with glowing blue runes hung at her side.
Syl took in the boy standing in the room.
A human? Maybe he knows the boy I met that day…
Don't be ridiculous, Syl. Just because he's human doesn't mean he knows every human in the kingdom.
Still… at least if he doesn't know I'm a princess, he won't treat me like I'm fragile. Like I'll break.
Because there, none of that mattered. It didn't matter if you were the daughter of a king or a street-born orphan. Inside the Academy, everyone was equal. No special treatment. No titles. You passed or failed on your own merit.
She stepped toward him, her voice composed and polite.
"Hi. I'm Syl. Nice to meet you."
He barely looked at her. Just reached out, shook her hand quickly, and muttered, "Noah."
Then he turned to the instructor. "Can we go now?"
She blinked, caught off guard by the chill in his tone.
"Is that how people normally greet others in your kingdom?"
Noah paused for half a second, then answered without turning.
"I'm not here to make friends. The faster we start, the faster it ends."
The instructor, unbothered, finished activating a glowing portal.
"This will take you to Trial Zone C. You'll have five days to find the exit of the labyrinth. Good luck."
Without another word, Noah stepped through.
Syl hesitated for half a breath, then gave the instructor a quick bow before following him in.
Humans are so cold… and rude. But the flower boy wasn't like this. I'll find him one day.
"Hey. Human. Wait up—"
The portal shimmered once, then sealed shut behind her.
On the other side of the portal, Noah stood still, waiting. The space around them was dim, the air cool and thick with the scent of stone and moss.
Stretching before them was a massive labyrinth, its stone walls towering over ten meters high, slick with moisture and tangled with moss. The ceiling above wasn't sky, but jagged rock — shadowed and vast, with faint glowing points scattered high above.
Syl stepped through the portal and stopped at his side. Her gaze swept upward, then around the vast stone corridor that swallowed them whole.
"We're inside the mountain," she said quietly.
Noah glanced at her, one eyebrow raised. "How can you be sure? We just got here."
She turned to him, eyes narrowing.
"For someone who didn't want to work as a team, you're awfully curious."
He gave a faint, respectful bow of his head. "Sorry if what I said before came off wrong. I just want to get this over with. Can we cooperate?"
She let out a soft huff and pointed upward.
"See those glowing tips above us? They're not stars. They're essence stalactites. When magical essence condenses over time, it forms those. And since portals inside the Academy can't transport us outside its boundaries, the only place we could be is beneath it. Most likely, deep within the mountain. They've probably used some kind of spatial sigil to expand the space inside."
Noah looked up, then back at her with the hint of a smile. "Really... sorry for being rude earlier. Seems like you're going to end up helping more than getting in the way."
She crossed her arms, lips twitching.
"That's your apology? First you thank me, then you say I'm not a burden yet? You might want to sign up for etiquette lessons once we're in the Academy. Now, if you don't mind—let's get into this maze before night falls. We've only got five days."
Noah walked through the massive corridor in silence, the sound of their footsteps echoing off moss-covered stone. Syl moved ahead, glancing left and right, pausing every few steps to study the winding path—then glancing back as if to reassure herself he was still following.
After a while, he stopped.
"You're lost, aren't you?"
She halted and turned sharply, feigning confidence.
"I'm not lost. I'm pretty sure if we take the next left, we'll find a clearing or something. I can feel it."
But her words trailed off. Noah wasn't just standing still anymore—he was sprinting toward her with a cold, sharp intensity in his eyes. She stiffened, uncertain and startled.
Is he insane? Did the maze mess with his mind? What do I do? I—
"Duck," Noah barked, unsheathing his sword.
It flashed for a brief second, runes flaring with light, and with a single clean strike, he sliced through a shadowy beast lunging from the wall—a twisted creature, shaped like an oversized rat, that vanished the moment his blade met it.
He turned and extended a hand to help her up, a smirk tugging at his lips.
But before she could take it, her instincts flared. In one fluid motion, she drew her saber. The blade flared like sunlight piercing darkness, and in a blink, she thrust it past his cheek—impaling another shadow creature that had been creeping up behind him.
It dissolved into black mist. She lowered her blade and sheathed it with a precise flick.
"Now we're even," she said coolly. "I don't like owing anyone."
Noah raised an eyebrow and gave a small nod.
"Fair enough. But can I take the lead now? I'm not saying you can't handle yourself, clearly. But I was trained to track things."
She hesitated, her lips tightening with reluctant agreement. Then, with a sweeping, exaggerated gesture, she motioned for him to pass.
"Be my guest, tracker."
Noah stood outside the tent, pulling on a fresh shirt after rinsing off in the stream nearby. The glowing coming from the stalactites was fading slowly, as if the cave itself followed a hidden sun. A sudden cold had him moving quickly.
Syl appeared just as the fabric slid over his shoulders. She froze for a second—caught off guard by the glimpse of his lean frame. His back was to her, muscles defined not by vanity but by effort, the kind earned through long hours and harder days. Scars etched across his skin like faded stories. She didn't mean to stare, but for a few moments, she couldn't help it.
He turned and noticed her gaze.
"Hey, you alright? There's something behind me again?"
She quickly turned away, cheeks burning. "H-Hey! Maybe give some warning next time before undressing out of nowhere?!"
His expression tensed immediately, pulling the shirt down. "Sorry. Old habit… I hope I didn't offend you. I'm not exactly well-versed in elven customs."
He glanced around the space they'd found some hours ago, then added with a slight tilt of his head, "And in the end, there really was a clearing. Wasn't quite at the next left like you said, but... close enough."
She was about to say something, but then her eyes locked on something hanging around his neck.
"Wait... that necklace. Where did you get it? Did you buy it?"
Noah lifted the pendant slightly, bathed in the soft essence-light from above.
"This? A girl gave it to me when I was twelve. I never saw her again, but she promised we'd meet someday. I know it sounds dumb, but… it's the only good thing that's stayed with me these last seven years. So once I finish what I came here to do… maybe I'll try to find her. Though honestly… she was so pretty and cool, I doubt she even remembers me."
Syl smiled faintly, looking at the ground. Her voice came quiet, unguarded.
"You know… she kind of sounds like you."
Her heart thudded. Her fingers fidgeted. Her ears felt warm.
Then Noah said:
"My master always said she was probably an elf. I still don't buy it. I think she was human. But she was just as… directionally challenged as you. That part I remember clearly."
The warmth vanished from Syl's face in an instant. She glanced away with a tight-lipped, exasperated breath.
"For the record, I'm not directionally challenged. I just don't have the best spatial sense. But I make up for it in other ways. Just so you know."
Noah shrugged with a tiny grin. "If you say so."
He tucked the necklace back under his shirt and stepped into the tent, leaving Syl outside with a heartbeat doing flips in her chest.
She crossed her arms, eyes fixed on the dirt.
Could it really be him? No… it doesn't make sense. He wasn't this rude. But that necklace… It was a gift from my big sister. I still remember how she freaked out when I got back and pretended I'd lost it. I gave it to him, that day. And he thinks I was human… of course. The hat. He could at least listen to his master.
She swallowed hard.
How am I even supposed to tell him it was me? How did we get dragged to the same place, again? But at least now I know his name.
A quiet storm of nostalgia, joy, and trembling fear stirred in her chest, each heartbeat whispering a name she couldn't say until now…
She whispered to herself, with a bright smile.
"Noah… I liked it."
She stood beneath the mountain's quiet glow, eyes fixed on Noah's tent.