"About you."
"Hmm?" Kael looked at Mr Venther cautiously. "What about me?"
"How are you feeling?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean how do you feel after… that incident?"
"…" Kael looked directly in front at the door. "How do you know about it?"
"I wonder how." He waved a stack of paper in the air. "Your case is currently under investigation. Now, how do you feel?"
"I'm fine." He replied curtly.
"Don't you want to see if your father is alright?"
At the mention of his father, Kael winced, but he still tried to maintain his composure.
"I don't see how that concerns you."
Venther, upon seeing that he had tensed up, sighed. "Look, you don't have to be so reserved. I just want to understand how you feel."
"..."
Venther walked up beside his bed and looked through the windows. "Kael, What is holding you back?"
"How do you know my name?"
"I have seen your records."
"You keep records of people in Garbage city?"
"Not particularly. What we do keep is transaction history, and you have made some transactions in our facilities, so files were created for them."
The excuse seemed plausible.
"So, Kael, what is holding you back?"
Kael closed his eyes. Certainly, there were many reasons to be wary of Venther. If there was one thing he learnt in Garbage city, it's that there was no free lunch in the world. He suspected that someone would be here to demand for repayment, and it was Mr Venther.
"What do you want from me? What does the inner city want? Why have they brought me here?"
Venther stared at Kael for a while, before answering. "Kael, you don't have to worry. Your ability, or potential, is enough to secure a spot in the inner city."
"What do you mean?"
"Kael, have you awakened your arcane body?"
"..."
"Kael, you don't have to hide it from me. I know you have one."
"How do you know for sure?"
They stared at each other for a while, before Venther answered: "Because I have one, and once someone with an arcane body develops their senses enough, they will naturally grow the ability to detect others with the same body."
"..."
"…I was told I have arcane energy." Kael finally admitted.
"And how did you discover arcana?"
"…someone told me."
"And who is this someone?"
"Someone in a dream."
"And when was this?"
Kael looked down.
"Just now, when I was asleep."
"And you've never known about arcana before that?"
"Yes."
"That means you have just completed your awakening."
"Awakening?"
"Awakening. It's the process of gaining an arcane body. To awaken, you must contemplate yourself to the point where you come face to face with your arcane source. You must then convince it to fuse deeper into your body, unlocking your body's potential."
"So that was awakening? Was it the crystal that we submitted that gave me my awakening?"
"What form did your arcane source take?"
"A small child that emitted light."
"Then it was most likely the arcana crystal." Venther grabbed a chair nearby and sat down. "And that is the reason why the inner city has opened up to you."
"..."
"Look outside." Venther pointed through the window.
Kael turned around to look out. Following his finger, his gaze fell upon the gigantic brick tower he had seen in the distance.
"Majestic, isn't it? That is the Arcane tower, the heart of the kingdom."
Venther then pointed downwards. "You might not know this, but this is the Capital. And here, magic is a daily occurrence."
"Or should I say, only magicals are freely allowed to walk here."
"…"
"Only the magicals are granted the right to live in the Capital. And you, who have just awakened your arcana, have been bestowed the same right."
"That is why we took you in."
"…okay."
"Now that I've answered your questions, I'd hope you can answer mine. So Kael, do you want to see your father?"
Kael looked down at his lap and hesitated, but slowly but surely, the words came out.
"I… am scared. To see him."
"Why?"
"I… don't know how I'll react if I face him."
Silence.
"Would you feel better if I told you his current condition?"
"I don't know…"
Venther looked at Kael and sighed again. "He's alive. With arcana, even the severest of injuries can be healed. However, his mental state is another question entirely. So, what's your answer?"
Kael stared down at his lap once again, before turning to Venther. "Even if I do feel uncertain, I do want to see him." He looked back up and locked eyes with Venther. Kael made the decision. He remembered. That he had to be strong.
"Noted. I'll make the arrangements as soon as possible." Venther nodded.
Silence hung through the room again. Kael, sensing that a change of topic was necessary, asked: "Was this why the government was after the crystal? Because it grants the power to awaken?"
"Kael, you should know that arcanists don't awaken their powers through absorbing Arcana Crystals."
"Then how do they awaken?"
"Through inheritance. Through genes. Arcane bodies are passed down from parent to child. The method you used to awaken is, frankly, illegal, and is tightly restricted by the government."
"Why do you restrict it?"
"…it's because power through Arcana Crystals is undesirable in this world. And that is why the government controls it."
An awkward silence hung in the room.
"Nevertheless, you have already consumed it without knowing what it does, and it's too late to take it back, so the government will pardon you this time."
Venther stood up.
"Well, I won't bother you for the time being. I'll be back tomorrow to talk more, so before then, rest well."
He walked to the door.
But before he exited the room, he turned back once again.
"And I almost forgot, Kael, what do you think of Rahzel?"
"Rahzel?"
"The… one who kidnapped you."
Upon the mentioning of Rahzel, Kael's face twisted into something completely detached from his previous demeanour. The change was so sharp, and the look was so venomous, so non-human, so rooted in hatred, it was a look that a young teenager like Kael should never have. Venther's gaze almost faltered, a prickle of unease crawling up his neck.
But then Kael suddenly let out a nervous laugh. "Haha, I don't really like him, I guess."
Venther, startled by the response, felt sympathetic, and responded: "He escaped. I just thought you'd ought to know." He kept his hand on the door, anticipating another outburst, but nothing else was heard.
"I understand. I won't press on." The door closed behind him, leaving Kael alone.
Kael sat up in his bed for a while.
'Wait, he said he'll come back tomorrow?' Kael groaned as he was suddenly reminded of the fact.
Nevertheless, he then collapsed back into the bed and closed his eyes.
"Oh well, I'll worry about that tomorrow."
——————-
Venther closed the door behind him.
"So how was it?"
He turned to his left, where a woman with dark blue hair was leaning on the wall.
"I didn't know you liked to meddle with affairs like this, Sonya."
"You are involved, so naturally I'd be interested. And besides, that guy's situation is already pretty famous in the inner circle."
They both walked down the hallway.
"It was unexpected. Unlike what I initially suspected, he has never known what arcana is. I presume he only learnt that magic existed when his arcana source spoke about it."
They turned a corner.
"It's going to be interesting." Sonya folded her arms. "He's one of the only people that has gained the ability to awaken like that, apart from the grand elder," The image of an old, frail man wandered into her mind, "and, well, 'them'."
"The grand elder huh…" The old man had awakened before the bloodline rule was applied, and he was powerful enough to secure a spot in the Arcanum council despite his age.
They got into an elevator.
"What do you think of him? His potential?" Sonya asked while the elevator doors closed and they descended.
"That's something I was really surprised at. He has already awakened."
"Wait what? Really?" Sonya spun and looked at Venther in disbelief. "Didn't the grand elder awaken only a few years after he absorbed his source? Given, he's always called himself a dullard, but still. And he's awakened in 3 days?"
"Yes, and that's exactly the problem." Venther stared straight ahead. "His rapid awakening means he has immense magical talent. However, arcane sources that come from arcane crystals always come at a price. There is a reason why we have laws that state that magic can only be passed down by inheritance."
The elevator doors slid open, and they walked out.
"Oh come on, you still believe that? Everyone knows that's just a myth."
Venther laughed bitterly. He did believe it. Because he knew.
"So, will he be admitted to the academy?"
"That's to be determined. Most likely he will be admitted, given he's just 16, but it might be tough for him to keep up with the others who have awakened much earlier than him."
They walked out of the hospital.
"Anyways, let's put that behind." Sonya said as the sliding doors closed behind them. "Are you down for lunch?"
"Not today, unfortunately. Right now, I have to hurry to a meeting and present my report of him." He tapped the notebook in his coat.
"Seriously, that's right now? How long will that take?"
"The whole afternoon. If you'd like, we can go for dinner instead."
"Then I'll take you up on that offer."
Sonya walked in front of Venther and waved behind without turning back. "You'd better get back to your work. I'll be off now for my work."
"Okay-wait what?" Venther aggressively to look at Sonya, only to discover she had disappeared. 'She needed to be at work this whole time?'. He stared at the empty spot for a moment. Then, he turned and walked hurriedly in another direction, for his meeting.
—---------------
"And that's everything I found out."
Venther stood in front of a large wooden cabinet table with his hands behind his back. On the table, thick stacks of paper were neatly placed on a corner. Behind the table, a man with a thick white beard that matched the colour of his long flowing beard was bent in a slight hunch over the table, signing papers with a ballpoint pen.
"So, Headmaster, what's your decision?"
"I never wish to turn down a student." The Headmaster looked up from his papers. "But this matter leaves me hesitant. You know full well what admitting him into my academy means." The headmaster put his pen on the table. "His arcane source may have disastrous effects on the world."
Silence hung in the room. Venther nodded in agreement.
"However, I have already made the decision to take him in even before you came. I sent you to gather that report only to see if he needed any special arrangements."
"Noted, headmaster. What are these special arrangements you talk about?"
The headmaster chucked. "Venther, what do you think he needs?"
"You're asking me?" Venther's eyebrows arched slightly.
"Venther, you're the one that talked to Kael. I trust your judgement in this. This old man doesn't know the boy more than you. Just tell me what he needs and consider it done."
"Yes headmaster." Venther shifted uncomfortably in his feet, feeling unworthy of the compliment.
"Well, he doesn't know much of our world, so I think he needs a general knowledge teacher. Since he has recently awakened, I presume he would need a magic teacher to help him catch up. Apart from that…" Venther paused. "I… I think he needs a psychiatrist. He doesn't seem all that stable when I talked to him."
"Consider it done." The headmaster looked back down on the desk and continued his paperwork. "I'll send them down to prop him up to shape before the beginning of the semester. I'll tell you the exact arrangements soon."
"Alright headmaster." Venther turned around and prepared to leave, when, all of a sudden, the headmaster called out to him.
"Venther, do you know why I sent you down, in particular?"
Venther turned back around to face the headmaster. "Isn't it because I am in charge of finding the arcana crystal that the boy consumed?"
The headmaster chuckled again. "No, I did not send you down for such a reason." He stood up and turned around, facing the windows. "Venther, do you know when the school term starts?"
"In 3 months." It was currently September, and the term starts in January.
"If I recall, you are part of the school Mentorship program, am I correct?"
"Yes, I did sign up for it."
"Have you found a disciple yet?"
Venther, sensing where this was going, shook his head. "Not yet."
"What do you think of the boy, Kael Thorne?"
"I appreciate the offer, but I will have to refuse for now." Despite the rejection, a thoughtful expression formed on his face.
The headmaster turned back around. "You don't have to make the decision now. All I ask is for you to think about it. It isn't everyday where we acquire such an interesting youngling."
"Anyways, that's something to be decided in the near future. I don't like to use the words, but you are dismissed."
"Thank you headmaster." Venther scrambled out of his focused demeanor and bowed respectfully to the headmaster. Then, he turned around and left the room.
—-------
Back in the office, the headmaster looked down at the piece of paper in front of him. On the top right, was a photo of a young boy with striking black hair. It was the student portfolio of Kael Thorne.
The headmaster moved the pen to the bottom, where a line was drawn marking a space, and he signed it.
"Kael Thorne." The Headmaster leaned back in his chair and sighed. "I sure hope my decision to take you in is correct."
He took the paper and stacked it onto a separate pile, and erased Kael from his mind as he looked at the next student.
"Ooooh…" He looked at the student's image. A handsome face with neat blonde hair stared back at him.
"Heir of the Fragold Family." He rapped a finger on the table. "It seems like this year's lineup of students are especially bright." Without wasting any time, he picked up the pen and signed the approval.