Arin woke before sunrise.
Outside, the city of Serathis stirred—the streets lit by crystal conduits, the air alive with floating carriages and mana trains humming in the distance. Above it all rose the towering spire of the Academy, piercing the morning sky like a blade.
Downstairs, the old man was already at the stove. "Arin. Today is evaluation day," he said, voice steady but distant.
Arin nodded, though unease lingered in him. His father rarely smiled. Sometimes, in the quiet of night, Arin caught him staring at the stars as if searching for something—or someone—beyond them.
And sometimes, Arin wondered why he never truly felt like the man's son at all.
The Academy gates bustled with life. Students sparred in the courtyards, fire and wind crackling as magic clashed. Others trained with glowing blades, aura flaring bright in the sunlight.
And then Arin saw her.
Lira.
Silver-haired, eyes sharp as steel, her sword swept through the air with elegance and deadly precision. Mana spiraled around her, controlled with flawless mastery. The crowd whispered her name like it was sacred.
She disarmed her opponent in a flash of motion, and as applause rang out, her gaze lifted—landing directly on Arin.
He froze.
For five long seconds, they stared at one another. Heat rushed to his face, his heart drumming loud enough he thought the world could hear. Then she turned away, leaving him breathless.
"Stay in your place, peasant."
The voice broke the moment.
Kian. His golden-brown hair gleamed in the sun, his Academy cloak lined with silver. He moved with confidence that belonged not to him, but to the power of his bloodline—his father, a Pillar of the Kingdom, his uncle, the Academy Headmaster.
"She's far beyond your reach," Kian said, smirk cutting sharp. "Don't waste your eyes on her."
Arin clenched his fists, but said nothing.
And then—like a whisper beneath thought itself—something stirred.
Threat identified.
Adjustment parameters: initializing…
The voice was not his. Cold. Steady. Certain.
Arin staggered, gripping his chest. No one else seemed to hear it.
What was happening to him?
✨ End of Chapter 2