Chapter 51: Meeting Victor Grayson.
Aiden walked for a long time, his steps slow and heavy. Around him, the streets were filled with laughter and life. Children ran around, calling for their parents with smiles so bright that they lit up the whole street.
Vendors called out their prices, people chatted as they bought fruits and bread, and the air was filled with warmth. Everyone looked happy.
But inside Aiden's, there was only silence and rage. Each smile he saw made his heart burn even more. Every laugh echoed in his mind like a cruel reminder of everything he had lost.
While others lived in peace, he was drowning in hatred, walking through the city like a ghost. His eyes were cold, his face calm, but deep inside, a storm was brewing.
As he walked, the huge white walls of the Magic Academy of Eldoria came into his sight. Its towers reached towards the clouds, shining with soft blue light. Students in fine robes passed through the gates, talking and laughing. Aiden's hands tightened into fists.
He took a turn into a dark, narrow alley near the gate. The light faded as he stepped into the shadows. Slowly, he reached for the necklace hanging around his neck — the last thing his parents had given him before they died. His expression softened for a second, but it quickly turned cold again.
He poured his mana into the necklace. At once, his body began to change. His bones shifted, his muscles adjusted, and his features started to reshape. He grew a little taller, his face sharper, his skin turning pale like snow. His hair darkened, and his eyes became pitch black — so deep they looked like an endless abyss.
He had created this disguise by mixing his looks from his past life on Earth and his current one. Now, he looked like a fourteen-year-old boy — young, delicate, yet strangely unreal. His face was so flawless it seemed almost divine, like a being who didn't belong to this world.
When he stepped out of the alley, the sunlight hit his pale skin. He looked up at the giant gate in front of him — tall, carved with ancient runes glowing faintly with mana.
Behind it stood the grand buildings of the academy. They were vast and majestic, their roofs glimmering under the sunlight. The academy stretched so wide it looked like a small town by itself.
There were training grounds, student dorms, weapon halls, and even a vast forest inside the walls for elemental training.
As Aiden approached the gate, a guard in silver armor raised his hand. The man's armor shone in the light, and a short sword hung by his waist. His eyes softened as he looked at Aiden."Why have you come here, child?" he asked in a gentle tone.
Aiden's gaze slowly lifted to meet his. His black, emotionless eyes pierced through the man like a blade. The guard froze for a moment, his heart skipping a beat. He had seen many people in his life — nobles, soldiers, and even assassins — but he had never seen a child with such emotionless and deep eyes.
They were empty, endless, and terrifying. It felt like staring into a void that could swallow everything. It was like glancing inside an abyss.
The guard thought to himself, How can such a handsome child have these cold and dark eyes?
Aiden looked at him as he said in a calm and cold tone, "I'm here for enrollment in the academy."
The guard blinked, quickly regaining his composure as he asked. "Enrollment? Where are your parents? Are they inside, or will they come later?"
Aiden's face darkened. His voice grew even heavier as he said, "My parents are dead. I am an orphan who lives alone."
The guard's gentle smile faded. He looked at Aiden for a long moment before sighing softly. "Kid, I'm sorry to hear that, but you can't enter the academy without a family member who studied here, or a recommendation from one of the professors."
Aiden's eyes didn't change as he said emotionlessly. "My parents knew Professor Victor. If you tell him that his friend's son has come, he will understand. Can you go tell him?"
The guard hesitated for a moment but then nodded. "Alright, I'll inform Professor Victor. Wait here."
He turned and began walking through the gates, his boots echoing on the stone path. Inside, he passed rows of students training with glowing staffs and sparring with mana-infused swords. After a short walk, he reached the professors' quarters.
The hallways were quiet. The air was filled with the faint smell of old paper and ink. He stopped in front of a wooden door with a golden nameplate that read: Professor Victor Grayson. The guard knocked gently on the door.
A few seconds later, a deep, calm voice came from inside. "Come in."
The guard pushed the door open as he entered. Inside sat a man in his mid-thirties. His desk was covered with papers and old books, some glowing faintly with runic light.
The man had brown hair and tired eyes, dark circles visible under them. His skin was pale from years spent indoors, but his calm expression carried a quiet elegance.
The guard bowed slightly. "Good evening, Professor."
Victor looked up from his papers and gave a small smile. "Nelson, you don't have to be so formal. Sit down. What brings you here?"
Nelson shook his head as he began speaking. "I can't stay for long, Professor. I came to tell you that a child came to the gate asking for you. He said his parents were your friends and that he wanted to meet you."
Victor frowned slightly, saying. "My friend's son? Hmm… Can you describe him?"
Nelson nodded and began to describe Aiden — his sharp face, pale skin, and most of all, his eyes. Even as Nelson spoke, he felt the same chill crawl down his spine again.
Victor listened quietly, his brows furrowing. "Eyes that emotionless at such a young age…" he murmured. Then he looked up and said, "Bring him here. I want to see this child myself."
Nelson nodded and left quickly.
Meanwhile, Aiden stood silently in front of the academy gate. The sunlight reflected in his dark eyes as he scanned everything around him — the layout of the grounds, the walls, the distance between the guards, every single detail. It was as if he were memorizing the whole place.
Soon, Nelson returned. His gaze met Aiden's, and for a moment, he froze again under that emotionless stare. But then he smiled softly and said, "Let's go. Professor Victor is waiting for you."
Aiden nodded as he didn't say anything else. He followed Nelson through the academy grounds. Students turned to look at him as he passed — some whispering, some staring. His appearance was too striking to ignore.
They entered the professors' building and stopped before Victor's door. Nelson knocked again as he said. "Professor, I've brought the child."
From inside came the calm reply, "Send him in."
Nelson stepped aside, and Aiden walked in. The room was quiet except for the faint sound of the wind brushing against the window.
Victor looked up from his desk. The moment his eyes fell on Aiden, he paused. The boy in front of him didn't resemble any of his friends. His features were too perfect, his aura too strange.
"Come, sit down," Victor said softly, gesturing to the chair across from him.
Aiden's eyes moved slightly as he studied the man in front of him. After a few seconds, he walked forward and sat down.
Victor looked into his eyes — deep, empty, endless. Nelson hadn't exaggerated. They were eyes that had seen pain beyond measure. What has this child gone through? He wondered silently.
He cleared his throat and said, "I heard you say you were the son of one of my friends, but… You don't look like anyone I know."
Aiden didn't answer. Instead, he closed his eyes and stopped injecting mana into the necklace. Instantly, his body began to shift again. The disguise faded — his true form returned.
Victor's eyes widened in disbelief. The mana disguise had been so smooth that even he, a master in artifact studies, hadn't noticed it.
He looked at Aiden closely. His hair, eyes, and face — they seemed oddly familiar. Suddenly, realization struck him like lightning. Jonathan… he looks like Jonathan! But his features are more refined… is that because of Sara?
His voice trembled slightly as he asked, "Kid… are you Jonathan and Sara's son?"
Aiden's eyes met his, cold and steady. He now knew for sure that this man had known his parents. His voice came out cold but clear. "Yes. I am the son of Jonathan and Sara Sycetes. My name is Aiden syctes"
Victor froze. The name echoed in his mind like thunder. He leaned forward slightly, his voice shaking as he asked, "Why are you here alone? Where are Jonathan and Sara? Did something happen to them?"
Aiden's face didn't change. His eyes stayed calm, empty — too calm. He spoke in the same cold tone, "They are both dead."
The words struck Victor like a storm. His body stiffened as if lightning had run through his veins. For a moment, he couldn't speak.
His hands trembled slightly as he stared at the boy in front of him — the son of his old friends, now sitting there, alone, with eyes that carried no tears, no sorrow, only endless darkness.
The silence stretched. The ticking of the clock on the wall echoed through the room. Victor slowly leaned back in his chair, his heart heavy.
Aiden sat still, unmoving, his expression blank. Inside, though, he could still hear the last words of his parents echoing in his mind — the fire, the screams, the blood. He had buried it all deep within, locked it away. There was no space left for tears.
Victor looked at him, his eyes filled with sadness. He didn't know what to say. The room felt colder now, the light dimmer, as if the world itself had fallen silent to mourn with them.
And in that silence, Aiden sat there, he was the last survivor of his family, staring into the distance with those same endless, emotionless eyes.
Author's Note: This chapter marks the beginning of Aidens' academy life, in which he will face many difficulties. Stay tuned for more chapters. Thank you for reading.