[MORNING — THE ACADEMY GROUNDS]
"—and that's the Alchemy Tower, but first-years aren't allowed in there because apparently someone blew up half the third floor last year—oh, and over there is the dining hall, but the food's better at the West Pavilion if you don't mind walking—are you even listening?"
Selis stopped mid-sentence and turned to look at me.
I was staring up at the Grand Spire, hands in my pockets, only half-paying attention.
"Hmm? Yeah, totally listening. Explosion. Food. Got it."
She puffed out her cheeks. "You're not listening at all!"
"I'm listening with half my brain. The other half is busy."
"Busy with what?"
I pointed at the Grand Spire. "Counting the defensive wards on that tower."
She blinked. "The... what?"
"Defensive wards. Magical barriers. There are..." I squinted slightly, Perception Limit flaring to life. "Forty-seven distinct layers. Most of them are Fifth Circle constructs. Three are Sixth Circle. And there's something at the very top—Seventh Circle, maybe higher—that I can't quite read."
Selis stared at me like I'd just spoken in an alien language.
"You can see that?"
"Can't you?"
"No! Normal people can't see magical barriers just by looking at them!"
I shrugged. "Skill issue."
She threw her hands up. "You're impossible!"
But she was smiling.
That's new, I thought. Someone who doesn't look at me like I'm a threat.
[FIRST CLASS — ARCANE THEORY]
The lecture hall was massive—tiered seating arranged in a semicircle around a central platform where the instructor stood.
Professor Aldric was an older man, Third Circle, with a neatly trimmed beard and sharp eyes that missed nothing.
"Today," he began, his voice carrying easily through the room, "we'll discuss the fundamental principle of all magic: The Law of Equivalent Exchange."
He waved his hand, and a glowing diagram appeared in the air—a circle with intricate runes.
"Magic is not created. It is channeled. Every spell you cast draws mana from your Core, which in turn draws energy from the world around you. The stronger the spell, the greater the cost."
Murmurs of understanding rippled through the students.
I yawned.
Professor Aldric's eyes flicked to me immediately.
"Something boring you, Candidate Valdris?"
Every head turned.
I felt their stares again—curious, hostile, nervous.
I leaned back in my chair, hands behind my head.
"Not boring, exactly. Just... incomplete."
The room went silent.
Professor Aldric's expression didn't change, but I saw the slight narrowing of his eyes.
"Incomplete," he repeated slowly. "Would you care to elaborate?"
"Sure." I sat up, gesturing lazily at the diagram. "The Law of Equivalent Exchange assumes magic is a closed system—that the energy you use has to come from somewhere and go somewhere. But that's not actually true."
"Is that so."
"Yeah. Because if magic was truly equivalent, then no one could ever exceed their theoretical limits. But people do break through Circles. They do surpass their cores' natural capacity. Which means the system isn't closed—it's permeable."
I pointed at the diagram.
"You're not just drawing from your Core. You're drawing from the space between things. The gaps in reality. The infinite potential that exists in the absence of structure."
Professor Aldric stared at me.
The entire class stared at me.
"That's..." He paused, composing himself. "That's an advanced theory. One that most Archmages don't fully grasp until Fifth Circle."
I grinned. "Guess I'm ahead of the curve."
"You don't even have a Core."
"Exactly." I leaned forward, my grin widening. "Which means I see magic differently than you do. You see it as something you use. I see it as something that exists. And once you understand what something is, controlling it becomes trivial."
The silence stretched.
Then someone in the back whispered: "He's insane."
Professor Aldric cleared his throat. "An... interesting perspective, Candidate Valdris. Perhaps we can discuss it further after class."
"Sure. If you can keep up."
I heard someone stifle a laugh.
[LUNCH — THE WEST PAVILION]
Selis dragged me to a table near the window, chattering the entire way about her morning classes.
"—and then Professor Maelis made us practice basic Ward construction, but half the class couldn't even form a stable circle, and—oh!"
She stopped suddenly.
I followed her gaze and saw three boys standing near a smaller table in the corner, surrounding a nervous-looking kid with messy brown hair and glasses.
The same kid who'd called me a monster yesterday.
"Give it back," the kid was saying, his voice shaking.
One of the boys—tall, broad-shouldered, probably twelve—dangled a small leather notebook just out of reach.
"What, this? Finders keepers."
"I didn't lose it—you took it from my bag!"
"Prove it."
The other boys laughed.
I felt my jaw tighten.
Bullies.
I hated bullies.
"Rin?" Selis's voice was quiet. "Maybe we should—"
I was already standing.
I walked over casually, hands in my pockets, and stopped beside the tall boy.
"Hey."
He glanced down at me, irritated. "What do you want, runt?"
"That notebook. Give it back."
He blinked. Then he laughed—loud and mocking.
"Or what? You gonna cry to a teacher?"
I tilted my head, studying him.
Second Circle potential. Earth affinity. Strong, but slow. Relies on brute force. Insecure about his intelligence—compensates with physical dominance.
"No," I said simply. "I'm gonna make you give it back."
His smile faded. "You think you're tough because you got lucky against an elemental yesterday?"
"Lucky." I grinned. "Yeah, let's go with that."
He stepped forward, looming over me.
"Listen, kid. I don't care what tricks you pulled in the arena. Out here, you're just a Null. So unless you want to—"
I reached up and plucked the notebook from his hand.
He was so surprised, he didn't even react.
"Here." I tossed it to the brown-haired kid, who caught it with wide eyes. "Next time, keep better track of your stuff."
The tall boy's face turned red. "You little—"
He swung.
Big. Telegraphed. Obvious.
Perception Limit flared.
Time slowed to a crawl. I could see every muscle in his arm tensing, every shift in his weight, the exact trajectory of his fist.
Speed: 8.3 meters per second. Force: approximately 340 newtons. Impact zone: left cheek. Probability of injury: moderate.
I leaned back slightly.
His fist passed through empty air.
He stumbled forward, off-balance.
And I stuck my foot out.
He hit the ground face-first with a satisfying thud.
The pavilion went silent.
The bully pushed himself up, dirt smudged across his cheek, humiliation burning in his eyes.
"You—"
"Careful," I interrupted, my voice light but edged with something cold. "If you come at me again, I won't just dodge."
He stared at me—and I let Spatial Limit flicker around me for just a second.
The air shimmered.
The space between us distorted, like looking through a heat haze.
His eyes widened.
Because he could feel it—that invisible pressure, that sense of something vast and incomprehensible pressing against reality itself.
"W-what are you?" he whispered.
I smiled—that lazy, cocky smile.
"I'm the guy you don't mess with."
He scrambled to his feet and ran.
His friends followed.
The brown-haired kid stared at me, clutching his notebook.
"Th-thank you..."
"Don't mention it." I waved dismissively. "Just... grow a spine, yeah? People like that only pick on you if you let them."
He nodded quickly and hurried away.
Selis appeared at my side, eyes sparkling.
"That was amazing! Did you see his face when you—"
"Yeah, yeah." I scratched the back of my head. "Can we eat now? I'm starving."
But as we walked back to our table, I felt it.
That familiar weight.
Eyes watching me.
Not just the students.
Something else.
[AFTERNOON — COMBAT TRAINING]
The training arena was packed.
Instructor Kaelen—a Fourth Circle Battle Mage with scars across his arms and a permanent scowl—stood at the center, arms crossed.
"Pair up," he barked. "You'll be sparring. First one to yield or get knocked out of the ring loses."
Groans rippled through the students.
I felt someone's gaze burning into my back.
I turned.
Standing across the arena was a boy about ten years old, with black hair, cold gray eyes, and an expression carved from stone.
Cael Ashford.
Second son of Duke Ashford. Fourth Circle prodigy. Already being called the youngest Battle Mage in a generation.
And he was staring directly at me.
"Valdris," he called out, his voice flat. "Spar with me."
The arena went silent.
Instructor Kaelen raised an eyebrow. "Ashford, Valdris is a first-year. You're fourth-year advanced class."
"I don't care." Cael stepped into the ring. "I want to see if yesterday was a fluke."
I felt the tension ripple through the crowd.
A challenge.
I grinned and walked toward the ring.
"Sure. But don't cry when you lose."
[THE SPAR]
We stood on opposite ends of the ring—twenty meters apart.
Instructor Kaelen stepped back. "Rules are simple. No lethal force. No permanent injury. Fight until one of you yields or leaves the ring."
Cael drew his sword—a standard training blade, but I could see the mana flowing through it, reinforcing the steel.
Fourth Circle enhancement. Efficient. Clean.
He was good.
"Ready?" Kaelen asked.
Cael nodded.
I yawned. "Sure."
"Begin!"
Cael moved like lightning.
One moment he was across the ring—the next, he was in front of me, sword swinging toward my shoulder.
Speed: 23 meters per second. Enhanced with mana burst. Sword trajectory: diagonal slash. Force: significant.
Spatial Limit: Active.
His blade stopped.
Millimeters from my skin.
Invisible force holding it in place.
Cael's eyes widened slightly—the first crack in his stoic mask.
"What—"
I reached up and flicked the blade with one finger.
The sword flew out of his hands, spinning through the air, and embedded itself in the ground ten meters away.
Silence.
Cael stared at his empty hands.
Then at me.
"How?"
I shrugged. "I told you yesterday. Infinity."
"That's not—"
He vanished.
Blink Step—a Fourth Circle movement technique that compressed space to allow instantaneous repositioning.
He reappeared behind me, palm glowing with condensed mana.
"Flame Lance!"
A spear of fire erupted from his hand, aimed directly at my back.
Temperature: 1,200°C. Mana density: high. Lethal if unblocked.
I didn't turn around.
Spatial Limit: Repulsion.
The fire lance hit the invisible barrier and reversed.
Not deflected.
Reversed.
The spell shot backward with twice the force, slamming into Cael's own defensive ward and shattering it.
He stumbled, gasping.
I finally turned to face him, hands still in my pockets.
"You're fast," I said casually. "And your technique's clean. But you're thinking inside the box."
"What?"
"You see magic as a tool. Something you wield. But that's not what it is." I took a step forward. "Magic is just... reality following rules. And once you understand the rules..."
I raised one hand.
"You can break them."
Red Force: Repulsion.
The space around Cael expanded violently.
He was thrown backward—not by physical force, but by the sudden distortion of distance itself—and slammed into the edge of the ring.
The barrier flared, catching him before he flew out.
He slid to the ground, stunned.
Instructor Kaelen stared.
The entire arena stared.
"Winner," Kaelen said slowly. "Valdris."
I walked over and offered Cael my hand.
He looked at it for a long moment.
Then he took it.
"What are you?" he asked quietly.
I pulled him to his feet and grinned.
"Honestly? Still figuring that out."
For the first time, I saw something other than coldness in his eyes.
Respect.
"Teach me," he said suddenly.
I blinked. "What?"
"Whatever you're doing. That power." His grip tightened slightly. "Teach me."
I stared at him.
He's serious.
"You can't learn this," I said quietly. "It's not magic. It's something else."
"Then teach me how to think like you." His gray eyes burned with determination. "I don't care how long it takes."
I studied him for a moment.
Then I smiled—not cocky this time. Genuine.
"Alright. But you better keep up."
[THAT NIGHT — THE ROOFTOP]
I sat on the edge of the dormitory roof, legs dangling over the side, staring at the stars.
Selis sat beside me, swinging her legs.
"Everyone's talking about you," she said quietly.
"Yeah."
"They're calling you 'The Untouchable.'"
I snorted. "Creative."
"Are you okay?"
I glanced at her. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"Because..." She hesitated. "You smile a lot. But your eyes look sad."
I froze.
How did she—
"I'm fine," I said quickly, looking away.
"Liar."
"Selis—"
"You don't have to tell me." Her voice was soft. "But... if you ever want to talk, I'm here."
I didn't answer.
Because if I did, I might actually tell her the truth.
That I died.
That I lost everything.
That sometimes, late at night, I still hear my mother's voice.
Instead, I just nodded.
"Thanks."
She smiled and bumped her shoulder against mine.
"That's what friends are for."
Below us, hidden in the shadows of the courtyard, three figures in white robes watched.
Church agents.
One of them spoke into a communication crystal.
"Target confirmed. Power level: unprecedented. Recommendation: immediate containment."
A voice crackled back through the crystal.
"Patience. Let him grow. We need to understand the full extent of his abilities before we act."
"And if he becomes a threat?"
"Then we eliminate him."
The crystal went dark.
In my mind, the Infinite Mirror flickered.
A reflection stepped forward—this one older, scarred, with eyes that had seen too much.
"They're coming for you," he said quietly.
I know.
"You can't fight them all."
Watch me.
"You're going to lose people, Rin. People you care about."
I clenched my fists.
Then I'll get stronger.
The reflection smiled sadly.
"That's what I said too."
"Right before I lost everything."
The mirror shattered.