"Haha, what youthful prodigies! I've long heard of your reputation!"
The voice arrived before the man himself did—deep, resonant, carrying both command and affable warmth.
From around the marble-pillared corner of the Moonlight Academy reception hall, a middle-aged man walked forward with steady confidence. His steps were measured, each one revealing the authority of someone used to being obeyed. Just behind him drifted a young woman whose presence could stop breath and silence a room.
A cascade of silver hair—three thousand shimmering strands—fell past her waist like liquid moonlight. Her snow-white neck and elegant collarbone created an ethereal frame, as though carved from flawless alabaster. Even the modest cut of her clothing couldn't hide the refined curves and poised strength of her figure—beauty shaped by both talent and lineage. Long, perfectly balanced legs carried her with an effortless, almost regal grace.
Even in simple attire, the aura around her felt unreal, the breeze catching her silver hair and sending it dancing like luminous threads.
Kain Clinton paused for scarcely a heartbeat before her name clicked into place: Nina Moore, the famed prodigy of the Moore family's next generation. He hadn't expected Zane Moore—patriarch of the Moore family and overseer of Alice Springs—to bring her along.
Was this intentional?
A strategic appearance?
A move to gauge him—or perhaps to present a suitable match?
Knowing Zane Moore, it wasn't far-fetched. The Moore family had always pursued influence with sharp precision, and forging ties with a rising star from the capital was exactly the sort of maneuver expected from him.
Zane caught Kain's slight hesitation and responded with a barely perceptible smile. Even back in Alice Springs, few young talents had ever caught his eye. But Kain—champion of the World Academy Tournament, captain of the Australian National Academy Team—was in a league entirely of his own.
"Zane Moore," Principal Hughes announced respectfully. "I believe introductions are unnecessary; you know exactly who these young men are."
"Of course," Zane replied calmly. "Tell me, Principal Hughes—what mage in Australia hasn't heard of Kain Clinton or his team?" His eyes flicked toward Kain, studying him with a newfound appreciation. From his earlier assumptions, Kain should've been twenty-three or twenty-four, yet he looked barely twenty-one.
"Greetings, Mr. Moore," Kain said with a polite nod, voice steady.
"Please, calling me 'Head of the Moore family' is too grand," Zane said quickly, almost dismissive. "These are merely internal family affairs."
Boasting in front of someone like Kain would only make one appear small—Zane knew this well. The young man before him wasn't just talented; he was a rising myth, a once-in-a-generation prodigy whose name already eclipsed most clan patriarchs.
"The Earthly Spring has been the foundation of Alice Springs for decades," Zane said, shifting the topic smoothly, "but if it is for Captain Kain, I fully support granting access."
Then, subtly, his gesture shifted to the silver-haired girl beside him.
"This is my daughter, Nina Moore. She attends Regal Academy in Melbourne. You're all around the same age—perhaps you can get acquainted."
Nina's cold gaze passed over Kain, assessing him with the precision of a winter blade. Then she tilted her chin slightly.
"…Hello."
"I must apologize," Zane added quickly, clearing his throat. "Nina can be… a bit frosty."
Understatement of the century, Kain thought.
"An ice-element mage often grows into a cool personality," Kain replied evenly. "No offense taken."
If she'd suddenly acted warm or flirtatious, that would've been concerning.
But something else drew his attention—a faint fluctuation beneath her elegant façade.
"But your body…" Kain murmured, eyes narrowing. "Something is interfering with your energy flow."
Nina stiffened.
Kain knew exactly what afflicted her:
the Moore family's ancient heirloom—
the Ice Crystal Severing Bow, a relic that exacted a cruel price.
The bow had long been shattered into dozens of fragments, each embedded within selected ice mages of the Moore bloodline. Only one destined heir could ever truly wield it—everyone else served merely as vessels, slowly drained of their magic and vitality.
Her mother had been one of those unlucky bearers…
and paid for it with her life.
Nina's composed expression flickered as Kain spoke. Had he truly sensed the bow?
"This artifact isn't entirely harmful," Kain continued gently. "If you endure the most painful stages, it will eventually become your greatest asset."
To fully restore the bow would require retrieving all fragments—an almost impossible feat, given the Moore family's secrecy. But even partial relief would be invaluable to Nina.
"What are you even talking about?" Jayce muttered, baffled. "I swear he just jumped into some ancient prophecy mid-sentence."
Kain ignored him and stepped closer to Nina.
"I can ease your pain."
Nina's beautiful yet fragile composure trembled. The numbing cold that invaded her bones each night—the suffocating darkness she could never escape—had been her most guarded secret. Only her father knew.
And now… Kain Clinton?
"Pain? Hey, are you sure you're not just messing with her?" Jayce called out.
"Do not doubt me," Kain said calmly.
He opened his hand, revealing a crystal of pure ice essence. Soft blue luminescence pulsed from its center like a beating heart.
Jayce nearly choked. "That's— that's an Ice Essence Crystal! Kain, mate, where did you even get something like that?!"
"Where else? The treasure expedition," Kain said with a hint of amusement. He tapped Jayce's shoulder, reminding him of the record-breaking haul he'd achieved alone—reaping rewards untouched for decades.
With this crystal, Kain could temporarily substitute Nina's drained magical energy, alleviating the bow's pressure and accelerating her cultivation simultaneously.
"Would you… consider selling it?" Zane asked cautiously. Despite controlling half the resources in Alice Springs, even he understood how priceless this treasure was.
"Selling it?" Kain repeated with a wry lift of his brow.
"Do you have a hundred million in cash?" Jayce chimed in helpfully.
Zane Moore and Principal Hughes both sucked in sharp breaths. That amount, in pure liquid cash, would be absurd for anyone—even a city governor.
"That won't be necessary," Kain said with a light smile. "Let this crystal serve as the price for accessing the Earthly Spring."
Nina bit her lower lip, tension flickering behind her eyes. She could neither refuse nor argue—this benefited her more than anyone else.
"I had already intended to grant the Earthly Spring," Zane said, trying hard to maintain dignity. The Spring's value was immense, but mostly for Apprentice or Adept mages; the Ice Essence Crystal was on an entirely different level.
"Then let it be so," Kain said warmly. "Consider the crystal a gift for Miss Nina."
Zane exhaled—Kain had even given him a graceful way out. A face-saving gesture.
Nina did not decline.
She couldn't.
"Thank you… truly," she said softly, icy exterior melting for the first time. There was real gratitude in her voice—something rare, delicate, and genuine.
Zane, seeing his daughter finally protected from years of hidden suffering, couldn't hide the relieved, fatherly pride washing over his features.
And somewhere far away, if John had witnessed this scene, he would've sighed and muttered about the world's unfair double standards.
But that was a story for later.