When Rota opened her eyes at the first light of dawn, he saw Kael at the door, drenched in sweat but looking refreshed. He had just returned from his run outside.Yawning, she said,
"Good morning. You're up early, aren't you!"
Kael replied as he dried his face with a towel:
"Good morning. Yeah, I go for a run every morning to keep my body in shape. It's just a habit."
"Wow! I usually sleep until morning. I have to admit, I'm a bit jealous of your determination," Rota said admiringly.
"By the way, the class lists are being posted today. I hope we end up in the same class—I don't want to be all alone without any friends in this huge school."
After getting ready, the two of them stepped out of the dormitory and set off toward the school's main plaza. A crowd had gathered in front of the bulletin board; hundreds of students were searching for their names with a mix of excitement and anxiety. Rota skillfully weaved through the crowd and made her way right up to the front of the board.
"Kael, come here! Ah, there's our name! Rota Firrep... Look at this, I'm in Class A!"
Kael asked curiously, "Is Class A really that great?"
Rota rolled her eyes in disbelief. "Are you kidding? It's known as the 'Genius Class.' Students are placed alphabetically based on their test scores, so Class A is where those with the highest potential belong."
Rota continued to run her finger down the list. "Let's see... Kael... Ah, there it is! Kael Krowel! Look, you're in the same class—"
Rota froze for a moment. Her eyes widened.
"Wait a minute... Kael Krowel?!"
A look of "oh no" appeared on Kael's face. The surrounding students' gazes immediately turned toward them.
"Rota, please be quiet..."
But the damage was already done. As soon as the students heard the name "Krowel," whispers began to rise among them:
"Did he say Krowel? Is that the surname of the legendary Archmage Vaelmon?"
"Wow, is a real Krowel here?"
Kael grabbed Rota by the arm and pulled her out of the crowd to a quieter corner. Rota was still stunned. "Kael, what's going on? Why are we running?"
"Rota, the fewer people who know my last name, the better for me. I don't want to draw too much attention to myself; I just want to focus on my studies."Rota couldn't quite make sense of Kael's mysterious attitude, but he didn't press the issue.
"He must have his own valid reasons," he thought to himself. "I get it, buddy, no problem. Your secret is safe with me. By the way—"
Before Rota could finish his sentence, a sharp blow to Kael's back startled them both. Lyra had suddenly appeared behind them with her usual cheerfulness.
"Hey, good morning, Kael!"
"G-good morning, Lyra..."Rota asked in astonishment:
"Kael, who is this crazy girl?"
Lyra's eyebrows furrowed,
"Who are you calling crazy, huh!"
Rota, frightened by Lyra's sudden burst of anger, hid behind Kael. Kael stepped in,
"Rota, Lyra is my friend. Lyra, Rota is my roommate," he said.
Rota poked her head out from behind Kael and glared at Lyra.
"Hmm, nice to meet you... I guess."
Lyra turned her head to the side and stuck her nose in the air.
"Hmph! I'm not pleased at all!"Kael silently prayed, "I hope these two get along." Lyra quickly changed the subject:
"Kael, what class are you in?"
"I think I'm in Class A."
Lyra started jumping up and down with joy. "I'm in Class A too! What a coincidence—we're together again!"
Rota interjected in a weak voice: "I-I'm in Class A too, by the way..."
Lyra shot him a sharp look. "Oh, nobody asked you!"
Just then, Rota tapped Kael on the shoulder and pointed ahead. "Kael, look who's coming..."
Thalendir was striding through the crowd with two men by his side, looking every bit the king. The men beside him were shouting: "Make way! Make way for Sir Thalendir, you wretches!"
When Thalendir saw his name on the list and confirmed he was in Class A, a smug smile spread across his face. His men immediately began to fawn over him:
"Congratulations, sir—we expected nothing less from you!"
Thalendir said in a condescending tone,
"Ha, of course I'm in Class A. The others should consider themselves lucky to be taking classes in the same environment as me," he said.
Lyra clenched her teeth, about to say,
"Look at him, how—" when Kael stopped her. "Lyra, it's best we don't engage with him. Just ignore him."
Just then, the school's intercom blared the staff member's voice: "Attention all students! Gather immediately in the auditorium for Principal Felan's opening speech!"
The students poured into the massive hall and took their seats. The hall was so noisy that no one could hear each other. But as a heavy aura filled the room, the atmosphere suddenly turned icy.
Just then, the lights of the massive chandeliers on the hall's ceiling suddenly went out. As the room was plunged into pitch darkness, the students fell silent with fear.
Suddenly, a faint cracking sound was heard coming from the podium at the very front of the hall. Purple and silver lightning began to flash through the air. These flashes weren't random; they were converging on a single point as if forcing open a door. A second later, a massive Dimensional Rift opened right in the middle of the hall!
The overwhelming aura radiating from the rift was so intense it pinned even the student in the very back to his seat. Principal Felan emerged from the rift, his footsteps shaking the ground.
When Principal Felan stepped up to the podium, she fixed her piercing gaze directly on Kael amidst the thousands of students. In that moment, Kael felt as if an invisible sword had been thrust into his body; it was as if his breath had been cut off.
Lyra whispered, "Kael, are you okay? You've gone pale."
"I'm fine... Everything's okay."
Principal Felan began to speak. Her voice echoed throughout every corner of the hall:
"Welcome to the Academy. Here, you will not merely learn magic; here, you will learn power, discipline, and responsibility. Some of you have noble blood flowing through your veins, while others come from the very heart of the earth. However, the moment you step through this door, your titles from the outside hold no weight. Here, you exist only through your effort and talent. Being noble does not grant you privilege; it merely imposes a greater responsibility. Whoever fails to prove themselves, this academy's doors will shut completely in their face!!
After this inspiring speech, the students began dispersing to their classrooms. As they walked, Kael asked Lyra, "Do you know exactly which Ring Director Felan belongs to?"
"I heard it's the 8th Ring. To be honest, I don't know much about him, but since he's the academy director, he must be incredibly capable."
"I see... the 8th Ring, huh..." Kael's mind was buzzing.
When they entered Class A, the trio of Kael, Rota, and Lyra sat in the front-middle rows. Rota whispered excitedly: "Kael, do you know who our Basic Magic Science teacher is? Mr. Grave!"
"6. It is said that he is a sorcerer and performs his spells without words, using only his will. I wonder if we could be like him?"
Just then, the door opened and a man with short hair and a full beard—middle-aged but looking quite fit—entered. This was Mr. Grave.
"Take your seats," he said in a stern yet reassuring voice.
"There is no memorization in my class, only understanding. If you learn to view magic not as a tool but as an extension of yourself, you won't even need words. Now, forget everything you know about the nature of magic..."
Although the first lesson covered topics Kael was already familiar with, it had been quite productive thanks to Mr. Grave's unique perspective. However, as they left the classroom, their path was blocked by an upperclassman.
"You must be Kael from the first year, right?"
Kael paused. "Yes, that's me. Is there something you need?"
"I'm Andre from the administration office. Principal Felan has asked to see you. I'll escort you to his office."
Lyra and Rota were in shock. Lyra immediately grabbed Kael's arm. "Kael! What the hell did you do on your first day of school that you're being called to the principal's office?"
"I didn't do anything, really!"
Kael was confused. "Could it be because of what happened with the orb during the magic assessment?" he wondered.
As he walked down the hallway with Andre, he could hear the girls from the lower grades gazing at Andre admiringly, whispering among themselves, "Look at him, he's so handsome," "And he's on the board of directors!"
Kael broke the silence: "Mr. Andre, you're quite popular, aren't you?"
Andre turned to Kael with a cold demeanor. "What? I don't understand what you're talking about." Andre's overly distant and icy personality made Kael feel uneasy. When they reached the principal's office, Andre stopped.
"Here we are. Principal Felan is waiting for you inside. Good luck, Kael."
"Ah, thank you— Wait a minute! 'Good luck'?!'
Kael swallowed hard, turned the doorknob, and stepped inside. The room was filled with a heavy scent of incense. Principal Felan was seated behind her desk, looking at the parchments in front of her.
"Ms. Felan, you summoned me, ma'am."
Felan lifted her head and fixed her piercing gaze on Kael.
"Ah, welcome. I was expecting you. Please, have a seat." Kael settled into the leather chair in front of the large table.
"Have you settled in at school? I hope the noble students aren't causing any trouble."
"I'm trying to adjust. Thank you for your concern."
Felan smiled slightly and stood up. She was staring directly into Kael's eyes.
"Kael Krowel... Zephyros had told me about you. I wanted to see you with my own eyes."
Felan walked around the table and stopped directly across from Kael.
"Tell me... Which surname do you prefer? Krowel... or Val-Tenebris?"
Kael froze as if struck by lightning at the sound of the name. His face turned as white as chalk in an instant, and his hands began to tremble. He jumped to his feet. "I... I..."Felan burst out laughing and interrupted him.
"Ha ha ha! Don't be so tense, son. I know what you're hiding. Zephyros is practically my best friend—he doesn't keep secrets from me. Even if he hadn't told me, I could smell that heavy demonic scent on you from a mile away."
Kael was horrified. If the principal had figured it out, it was inevitable that the other teachers would too. Felan lowered his voice, looking straight into Kael's eyes:
"What exactly is on your mind, Kael? What's the real reason someone like you came to this academy?"
Kael was lost in thought. The answer he gave might just determine the rest of his life.