The sun began its slow descent behind the peaks of the Astraean mountains, casting long, amber shadows across the cobblestone streets as the carriage rattled away from the festival grounds. Inside the cabin, the air was thick with the scent of expensive incense and the lingering effects of the day's magic.
Stellian sat across from Aurelia, his small frame looking even tinier against the velvet seats. His eyes, usually sharp and calculating, were heavy with exhaustion.
"I have a little sister your age," Aurelia said suddenly, breaking the silence. A soft, nostalgic smile played on her lips. "She is exactly like you—a mischievous one, always poking her nose where it doesn't belong."
Stellian glanced back at her, his head tilting slightly. The mention of her family sparked a realization in his mind.
"Now that I think about it... I never actually asked about your family," he murmured.
Aurelia looked at him with an expression of genuine shock, her emerald eyes widening.
"You really don't know?"
Stellian shook his head slowly.
"How am I supposed to know? Silas only told me someone 'special' was coming to watch over me and then he drifted off into his usual riddles. He isn't exactly a fountain of information."
Aurelia nodded in agreement, a small huff of a laugh escaping her. "Master Silas is always like that. He believes that if you need to know something, the world will tell you eventually. He hates spoiling the surprise."
She leaned back, her gaze turning toward the window as the city lights flickered past.
"To answer your question... my family name is Zenin."
Stellian watched her, waiting for the weight of the name to settle. He had read the name in history books, but hearing it from her gave it a different gravity.
The Zenin Family was not merely noble; they were a pillar of the Kingdom of Astraea. Ranked as the Second Great Noble Family, they stood directly beneath the Royal Line and alongside the legendary House of Valerius. The Zenins were known as the Shields of the Arcane. For generations, they had produced the Kingdom's most formidable battle mages and spatial theorists. To bear the Zenin name was to inherit a legacy of absolute discipline and overwhelming magical pressure. They were the ones who managed the stabilization of the Great Aether Gates, ensuring the Kingdom's trade and military could move across the continent in heartbeats.
"I am their third child," Aurelia continued, her voice taking on a formal tone she rarely used at the orphanage. "I have two older brothers who are currently serving in the Royal Guard, and a younger sister who, as I mentioned, is around your age."
Stellian was genuinely amazed. He had known she was a high-ranking noble, but the Second Great House was a level of prestige that few could even dream of approaching.
"So you are from a Great House... a true high noble," Stellian whispered.
"Status is just a shell, Stellian," she replied, though her eyes glinted with pride. "It's what you inside the shell that matters."
The carriage finally arrived at the gates of the orphanage. The familiar stone walls looked humble compared to the splendor of the Royal City, but to Stellian, it felt like a sanctuary.
"Let's go," Aurelia said softly.
Stellian followed her out of the carriage. Every step felt like he was lifting lead weights. He had gone completely overboard today. It wasn't just that he was a prodigy; it was the way his mind worked. Most mages saw their body, their mana, and their environment as three separate things. But for Stellian, his brain, his senses, and his thoughts were United.
When he used a Ghost Step, he wasn't just casting a spell; he was recalculating his existence within the universe. That level of processing power was what made him appear so mature, but it came at a steep physical cost. His young body was struggling to keep up with the sheer speed of his mind.
"Come here," Aurelia commanded gently as they entered his room.
She sat on the edge of the bed and patted her lap. Without a word of protest, Stellian laid his head down, using her lap as a pillow. The warmth and the familiar scent of her mana acted like a sedative. He drifted into a deep, dreamless sleep in no time, the chaos of the festival fading into a quiet hum.
Eight Years Later
Cosmo Year 935
Eight years had passed since that day at the festival—eight years that transformed the small, shy boy into something far more formidable.
Stellian had spent nearly a decade defying the very laws of nature. Under the loose but brilliant guidance of Silas Thorne, he had mastered the fundamental manipulation of almost every element. He could weave fire into delicate threads and freeze the moisture in the air with a thought. The only element that remained a closed door to him was Darkness, a primal force that even his mind found difficult to grasp without a catalyst.
His mana domain, through grueling daily training and deep, meditative trances, had expanded from a meager twenty meters to a staggering 35 meters. Within this radius, he was God. His influence over the mana in the atmosphere had reached a level where he could sense the heartbeat of a bird on a distant branch or the slight shift in air pressure before a storm.
He had returned to the Aetheric Tag tournament two more times during his teenage years. Each time, he led his team to victory, though he never saw Alaric Kaze again. Alaric had been called back to the Royal Academy, but his parting words—"Don't stop thinking differently"—remained etched in Stellian's mind.
Silas visited him frequently, appearing like a ghost and leaving behind cryptic scrolls and rare mana stones. But while Silas provided the knowledge, Aurelia provided the heart. She had been his anchor, the one who kept his cold intellect tethered to his humanity.
But today, the air felt different. It was cold.
"Do you really have to go?" Stellian asked, standing by the iron gates of the orphanage.
He was no longer a child. At fifteen, Stellian was lean and athletic, his white-blonde hair falling over eyes that had grown even sharper. He was now nearly as tall as Aurelia, standing with a quiet, composed grace.
Aurelia looked at him, her golden-blonde hair caught in the wind. She had watched him grow from a curious boy into a young man whose power she could no longer fully measure.
"When we turn twenty in the Zenin family, it is a strict rule," she explained, her voice tinged with a rare sadness. "We must leave our tutors and go out into the world to understand the reality of life beyond the Great Houses. I have already overstayed my welcome here by three extra years just to see you through your initial training."
Stellian looked at the ground, a rare flash of emotion crossing his face.
"I know. I acknowledged the statement the moment Silas told me. But still... I'll feel lonely."
Aurelia walked toward him, the same way she had when he was seven. She reached out and shuffled his hair, a gesture that usually annoyed him, but today, he welcomed it.
"We aren't parting forever, Stellian. The world is smaller than you think, especially for people like us. We will meet eventually, many times. And when we do, you'd better be even more impressive than you are now."
Stellian looked up and smiled back at her—a genuine, warm smile that he saved only for her.
"Yes, you're right. We will meet again. I'll make sure of it."
"I'll hold you to that," she said, her voice cracking slightly. "Now then... goodbye, Sis."
He pulled her into a brief, tight hug. She patted his hair, her hand lingering for a moment. To Stellian, she wasn't just a noble of the Zenin family; she was the sister who had raised him for eight years. He composed his feelings, forcing his heart to slow down. He knew she had a destiny to fulfill, just as he did.
She stepped into the carriage, the Zenin crest gleaming on the door. Through the open window, she leaned out as the horses began to stir.
"Don't forget to join the Academy next year! Do you hear me? You'll have fun there, and for the love of the stars, don't do anything stupid before that!"
Stellian nodded, a playful glint returning to his eyes.
"Okay. I'll try to be 'normal.'"
"Liar!" she shouted with a laugh. "Well then... BYE BYE!"
He stood at the gate, following the carriage with his gaze as it wound down the mountain path, disappearing into the golden haze of the sunset until it was completely out of sight.
The silence that followed was heavy, but Stellian didn't let it consume him. He turned away from the gate, his expression shifting from sadness to a fierce, focused intensity.
'It's time for that.'
A big, ambitious smile spread across his face. He began to walk, his pace quick and light. He didn't head back to the orphanage. Instead, he trekked toward the back end of the mountain range, weaving through thick forests and over jagged rocks for twenty-five minutes until he reached a hidden crevice in the earth.
This was it.
The Hollow of Astraeus.
Labyrinths were scattered all over the Kingdom, ancient structures of unknown origin that acted as mana-wells. They were filled with shifting rooms, ancient guardians, and treasures that defied logic. The Hollow was one of the largest in the region, a sprawling subterranean complex with several different levels and varying difficulties. Stellian had found it months ago while "strolling"—which, for him, meant using Ghost Steps to explore restricted areas.
He had waited until he was strong enough. He had waited until he was alone.
He took a deep breath, feeling the cold, ancient mana pouring out of the cave's mouth. Without a second thought, he stepped into the darkness, with the ambition about the truths of the world.