The air was heavy in the atmosphere.
Kira walked beside Elvin through the towering gates of the university, both of them only ten years old—yet stepping into a place that felt far older and heavier than them.
Elvin stretched his arms casually. "From now on, we're in same year and roommate, I guess so," he said with a grin. "Even though you are not allowed to attend any classes but still, you are stuck with Draves. The most fabulous arcanist and my ideal. He had only four disciplines and all of them are in highest position in this kingdom." "You are pretty lucky man..."
Kira stayed silent, his eyes scanning everything.
"…that's him…"
"…curse child…"
The whispers followed again.
For a moment, Kira's steps slowed—but then he continued forward, ignoring them.
Elvin glanced at him and shrugged. "They'll get bored eventually. Or not. Either way, don't care."
Then his mood shifted instantly.
"Alright! Let me show you around!"
They walked deeper into the university grounds, and soon Kira noticed something—each part of the academy stood separate from the others.
Elvin pointed ahead.
"This place is divided into three main sections," he explained. "And each one is in a completely different building."
First, he pointed to a tall structure to the left, lined with long balconies and rows of identical doors.
"That's the dormitory building," Elvin said. "That's where we live. Every student stays there. Different floors for different years… though you and i will live under same roof."
Kira looked at building—students leaned over railings, talking, watching others below.
Then Elvin turned and pointed toward a more structured, almost fortress-like building ahead.
"That one is the teaching area," he continued. "Classes, lectures, history, mana control, Blessed authority uses... everything you need to learn before you fight."
"Blessed authority...mana...", Kira said in a surprise.
"You don't know. That a surprise man. let me tell you then." "Firstly, you need to know about mana. You can think of it as a form of energy absorbed by your body alongside other things like oxygen from nature. Your body will then store this mana in your heart, and you can release it when you need it. There are some cases in some people like in a certain situation where they think they die, the surplus amount of another mana which they were absorbing from their childhood has been released, but it just happens only in prodigy, I guess. That is called as emergency kick."
"Now, the mana in your body will eventually lead you to gain blessed authorities which are the techniques developed by your mana nature. Most of the people only have two blessed authorities minimum but for some it can go beyond 10000 blessed authorities, and it is highest amount which has ever been seen in anyone body for now.", Kira was observing as well as listening to the Elvin explanation and...
As they got closer, Kira noticed strange symbols carved into the walls, faintly glowing like they were alive.
Finally, Elvin pointed far ahead.
In a distance stood a massive iron gate and at front of it there was a huge ground with some little grass on it.
"The training ground," Elvin said, his voice lowering slightly. "Huge ground and a completely different area."
Kira stared at it silently.
They stopped near a large stone mural outside the training ground—figures locked in battle, flames and shadows twisting violently.
"This university became famous after the Great Inner War," Elvin said. "Two hundred years ago, The great inner war occurred among the witches who killed the saviour of the society, Hero."
Kira's eyes stayed fixed on the mural.
"After the death of the hero the four great kingdoms united to stop them but the 9 mythical beast which were created by the witches terrorized the world and defeated the united alliances of the kingdoms and at last suddenly everything disappeared. The war, witches, those mythical beasts, all disappeared..." Elvin continued. " We don't know what happened, but it seems like those witches are still alive due to the recent rampage of the Draconia, Beast of madness, 10 years ago and other incidents which are still happening from 200 years ago. I will not say all of the mythical beast are evil like phoenix, beast of destruction helped humanity from ages but it still true and after that incident this place emerged become the center for training soldiers—real ones." "Sigh, that was really long explanation man..."
"Well", He then pointed beyond the university walls.
The town of Rigor, the place where the university was found exists because of this academy. Shops, blacksmiths, families… all depend on it. And the villages connected to it supply food and resources. The elders of this university act as supervisors of this town. Highest authority.
Kira followed his gaze toward the distant rooftops.
"This university is known for producing the strongest soldiers," Elvin said with quiet pride.
Before anything else could be said—
"Oye, Kira!"
Kira turned his face and immediately recognised the voice as he heard it when he was blindfolded.
"Look like, your training will goanna start today onwards."
He stepped back. "We'll meet later."
__________
Kira walked alone into the training ground building.
The atmosphere felt heavier inside.
And then—
He saw her.
The same girl from the jail.
She stood near the edge, as if she had been waiting.
Their eyes met.
For a moment, neither moved.
Then she walked toward him.
"Why are you here", She said with a cold expression.
"I....", Kira hesitated "I don't know..."
Suddenly a voice came.
"Kira, you finally came.
They both turned their face and at a distance saw Draves.
As he reached Draves and started looking towards the situation and thought the first thing they should do is a introduction.
"So, Riya he is my new student~"
"I met him.", She said in a cold voice which surprised Draves. " Where"
"huh..., In the prison"
"Sigh...., You went there..., anyway give him a proper introduction."
"I don't want to give a killer, a proper introduction"
Kira eyes froze and the trauma started coming back as he sweat.
"It's ok then, if you don't want to"
"Hush..., I am going for training then", She started walking as she turned her face.
"Hey, ignore her... She is like that", Draves said looking towards panicked Kira.
"So, what to do next", Still looking at Kira as if asking him that what he will do next.
Still depressed but this this time full of confidence, he said.
"Let's do training then"
The new journey begins~
6 years timeskip~