A Rough Start
The next few days at the academy were a whirlwind of classes and unfamiliar faces. Kael had barely settled into the rhythm of the academy's demanding schedule when the first practical class of Arcane Theory began. Unlike the more theoretical subjects, Arcane Theory's practical lessons pushed Kael to refine his raw magical abilities—and it was much harder than he had anticipated.
Despite his occasional flashes of unexpected talent, Kael still struggled to control his magic. His attempts to shape his mana into anything useful often ended in failure, though the occasional spark of power gave him hope. He focused on his studies, but the doubt in his chest lingered. He wasn't sure if he was ready for the challenges ahead.
Meeting Annie and Marcus
The academy's grand dining hall was a lively place in the evenings, with students mingling in their groups. Kael sat alone at one of the wooden tables, picking at his food while listening to the chatter around him. Most students sat in their cliques, nobles with nobles, commoners with commoners. Kael had already learned that breaking into those groups wasn't easy.
But then, two figures approached him. The first was a girl with a head of auburn hair, her green eyes bright and observant. The second was a tall boy with dark hair and a quiet demeanor.
"Mind if we join you?" the girl asked with a grin, her voice light.
Kael blinked in surprise, but before he could respond, the boy nodded, sitting down beside her.
"I'm Annie," the girl said, extending a hand. "And this is Marcus."
Marcus gave a small nod but said nothing.
"Kael," he replied, shaking Annie's hand. "Nice to meet you."
"You're the one from the trials, right?" Annie asked, raising an eyebrow. "The one who wrote in Old Vaelithian?"
Kael froze for a moment, but he quickly recovered, giving a casual shrug. "Maybe I just got lucky."
Annie laughed, leaning back in her seat. "I don't believe in luck when it comes to something like that. But I won't pry."
Marcus, who had been silently observing, finally spoke. "You're not a typical student here, are you?"
Kael could tell he wasn't just talking about his background, but also his unusual ability to write in an ancient language most had never heard of. He simply smiled, choosing to remain vague.
"I'm just here to learn," Kael said.
Annie's grin widened. "Fair enough. I'm sure you'll find the academy's lessons… interesting."
The trio spent the rest of the evening talking about their classes, exchanging theories about the different subjects they'd been assigned. Annie seemed to be particularly interested in Kael's take on magical theory, while Marcus mostly listened, offering quiet insights when he felt it was necessary.
Books and Lessons
The next morning, after a particularly grueling lecture in Mana Control and Meditation, Kael found himself wandering back to the Grand Athenaeum. He had been working on learning how to direct his mana properly, but it was far more difficult than he had expected. His attempts at channeling mana into his spells resulted in little more than weak bursts of energy.
As he entered the library, the familiar scent of old parchment and enchanted paper greeted him. He moved quietly through the aisles, scanning the shelves for something that might help him make sense of his magic. He was beginning to suspect that his connection to mana was far more complex than the basic lessons suggested. It felt like there was something deeper within him—something more ancient.
"You again?" Annie's voice came from behind him, pulling him from his thoughts. She was carrying a stack of books, her eyes scanning the titles before she spotted Kael.
Kael looked up and smiled faintly. "Yeah, I spend most of my time here these days."
Annie walked over, placing the books on a nearby table. "I thought so. I'm here to study for Magical Ethics & History. What are you looking for?"
"Something that might help me control this," Kael muttered, his gaze dropping to the table in front of him, where his magic flickered faintly in the air. A soft breeze stirred, but it quickly died out.
Annie narrowed her eyes, watching the way the air moved around him. "Hmm, you're not just studying like the rest of us, are you? You're trying to understand magic."
Kael didn't respond, but the silent acknowledgment between them was enough. Annie, always keenly perceptive, seemed to understand more than he had expected.
"I might have something that could help," she said after a moment, pulling out a thick tome on advanced elemental magic. "This isn't something most of us study yet, but it might give you some insight."
Kael took the book gratefully, flipping through its pages. His fingers lingered on certain words, on techniques he had never heard of, but they felt strangely familiar. The storm magic he had sensed within him was mentioned in passing—advanced elemental manipulation, harnessing the chaos of the storm itself. The pieces were starting to come together.
A Glimpse of Power
That night, Kael sat in his dorm room, his mind buzzing with the new information. He had barely begun to understand the techniques described in the book, but the more he read, the more his magic seemed to react. He closed his eyes and raised his hand, focusing on the storm brewing inside him.
For a brief moment, he felt a rush of power, a surge of energy coursing through him. The wind outside the window picked up, and Kael could feel it—a pull, a beckoning, as if the magic was calling to him, urging him to let go.
But Kael clenched his fist and forced the power down. Not yet. He couldn't afford to make a mistake.
Still, a part of him yearned to test it, to let the storm rage free. He had to know what he was truly capable of.
The Professor's Watchful Eyes
The next day in Arcane Theory class, Kael couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. As Professor Varra entered, the room fell into a tense silence. The cold, calculating woman wasted no time in starting her lecture, her gaze sweeping over the class.
As she spoke about magical constructs and frameworks, Kael felt her eyes on him more than once. He had noticed it before—her sharp attention, the way she seemed to focus on him for just a moment longer than the others. He wasn't sure why, but it made him uneasy.
When Varra asked the students to draw the core glyphs of amplification, Kael moved with fluid precision, his hand guiding the quill over the parchment without thought. It wasn't that he had memorized the symbols—he simply knew how to draw them, as if he had done it a hundred times before.
Varra paused at his desk, her eyes scanning his glyphs. The brief moment of silence between them felt like an eternity. Then, without a word, she moved on to the next student.
Kael exhaled slowly, his heart still racing. He didn't know if Varra was aware of something more about him, but the unsettling feeling lingered.
Chapter End