"Whoa, Liam—you've gotten handsome!"
The voice was silky and teasing, matching perfectly with the stunningly seductive face on the screen.
"Aunt Aria, please don't tease me," Liam said with rare tenderness in his eyes. Over the years, this beautiful and vivacious woman had been the only person who ever made him feel truly loved.
"I mean it! Your complexion looks so much better now!" Aria grinned playfully.
"Alright, alright, what do you need from me this time?" Liam asked with amused resignation.
"You little brat. Can't I just call you for no reason?" she huffed, feigning indignation.
"My dearest aunt, you and I both know—if you weren't calling about something, you probably wouldn't even remember I existed," Liam replied, half-joking, half-true.
"Heartless kid," she muttered, rolling her eyes. "I might forget a lot, but there's no way I'd forget your birthday. Just like every year—don't forget to come see me tomorrow!"
Birthday?
Liam froze for a moment. In the past two weeks, he'd been so immersed in training both his arcane arts and battle aura that he'd nearly forgotten—tomorrow, he would turn eighteen.
"What's with that dumb look?" Aria pouted. "Whatever. I'm hanging up now. Don't be late tomorrow!"
Before Liam could say another word, the screen faded to black.
He shook his head. That was just like her—spontaneous and impossible to predict. Still, the thought of seeing her tomorrow brought a quiet warmth to his heart.
By the time he arrived at the Violet Bamboo Grove, twilight had melted into a silver dawn. The grove stood tranquil as ever, purple stalks rustling gently in the breeze. Liam whispered a simple incantation, and a blade of wind slipped through the trees. The leaves shivered like they were welcoming an old friend.
Finding his usual spot deeper within the grove, he sat cross-legged and slipped into meditation.
The magic elements in the air, familiar and eager, surged toward him. They had found a home in him—and they refused to leave.
"Come now, little ones," he murmured inwardly. "All of you."
It was as if the arcane elements heard his call. They flooded in, wrapping him in their warmth.
He lost himself in the flow of mana, hours passing like fleeting moments. When he finally opened his eyes, morning light filtered through the bamboo canopy.
He rose, brushing the dust from his clothes—then froze.
Ten meters ahead, leaning lazily against a purple stalk, stood a tall youth with tousled hair and a mischievous glint in his eyes. A blade of bamboo rested between his lips.
"Morning," the stranger said casually.
"Morning," Liam replied curtly and turned to leave.
"Hey, come on. I waited here with you all night. Isn't that worth at least a thank-you?"
Liam paused, then turned back warily. "What do you want?"
"Nothing much. I'm just really interested in you." The boy gave a carefree smile. "Name's Ryan Fang. Mech Combat Division, Class 1-C."
Interested in me? Liam suppressed a shiver. Was this guy... into him?
"Sorry, not into guys," he replied dryly.
"What?! Me neither!" Ryan scowled. "My dream is to date every beautiful girl in Nodin Academy!"
Liam couldn't help but chuckle. That was a tall order—Nodin was filled with beautiful women. At that pace, it would take a decade.
"Anyway, I'll cut to the chase," Ryan said. "I saw you use an ability last night. You're an Esper, right?"
Liam blinked. "You're mistaken. I'm not an Esper."
"Don't try to fool me. I saw you manipulate wind!" Ryan insisted. "Don't worry—I won't tell anyone. I'm an Esper too."
"You are?" Liam was surprised. "Then why aren't you in the Esper Mech Academy?"
"Ugh, that place? It's a prison. No freedom, no fun... and worst of all—no girls!"
The Esper Mech Academy was a secretive institution where Espers underwent elite training. By the time they graduated, each was a formidable Esper Mech Knight.
Still, Liam shook his head. "Believe me or don't—I'm not an Esper."
He resumed walking through the grove, though unease stirred in his chest. Had Ryan mistaken his wind spell for an Esper ability? He had only cast a single low-tier Wind Blade upon arriving last night…
"Wait! Don't leave! I've studied Esper abilities for years. I know what I saw—you controlled wind, didn't you?" Ryan ran to catch up.
Liam sighed inwardly. Magic did resemble Esper powers to an extent. He couldn't blame Ryan for the confusion.
"Since you know who I am," Liam said calmly, "you also know my reputation. If I truly had Esper powers, do you think I'd hide them?"
"You've got a point," Ryan scratched his head, puzzled. "If you were an Esper, you wouldn't be called the disgrace of the knightly Endymion family… uh, sorry."
"Don't worry about it. I've grown used to the title." Liam shrugged it off with a faint smile. "I have errands today. Let's talk later."
"Hey, don't go yet! You haven't had breakfast, right? Let's grab a bite!" Ryan pleaded, clearly not ready to part ways.
"Fine. I don't mind."
As they walked toward the dining hall, Ryan chattered endlessly—mostly about girls. By now, Liam was thoroughly convinced: Ryan's dream of dating every girl in school was very real.
"Oh, Liam, you're in Class 1-A, right?" Ryan asked suddenly.
"Yeah, why?"
"Then you have to know Celina Lioré!" Ryan's eyes sparkled.
"I don't think so," Liam replied with a blank expression. The name sounded vaguely familiar, but he couldn't place a face.
"No way! She's in your class and you don't know her?" Ryan was aghast. "I was hoping you could introduce us!"
"She's beautiful, I assume?"
"Beautiful?" Ryan scoffed. "She's a goddess. Face of an angel, body of a temptress. I swear she glows in the dark."
Liam chuckled again—but his amusement faded when Ryan suddenly stopped, staring ahead, wide-eyed and silent…