That whole night, Kael trained until his bones humd like tiny drums beneath his skin.
His dorm was silent except for the rhythmic thud of his footsteps, the faint whisper of his sword slicing air, and the occasional crackle of unstable mana around his fingertips.
The lamp burned low... then died.
Kael didn’t notice. Sweat dripped from his chin. He inhaled deeply, braced himself, and punched forward.
FWOOOM.
A ripple spread across his knuckles, like smoke dancing underwater.
"...Again."
He shook his numb arm, gritted his teeth, and tried to form a mana sphere like Nathan had shown earlier.
A faint spark.
Then—
POP!
A mini-explosion.
Kael flew backward and smashed into his bed.
"...Ow."
He lay there a mont, staring at the ceiling.
He didn’t feel defeated.
Hungry to grow. Hungry to survive. Hungry to rewrite fate.
When the sun began to rise, he was still practicing.
He didn’t even hear the morning bell.
The Next Morning
Ground One bustled like a hive about to erupt.
Students stood in rows, so stretching, so yawning, so complaining loudly.
"Where is our friend?"
"He’s not here?"
"He never misses morning training."
"Did he faint sowhere?" soone from their friend replied in their group.
Professor Sylvia stood at the front.
She inhaled deeply.
"Good morning, class."
"Good morning, Madam Sylvia...!" the students chorused, though half-heartedly.
"As you know, there is no rescue mission for first years this week," she continued.
A sigh of relief echoed among the students.
"-because the task was given to the third years."
Now an even louder sigh.
"However... other events will be added to your final exam marks."
Buzz.
Students erupted into murmurs.
"What? Events?"
"Again?"
"What kind of events—spar? Dungeon? Beast hunt?"
"I hope it’s sothing fun..."
Sylvia ignored them and continued speaking.
anwhile, at Kael’s Dorm
Kael blinked awake.
His back hurt.
His forehead stuck to an open book on mana fundantals.
He lifted his head.
"...What the hell... I’m late."
This ti he shouted.
"WHAT THE HELL— I AM LATE!"
He grabbed his clothes, sprinted out the door without even fixing his hair, and dashed through the hallways like a startled deer.
Ground One
When Kael burst into the training ground, everyone was already busy.
So were practicing sword swings.
So were running laps.
So went directly to the library building.
The entire place humd with activity.
Kael slowed, panting.
"Oi, Kael!"
A hand grabbed his wrist.
It was Cecelia.
Her eyebrows were scrunched together, making her look like an angry squirrel.
"You were late," she said, tugging his sleeve. "Are you up to sothing?"
"No, I was busy last night," Kael replied honestly.
Cecelia tilted her head.
"Busy? Doing what? Don’t say sleeping because your hair looks like a bird’s nest."
"...Training."
Cecelia’s eyes softened for a mont, but she quickly hid it.
From far away—
"Cece! Co on, we’re waiting!"
Veyla waved her arms like she was trying to signal a flying dragon.
"I AM COMING!" Cecelia shouted back.
She turned to Kael.
"Kael... you should also co with us. It’s fun."
"Where?" he asked, confused.
"We’re going around the beast fence," she replied casually.
Kael blinked.
"...But we are not allowed."
"We asked Madam Sylvia. She said yes," Cecelia said proudly, as if she won so big battle.
Kael hesitated.
He had sothing else in mind.
"You go ahead. I’ll co in a few minutes. I need to go to the washroom."
"Okay... I’ll be waiting there!" Cecelia replied, still tugging his sleeve once before leaving.
She ran off to join Veyla and the others.
Kael watched them disappear into the crowd...
Then turned the opposite direction.
Straight toward the library.
Kael entered the library quietly.
Dozens of students sat reading, scribbling notes, and whispering in corners.
Kael didn’t care about any of them.
His eyes scanned the shelves.
He moved quickly from one section to another.
"Not this one..."
He tossed a beginner elental book aside.
"Not this either..."
Another book on mana breathing. Useless.
He searched every corner of the shelves like a man digging through sand for a drop of water.
Then...
Sothing caught his eye.
A tiny gap between two thick encyclopedias.
Kael pushed them aside.
A small, dust-covered book sat wedged between them.
Its spine shimred faintly.
He pulled it out.
The title was faintly etched in gold:Forbidden Library Encounter
Kael froze.
"...Forbidden?"
His heartbeat quickened from curiosity.
He looked left.
He looked right.
No one was watching.
He held the book tighter and whispered:
"...Let’s see."
The Forbidden Staircase
Behind the normal library shelves, there was a back door.
Locked.
A wooden sign hung there:
Restricted Area. Entry Prohibited. Only Professors Allowed.
Kael swallowed.
He looked around again.
Still no one.
He pressed the door.
Locked.
"...Figures."
He inhaled deeply. Mana swirled around his fingertips.
He placed his palm on the lock.
Crack... click.
The lock broke quietly.
He slipped inside.
It was a long descending staircase, deeper than anything he expected.
Cold air brushed against his cheek.
The scent of forgotten books drifted upward.
Kael whispered:
"Is this... really the sealed library?"
He took a step down.
The sound echoed.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
Inside the Sealed Library
The forbidden library was nothing like the normal one.
Books floated in midair.
Chains covered so shelves.
Ancient symbols glowed faintly on the walls.
This place didn’t look abandoned.
It looked alive.
Kael walked between towering shelves, eyes wide.
"So... this is what the academy hides."
Suddenly—
Rustle.
Kael turned sharply.
Soone else was here.
He gripped the book in his hand and stepped silently between shelves.
He peeked around a corner...
...and froze.
Elysia was there.
She held a thick black book in her hands, her face illuminated by its eerie glow.
She didn’t see Kael from behind the shelf.
Her expression was unreadable—focused and intense.
Kael whispered to himself:
"Why is she here...?"
At the sa exact mont—
Elysia’s ears twitched slightly.
She turned.
Her eyes widened.
"Kael?"
Kael stepped out awkwardly.
"...Elysia."
There was a mont of silence.
His heartbeat thumped.
She hid the book behind her back instinctively.
Kael held the forbidden book to his side.
Neither spoke for a long ti.
Finally:
"What are you doing here?" Elysia asked softly.
Kael replied, "Learning magic."
Elysia stared at him for a mont.
Then she whispered:
"...You shouldn’t be here."
"You shouldn’t be here either," Kael replied.
Elysia froze for a second.
They stared at each other again.
Suddenly—
CLACK...
CLACK...
Soone was coming down the forbidden staircase.
Kael and Elysia’s eyes widened.
"A professor?" Kael whispered.
Elysia’s face tightened.
Her voice turned sharp.
"We need to hide. Now."
She grabbed Kael’s wrist without waiting for his answer and dragged him behind a set of massive chained shelves.
They crouched low.
The footsteps approached.
A shadow entered the library.
Professor Orwen.
Kael barely dared to breathe.
Elysia leaned closer, lips near his ear.
"Don’t make a sound..."
Kael nodded.
Their shoulders pressed together behind the narrow space.
Orwen walked deeper inside.
"Strange..." Orwen muttered. "I sensed sothing."
Kael swallowed nervously.
Elysia grabbed his sleeve tighter.
Orwen’s footsteps echoed down another aisle.
Kael whispered:
"We should leave—"
Elysia pressed her finger on his lips.
"Not now."
Kael froze.
His heart pounded.
Her eyes were razor-sharp.
"Stay quiet," she whispered.
Orwen paused again.
For a terrifying second, Kael thought Orwen would turn around and spot them.
But he didn’t.
He moved to another room deeper in the forbidden section.
When his footsteps finally faded...
Elysia exhaled slowly.
Kael felt her breath on his cheek.
Awkwardly, he stepped back a little.
Elysia stood up first.
"Let’s move."
Kael followed her deeper inside.
The Ancient Pedestal
They reached a central chamber.
In the middle of the room, on a glowing pedestal, lay a stone tablet.
A prophecy tablet.
Only professors were supposed to read these.
But the symbols glowed the mont Kael and Elysia approached.
Words surfaced on the stone:
"The Child of Two Fates."
Kael blinked.
Elysia stiffened.
They both stepped closer.
More words shimred across the surface:
"One will rise to defend the world."
"One will rise to consu it."
"Both born under the sa star."
Both walking together...
Only one survives."
Kael read the words again.
Elysia’s breath hitched.
Kael murmured:
"...Two fates?"
Elysia whispered:
"...One savior.
One destroyer."
Kael stepped back.
Elysia stepped back.
Both slowly turned to look at each other.
No words.
Only suspicion.
Only fear.
Elysia clenched her fists.
(...Is it him)
(he is the destroyer)
Kael’s mind raced.
(Why... why does this feel like it’s talking about her and ?)
Neither dared to ntion the thought out loud.
Neither dared to speak the obvious.
They stared at the prophecy again.
Then at each other.
Then away.
Professor Orwen Returns
STEP.
STEP.
STEP.
The footsteps returned.
Elysia’s face paled.
"He’s coming back."
Kael looked around.
"We need to hide again."
"No ti," Elysia whispered harshly.
She grabbed his hand.
"Co on."
Kael and Elysia slipped behind a giant to-covered pillar just as Orwen re-entered the chamber.
Orwen stopped right before the pedestal.
He stared at the prophecy words glowing.
His eyebrows furrowed.
"...Strange. Why is this active?"
Kael held his breath.
Elysia held her breath.
Orwen examined the tablet for a long mont.
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