1. Morning — Two ssages
When I woke up, the sphere was glowing softly—
which ant a ssage had arrived.
I touched it.
“The King has given his consent.
But we will continue to grow in the shadows.
Without drawing attention.”
I breathed in more slowly than usual.
That ant a lot.
Too much.
The Forest has made its move.
Quiet.
Careful.
But a move nonetheless.
While I was processing the ssage, the sphere lit up again.
This ti—with a warm, holy glow.
“Zen, we have news!
The elves are buying up all the hay and food from the village.
Everyone’s happy.
They’re so calm, polite, honest.
We think good cooperation will co of this.”
I replied:
— I’m glad for you.
— I’m doing well.
— My studies are going fine.
But sothing inside pricked painfully.
The elves are stepping out of the shadows.
And the kingdom is creating new Orders.
And all of this is happening at the sa ti.
Too many coincidences.
2. An Ordinary Day, But… Not Ordinary Conversations
Earth lessons passed calmly.
We created walls—
fast, sturdy, combat-ready.
is the ho of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.
The teacher explained how to use density and structural pressure,
and most of the students had already confidently moved up a level.
But all day long, the classroom buzzed with one topic:
— “The Order of the Gryphon is the best!”
— “The Dark Order is the highest honor!”
— “Scouts are so cool…”
— “What do mages even need?”
— “Dark swordsn are legends!”
The mages twirled fingers at their temples:
— “Nonsense. We have no reason to die for the crown.”
The swordsn snorted:
— “You’re just cowards.”
A conflict was being born quietly.
Not openly yet—but unmistakably.
And I…
at so point, caught myself thinking:
Was I wrong to stay here?
I could already be in the Forest.
Teaching children.
Writing textbooks.
Doing sothing useful.
But it was only a shadow of a thought.
Uncertain.
Unford.
3. Evening — A Strange Silence
When I returned to my room—
Elinia wasn’t there.
For the first ti in a long while.
No textbook.
No apples.
No her constant, “Zen, this is wrong, let
rewrite it.”
Strange.
I sat down on the bed,
and fatigue washed over
like a wave.
I almost drifted off to sleep when suddenly—
A surge of mana. Strong. Sharp. Near the Academy.
I opened my eyes instantly.
These were adult mages.
And one of them—very familiar.
I slipped out quietly.
No light.
No footsteps.
Familiar stealth.
As I drew closer, I could already feel them clearly:
— an earth mage,
— a wind mage,
— and another—heavy, deep, like dark water.
I slipped through the bushes.
4. The Teachers’ Secret Training
In a clearing behind the Academy,
under the moonlight,
stood several figures.
The Earth teacher
was hurling boulders as if they were pebbles.
Every movent precise, honed.
The Wind teacher
created gusts so sharp that the grass bent into a single line,
as if a blade had passed over it.
And the third—the fencing instructor—
but now he was no swordsman at all,
he was a dark mage.
Darkness thickened around him,
like fog.
Silhouettes blurred.
Every movent smooth—but deadly.
Nearby stood another—
a water mage, a healer,
watching the others’ condition.
I stayed in the shadows, barely breathing.
Why would they train at night?
Like this?
In secret?
Mages of this level don’t train without reason.
Not secretly.
Not at night.
Not together.
Sothing is happening.
I quietly retreated,
careful not to give myself away,
and returned to my room.
5. Morning After the Secret
When I went to lessons the next morning,
walking at an ordinary pace,
I noticed what confird my suspicions:
The Earth teacher swayed slightly,
like after prolonged strain.
The Wind teacher kept rubbing his eyes—exhausted.
And the dark mage wasn’t visible at all.
Lessons went on as usual,
but tension hung between the lines.
With each passing day…
I felt everything around
growing denser.
6. A Decision
By evening, I simply told myself:
— Tonight… I’ll go into the city.
— I need so air.
— And to understand what’s really going on.
An empty room.
The lights of the Academy.
Silence.
And a strange feeling that the night would bring new answers.
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