The night was quiet, but Eiden's heart was not.
His footsteps echoed down the empty hallway of the academy's west wing. Everyone else was asleep. But he could not rest. Not tonight.
He wore a dark cloak over his uniform, the hood pulled low. In his hand was a small piece of old parchment—burnt around the edges. It had only one thing written on it: "Beneath the old bell, the wall will whisper."
This was the second night Eiden went out searching. He felt something. A pull. As if the walls themselves were calling him.
He passed the old training hall, turned left near the broken statue of the first headmaster, and stopped at the bell tower.
The moonlight shone through the cracked windows, making shadows dance. Eiden stepped closer to the bell and placed his hand on its base.
"Show me the path," he whispered.
Nothing happened.
He sighed, closed his eyes, and listened. A breeze moved through the stone hallway… and then he heard it.
A whisper.
His eyes opened wide. It wasn't in a language he knew… but he understood. A strange magic touched his mind—like an old memory waking up.
He stepped back. The floor in front of the wall had dust—but a part of it was cleaner than the rest.
Eiden knelt, brushing his fingers over the stone. "This is it."
He tapped his knuckles against it. Hollow.
He drew his dagger and carefully cut around the edges. A hidden door slowly creaked open, revealing stairs going down.
His breath hitched. A strong wave of mana rushed past him, cold and ancient.
He lit a small light spell on his palm and stepped into the darkness.
---
The stairs went deep. Much deeper than the academy basement. Eiden counted at least five levels before he reached a hallway.
The air smelled old. Dust and time had buried this place. But his footsteps made no sound. It was too silent.
He reached a large iron door. Runes covered its surface. He didn't need to read them—his past life remembered them clearly.
Arkanos' Seal.
He touched the center rune. It lit up, and the door slowly opened.
Inside was a huge chamber, lined with bookshelves and stone tables. Old magic circles were drawn on the ground. Most were faded… but some still glowed faintly.
Eiden stepped inside.
His heart pounded. It was familiar. This place… he built it.
"This is... mine," he whispered.
He moved to a desk near the center. A notebook lay there. Its leather cover was cracked. He opened it.
My name is Arkanos. I must remember who I am.
The handwriting was his.
A memory flashed—quick and sharp.
A young man, standing over a burning battlefield. A voice shouting, "Madman! You cursed this world!"
Eiden gripped the edge of the table.
"I'm not ready…"
He shook his head. He had to stay calm. This was the beginning. The path to reclaim what was lost.
He spent hours reading the notes. Most spells were too advanced for his current level. But he could rebuild. Slowly. In secret.
He picked one spell—Lumen Thread—a light-based tether for sword enhancement. Simple enough to not be noticed, but strong if used right.
He practiced it with his wooden training sword, channeling mana along the edge.
The first try failed.
The second made the sword glow weakly.
The third—hum—a perfect line of light formed along the blade.
He smiled.
---
By the time he returned to his dorm, the sky was turning pink.
No one saw him.
But he didn't know someone else had started watching.
A shadow moved behind the garden wall. A girl with silver hair and sharp eyes.
"Elara…" she whispered. "Where are you sneaking off to, Eiden?"
She narrowed her eyes, then vanished into the trees.
---
And so, the whispers in the walls had spoken.
Eiden had taken his first step back into the world he once ruled.
But the shadows were already watching.