Chapter 3 – The Path of the Weak
The sun crept higher, casting golden light over the massive white spires of Arcanum Academy. Kael stood at the entrance gates, his heart pounding—not from fear, but from a restless, consuming fire that had ignited inside him the night before.
"If this power is all I have… then I'll master it."
Students buzzed around him—noble-born heirs with shimmering robes, commoners with hopeful eyes, half-bloods and demi-humans, all stepping through the enchanted gates that shimmered with layered protective wards. The academy's atmosphere was thick with expectation. Magic danced faintly in the air, woven into the very stones beneath their feet.
"Name?" asked a staff mage behind a hovering crystal tablet.
"Kael Valen."
The mage tapped a rune, and the tablet pulsed. A glowing crest appeared in front of Kael's chest—his student badge. Blue.
Blue rank: unawakened affinity, potential unknown.
A low rank. Laughable.
But Kael didn't care.
He walked through the threshold.
Classroom B-12 was already buzzing when he stepped inside. Unlike the grand halls or arena-like spell chambers, this room was relatively modest, lined with floating quills, blackboards alive with runes, and desks shaped in a wide semi-circle around a tall arcane focus.
He found a seat near the back, quietly observing. That's when he noticed her.
A red-haired girl arguing with the professor—again.
"You said I passed the combat assessment, so why put me in the theory-first class?" she was saying, arms crossed, voice loud and clear.
"That's because you blew up half the testing ground, Miss Asthel," the professor said with a sigh. "Control comes before raw output."
Kael's lips twitched. Lyra Asthel. The name clicked. He remembered her from the entrance combat exams—fast, aggressive, and undeniably powerful. She was clearly frustrated now, but there was something… grounded about her. Not noble. Not flashy. Just stubbornly real.
She flopped into the seat next to him, still grumbling.
Then she glanced at him. "What are you looking at?"
Kael blinked. "Nothing. Just thinking."
"…Weird answer." She leaned back. "Let me guess. Commoner? Blue rank?"
Kael nodded slowly. "That obvious?"
"Yeah," Lyra said, squinting at him. "But you don't look scared. Most blues drop out before the second month."
"I won't."
She raised a brow. "Confident. I like that."
After classes, the academy opened the initial spell training chambers, allowing students to familiarize themselves with their magic affinities. Everyone rushed inside, hoping to uncover rare elemental gifts—fire, wind, light, shadow.
Kael didn't bother.
Instead, he entered the auxiliary chamber alone, placing his hand on a glowing crystal that synced with the academy's System Codex.
Name: Kael Valen
Affinity: Blink (Spatial Tier 0)
Cooldown: 10 seconds
Max Range: 3 meters
Mastery: 1%
Potential Tier: Unknown
"Still pathetic," Kael muttered. But he didn't flinch.
If my range is 3 meters, then I need to master positioning.
He stepped forward, activating the Blink spell. In a flash, he appeared just ahead—barely further than a long stride.
Cooldown triggered.
Alright. Thirty seconds. What if I use that time to reposition again?
He began training.
Blink. Move. Calculate. Blink. Reset. Observe.
He kept repeating until his legs burned and the cooldown timer blurred in his mind.
From the shadows above, someone watched.
Behind a veiled balcony in the eastern tower, a girl in a royal-blue academy uniform stood silently.
Her long black hair shimmered under moonlight. Her expression was cold—evaluating.
"…That's the boy who ranked last in the entrance scores?" Princess Selene Ardentis murmured.
A knight behind her responded softly. "Yes, Your Highness. He possesses no combat magic."
"No combat magic?" Selene's eyes narrowed, watching Kael push himself with machine-like intensity.
"No… I don't think that's quite right."
The next morning, Professor Vance stood before the gathered class.
"We will begin magic theory duels today," he said. "No casting. No brute force. Just knowledge, intent, and control."
Kael sat upright. He had studied all night.
"Volunteers?"
Lyra's hand shot up.
"I'll crush anyone here," she declared.
Snickers erupted across the room.
Professor Vance smiled. "Good. And who will go against her?"
Kael's hand rose.
Gasps.
Lyra blinked. "Seriously?"
Kael stood, stepping forward with quiet fire in his eyes.
"I'm not here to watch."
To be continued in Chapter 4 – "Magic Isn't Flashy"