It began with a whisper.
Not in her ears, but beneath her skin. A ripple across her magic like the surface of a lake disturbed by a falling star.
Aria jolted awake.
Her dorm room was dark save for the glow of the surveillance orb pulsing faintly beneath her collarbone. The curtains fluttered without wind. Her books were untouched. Her boots still neatly aligned. But something was off.
Nyra stirred in her bed across the room. "You feel that too?"
Aria nodded. "Something's here."
Within moments, the two girls slipped into their coats and crept down the corridor, following the sensation like bloodhounds chasing smoke. The corridors of Magi Core Academy weren't supposed to shift… and yet, the path before them elongated. Warped. Lit by only the strange, blue fire that flickered in wall sconces, they moved with deliberate silence.
They ended up at a tower neither of them had ever seen before.
"What is this place?" Nyra whispered.
The doorway was sealed with a sigil—one that pulsed against Aria's magic.
"Sealed," Aria muttered. "And old."
Nyra stepped back. "Definitely not on the map."
But before either could stop her, Aria raised her hand.
And the seal unraveled.
She didn't chant. Didn't force it. The rune simply recognized her—like an ancient beast bowing its head to a familiar heir.
The door creaked open with the weight of centuries.
Inside, dust clung to the air like breath long held. There were no lights, only a central dais and a great mirror—its surface dark, rippling, whispering.
Nyra took a step back. "I've seen enough cursed objects in my life. That's one."
But Aria approached.
The whispers grew louder.
Then—"Aria."
She froze.
That wasn't the mirror.
Behind her, bootsteps echoed.
She turned.
A boy emerged from the shadows, older than her by maybe a year. Dressed in the red-trimmed uniform of the upper division. His eyes were a sharp, stormy grey, and his expression carried the arrogance of someone born with legacy stitched into his blood.
He looked her over like sizing up an opponent. "So you're the prodigy they're all whispering about."
Aria crossed her arms. "Depends. Who's asking?"
"Caelum Drayce. Head of House Drayce. Third-ranked in the Magi Core's upper circle."
"Congratulations on being third," she said sweetly.
His eyebrow twitched. "This tower is restricted."
Aria gestured behind her. "The seal didn't say so."
He stepped closer. "You unlocked it. That's impossible. Only members of the Elder Line should be able to—"
"Guess I'm full of surprises."
He narrowed his eyes. "You don't belong here. That power of yours—it's wild. Untrained. It's going to get someone hurt."
"I'll make sure it's the right people," she said calmly.
The tension snapped like a drawn string.
Without warning, Caelum struck—summoning a spear of lightning in one hand and hurling it straight at her chest.
But Aria was faster.
Gold erupted from her palms. Not fire. Not pure mana. Force. Will, made tangible.
The bolt exploded in midair.
Nyra screamed, ducking behind a pillar. "This academy is full of psychopaths!"
Aria moved, her feet gliding along the ground as if weightless. Every movement had purpose. Caelum summoned three more lightning spears—but each one shattered against her golden barrier.
Then Aria closed the distance.
She whispered a spell—not one taught in class. One she remembered from somewhere deeper. Somewhere older.
"Bend."
The air distorted.
Caelum's form jerked—his own magic turned against him. He slammed to the ground, disarmed, stunned.
Aria stood above him, her golden eyes burning like twin suns.
"You're not the only one who can surprise people."
He gritted his teeth. "What are you?"
She held his gaze. "Still figuring that out."
Suddenly, a slow clap echoed from the doorway.
Riven.
Of course he'd be watching.
"Well," he said, stepping into the moonlight. "That escalated."
"You sent him?" Aria asked.
"No. But I might have hinted the tower was 'unguarded.' Call it an experiment."
Aria raised a brow. "You enjoy almost getting your students maimed?"
Riven grinned. "Only the promising ones."
Caelum pulled himself to his feet, clearly furious, but kept his distance now. There was something in his gaze—not fear, exactly. Wariness. Respect.
"She's dangerous," he said to Riven.
"Dangerous is good," Riven replied. "Dangerous survives."
Caelum muttered something under his breath and disappeared into the shadows.
Riven turned back to Aria. "You learned something just now, didn't you?"
She nodded, closing her fist. The golden energy responded—not wild anymore, but shaped. Her body thrummed with it.
"I did," she whispered. "I bent his magic."
"Good," he said. "Because from now on, the games are over. Welcome to the real curriculum."