The tall doors creaked open.
Kael stepped into the main hall.
It was just as balanced as the room he'd awoken in stone and smooth tile meeting polished wood, old oil paintings hung beside floating mana-light fixtures. A chandelier crafted from crystal and iron roots hovered above, shifting slightly as though breathing.
He walked across the hall and approached the low set of buttons beneath a floating panel.
With a flick, the TV screen blinked to life.
A smooth voice echoed through the hall.
> "...and in today's top story: the Morvayne bloodline has officially announced the rise of another prodigy. Elira Morvayne has reached Veteran Rank in her mana core at only fifteen years old."
Kael froze.
The camera zoomed in.
And there she was.
Elira Morvayne.
He recognized her immediately. She was one of the main cast in The Rise of the Hollow Core. A pivotal piece in the story ruthless in battle, yet complex, and dangerously intelligent.
Her beauty was undeniable.
Pale skin that seemed carved from moonlight. Blood-red eyes not glowing like Kael's, but deep and still. Long, smooth hair the color of ink, falling just past her shoulders. She stood with perfect posture, calm and deadly.
In her hand, she held a sword.
Kael's heart skipped.
Night Reaver.
An SS-Rank sword forged from black meteor steel and tempered in aetheric flame. A legendary weapon only meant for those chosen by the Elders of the Morvayne Bloodline.
She already has it? he thought. This early?
The image lingered on her face. Her expression unreadable, poised.
A chill ran down his back.
That's the future I'm walking into.
He reached for the remote and changed the channel.
> "Aetherion Academy officials have announced that messages are being sent out today to applicants across the capital and the outer provinces. Candidates who are accepted will receive a system notification or a courier delivery within the hour."
Kael's hand stopped mid-motion.
His eyes widened.
Aetherion Academy.
The Academy.
The very heart of the story.
The starting point of nearly every major character arc.
The stage of politics, power, alliances, and betrayal.
He felt a bead of sweat roll down his temple.
Wait… didn't I?
A sudden pulse of memory hit him.
He saw himself weeks ago at a desk, fingers shaking slightly as he filled out the magical inscription paper. His sister watching silently from across the room.
He applied.
He'd applied to Aetherion Academy.
And now, the results were coming.
Kael stood there, frozen.
His heart was no longer calm.