Lee Hwan woke before dawn again. A pale light slipped under his door. He sat on the edge of his bed and rubbed his temples. The memory of the shrine flame still glowed in his mind. He felt a gentle pull in his chest where his emblem lay.
He dressed quickly in his academy robes: a simple gray tunic, trousers, and a deep-blue cloak fastened at one shoulder. He tied his hair back, made sure his dagger was secure at his hip, and tucked the crystal badge beside his chest emblem. Then he stepped into the cool corridor.
Outside, the academy grounds were quiet. Lanterns cast pools of golden light on cobblestone paths. Fresh snow covered the grass in sparkling white. Hwan drew a breath of cold air. He walked toward the east wing, following the map's marker for "Echo Magic Introduction."
A row of students formed before a large wooden door. Each student held a simple staff capped with a slender crystal. The staff glowed faintly in one's hand when echo magic was near. Hwan found an open space near the back. He closed his eyes for a moment and felt the emblem's pulse. He repeated quietly, "Echo magic… I am ready."
When the clock tower chimed six, the door swung open. A stern woman with gray-streaked hair and sharp eyes stepped out. Her robes were white, embroidered with silver runes. She carried no staff but wore a ring on each finger that glowed in turn as she moved. The students straightened.
"Good morning, apprentices," she said, her voice clear in the still air. "I am Professor Maren, your guide to echo magic. Today, you will learn the first lesson: how memory becomes power."
She motioned them inside. The classroom was large and round, with tall windows that faced the sunrise. Benches curved along stone walls. Racks of crystal staves stood at the back. At the center was a raised circular platform. Marble tiles bore a single rune: the shape of an open eye.
"Find a staff," Professor Maren said. "Place the crystal against your brow and let it resonate with your mind."
Hwan approached a staff that hummed in a gentle tone. He lifted it and felt cool metal against his palm. The crystal capting glowed soft blue. He pressed it to his forehead. A whisper of warmth spread across his temples. He let breath slow. He closed his eyes.
"A memory," the professor instructed, "one that carries strong emotion. Joy or sorrow. Fear or hope."
Hwan thought of the night he faced the cosmic storm at Frostpeak Ridge. He remembered the wind tearing at his cloak, the bite of snow on his cheeks, and his own fear melting into resolve. He touched his staff against his brow and whispered, "Bridge memory: fear and choice."
In Hwan's mind, the memory played like a scene in a silent film. The crystal glowed brighter. He felt mana pool at the base of his skull. Then he spoke the activation word, soft but certain: "Evoke."
Light pulsed through the staff. Hwan's eyes flew open. In the center of the platform, a ghostly image appeared: a fragment of the bridge in gray-and-blue hue. The scene hovered as a half-formed illusion. The students gasped. The image trembled as if suspended on water.
Professor Maren nodded once. "A good start. You have captured an echo of your past."
One by one, the other students stepped forward. A young man in green robes summoned a fragment of rushing water. A woman in red called forth the sound of distant laughter. A tall figure in black etched a faint shape of himself running across a field. Each echo held the student's emotion inside it.
When the last student finished, Professor Maren raised her hands. "You will now practice in pairs. Learn from each other's echo. Test your control. Remember: these images live only as long as you hold their truth in mind."
Hwan stepped off the platform and looked for a partner. A girl with bright copper hair caught his eye. She wore a gold-trimmed tunic and knelt by a staff that glowed faint green. She nodded at him, a small smile on her lips. Hwan approached.
"I'm Elin," she said. "Ready to pair up?"
"Lee Hwan," he replied, offering a respectful bow. "Let's try."
They moved to the edge of the room and took up seated positions facing each other. Hwan pressed his staff cap to his brow again. Elin did the same. They closed their eyes.
They counted breaths: one, two, three. On the third exhale, Hwan thought of the otter by the glowing pond. He remembered its silver fur, its hurt leg, and the moment he chose mercy. He spoke, "Evince."
A flicker of silver light appeared between them. The image of the otter's head formed in midair, quivering like a jellyfish. Elin reached out, surprised. The illusion floated and changed shape. The otter moved its head, looked at them both with bright eyes. Then it faded.
Elin's eyes shone. "That's amazing. Your echo… it's so gentle."
Hwan nodded, heart quickening. "It felt true. It felt kind."
Elin tapped her staff cap. Her cheeks warmed. She spoke softly, "Echo—growth." A tiny sprout rose from the ground between them, leaves unfolding in green light. The image lingered three breaths, then wilted.
They both laughed. Each felt relief and delight. They shared the rush of bringing memory to life.
Across the room, other pairs practiced echoes. One student struggled to maintain a flame image. Another kept summoning a chorus of voices until the illusion wavered. Professor Maren watched, her gaze sharp.
When time nearly ran out, she called, "Students, gather!" They returned to the platform. She stepped forward.
"You have made good progress," she said. "An echo gives shape to memory. But magic demands action. Today's second lesson: echo forging. You will use your echo to affect the world around you."
She moved aside to reveal a sectioned-off practice yard visible through tall windows. Glass panes separated the classroom from the yard. Inside the yard, low stone walls marked small zones. A faint glow outlined each zone. "You will forge your echo to create change," Professor Maren continued. "You must choose: harmony or discord. Let your echo serve creation, not destruction."
Some students cheered quietly. Others looked tense. Hwan felt his pulse rise. He touched his staff.
"Prepare your echo," the professor said. "When I ring the bell, step into a zone and cast." She raised a bronze bell. "One try each. Your echo forging will be judged on precision and intent."
She rang the bell. The clear tone echoed like a drop of water in a well. Hwan grabbed his staff and stepped through the classroom doors into the yard. The air smelled of earth and faint magic. His boots sank slightly in the soft ground. He saw five zones, each glowing a different color: blue, green, gold, silver, and red.
He recalled the professor's words: harmony, not destruction. He thought of the pond echo again, the warmth of mercy. He raised his staff and said, "Echo recall." The runes on his staff flared bright silver. Mana trickled from his chest emblem, adding to the glow.
Then he spoke, steady: "Evoke."
He pointed the staff at the blue glowing circle. A ripple of light spread across the ground. Where the circle lay, water crystalized in midair. A low stream of water formed, arcing gently, watering the frozen grass at the circle's edge. The spray misted the air. The grass in the circle turned lush green, revived from frost.
Hwan's heart leapt. He felt true harmony—water nourishing life. He exhaled as the water faded back into glow. The circle's blue light dimmed.
He stepped back, breath shallow, and walked toward the professor. She watched with narrowed eyes. He bowed. "Lee Hwan—echo forging complete."
She tapped her ring twice. "You have wrought life." She smiled just slightly. "Well done."
Other students emerged from the yard. Some had created small gusts of wind, others glowed with dancing sparks. One student in red had formed a flickering wave of flame but lost control, singeing the wall. A second attempt formed embers that drifted harmlessly. His intent had been good, but mastery lacking.
The professor addressed them all. "Echo forging is not raw power. It is shaped memory. You must know your echo's origin. Guard your mind, and your magic will follow." She crossed her arms. "Dismissed."
Hwan gathered his staff and stepped back inside. Elin was at the doorway, smiling wide. "That was incredible!" she said. "You saved that grass from frost."
Hwan shook his head. "It felt like I was giving it a second chance." He touched the space where the stream had been in his mind. "It felt… right."
Elin's eyes shone. "You have a gift."
Hwan felt both pride and caution stir. He nodded, careful. "Thank you. Let's head to lunch."
They walked down a hallway toward the dining hall. Students streamed through corridors, chatting and carrying satchels. The air smelled of baked bread and stew. Hwan's stomach growled. He adjusted his staff at his side.
Elin chattered about her own echo attempts, the failures and successes. Hwan listened more than he spoke. He felt warm inside—connections forming in this new world.
They reached the dining hall. Long tables filled the space. Sconces flared with oil lamps. Chefs ladled soup and arranged bread. They took seats at an empty corner table.
A gray-haired man with a gentle face approached. "You must be newcomers," he said in a soft voice. He wore simple robes of forest green, and his salt-and-pepper hair was tied back. "I'm Instructor Freya, elemental theory. If you have time, my next lecture covers elemental echoes and their harmony with echo forging."
Hwan glanced at Elin. She smiled. "We'd love to come."
He nodded. "Thank you, Instructor."
Freya placed two bowls of thick stew and baskets of bread before them. "Eat well," he said, then stepped away toward another table.
Elin tasted her soup. "This is good."
Hwan spooned stew. Each bite warmed him. "It's better than I remember eating."
They ate quietly for a while. Then Elin leaned forward. "So… why echo magic?" she asked. "Why did you choose it?"
Hwan paused. Memory flashed: the distant roar of the Vale's whispers, the echo of his name, and the moment he faced himself at the monolith. He took a breath. "I wanted to shape something real from my past. To prove that mercy and memory have power."
Elin nodded slowly. "I understand that. I lost my brother once. Echo magic helps me keep a part of him alive."
Hwan's eyes softened. "I'm sorry."
She shrugged. "It helps. Seeing an echo of him—it's like a last gift." She pressed her staff cap to her brow. Faint green light glowed. "Echo recall." A small image of a young boy holding a wooden sword appeared. His eyes were bright with laughter. He waved at them, then faded. "That's him."
Hwan watched, feeling both joy and sadness. He reached across the table and gave Elin's hand a light squeeze. "He's real because you remember him."
Elin smiled through tears. "Thank you."
They finished their meal. As they stood, the sound of a gong echoed through the hall. Students paused and listened. Hwan's emblem pulsed softly. He reached into his pack and confirmed the time. Just two hours had passed since dawn. His Bound Memory spell was still on cooldown.
Elin glanced at him. "Next is your elemental theory class, right?"
Hwan nodded. "And I think you have the same schedule."
They left the hall and climbed a grand staircase. Sunlight filtered through stained-glass windows. Their steps echoed on marble. At the top, two doors stood side by side—one marked "Elemental Theory: A–G"; the other "Elemental Theory: H–Z."
Elin showed her badge. "H." She nodded toward the right door. Hwan followed.
Inside, desks sat in rows facing a raised dais. Atop the dais stood a tall lectern and, behind it, a vast blackboard etched with chalk. The walls were lined with shelves of colored powders and small vials. A long table in front held piled books, a globe of crystal, and a model of four circles representing earth, air, water, and fire.
Instructor Freya entered quietly and stood at the lectern. He tapped a small crystal on the desk. The vials glowed softly. He held a chalk in his hand and began writing:
"Echo Magic and Elemental Harmony."
He spoke in a calm, measured tone. "Echo magic shapes memory into power. Elemental theory studies how magic interacts with nature's forces. Today, we will learn how echo forging can draw on elemental harmony for greater effect."
He gestured to the crystal globe. "Each element follows a natural cycle. Water nourishes, fire transforms, air flows, earth endures. With echo magic, you can call on a memory that aligns with an element, then forge that memory to shape the element's force."
He paused. "Example: Hwan in the morning summoned water to revive grass. That echo drew on a memory of mercy. Water's nature is to nourish. He aligned them perfectly." He smiled at Hwan, who felt his cheeks warm.
Freya wrote three words on the board:
HARMONY—BALANCE—FOCUS.
"Your assignment: choose one element, link it to a personal memory, then forge an echo that shows that element's true nature. Work in groups of three. Your demonstration will be tomorrow morning."
The class buzzed. Elin leaned in. "Group of three… any ideas?"
Hwan thought. He looked around the room. Several pairs of students whispered. Then he noticed a tall girl in violet robes at the back. She closed a book and sat alone. He pointed.
"That's Riva," he said quietly. "She's skilled with air echoes."
Elin nodded. "Let's ask her, then we need one more."
They approached Riva together. She raised an eyebrow but did not move. Hwan stepped before her.
"Echo forging group?" he asked. "Three of us. We aim for elemental harmony."
Riva's pale eyes flicked between them. She closed her notebook. "I work alone," she said. Her tone was cool but not cruel.
Elin smiled. "We need one more member anyway. If not, I'll find someone else."
Riva studied Hwan. "Fine. I'll join you. But follow my lead."
Hwan exchanged a look with Elin. He nodded once. "Thank you."
Riva gave a slight inclination of her head. She opened the notebook again. "We meet at dawn by the fountain."
The class ended. Students filed out. Hwan and Elin gave Riva space and then turned away. They walked down the corridor. Hwan let out a breath he did not know he held.
Elin winked. "We got a third. That's progress."
Hwan smiled. "Yes. Let's hope she's fair."
They reached a landing overlooking the courtyard. The fountain sparkled in afternoon light. Students flew paper boats across it. Laughter rose. Hwan felt at home in this new rhythm.
He closed his eyes for a moment and touched his chest emblem. He felt the Echo Sigil's gentle pulse. Each beat reminded him of trials past. He opened his eyes and saw the gates of the east wing across the courtyard. He nodded to himself: this was where he belonged.
---
That evening, Hwan returned to his dorm. He found Elin waiting outside his door. She held two small bowls of soup. "Dinner?" she asked.
"Perfect timing," he said, opening the door. They sat at a small table by the window. Snow fell gently outside. Lantern light flickered. They ate quietly, sharing the meal.
Elin asked about Velguard. Hwan described the Trials of Echo Magic and the shrine flame. She listened with wide eyes.
"When you faced the monolith," she said, "and it showed you yourself… that must have been terrifying."
"Yes," Hwan admitted. "I felt like I had no mask left."
Elin looked at him kindly. "You are stronger for that honesty."
He smiled. "Thank you."
They finished dinner. As Elin rose to leave, a slow knock came at the door. Hwan opened it to find Riva. She stood in the corridor, arms folded. Her face was unreadable.
"Group meeting," she said simply. "By the fountain in one hour."
Elin and Hwan exchanged looks. Elin spoke first. "We'll be there." She closed the door behind her. Hwan nodded to Riva, who turned and walked away.
Hwan closed the door and leaned against it. His heart beat fast. The echo magic, the new friendships, and Riva's guarded presence all pulsed inside him. He sensed the coming challenge for tomorrow's assignment.
He looked out the window. The fountain lay silent in moonlight. He thought of his Bound Memory cooldown—it had nearly reset. He pressed his emblem. The sigil pulsed once, then twice. Two minutes remained.
He opened his pack and examined his dagger. The runes glowed faintly. He remembered the smooth swing of his blade, the mercy for the otter, and the revival of grass. He let those moments fill his mind. Then he closed his eyes and spoke softly, "Echo recall."
A whisper of silver light glowed around his hand. In his mind, he saw the blade of grass rising from frost. He felt gentle strength flow through him. He let the memory linger a moment. Then the glow faded. His cooldown still had time left.
He set the dagger down and exhaled. He would sleep soon, ready for morning. Today he had placed his first footprints in the river of echo magic. Tomorrow, he would learn to swim in deeper currents.
He lay in bed and closed his eyes. Outside, snow shadows danced on the walls. His thoughts drifted between fear and hope, challenge and triumph. He let his memory echoes settle, one last time, before sleep claimed him.
And deep in his mind, the SYSTEM whispered an approval:
"You have begun your path well. Rest now, Riftwalker."
Chapter 5 ends.