Asher ignored the letter.
The wax seal lay broken beside the folded parchment, its silver surface catching the dim candlelight. He had read every word, let every sentence echo in his mind — and then, without hesitation, tossed it aside.
He didn't care for his sister's tone, nor the false concern laced between the lines. The Hi'orei name had lost its pull on him long ago.
He blew out the candle and lay on his bed, eyes open to the dark. Sleep never came easy, not anymore. The silence pressed down on him like a second blanket. Somewhere beneath his skin, mana pulsed faintly — alive, restless, whispering.
When morning light broke through the curtains, Asher was already awake.
The next day passed in quiet rhythm.
The courtyard behind the main hall buzzed softly with energy. A dozen first-years sat cross-legged across the field, each of them bathed in faint glows of blue hue. The air hummed with focused mana.
Kael sat upright, eyes shut, hands steady in his lap. Selene maintained a calm, even rhythm in her breathing, faint wisps of white hue coiling around her like ribbons, overlapping the initial blue hue of mana before fading. Ronan's aura was rougher, pulsing in short bursts as he tried to force his mana into balance.
Iris and Lilith sat not too far from them, both radiating composure. Lilith's presence was serene, the faint blue shimmer around her body pulsing with fluid grace.
And at the edge of the circle, almost blending into the shade of a silverleaf tree, sat Asher.
No one noticed him arrive. They never did.
He sank quietly into his cultivation, his aura so faint it vanished against the world around him. The shadows near his body thickened, drawn toward him like threads, before melting back into the ground. His breathing was shallow, calm. The faint trace of the abyss within him stirred, then settled — obedient, almost reverent.
He had mastered the art of silence, of stillness. The kind that made others forget he was even there.
Hours passed in wordless meditation.
Nothing happened that day. Nothing at all.
And that, perhaps, was the strangest thing of all.
The next morning came with the usual murmur of students flooding the dining hall. Cutlery clinked, laughter rose in bursts, and the smell of fresh bread and steamed herbs filled the air.
Asher sat with his gang at their usual table, half-focused on the food before him, when the hall doors slammed open.
Two second-years, clad in the blue-trimmed uniforms of the upper division, strode in with stiff formality. Their boots clicked sharply against the marble floor, immediately drawing attention.
Every conversation in the hall stopped.
"We're looking for Asher Ernstein," one of them announced, voice ringing clearly.
A ripple of murmurs followed. First-years exchanged looks — some curious, some wary.
Asher sighed under his breath. Perfect.
He set his spoon down with deliberate slowness before standing up. "That would be me," he said simply.
The taller of the two nodded. "You're requested by Student Union President Lauren Hi'orei. Please come with us."
Ronan shot him a questioning look. Selene raised a brow. Kael mouthed 'That's odd.' but Asher ignored them all.
He followed the two upperclassmen out of the hall without another word.
The west tower loomed above the rest of the Academy — its white spire catching the sunlight, the banners of the Student Union fluttering from its balconies. The hallways here were quieter, the air heavier with the presence of authority.
They stopped before a tall mahogany door engraved with the Hi'orei crest.
"She's waiting," one of the second-years said before they both walked away.
Asher didn't knock. He simply opened the door and stepped in.
Lauren Hi'orei looked up from behind her desk — sunlight spilling across her hazel-colored hair tied in a ponytail with a single bang draping across her left eye. Her bright blue eyes watched as Asher moved in. She was older by two years, her bearing proud, the kind of presence that could make most people straighten unconsciously.
"Asher," she said, her tone layered with both irritation and relief. "You finally decided to show your face."
"I was busy," he replied flatly, closing the door behind him.
Her brow twitched. "Busy ignoring your sister, apparently. I was beginning to think you forgot how to read."
He said nothing.
Lauren leaned back in her chair, pretending to sigh in mock frustration. "And here I thought you'd at least pretend to care. I still can't sense your mana signature — it's like you're not even here."
"That's because, as you know, I'm too weak enough to even possess any mana signature." Asher said, his tone calm, almost bored.
She gave a short laugh. "Please. You're barely into your first year. You think I would believe you if you said you haven't made any progress?"
But behind the teasing, a shadow of unease flickered in her eyes. She really couldn't sense him. Not a trace. Not even the faintest hint of his presence.
Not his mana.
Not his soul.
Nothing.
Her smile faltered for a heartbeat before she forced it back. "You always were hard to read," she muttered.
Then, without warning, she got up, rounded the desk, and pulled him into a hug.
"Lauren—"
"I haven't seen you in months, Asher!" she said, squeezing him so tightly he could barely breathe. Well, at least he pretended so. "Do you have any idea how worried we were? I'm angry, Ashley is angry, even Freya nearly broke her sword when she found out you disappeared!"
Asher stiffened, arms hanging limply at his sides. "You're crushing my ribs."
She laughed softly and let go, brushing off imaginary dust from his shoulder. "You look thinner. Are you eating?"
He shot her a flat look. "That's not why you called me here."
Her smile faded, replaced with quiet concern. "You're still the same. Cold and distant. Does what happened back then..... still trouble you?"
"I'm not talking about that," he interrupted sharply, his voice cutting through her words like a blade.
Lauren hesitated, eyes flickering with a mixture of guilt and something softer.
Asher stepped back, expression unreadable. "If you hadn't sent senior students to fetch me, I wouldn't be here. You know I have to at least respect the order of rank while my Hi'orei identity stays hidden."
"Right…" she murmured. "You've always been like that."
"Then state your reason," he said simply.
Lauren sighed and returned to her desk, reaching into a drawer before pulling out a letter — the same style of parchment he'd received days ago, sealed with the Hi'orei crest.
"This came from the Academy Master's office," she said. "The order to stop the dungeon investigation. But the seal… I don't think it's Father's."
Asher's gaze lingered on the envelope for a long moment before he took it from her. His fingers brushed over the seal, eyes narrowing slightly.
He examined it carefully, then finally handed it back. "There's nothing wrong with it. The mana trace matches his perfectly."
Lauren frowned. "That's impossible. I can feel it, Asher. This isn't Father's doing."
"Okay," he said quietly, turning toward the door. "I'll leave you to it."
"Then I'll have to take it to father."
Asher stopped briefly without turning back. "Go ahead."
Her eyes widened slightly. "You know what that means. You know how he'll react if he finds out someone used his seal without permission—"
"Then that's their problem," Asher said, hand on the doorknob. "Not mine."
Her voice softened, uncertain. "You really don't care, do you?"
He paused — just for a second — before replying. "I stopped caring the moment I walked out of that house."
And then he was gone.
Outside the tower, the wind was softer, the world quieter. The courtyard behind the west tower stretched wide and empty, bathed in gold sunlight.
Under a cluster of trees, he saw them — his group, sitting in a wide circle. Selene, Kael, Ronan, Iris… and Lilith, her violet hair gleaming faintly in the light.
They were cultivating, the air around them shimmering faintly from the mana flow. Lilith sat at the center, her aura steady and calm — she was clearly guiding them, adjusting their rhythm, helping them balance their flow.
Asher stood there for a while, watching.
He could feel the faint hum of energy, the calm of focus in their breathing.
Then, without a sound, he walked forward and sat quietly beside them.
No one noticed.
Not Lilith.
Not Kael.
Not even Iris.
He closed his eyes, sinking once more into that perfect silence that belonged only to him — and to the thing that slumbered within.
The shadows rippled faintly, welcoming him home.