Chapter 153
He remembered a night when he had to leave the old building that had served as his temporary shelter after being harshly thrown out by the guard.
Not long after he walked away, panicked screams and a blazing orange glow lit up the night sky.
The building where he had once rested was swallowed by roaring flames.
His instincts, rooted deep within him since the era of his angelic glory, suddenly awoke.
Without a second thought, he—who now lived in the guise of a homeless girl—ran toward the danger.
With an unexpected calm in the midst of general panic, her small hands danced, painting symbols in the air.
Pure and mighty sacred light surged from her fingertips, forming a shield and extinguishing the flames that blocked the exit.
She saved dozens of trapped lives, pulling them out from the mouth of a blazing inferno.
Among those she rescued was a subordinate of the renowned head of Star Academy.
The man, who at first thought Aldraya was merely an ordinary beggar, was stunned by the impossible sight before him.
A homeless girl, who should have had no access to education whatsoever, was wielding high-level sacred magic with astonishing mastery.
What was even more bewildering was how obedient the magic felt—almost as if it had never once rejected her command in its entire existence.
Her absolute fluency and familiarity with the sacred force spoke louder than any academic title could.
With profound gratitude and an acknowledgment of her immeasurable talent, the man approached Aldraya.
After expressing his thanks, he introduced himself and immediately delivered an offer that would alter the fate of the former angel.
An invitation to join and study at Star Academy, a place where future master mages were forged.
A door of hope opened in the midst of her dark path, bringing her a step closer to her new destiny in the mortal world.
'Willingly accepting.'
The meeting with the academy head took place in a study filled with bookshelves and magical artifacts.
The academy head, a white-bearded magister with sharp yet wise eyes, listened intently to his subordinate's report.
He then looked directly at Aldraya, observing the small girl whose ragged appearance was overshadowed by an undeniable aura of spiritual purity.
After a brief conversation confirming her extraordinary skill, the academy head did not offer her a student's seat, but a far more prestigious position: becoming an instructor at the esteemed academy.
Aldraya, with her layered memories spanning thousands of years and her innate mastery over sacred magic, found no reason to refuse.
Behind her youthful appearance lay cosmic wisdom that made the title of teacher feel far more fitting than that of a student.
With a calm and certain nod, she accepted the offer without the slightest hesitation.
There was no nervousness of a new teacher, no questions about salary or responsibilities—only a simple yet dignified acceptance, as though this was a destiny she had long awaited.
Thus, a paradox was born that shocked the entire academy.
A girl who was physically twelve years old—who should have been seated in the lowest class—stood instead at the front of the room as a teacher.
Her age, not yet even thirteen, became the talk of the academy and the root of skepticism.
However, all doubts quickly melted the moment she began teaching.
Every explanation of the most complex sacred magic theories was delivered with astounding clarity.
Every movement of her hands in manipulating Core Flow displayed a degree of mastery that left even senior magisters speechless.
Aldraya, the mysterious former vagrant, had transformed into the youngest and most brilliant teacher Star Academy had ever seen, beginning a new chapter in her unending eternal journey.
'Four years passed.
The same rhythm, the repeating curriculum, even the students' enthusiasm began to feel predictable.
Boring.'
At first, her new routine as an instructor at Star Academy felt like an enjoyable game for Aldraya.
There was a certain satisfaction in sharing a fragment of her boundless sea of knowledge with students whose eyes sparkled with wonder.
This activity also gave her comfortable space to uphold the remnants of her ancient doctrines.
She taught with strict discipline and structure, reflecting her principles of loyalty and devotion.
Occasionally, her long-buried curiosity resurfaced, sparked by the students' innocent questions, filling her heart with nostalgic warmth for her childhood in the Heavenly Garden.
But four years passed swiftly.
Aldraya's physical age was now sixteen, yet her eternal soul began to feel a familiar weight.
Boredom.
The repetitive teaching patterns, the materials she had mastered long before the concept of the world existed, and the same astonished expressions from new students each year—everything became monotonous, like droplets falling on the same stone endlessly.
Her life as a teacher, once refreshing, had now become a new golden cage.
Even when the academy head entrusted her with a special duty, her boredom remained unbroken.
She was tasked with teaching a student named Ilux Rediona in full.
Although this was clearly an honor and a sign of great trust, Aldraya's heart remained unmoved.
She carried out her duty flawlessly, as always, but the fire within her had dimmed.
'A samurai with an indecent gaze, watching Ilux's every move.
This is no coincidence.
Every day, like an undisturbed ritual, he appears.
Watching from afar, as if my student were the center of his orbit.'
Huuuuh!
But in the midst of her endless and dull teaching routine, a strange phenomenon began to disturb Aldraya's tranquility.
Something she had never expected, and at first overlooked with her half-indifferent attention, started to occur.
Throughout her training sessions with Ilux Rediona—whether in the academy courtyard or the special training room—a male samurai always appeared at a distance.
The man did not look respectable.
His worn clothes and the crooked sword hanging at his waist radiated instability.
His behavior was notorious; whispers among the academy's servants called him a mercenary loyal only to the clinking of coins.
Every day, without fail, he watched.
From behind trees, atop walls, or from a distant garden bench, his sharp eyes followed Ilux's every movement from the beginning of practice until the end.
He never approached, never interacted—only observed with an intensity that made Aldraya, whose ancient soul had once overseen worlds, finally uncomfortable.
The samurai's persistence in watching her student awakened something dormant within Aldraya.
Vigilance.
Her deep boredom was suddenly replaced by a tickling curiosity.
Why was a man like that so interested in Ilux?
Was this a threat? Or was there another hidden story?
For the first time in four years, her monotonous routine cracked, replaced by a mystery that reminded her that in this mortal world she deemed dull, there were still twists of fate even a former angel like her could not fully predict.
'Since you refuse to give a reason, then it is my turn to observe you.
Every step, every movement, every interaction.'
The mixture of confusion, curiosity, and an unshakable sense that something was amiss pushed Aldraya to act.
One afternoon, after Ilux's training session ended, she did not return to the teacher's room.
Instead, she turned around and walked directly toward the corner of the garden where the samurai was hiding.
To be continued…