✴️ Phase 1 – The Departure Ritual
Winter had not yet ended.Nor had the old rooms whispered their farewells aloud...Yet they were leaving.
The morning in Arvalore Castle was grey,The snow still clung to the edges of the windowsills,And the fireplaces had been deliberately extinguished the night before—As if the castle itself refused to give a warm goodbye.
Kalidor had to prepare.But no one came to help him dress.
The uniform had been quietly placed on the bed since dawn,Robes folded with care,And a small gray emblem hung — one that bore no distinction.Not golden like the noble's crest,Nor red like the soldier's insignia,Not even that of the servants.
Gray... like the margins of forgotten tales.
He wore it, then stood before the mirror.And for the first time… he didn't look for his face.He only wanted to be sure his reflection was still there.
In the hallways, there was no music.But the servants stood in lines on both sides,Their gazes fixed to the floor,Avoiding all eyes.
Varel stood at the far end of the courtyard,His arm wrapped in a new black band,His sword hanging at his side, unsharpened.
In his usual rough voice, he said:"Today… we don't say goodbye.Whoever goes to the Academy… never returns the same."
Then he pointed to the three standing before him:
Talia – In her dark-blue shaded robe, her staff fastened to her back, her smile sarcastic as always, though she said nothing.Lysa – In full uniform, no visible weapon, her hair tightly tied back, and her eyes fixed on Kalidor more than anything else.Kalidor – Standing between them, but not truly with them.No one touched his shoulder. No one called his name.
Mirek was nowhere to be seen.But he knew... she was watching him from the upper window,Just as she used to when he was too small to climb the stairs alone.
They passed through the Grand Hall.The stone gate was opened for the first time in a year.
And at the threshold...A group of guards stood—not for ceremony—But as if to ensure this departure would not be undone.
At the base of the stairs, there was a single carriage.Gray. Unmarked.Waiting.
Before they boarded, Varel took out a small scroll,And handed it to Lysa.
He said,"When you arrive, open this at night.Not before."
Then he looked at Kalidor for a moment longer,And whispered words only they could hear:
"You may not be a child of the sun…But if you ever choose to burn,None shall ever put you out."
Then he turned away.
No one said "Farewell."No hands were raised in parting.
But as the wheels began to turn,Kalidor heard a voice from afar…A young girl's voice, perhaps a servant's,Whispering from an upper window:
"He who stepped out from the shadow…may never return to it."
Part Two: A Land Unlike the Castle📍 Time: Year 1763 PK
The morning's weather was no different…But the feeling that wrapped around those present at the threshold of departure was not familiar.
The wind was cold despite the sun, and the bags were neatly arranged beside the Academy's official carriage. As for the looks exchanged, they varied—some fixed on the future, others drowning in what was being left behind.
Kalidor stood in silence by the exit gate of Arvalore Castle. He wasn't wearing his usual gray armor, but a dark blue cloak that hid beneath its folds the remnants of his childhood years. His eyes didn't lift much, as if refusing to look past the stone gate.
Behind him, Lysa was reviewing the academic files sent from the Academy. She didn't seem truly occupied, yet kept her eyes on the paper, avoiding any glances—as though some farewell was disrupting her inner order.
Talia sat on one of the crates, watching the doves circling near the gate. She wasn't interested in the documents or the carriage. She was murmuring something… perhaps a song, perhaps a prayer, or maybe just a way to dissolve the tension she refused to acknowledge.
Everyone knew something had ended…And what was coming would not resemble what came before.
By early afternoon, the official carriage from the Academy arrived.
Its driver said nothing. The gilded emblem on its side—a sun interwoven with a seven-pointed star—was enough to silence the servants and prompt the guards to begin the ceremonial arrangements.
Lysa stepped forward first, holding her entry file. Talia followed. Then came Kalidor, who did not look back.
It was a silent farewell.
Only Mirek, watching from the balcony, raised her hand for a brief moment… then disappeared.
Inside the Academy: Where Something Nameless Begins
Crossing into the Academy of Lomania was not merely a passage to a place… but to an entirely new tier of existence.
Its towering walls were not built from stone alone, but from ancient auras, holding within them hundreds of names, bloodlines, and fateful decisions. The northern gate through which they entered opened into a central square known as The First Stream, where races, disciplines, and regions all blended.
The Academy, structured like a self-contained city, was divided into major zones—each with its own character:
The Royal District: Reserved for individuals of noble, recognized lineage. Here, Eliana (Kalidor's sister, five years younger) and Lyn (Lysa's sister, one year younger than Kalidor) were registered. The residences had a quiet opulence, and their curtains could not be opened without the approval of the guards.
The Gray District: Where both Lysa and Kalidor were assigned. Students here did not enjoy elite privileges, but they weren't commoners either. It was a middle class—essential for maintaining balance. Training cells, sharp-edged pavements, and bio-energy measuring devices were scattered throughout as if intentionally placed traps.
The Magic Specialization Zone: Where Talia's lessons were held. Surrounded by tall trees reinforced with ancient enchantments, this area offered diverse magical teachings—from summoning to illusion crafting—and was strictly off-limits to non-certified students.
In addition to these three core districts, several peripheral areas gave the Academy its intricate vitality:
The Thousand Nights Library: Located on the third floor of the eastern wing. Entry was only granted to those with special academic clearance.
The Slanted Mirror Square: Used for camouflage tests and mental discipline evaluations.
The Hollow Complex: The primary physical training center, equipped with open arenas and hyper-realistic combat simulations.
The Third Guard Core: Restricted to those who excelled in offensive and defensive combat arts.
Inside the Hierarchy: Academic Divisions and Specializations
Lysa, despite being in the "Gray District," was granted a special privilege: the ability to pursue multiple disciplines simultaneously. She was a candidate in knightly arts, elemental magic, and tactical administration—but her true, unofficial task was clear: to monitor Kalidor's development.
Kalidor, meanwhile, was registered at the first level of the Gray Formation. His practical skills were notably weak. On the first day, he struggled to interact with basic magical tools. His energy failed to respond swiftly, and his defensive movements were considered unrefined. The elite fingers of the Gray District wasted no time in passing judgment.
Talia was enrolled in a dual-track course—elemental magic and sonic transformations. Her social sharpness often masked her scattered focus, but she frequently dazzled those around her with unexpected brilliance.
Eliana, despite her youth, was exempted from standard training and placed in a "Future Supervision" curriculum in the Royal District. Lyn accompanied her in theory classes but studied separately in an unnamed specialization—rumored to involve "sensory engineering."
And on the final day of the week, the first notes began to echo from The Celestial Tower Square.
Long rows of students gathered. Banners fluttered. Interwoven chants rose in unison.
The Kingdom's anthem—no, the Academy's anthem—began. In a language ancient, terrifying, and yet eerily familiar.
Kalidor, standing among the ranks, did not sing.
But something within the tune—despite its alien tongue—struck him as a memory strikes the heart of a stranger…In a land that does not yet know his name.
Part Three: The Voice That Does Not Rise in Class📍 From Kalidor's Perspective
His entry into the First Gray Class was not an event worth noting.No one waited at the door,No one wrote his name in bold on the opening slate.All he saw at the threshold…Was his own reflection in the glass of the door—Pale, exhausted, and standing where he didn't belong.
"This class is preliminary sorting,"Said the first instructor—a man without eyebrows, his voice devoid of fondness or disdain."Gray students will be reassigned based on performance.Some of you will be sent back to the lower grounds.Some may rise."
But Kalidor…He already knew which way he was being pushed.
He sat in the last row, near a fogged-up window.Everything about him whispered that he didn't belong.And no one tried to deny it.
His tools were simple.His pen wasn't properly sharpened.His robe was too large, as if the Academy itself refused to take his measure accurately.
The first lecture was on "Principles of Core Magic Activation."Everyone around him gripped their light wands—And sparks flickered from their tips…Everyone but him.
He could feel it inside him…But it wouldn't come.As if it were waiting for something that would never happen.
The instructor approached him after the lesson,Glanced at the wand, then at him,And said:
"Maybe… it just doesn't trust you yet."
Then she walked away.
In the physical training hall,The floor was covered in soft sand,And opponents were assigned by draw.
When his name appeared on the board…It was next to a girl from the Upper Gray Tier.Her first strike knocked him down.The second broke the handle of his wooden sword.
No one laughed.But someone whispered:
"Who even approved his registration?"
On the third evening,He stood in front of the mirror inside the Gray Dormitory.The mirror was cracked at the corner,Hanging from a rusted nail.
He saw his face—It didn't resemble the face of the castle.Nor did it resemble his sister's.
It looked weaker.Quieter.And far more tired than it should've been.
In the hallway, he ran into Lysa.
She was just leaving the knights' training hall.Her sweat wasn't visible… but it was there.She saw him. She paused.
"Are you eating?" she asked without preamble.
"Sometimes."
"Are you attending your activation classes?"
"I attend."
"Do you understand anything?"
"No."
She went silent,Then said quietly:
"Stay in the middle.Even failure needs balance."
On the fifth night,From the window of the Gray Zone,He heard the Academy's anthem being rehearsed from one of the distant towers.It wasn't clear,But there was a rhythm in it… familiar.
Something about it—Like it came from a time he hadn't been born into,Yet somehow knew well.
And he whispered to himself,As he reached for the wand once again:
"Maybe… I can be.Not now…But later."
Then he took a slow breath,Closed his eyes,And tried—once more.
Part Four: She Who Sees Yet Remains Unseen📍 From Lysa's Perspective
She hadn't come to the Academy to learn.She came to observe.
So, she wasn't surprised when she was placed in the Upper Gray Class—Even though she had passed all the entrance trials of the Castle without hesitation.
"Choose your path freely,"Said the supervisor."Equestrian arts, analysis, layered magic, even combat strategy… you have an exception."
But she didn't answer right away.
That evening, she opened the map of the divisions,And placed her finger on the Lower Gray Sector.
"I want to start here," she said.
"Here?" The supervisor blinked in surprise."But your level is far beyond."
"I know."
The Gray Zone wasn't poor in knowledge—But it was poor in trust.Everyone there seemed to test one another as though thieves in a student's uniform.
But she wasn't afraid of suspicion.In fact, she fed on it.
During the first week, she attended solo horseback training,Then supplementary magic lessons,Then ancient text analysis—only because she wanted to know what others didn't.
And after each class,She would glance toward one of the distant seats across the hall,Where Kalidor sat—Silent, uncurious, uninvited.
She saw him drop his sparring stick twice during combat drills.She saw him "read" the Principles of Balance without ever opening the book the next day.She saw him try to produce his first spark…Then hide it as soon as it appeared.
But she never intervened.
She knew: those watched too closely—don't change.They freeze.
One day, before a balanced-combat session began,She approached the instructor and whispered:
"Let me be his partner this round."
The instructor eyed her.
"You're entitled. But if he fails… don't expect protection."
Lysa only nodded.
When the match began,Kalidor saw her and stepped back slightly.
She spoke softly, following the protocol of formal greeting:
"I'll strike you three times.Then I'll leave you a chance to answer."
He responded after a pause:
"Is this training?"
"This is observation. The rest… is yours."
She struck him—First on the shoulder.Then on the knee.Then lightly on his left side.
But he didn't answer.
As she withdrew, she said:
"You're not weak.You're… waiting."
Then she turned,And left the wooden blade where it was.
Later that same day,She entered the Alchemical Ceramics Hall, where students could interact with synthetic magical materials.She saw Kalidor standing by a table,Staring at a fire core—without touching it.
She approached calmly, and asked:
"Planning to wait for it to melt on its own?"
He replied without looking at her:
"Sometimes… I just don't have my tools yet."
She answered:
"And sometimes, the tools are waiting for someone to believe in them."
That night, she sat before her mirror,Opened her private evaluation log,And wrote:
"He's still hiding.Not from fear,But from a will not yet formed.Yet… he is capable of change."
She closed the journal,Looked at her candlelight,And whispered:
"And I… will be here when he changes."
✴️ Phase 5 – Talia: A Flame Whose Glow Is Unseen
Talia never liked high-ceilinged rooms.
She preferred the ground—cold tiles, smooth stones, even windows that never opened fully… the kind that gave you the sense that the sky hovered above you, but didn't belong to you.
From the moment she arrived at the "Magical Specialization Division" in the Lumania Academy, she realized that everything here was designed to test whether she deserved her place. No one said it outright, but the eyes said more than enough.
The main hall of the specialization wing was built on a slope, surrounded by half-living murals that sometimes pulsed with strange patterns when powerful spirits walked by. Any student whose mural did not light up in the first week… was banned from entering the Flame Library.
Talia's did not light up.
At first, she thought it was a coincidence. In the next few times, she tried to laugh — as she always did — and said to her classmate:
"Seems the stone doesn't like my hair."
But the truth she told no one… was that she had begun to fear she had come to a place that didn't even acknowledge her existence.
She was assigned to train in the "Sensory Fusion Circle," where a sorcerer's ability to separate emotion from energy was tested. Most of her classmates bowed to the tools as instructed… except for Talia. She couldn't keep the fear from her fingers, nor ignite a surge without trembling.
"You lack a stable core in your inner spectrum,"the instructor once said in a cold voice.
Then added:"Some aristocrats arrive bearing a name… but it doesn't ignite when touched."
Talia smiled as usual and bowed as if she had expected it. But that evening, when she returned to her room, she did not sleep.
Instead, she wrote in a small notebook no one else could read:
"I hate that my name weighs on me.I want to be a sorceress because I can… not because I'm a daughter of House Discra."
In the days that followed, Talia began to practice on her own — away from prying eyes. She would go to the western yard when it was empty, repeat the lesson, fail, and try again… with no applause, no corrections, no certificates.
And one night, the mural came.
No one saw it light up, but as she passed by, a faint flash sparked — barely visible — then faded.
Talia didn't stop.
She told no one.
But at the end of class that day, she asked the instructor a question that seemed to have nothing to do with the lesson:
"Does magic choose us… or do we choose it?"
The woman answered with a look that showed no sympathy:
"Magic chooses no one. It exists… but grants nothing without taking something in return."
Talia looked toward the back wall and whispered:
"Can we be sorcerers… without losing something of ourselves?Or does every spell, even when it succeeds, steal something we can't see?"
The instructor didn't answer this time.
But after everyone had left, Talia returned to the mural — alone — and walked past it without a smile.
Because now she knew…
The light she had been waiting for wasn't supposed to see her only…It was supposed to fear her.
✴️ Phase 6 – Lin: A Flower in a Field of Stone
The royal palace of the Academy did not resemble the palaces of typical kingdoms.Its walls were made of smooth, black stone—shining with an uncomfortable gleam,as if light itself refused to rest upon them.
Lin walked down the long corridor,her silent soles tapping against the gleaming floor,as the gazes of the servants passed over her without focus.She was not a servant here.Nor a lady.Just… something in between.
She lived in the eastern wing of the royal district,a spacious room—larger than she was used to.Everything inside was perfectly arranged…but nothing felt like hers.
Aliana was only two halls away—her only relative in this place,but they were very different.
The young girl—Kalidor's sister—walked as if the tiles beneath her feet already knew her name.She wasn't arrogant…But she was treated as though she had the right to move forward,even before proving anything.
Lin, unlike her,looked at everything as if it were new,and always hesitated before touching a door… or opening a book.
One morning,she entered the open library courtyard,and saw a boy sitting at the edge of a high window,scribbling something into a small notebook,his eyes half-closed, his voice… nonexistent.
She approached,but made no sound.She knew who he was.
Jess.
He wasn't from the royal district,nor from the commoners.
He was simply… there.
One student once said about him:"He's like a shadow of Astera… but no longer casts a reflection."
Jess didn't speak to her.But when he noticed her presence,he closed his notebook…and stood without a word.
The next day,that same notebook was placed on her table,with a single sheet inside. It read:
"When the forest map is unclear… draw your path first, then test whether the tree follows you."
She didn't quite understand it,but something stirred within her.
During morning supervision,one of the administrators enteredand announced:
"The High Observer will commence a fifth evaluation of behavioral balance."
Aliana raised an eyebrow,then whispered:
"My teacher said they want to see if we produce influence… or if we are consumed."
Lin didn't understand.But she wrote the sentence down.
At the end of the day,she was permitted to enter the "Blue Circle"—a zone reserved only for those with special administrative clearance.
There, from afar,she saw a familiar silhouette.
A woman standing beneath the glow of a blue candle,wearing a grey cloak with no symbols,and beside her… the same silent woman who once accompanied Astera.
She didn't approach.
But she felt… watched.
And for the first time,she didn't just feel alone,but cautious.
That night, she returned to her suiteand found a second note folded under her pillow.
The same handwriting.The same grey ink.
"There are eyes that see…but do not tell you they see.Be the one who precedes the word— not the one who follows it."
There was no signature.But beneath it, in very small handwriting, she wrote:
"I'm trying… but I don't always understand."
Then she closed the note,and placed it inside her favorite book—one she had not yet opened.
The next morning,everyone was preparing for the First-Year Talent Showcase.
But Lin… did not head to the hall.
She stood in a corner of the library,and instead drew a circle.
Inside it, she wrote:
"If I am not part of the light,perhaps I am something…that makes the light move."
And left it at that.
✴️ Phase 7 – Alyana: A Shadow of Gold
Alyana entered the Grand Academy of Lomenia in a silence unlike the noisy arrival of other newcomers.
There was no parade, no banners, no music accompanying her…But the breath of a few students caught the moment they saw the color of her hair:soft gold like the wings of a sacred bee,and her eyes — the hue of morning over snow —gazing with a curiosity larger than her small frame.
She was only eleven,but she walked through the gates of the royal district as though she'd learned protocol since infancy.
On her first morning,she stood in the southern court of the upper sector,trying to adjust the royal sash over her small shoulders,humming a melody known to no one… but herself.
Lin stood beside her — her close servant and chosen companion,watching her anxiously and flipping through the pages of the training schedule.
"Alyana?" she asked as she lifted her head,"Will they let me enter the Arsenal Wing?I want to see the violet crystals teacher Astera told me about."
Lin hesitated, then replied gently:
"Not today, my lady… but if you complete your morning ritual lessons, they might allow us tomorrow."
Alyana furrowed her brows slightly:
"I'm not a lady here… I'm just a first-year initiate, right?"
"Right," Lin answered… but the word was reluctant.
Alyana didn't know all the rules,but she knew how to listen —and in the Academy,that was the greatest magic a child could master.
She observed the senior students from afar,wrote their names in a small notebook with golden patterns,and beside each name, she drew a symbol:
☀︎ – if they seemed kind.⚔︎ – if they were fighters.☁︎ – if they looked tired or mysterious.
She hadn't written Kalidor's name yet.But she was searching for him — though she never said it aloud.
On her third day,she had her first lesson in vocal rituals.The hall was wide… but she sat alone,hands resting in her lap,her voice trembling as she recited:
"Sa-réal… Fán luminae…""E'thál... véra di'nor…"
Her voice wasn't strong,but it carried a tone that knew how to touch the ear,as if whispering words not meant to be understood…but meant to be followed.
The teacher turned to her,and said quietly:
"That voice… belongs only to the daughters of the Covenant."
She said no more.
At the end of the first week,the administration allowed her to accompany Lin to the southern wing —where second-level students trained.
And there…she saw him.
He wasn't waiting for her.He didn't even notice her.
But he was standing in the outer arena,holding a wooden sword…his eyes half-closed,his strikes unbalanced.
Lin said:
"Kalidor…"
But Alyana shook her head,and gestured for her to be silent.
Then she whispered:
"That's not him."
And said nothing more.
That evening, she returned to her chamber,sat at the edge of her bed,and wrote beside his name in the notebook:
☁︎
Then closed the page.
But before sleep came,she opened her notebook again,crossed out the symbol,and replaced it with a single word:
"Waiting."
✴️ Phase 8 – Lin: The Rose That Cannot Be Plucked
Lin was not chosen to be in the Academy.
She wasn't listed among the nobles, nor among those of royal blood.
But she was… placed.
Placed beside Alyana, like a shadow unnoticed until the sun disappears.
She entered the Academy through the side gate —the one with the blue stone corridors,carrying a small book that never left her hand.She never asked about her wing,because she already knew:she wasn't here to belong…but to accompany the one who must not be left alone.
She was twelve,younger than most around her,but that never made her feel lesser.
She was permitted to reside in the royal wing,but she never passed the first hall…unless Alyana was with her.
She wrote down everything:ritual schedules, hallway names, the sound of the inner bell.
And when asked what she was doing,she'd reply with a faint smile:
"I organize the unorganizable."
One morning,she was granted an introductory lesson in ritual mathematics —a lesson rarely given to those outside the highblood circles.
She sat by the window,opened her notebook,but the teacher said softly:
"You're not required here."
Before leaving,she asked calmly:
"May I stay… as an observer?"
A long silence… then a reluctant nod.
She sat.And spoke to no one.
But at the end of the session,when the teacher asked for the error in the third rite's equation,she raised her hand.
She spoke the answer…Then fell silent.
It was correct.
The teacher said nothing.
But one of the students muttered from the back:
"The servant speaks now?"
She heard it…but didn't respond.
She only wrote one line in her notebook:
"Even the servant… keeps the flame from dying."
Alyana knew Lin gave her everything.
But Lin didn't do it for gratitude.She did it… so she wouldn't be just a "companion".
But a witness —to prove no one is made of silence alone.
One day,she stood by the high windows in the eastern courtyard,and saw from afar a girl with carefully tied dark brown hairstanding steadily atop the equestrian platform.
Lisa.
She stared at her for a long time,then wrote in her notebook:
"The sister I never reached."
And on the next line:
"But… perhaps I can still find my way to her."
She hadn't spoken to Lisa yet.Nor to Kalidor.But she saw him once in the library,and as she passed near him,she said in a low voice, heard only by him:
"The flame never dies… it just needs a new stone."
He didn't answer.
But when he turned —she had already vanished behind the shelves.
That same night,she saw Alyana writing something in her secret notebook.
She approached her,and asked:
"Are you writing about me?"
Lin smiled:
"About us… when we become more than just roles."
✴️ Phase 10 – When Silent Wings Speak 📍 Part One: Alyana – A Shadow That Isn't Hers
Alyana didn't know fear.Nor did she know hesitation.
But something about the walls of the royal wing… made her footsteps slower,and made her breath fade before it could reach the edges of the room.
The Academy was massive,but her wing was too quiet.
Her room, smelling of white wax and bound books,wasn't cold… yet it wasn't warm either.
Since her arrival, she had been placed in the "Eastern Royal Zone,"where heirs of pure blood resided,and where hallways were designed to echo footsteps, not voices.
She sat at the edge of her bed,staring at the polished wall,and whispered to herself:
"Am I here… because I was born here?Or because they want me to become something?"
No one answered.
She walked to the window,and outside, the rose garden was lit by tall blue lanterns,resembling tongues of flame… but they did not burn.
From afar, she heard the royal anthem echo — not fully, not clearly,but the same line kept returning like a whisper:
"Свету дана, кровь в венах поёт…"("For the light of day… the blood sings in the veins…")
Then, as if fate had agreed,Lin entered with light steps, like someone not wishing to disturb the light itself.
📍 Part Two: Lin – The Sentence Never Spoken
Lin tried to hide her unease…but the corridors were unforgiving.
In the royal wing, no one raised their voice,but everything was heard.
She had come to accompany Alyana,but she was no longer just a maid.
They told her she would receive special training,that she would be observed, measured, and tested…
But no one told her what to do when royal eyes looked at heras if she didn't belong here.
When she sat before Alyana,she tried to smile.
But Alyana looked her straight in the eye and said:
"You know, Lin…sometimes I feel like everyone here speaks a language I can't understand."
Lin finally smiled.
"That's because they don't speak — they watch."Then added in a softer voice:"But we can speak… even if no one hears us."
They went silent for a moment.
Then, from one of the windows,a distant sound reached them… the sound of a piano in one of the side halls.
It played the same melody,but muffled — as if the Academy itself was replaying it with fatigue.
"Gloria… la-la… lal… laa…"
Alyana closed her eyes,and for the first time in days, didn't feel like she was in some distant wing…
But that she… existed.
📍 Part Three: Kalidor – The Stranger No One Notices
It had been two days since he arrived at the Academy… maybe more,but Kalidor didn't feel like anyone truly noticed he was there.
In the "Grey Zone,"no one looked twice.
Lisa was nearby… but didn't approach.
Talia was busy with her intense magical training.
As for him, he had entered the first class in the combat formation schedule,and sat in the last row.
No one asked his name.No one requested anything.
When one of the instructors asked about his abilities,he replied softly:"I'm still learning…"
The instructor said:"Then… sit and learn."
At night, he returned to his room.
Its walls were faded grey,and his bed was covered with a blanket that bore no crest or symbol.
No Arvalore Tree.No Inverted Sun.
He sat in the corner,pulled out an old book he found on the shelf,and began reading — not because he wanted to,but because he didn't know what else to do.
But when he reached the third page,he stopped.
There was a small signature in the corner…written in handwriting he knew all too well:
"Don't be afraid to be the only one… Sometimes, it's the only way to see everything."— Jess
He smiled,then slowly closed the book,as if the memory alone was enough to keep him from falling apart.
🕯️ A Grey Night on the Edge of the Grey Wing – After the First Day at the Academy
In the rear corner of the stone hall,Lisa sat on a low wooden bench, her back straight like a sword,her eyes calmly following the last warmth of the candle on the nearby table.The grey fabric on the walls had started to crack from the dampness,but Lisa wasn't looking at it…She was staring at that door which hadn't opened in hours.
"He should've arrived before us…"she murmured quietly, then continued scribbling fragmented wordsin a small notebook — thoughts she didn't want to admit out loud.
By the high window, Kalidor stood,arms resting on the railing, gazing out at the Academy's garden.The metallic-colored leaves didn't move much,but they whispered something that couldn't be spoken.
Lisa quietly approached him.
Lisa:"I thought you'd disappear. Or stay silent, as always."
Kalidor (quietly):"I was wondering… if I really deserve to be here."
Lisa:"And… did you find an answer?"
Kalidor:"Not yet…"
They stood in silence for a moment.Then she said, her gaze fixed on the sky covered in thin mist:
Lisa:"You know… no one here is going to give you an answer.Not the Academy, not the instructors, not even me."
She stepped back toward the stone stairs:
"But I'll be watching you. Like I always did.Not to judge… but to see when you'll stop fearing your own shadow."
He didn't reply.
Elsewhere in the building,Talia sat on the roof of a side library,her feet dangling from the edge, her hand writing somethingon the back of an old notebook.
Talia (to herself):"They're all trying to be something.And me? I still don't know what I want to be."
The Academy's bell began to chime faintly,signaling the end of the first day.
But no one moved.
As if everyone… was still waiting for something yet to happen.
✴️ Phase 11 – Without Shadows
🌒 Unknown Place – Beneath a Starless Sky
In the quiet darkness, there were no roads.Only eroded rocks, and a cold breath that sounded like the voice of the void.
A man wearing a black cloak with a grey hood walked alone.He left no trace on the ground, and his footsteps made no sound.
The air was heavy with the scent of iron and ancient frost,and the dried trees around him gave off only a creaking noise, like a forgotten longing.
Then, atop the mountain, the shape of an abandoned structure appeared — a tower, half-collapsed,surrounded by black rocks like frozen ash.
The man approached the door, but did not knock.Instead, he extended his hand… and a red circle of light appeared at his fingertips.
The gate opened slowly, and a faint voice seeped out:
"You're late… Nero."
He removed his hood, revealing his face.A silent face, more mature than before,with the eyes of a watcher — not questioning, only recording.
Nero:"The paths have changed. I had to pass through a moonless forest."
Silence.
Then the shadows inside stirred, and a featureless figure emerged —someone resembling the ancient Observers, their body wrapped in a cloak of rare leather.
The Entity:"Have the three entered the Academy?"
Nero:"They have… each in a different place.And the one we've been waiting for… has begun to waver."
The Entity (with a hint of laughter in its voice):"The Son of Shadow still doesn't see himself?"
Nero:"He sees… but his reflection remains without features."
Then, he pulled a small dark stone from his pocket, engraved with a triad symbol,and placed it on the stone table in the center of the room.
Nero:"This… was hidden in the Arvalore cellar.They won't understand its worth… until one of them suffers."
The Entity raised its head slightly.
The Entity:"And the sister?"
Nero (calmly, coldly):"Still in the light. But the shadow… is near."
He stepped back.
Nero:"The next move is in their hands, not mine."
Then he turned, and left through the gate… just as he had come.
And he disappeared into the night…without anyone realizing that the one who had leftwas not merely a servant, nor a student, nor just a spy—
But something akin to a fracture in the heart of time.
Afterwords
A new chapter of this journey has come to an end…
A journey woven with edges of silence, fractured identity, and glances that never complete the path.
But remember…What was revealed today is only the shadow, not the wound.
What makes Kalidor so alone despite being surrounded by many?
Why does Eliana avoid interacting with him, and is she truly distant?
What is the secret behind the whispers of the students when his name is mentioned?
Is what Kalidor sees about himself the truth, or just a shadow of it?
What is Lyne's true role in observing the events around Kalidor?
The next chapter, "The Whisper of Other Blood", will be the heaviest yet…
More intense, deeper in its wounds, and closer to the truth that names fear.
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Because this story is not written alone… it beats with those who follow it.
We won't say goodbye,
But only whisper: the next is closer to the blood.
See you in the next chapter.
⚜️ Until then… don't close your eyes.