The air in the Forgotten Archives had grown heavier.
The relic's presence—now acknowledged by the Sovereign System—was dormant, yes, but Lucien knew better. Power that slept was not powerless. It was simply waiting to be claimed.
He approached the sealed podium at the back of the chamber, where a thick veil of magic shimmered faintly in the air. Carved symbols pulsed beneath dust, thrumming with forgotten energy.
> \[Sovereign System – Analysis Initiated]
> Unbound Relic Identified: The Mirror of False Becoming
> Status: Sealed
> Risk Level: Moderate
> Effect: Unknown (requires partial unlocking to appraise)
Lucien extended his palm and whispered a single word:
"Yield."
The air shifted.
Runes flared.
The relic responded.
---
### The First Vision
A silver ripple tore through the veil—light and shadow coiling outward as the mirror emerged from its prison. It was cracked at the edges, ancient, but alive with an eerie pulse. For a moment, Lucien saw himself in the reflection… but older. Twisted. Crowned. Blood staining his hands, eyes alight with something monstrous.
Then the vision fractured. And the mirror went still.
> \[Warning: Relic Interaction Detected – Mind Integrity Check Passed.]
> \[Fragment Gained: Echo of Ascension]
> +3 Illusion Resistance
> +1 Spatial Awareness
> Trait Unlocked: Foreshadowed Self – Access future potential fragments.
Lucien inhaled slowly. So this was the academy's hidden gift: glimpses of the future, echoes of what he could become—or avoid.
It would be foolish to rely on it blindly.
But ignoring it would be even more foolish.
He covered the mirror again and anchored a second layer of illusions over the chamber—disguising it from even the most advanced detection spells.
This was his sanctum now.
---
### \[Meanwhile: The Council Watches]
Elsewhere, deep within the arcane observatory of House Nyx, several elder mages reviewed student profiles. Their crystal scrying table shimmered as names flickered past: heirs, prodigies, threats.
When Lucien Silver Star's name appeared, the glow dimmed.
"Third son of House Silver Star," one of them murmured. "Still an enigma."
"His appraisal marks were irregular. No traces of raw elemental affinity," another said. "But his charm metrics are… unnatural."
The Archmage of Sight narrowed her eyes. "He's hiding something."
"But what?" asked another.
"Not what. Who he is becoming."
A silent decision passed between them.
They would test him.
---
### Back at the Academy: The Test Begins
Lucien returned to class the next morning to find the usual lecture replaced.
Instead of theory and spell calculus, the room had been transformed into a maze of layered illusions and false constructs.
At the center stood an instructor from House Nyx—masked, tall, unnaturally still.
"Today's test," he said, "is perception."
One by one, students entered the labyrinth.
One by one, they became lost.
It was Lucien's turn.
---
### Trial of Mirrors
The moment he stepped inside, reality bent.
Walls shifted. Floors vanished. Time rippled backward.
He was surrounded by shifting images of himself—smiling, crying, dying. Each step forward became a step deeper into his subconscious.
But Lucien had seen deeper things than this.
He closed his eyes. Not to escape—but to feel.
He let his Spatial Awareness extend outward, every illusion becoming data, every misdirection becoming a node of falsehood.
Then he activated his latest gift: Foreshadowed Self.
And for a moment—he split.
One Lucien remained behind, rooted in the present. The other walked forward—an echo of who he could become. Stronger. Colder. Faster.
He saw the exit.
Saw the truth.
Saw the test for what it was: a probe.
And he passed it.
---
### Outside the Maze
When he emerged, not a single hair out of place, the instructors whispered.
"No hesitation."
"He mapped it instinctively."
"He didn't fall for the false self trap…"
The masked Nyx instructor nodded slightly. "Interesting."
Lucien simply bowed. "Thank you for the lesson."
But he knew it was not a test—it was a warning.
Someone had noticed.
Someone was watching.
But they were too late. The boy they thought they were testing had already started becoming the man who would one day rewrite the rules of power itself.
---
### \[System Update – Academic Reputation Increased]
New Title: "The Prodigy of Shadows"
Passive Effects: +10% Charm when interacting with nobility under 30
Additional Note: Reputation has reached peer review level—expect invitations.