We stepped into our dorm room and for a prestigious institute like Grace academy, the room screamed expensive..
Not in a loud, gold-plated kind of way—but it was still luxurious. The walls were smooth and clean, and a fancy lantern hung from the center of the ceiling. The beds looked spacious and soft, tucked in with dark sheets that had gold stitching along the edges. Even the air smelled clean.
We didn't really do much with the rest of the afternoon. After settling in, we met up with Mireya again and wandered around the library for a while. None of us were really in the mood to study, so we just grabbed whatever books caught our eye—old legends, weird monsters, even some badly written romance thing Yulien found and refused to put down.
Time slipped by without us noticing. Eventually, the sunlight through the windows grew dim.
By the time we got back to the dorms, everything felt quieter yet peaceful.
Yulien shut off the lantern with a flick of his fingers.
"Night," he said.
"Mm."
I didn't mean to fall asleep so fast. But the quiet, the warmth... it pulled me under fast, like the room itself was trying to help me rest.
Morning came quicker than I expected. The night had barely even lasted. All around the dorms, you could feel it—people getting dressed, footsteps. Everyone was getting ready.
Yulien and I were also getting ready for the First-Year Placement Exam, I felt a mix of nervousness and excitement.
"You ready?" he said.
I smiled, "Of course."
We arrived at the arena, and it was pretty large. I knew the academy itself was quite spacious already—you could see its buildings from afar. But this arena looked like it was designed for people who could level multiple buildings with ease.
There were five platforms spread across the arena, each large and each with an instructor observing. Mireya, Yulien and I took swords from the weapon rack.
Since there were only five platforms, there could be only five duels at a time. We waited quite a while for our turns. Yulien was the first of the three of us to fight.
The instructor called out their names with a firm and stern voice.
"Yulien Lahde. Reyn Layfen. Step forward."
Yulien stood, exhaling once as he walked into the platform.
Reyn approached from the opposite side, his eyes already observing Yulien. He'd already unsheathed his longsword, holding it as he stepped into the platform without hesitation.
They stopped, the distance between them exact. No words. No introductions.
The instructor raised his arm.
A pause.
Then his arm dropped.
With no hesitation, Reyn closed the distance in a blink, wind surging at his back to push him forward. His first strike came from above—an overhead slash, enhanced with fire and heat, meant to test Yulien's reaction.
But Yulien didn't meet it head-on.
Yulien stepped back, water spiraling up his arm just in time. The blade crashed into the swirling liquid with a sharp hiss, steam curling up from the force of impact.
Reyn followed up with a horizontal slash, releasing a sword wave of fire towards Yulien.
Without hesitation, Yulien conjured a wall of water with a sweep of his hand. The flame met it head-on, hissing violently as steam burst.
But Reyn was already backing off to create distance, his sword raised again, eyes observing him.
Crackles sparked around his fingers as he raised his hand. Bright threads of lightning coiled and danced in his palm.
The lightning in Yulien's hand crackled louder, growing more intense as it expanded, surging up his arm. He then shaped it into a long, glowing javelin and hurled it forward.
The lightning javelin struck Reyn in the chest with a loud snap. His body tensed up, arms twitching as the current rushed through him. For a second, he just stood there frozen. Before his legs gave out and he dropped to his knees, then slumped forward onto the platform.
The fight was over.
The instructor then declared,
"The winner is Yulien Lahde."
Yulien turned to me, his expression unreadable at first, then he gave me a small, confident smile.
He moved forward quietly, leaving Mireya and I to wait for our turns.
Surprisingly, we both went at the same time. Initially I thought I would have a rematch with her but she's fighting another person.
We split off without a word, each heading toward a different platform. I didn't look back. There wasn't time for that.
The instructor observing the fight called my name and the person who I'm up against.
"Luë Aluden. Morgan Hale."
We both stepped forward, making eye contact with each other.
The instructor raised his arm.
Then it dropped.
His foot slammed into the ground as he dashed forward, closing the distance faster than I expected. I braced, stepping back into a guarded stance, but he was already mid-swing. His blade came down hard, and when I caught it with mine, the impact rattled through my arms.
He was strong. Too strong for someone who hadn't even entered a class yet.
I parried to the side and slipped in a counter, cutting low toward his ribs. He twisted, letting the strike graze past him, and countered with a boot to my stomach that sent me sliding across the ground.
The platform was cold beneath my feet. My hands tightened around the hilt.
Morgan didn't give me time to breathe. He came again, faster this time. His sword came down from above
But there wasn't one.
He fought like someone used to killing people.
My mind sharpened. All that remained was the sound of Morgan's footsteps and the weight of my sword in my hands.
Then I remembered.
That moment Mireya gathered Essentia in her palm, she'd formed it into an orb made up of wind.
I should've used this earlier!
Morgan charged again, faster than before, aiming toward my shoulder.
But this time, I didn't dodge.
I stepped in, forcing his blade downward.
The edge of his sword scraped across my left hip—painful, but shallow. My blade shot upward toward his face, and in that final moment, I poured every ounce of energy and control into its tip.
His eyes widened in surprise, but it was too late.
The concentrated energy was released.
Morgan's head snapped back with the impact. The force of the strike rippled throughout the arena, momentarily halting a few nearby duels.
His body hit the ground a second later. Knocked out cold by the strike.
The arena fell silent. Everyone looked over at what just happened—even the people still fighting on the platforms.
The weight in my chest finally caught up with me. My knees gave out, and I hit the ground before I could even process it.
Everything felt heavy.
Then—
Consciousness returned slowly.
The last thing I remembered was the strike landing—Morgan passing out, the silence that followed.
I looked up at the ceiling, confused.
"…Where am I?"
"You're awake," Yulien said from beside me.
I turned my head. He sat at my side, calm but clearly relieved. Mireya stood just behind him, arms folded, watching in silence.
"You passed out right after the fight," he said.
Mireya gave a small shrug. "Not surprised. You looked like you were ready to drop even before you won."
I tried to sit up, but my arms trembled.
"Easy," Yulien said. "You're not fully healed yet."
I let myself fall back against the bed, exhaling slowly.
"…Oh well," I said.
Mireya stepped a little closer.
"I've got good news," she said, with a smile on her face.
"We all made it into A-1."
My eyes widened slightly. "…Seriously?"
Yulien smirked. "Seriously. Top of the class."
Mireya's smile grew smug. "Not bad for a guy who passed out in front of everyone."
"You're never letting that go, are you?"
She grinned. "Oh, I know. Morgan Hale, that genius brute."
I tilted my head. "You knew him?"
"Only by name," she said with a shrug. "Big family. Lots of noise around him during enrollment. People thought he'd breeze his way to the top."
Yulien added, "He was strong, yeah. But he wasn't ready for you."
I leaned my head back against the pillow, still trying to process it all. A-1. Top class.
"…Feels unreal," I said.
Mireya gave a short laugh. "Get used to it."
Yulien chuckled beside her. "But oh… you should've seen the look on her face when YOU passed out."
Her smile dropped instantly. "Excuse me?"
He smirked. "She was panicking. She hurried onto the platform, you know."
"I was checking if he was still breathing." she said, with a clearly flustered face.
Yulien leaned back in his chair. "Still. Never seen you move that fast."
She raised an eyebrow. "Would you rather I hadn't?"
"…Fair," he admitted.
I gave a faint smile. "Thanks."
Mireya's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "So… what exactly are you?"
I blinked, caught off guard. "What do you mean?"
She crossed her arms, tilting her head. "You just beat Morgan Hale. He's talked about as a very talented prodigy in this academy."
Yulien leaned forward, interest piqued. "Yeah, seriously. You're not exactly a normal rookie."
"I don't really know how to explain it. I've trained hard. That's all," I said.
"Hard work can take you far. Guess you're proof of that." Mireya said.
Yulien smiled. "You're definitely something to watch, Luë."
I shook my head. "I appreciate that. But it's not just training. There's… something else."
Mireya raised an eyebrow. "Something else?"
Before I could answer, Yulien grinned. "You're holding out on us, aren't you?"
I shook my head. "Not yet. Maybe later."
Mireya smiles. "Well, whatever it is, it's clear you've got potential. Don't waste it."
Yulien nudged me playfully. "Yeah, man. We're gonna need you if we want to keep up with the top tier."
I exhaled quietly, feeling the weight of their expectations...
"Alright," I said, voice steady. "I won't let you down."
Mireya then turned to leave, but paused at the door. "Get some rest. Training can wait a day."
Yulien stood up, stretched then looked back at me. "Oh—I almost forgot. Headmaster said to go to his office once you're recovered. Didn't say why."
"That can't be good."
He shrugged. "Could be anything. Maybe he wants to talk to you about how you beat that Morgan kid."
I smiled. "Oh right."
They left soon after, and the infirmary went quiet.
Two days of rest. Two days of waiting for my body to stop screaming at me. And now I'm back. Fully recovered. Time to find out what the Headmaster wants from me.
I pushed myself out of the infirmary bed, muscles stiff but ready. The halls of Grace Academy were as busy as ever, students moving between classes and training sessions.
The Headmaster's office was on the second floor, near the central hall. The polished wood door stood closed, its brass handle gleaming under the sunlight streaming through the stained-glass windows.
Taking a deep breath, I knocked once.
"Enter," came the calm voice from inside.
I stepped in, and there he was. Headmaster Thalen, seated behind his desk, eyes sharp but unreadable.
"Luë, take a seat" He said, pointing at a chair. "That technique you performed was absolutely impressive."
"Thank you, sir."
His gaze shifted to the window. "That fight… you surprised many, including me."
I nodded, "I just wanted to prove I belong here."
Thalen smiled. "Good. Because what I'm about to offer you isn't easy. But it might just change everything."
I tilted my head, "What is it?"
Headmaster Thalen leaned back slightly, folding his hands together. "I'll be frank. It's not just that you beat a noble's son. It's that you disgraced him. I know that wasn't your intention—but that kid... his father, Victor Hale, was a brutal person in his time. Cold. Influential. And real proud of his bloodline."
He paused for a second then continued on to say, "When word reaches him that his 'prodigy' got humiliated by a commoner in front of all his peers in the Academy, he won't just be angry. He'll feel insulted. And when men like him feel insulted, they don't write complaints. They move pieces. Dangerous ones."
"The least dangerous thing he'll do is cripple you. He'll hire mercenaries to break your core—leave you unable to manipulate Essentia ever again. You'll live, but you won't fight. Not ever."
I stared at him, the thought sinking in. My core being shattered, no more training, no more fighting..
"Then…" I said quietly, "do I have to leave?"
He didn't answer right away.
Then finally, he said. "I want to ask your mom and dad something."
My brow furrowed. "What?"
"I'll ask them what they'd want more: a son who walks away and lives—or one who stays, and might not come home at all."
I looked down for a moment, then back at him. "My real parents are long dead," I said. "But… I have someone. My aunt. She's the one who's raised me after my father had died, she's a mother to me."
"Then I want to speak with her." He said.
"You want to talk to her?"
"This isn't just about school or training anymore," he said. "If you were my son, I'd want to know someone was looking out for you. She has a right to understand what you're walking into, and what I'm asking of you."
I nodded. "Well, I think you should talk to her, then."
"That's good. I'll send a message ahead and have her brought here safely," he said.
I nodded.
"I don't want you dealing with this alone, Luë. Not when there's someone out there who still sees you as family." he said.
I smiled softly, "Thank you headmaster, I really mean it."
Thalen stood up from his desk. "Before you leave, I want you to speak with your friends. Let them know of what's happening—what I've told you."
I paused. "You want me to tell them everything?"
"Not every detail," he said. "Just enough so they understand why you're suddenly gone. They deserve that much, don't you think?"
I nodded slowly. "Yeah… they do."
"Good. Then take today to let them know of your situation."
I searched through the academy halls for a while, checking the usual spots. The courtyard, cafeteria, even the infirmary on instinct. No sign of them, then I checked the library and there they were.
They were tucked away near the back, like always — Mireya with a book open in front of her, and Yulien halfway slouched in his seat, barely pretending to read.
He looked up when I stepped closer. "That was fast. What'd the headmaster want?"
Mireya glanced at me, "Luë?"
I pulled out the chair across from them and sat down slowly.
"There's something I need to tell you both."
Yulien straightened a little, the joking edge in his voice fading. Mireya closed her book without a word.
"I'm leaving Grace."
Mireya's brows drew in. "What?"
Yulien blinked. "Wait, like actually leaving?"
I nodded. "He didn't force it, but… there's pressure. After the match with Morgan, things got complicated."
Mireya clenched her fists. "But that wasn't your fault at all."
"I know. But his father… Apparently he's the kind of man who doesn't forget humiliation. Especially when it comes from a 'commoner.'" I said. "The headmaster says the least dangerous thing he'd do is cripple me. Hire mercenaries. Break my core."
Mireya was visibly upset, but her voice stayed low. "So the Academy's letting this happen?"
"They're trying to keep me out of harm's way. That's all this is. I'll be gone by tomorrow. The headmaster is bringing my aunt here so he can let her know of what's happened."
The silence between us stretched. Mireya's eyes dropped for a second, then came back up. "This is messed up."
"It is," I said. "But I wanted you both to hear it from me. Not after I disappeared."
Yulien looked at me, his voice quieter than usual. "Where will you go?"
I looked down for a moment, then looked up again. "I don't know yet. Somewhere safer. Headmaster Thalen didn't say much at all… Just that I'd be away from here for a while. Away from anyone who might come after me."
Mireya crossed her arms. "That's not a real answer."
I smiled. "It's the only one I've got right now."
Yulien ran a hand through his hair, clearly frustrated. "This is all crazy. I mean… we all just made it to Class A-1."
I shrugged. "I know. Well… this is my last night here. Tomorrow I'll be gone."
Yulien placed his hand on my shoulder and said, "Let me know where you're gonna be. We'll try to visit you."
Mireya also placed her hand on my shoulder. "Yeah, just let us know. "
I smiled. "Thank you guys. Anyway, I'll have to go back to his office."
I gave them both a nod, then turned and left the library.