Eiden went back to Practice Room B‑8.
He pressed his badge to the panel. The barrier opened with a soft hum. A clean block of text appeared on the wall like the room was welcoming him.
Practice Room B‑8. Current User: Eiden Flareheart. Barrier Strength: Standard. Damage Limit: Moderate. Emergency Suppression: Active.
He walked to the center of the room and faced the nearest target. The targets were thick stone slabs with cracks and old scorch marks. They had seen hundreds of spells.
He raised both hands and took a slow breath.
Big Fire Bolt.
He could do it. But doing it fast was still a problem. The spell felt heavy when it formed, like holding something hot that wanted to push back. The heat was not just heat. It had pressure. It had weight. It made his arms tense even before it was fully there.
He shaped the core between his palms the way he had been training lately. He counted in his head and waited until the heat stopped wobbling. Then he threw it.
The room flashed orange for a moment. The stone target lit up, and numbers appeared above it.
Impact: 40.
Accuracy: 84%.
Cast Time: 8.0 seconds.
Eiden exhaled.
“Eight seconds,” he said. “Okay. Not awful.”
Eight seconds was still a long time. Eight seconds was enough time for something fast to cross a room.
Eiden rubbed his forehead.
“I need less,” he said.
He raised his hands again.
He cast again.
He threw again.
And again.
He repeated it until his body was exhausted and his hands felt like they’d been burned to a crisp.
Cast. Throw. Read. Repeat.
It was boring. It was painful.
The numbers moved a little, slowly.
Cast Time: 7.8 seconds.
Cast Time: 7.6 seconds.
Cast Time: 7.7 seconds.
“That one was rude,” he told the empty room. “Don’t go backward.”
He glanced at his hands. They were warm and a little red. The barrier’s suppression magic was working. It kept the worst heat from biting into his skin. Eiden did not like the idea that he needed a room to babysit him, but he appreciated it anyway.
He kept going.
Cast Time: 7.4 seconds.
Cast Time: 7.2 seconds.
Cast Time: 7.0 seconds.
Seven.
A blue panel appeared in front of his eyes.
New Passive Skill Acquired: Mana Sense
Type: Passive
Activation: Meditation
Effect (Level 1): Restore +10 Mana over 5 minutes
Eiden stared at it.
“That’s… actually useful. Thank you, woman.”
No response.
Of course.
He kept his rhythm simple after that. Five Big Fire Bolts. Stop. Sit. Breathe. Pull mana back in until the dizziness backed off.
He had learned the hard way that hitting zero mana made his head spin. So he refused to hit zero. He always stopped when he had around ten mana left.
With the better breaks, the numbers started moving again. Not in huge jumps. In ugly little steps.
Cast Time: 6.9 seconds.
Cast Time: 6.7 seconds.
Cast Time: 6.5 seconds.
Eiden stepped back and stared at the targets.
“Why are you looking at?” he asked the targets.
The targets did not answer.
“I’m slowly losing my mind. I need to get out of here and breathe some fresh air—”
Swarm.
The thought itself hit like a cold splash. Eiden’s shoulders tightened. There wasn’t time for fresh air, not really.
He swallowed the urge to bolt and forced himself to move. “Later,” he muttered. “Right now—finish.”
He forced himself to keep each cast as identical as possible. Same distance between palms. Same breathing. Same mental image: one dense core forming cleanly.
He started counting out loud, because counting made his brain behave.
“One.”
At one, he could feel the first spark.
“Two.”
At two, it took shape.
“Three.”
At three, it wanted to wobble. It always wanted to wobble.
“Four.”
At four, it felt heavy.
“Five.”
At five, it felt stable. It felt ready.
He froze for half a second, suspicious of his own success.
Then he threw it anyway.
The target lit up. The numbers appeared.
Impact: 39.
Accuracy: 80%.
Cast Time: 5.9 seconds.
“Five point nine,” he said quietly. “That’s… shit.”
A grin tried to rise on his face, and he killed it immediately.
He took a slow breath.
“That was a fluke,” he said.
He raised his hands again.
“If that was a fluke,” he told the spell, “then do it again.”
He counted out loud. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. He threw.
Impact: 40.
Accuracy: 83%.
Cast Time: 5.6 seconds.
Eiden lowered his arms slowly.
“I am going to pretend I’m not happy.” he said.
He cast again.
Cast Time: 5.4 seconds.
He cast again.
Cast Time: 5.3 seconds.
He cast again.
Cast Time: 5.2 seconds.
Now he was breathing hard, not because he was tired, but because his body was trying to celebrate and he was trying to stay calm.
“Five point two,” he whispered.
Eiden kept going.
At first, it felt like a smooth slide. Each cast shaved off a little more time. The core formed cleaner. The wobble got smaller. His hands learned the pressure without his brain screaming about it.
He hit 5.1 seconds.
Then he hit 5.0.
He cast again.
Cast Time: 5.0 seconds.
He cast again.
Cast Time: 4.9 seconds.
[Big Fire Bolt cooldown hard cap reached.]
A panel flickered in the corner of his vision.
Quest Progress Updated: [Before the Wave]
Objective: Reach Big Fire Bolt cast time under 5 seconds — Complete.
Best time recorded: 4.9 seconds.
For a moment, he just stood there and breathed.
Then another panel slid into place—like the System was finally willing to show its work.
Quest: [Before the Wave]
Time remaining until the next Wave: ~123 hours
Current survival chance: 20%
Objectives:
Reach Big Fire Bolt cast time under 5 seconds. 1/1(Best: 4.9s)
Improve Fire Bolt output control to Stable. 0/1
Raise Mana Sense to Basic II. 0/1
Find a remote location suitable for first Wave containment. 1/1
Recruit at least one capable ally willing to follow you outside the city. 1/1
Reward:
+2 Skill Upgrade Points
Max Mana +20
Spell Forge Access Unlocked
Fire Affinity Stage I Unlocked: Ember Core
Failure Penalty: Unknown
A laugh slipped out of him.
Eiden rolled his shoulders, heat still humming in his arms.
“Almost done.” he muttered, unable to hide the grin. “Three down. Two to go.”
By the time he made it back to Dormitory C, the academy halls had grown quieter—it was night.
His room was dark when he opened the door.
A single desk lamp was lit, angled precisely to illuminate a stack of notes without wasting an inch of light. Voxanna sat at her desk as if she owned the room by sheer posture, her hair tied back and her boots lined up neatly beneath the bed.
Eiden closed the door behind him.
Voxanna didn’t look up immediately. She flipped one page, wrote one line, then set her pen down.
“You’re late,” she said.
Eiden blinked. “Who are you—my mom? And hello to you too.”
“I said you’re late.”
“I didn’t know you were keeping my schedule.” He dropped his pack onto his bed. The mattress bounced once and settled.
Voxanna finally looked up.
Her gaze hit his face. Something small changed in her expression.
“What?” he asked. “Do I have something on my face?”
“No,” Voxanna said, too quickly. Her eyes returned to the paper as if that fixed everything. “Your hair is… just makes me think.”
“Thank you?”
“That was not a compliment.”
“So what is it?”
Voxanna didn’t respond.
Eiden lay down on his bed and let the silence settle for half a second. The room smelled faintly of vanilla and clean soap.
He hadn’t realized how tired he was until he was somewhere quiet.
“So,” he said. “Magic History.”
Voxanna’s mouth tightened. “Yes.”
“Why do nobles care so much about last names?” he asked, keeping it casual.
Voxanna’s eyes flicked up. Fast.
“Because names are important, Eiden.” she said. “They’re history. Alliances.”
“That’s a very dramatic way to say someone’s name.” Eiden said.
“It’s an accurate way.” Voxanna replied. “And if you don’t understand that, you’re either from nowhere… or you’re pretending.”
Eiden stared at her. “That was weirdly pointed.”
Voxanna picked up her pen again. “It wasn’t.”
It absolutely was.
Eiden tried again, softer. “I’m just asking because I saw one on the board today. One of the second-generation Houses.”
Voxanna’s pen paused.
“Which one?” she asked, too smoothly.
He kept his tone neutral. “Veyne. Your name.”
Voxanna set the pen down.
“Interesting.” Voxanna said.
Eiden lifted an eyebrow. “What?”
Voxanna exhaled once, controlled. “I thought you were going to talk about another name.”
Eiden’s smile faded. “What does that mean?”
“It means,” Voxanna said, choosing each word carefully, “that if you walk into a room full of people who know what they’re looking at… you don’t get to hide. And I’m one of them.”
Eiden’s throat went a little dry, which was annoying, because he was not the type of person who got dry-throated easily.
He forced casual back into his voice. “Hide what?”
Voxanna’s eyes stayed on him.
“Your name.” she said.
He exhaled, slow.
“Flareheart.” Eiden said.
Voxanna didn’t react like someone hearing new information.
Her gaze flicked to his hair again and then to his eyes, like she was checking for something.
“I thought so.” Voxanna said quietly.
Eiden’s mouth tightened. “You ‘thought so’?”
“I knew,” Voxanna corrected, and then added, “but I was hoping I was wrong.”
That surprised him more than it should have.
Voxanna leaned back in her chair, still perfectly straight. “Don’t worry,” she said, almost reluctantly. “I’m not going to tell anyone.”
“How generous,” Eiden said.
“I’m not doing it for you,” Voxanna replied. “I heard something recently. From my family.”
Eiden waited.
“They said House Flareheart… vanished,” Voxanna said quietly. “One day they were on every invitation list, every negotiation table. Then they were just… gone.”
Eiden’s hands tightened around the edge of his blanket.
“That’s not possible.” he said.
“It’s possible. Because if you’re a Flareheart, why are you here as a random first-year. When I was a child,” she said, “my family attended a meeting with House Flareheart.”
Eiden’s eyes narrowed. “You met my family?”
“I was a child back then. I don’t remember the details,” Voxanna admitted. “I remember a room with too many candles. And I remember someone handing me a sugar-candied nut.” Voxanna said.
Eiden blinked. “That’s… specific.”
“It was the first time I’d been allowed to eat a candy.” Voxanna said, like this was an important historical fact. “My mother hate sweets.”
Eiden stared at her.
“So yes. It’s possible we’ve met before.”
Eiden didn’t answer.
“One more thing.” she said.
Eiden’s gaze stayed on the wall. “What?”
Voxanna’s pen hovered over the paper without touching it. “If you are a Flareheart… you should be careful in public.”
Eiden glanced at her. “Why?”
Voxanna’s eyes lifted, sharp again.
“Because if your House truly vanished,” Voxanna said, “someone decided it was safer that way. And if they notice you didn’t vanish with them,” she added, voice lowering, “they might decide to correct the mistake.”
He nodded once. “Noted.”
Eiden leaned back and let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.
“By the way,” he said, trying to salvage a bit of normalcy, “where are Roan and Pax?”
Voxanna didn't look up. “How would I know? Am I their mother?”
Eiden exhaled—something between a laugh and a surrender. He didn’t have the energy to argue.
He turned onto his side, pulled the blanket up, and closed his eyes.
Sleep took him before he could think of anything else.
The next morning, Eiden went to Principles of Magic. He didn’t care about the class, but he still showed up because skipping was a good way to get noticed.
The room was bright and clean. The professor talked about how spells were not just “throwing fire.” They were shapes and rules. If you did it wrong, mana could go the wrong way and mess you up. Eiden wrote a few lines because one sentence stuck in his head: if your spell leaks, you’re wasting power.
When the bell rang, he left fast. He didn’t want to sit there all day. He still had two things to finish.
He went straight to the West Practice Wing.
Practice Room A‑2 opened for him.
Eiden made a Fire Bolt right away. It formed fast.
He threw it at the target. It hit. The numbers popped up. It was fine.
He made another one and kept it in his hand instead of throwing it. He stared at it and tried to stop it from spilling heat everywhere. He didn’t know how to explain it. He just tried to keep the fire tight, like a ball with a hard edge.
It worked for a second, then it started to shake. Eiden swore and tried again. He kept doing the same thing over and over. Make it. Hold it. Tighten it. Throw it. Then do it again. He just kept repeating it until his arm felt sore.
Eiden checked the wall panel and saw it was getting close.
So he sat down and did the meditation thing again.
At first, Mana Sense was just a soft feeling, like someone was walking nearby. But after a few minutes, it got clearer. He could feel the mana in the room moving. It was like slow water. He could also feel tiny changes when someone walked past outside.
He stayed still and focused. He tried to notice direction. He tried to notice what was strong and what was weak. It was hard because the whole academy was full of mana, but that was also the point. If he could learn it here, he could learn it anywhere.
A panel popped up after 3 hours.
Mana Sense — Level Up
Stage: Basic II
Effect: Increased sensitivity and range.
New capability: Identify direction and relative intensity of mana sources.
Eiden stared at it, then rubbed his face.
“Okay.” he said. “One more.”
He stood up and went back to Fire Bolt control.
He tried to keep them clean first. He held the Fire Bolt for a few seconds, tightened it, then threw it. Then he did it again. He forced it to behave.
When his hands started shaking from tiredness, he rested for a minute, then kept going. He kept the same distance. Same target. Same throw. He wanted his body to learn it.
At some point, the Fire Bolt stopped fighting him. It still felt hot, but it didn’t flare out as much. It stayed inside the boundary he wanted.
The panel updated.
Objective Complete: Improve Fire Bolt output control to Stable.
Eiden let out a breath and leaned back against the wall.
Then the big quest panel appeared again.
Quest Progress Updated: [Before the Wave]
Objectives:
Reach Big Fire Bolt cast time under 5 seconds. Complete
Improve Fire Bolt output control to Stable. Complete
Raise Mana Sense to Basic II. Complete
Find a remote location suitable for first Wave containment. Complete
Recruit at least one capable ally willing to follow you outside the city. Complete
Quest: [Before the Wave] — COMPLETE
Reward:
+2 Skill Upgrade Points
Max Mana +20
Spell Forge Access Unlocked
Fire Affinity Stage I Unlocked: Ember Core
Eiden read it. Then he sat down on the floor, as if his legs had finally given out.
“I did it,” he said quietly.
He closed his eyes. This time, he didn’t force himself to stay awake. He just let the tiredness win.
[Time remaining until the next Wave: ~99 hours]
[Current survival chance: 25%]