The next morning, Valthera woke beneath a gray sky.
Raizen was still sitting in the same alley.
He had barely slept.
His eyes remained fixed on his hands.
Ever since the previous night, something inside him had changed.
He could feel a strange energy moving through his body.
It was unfamiliar, powerful, and frightening.
And he still had no idea what it was.
“Are you planning to stay here all day?” Raizen looked up.
Kaira stood in front of him, her old axe resting on her shoulder.
Zayden stood beside her, his sword hanging at his side.
Raizen studied them for a moment.
“Where am I supposed to go?” Kaira shrugged.
“Nowhere.” She reached into the small bag hanging from her shoulder, pulled out a piece of bread, and held it toward him.
“Eat.” Raizen stared at the bread.
“Why?” “Because you look hungry.” He hesitated before slowly taking it.
He hadn’t eaten properly since the night before.
He took a small bite, and a strange warmth spread through his chest.
It was the first time in a long time that someone had given him something without asking for anything in return.
Zayden smiled.
“You don’t have to thank us.” Raizen lowered his eyes.
“Thank you.” Kaira turned around.
“Come on.
We’re leaving.” Raizen stood.
“Where are we going?” “Somewhere we can sleep.” Zayden grinned.
“You’re coming with us.” Raizen looked at them.
For a moment, he didn’t know what to say.
Then he followed.
For the first time since his parents’ death, Raizen wasn’t completely alone.
A Few Weeks Later Raizen, Kaira, and Zayden had found a place to live: an old abandoned house on the outskirts of Valthera.
The roof was damaged, several windows were broken, and there was barely any furniture inside.
But to the three children, it was enough.
It was home.
They began living together.
Kaira searched for food and anything they could sell.
Zayden wandered through the streets looking for useful objects.
Raizen spent most of his time trying to understand the strange power growing inside him.
Every day, he experimented.
Every day, he learned something new.
One evening, Raizen sat alone in the backyard.
A small flame flickered above his palm.
He stared at it for several seconds before concentrating.
A dark shadow gathered around his fingers.
The flame disappeared.
Raizen’s eyes widened.
“I can control shadows…” Kaira, watching from the doorway, raised an eyebrow.
“Since when can you do that?” “I don’t know.” Zayden stepped closer.
“And your other ability?” Raizen’s expression changed.
There was another power he had discovered.
A much more frightening one.
He could absorb magical energy from other people.
And under certain circumstances, when the energy was strong enough, he could even take part of their abilities.
“I can take their powers.” Kaira’s expression became serious.
“That’s dangerous.” Raizen looked down at his hands.
“I know.” Zayden placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Then learn to control it.” Raizen looked at him.
Neither Kaira nor Zayden seemed afraid of him.
They didn’t look at him like he was some kind of monster.
They simply believed he could control what was inside him.
Raizen nodded.
“Okay.” Several Years Later Years passed.
The three friends grew up together, training every day.
Kaira became an exceptional axe fighter.
Her movements grew faster, stronger, and more precise with every year.
Zayden developed a unique sword-fighting style.
Though blind, he learned to sense movement through sound, vibrations, and magical energy.
And Raizen…
Raizen had become something else entirely.
His control over shadows had improved tremendously.
He could shape weapons from darkness and move through shadows across short distances.
But his ability to steal other people’s power remained the most dangerous of all.
He had discovered its limits.
He couldn’t simply take any ability he encountered.
The stronger the power, the harder it was to absorb.
And every stolen ability placed a heavy strain on his body.
Still, his potential was extraordinary.
One evening, the three friends sat on the roof of their house, watching the sun disappear beyond the horizon.
Zayden broke the quiet.
“Raizen, what do you want to do when you grow up?” Raizen looked toward the sky.
For a moment, he didn’t answer.
Then he said: “I want to understand this world.” Kaira smiled.
“That’s all?” Raizen closed his eyes.
His parents came back to him in a flash—their voices, their faces, the night they died.
“No.” His hand slowly tightened into a fist.
“I want to understand why some people can have everything…” His expression darkened.
“…while others lose everything.” Neither Kaira nor Zayden answered.
But the question would remain with Raizen for the rest of his life.
The Decision A few days later, news spread through Valthera.
The Central Academy of Étheria was searching for new talent.
It was one of the most prestigious magical institutions in the kingdom.
Its graduates often became powerful mages, knights, researchers, and government officials.
An announcement had been posted throughout the city.
Raizen stopped in front of it.
His eyes moved slowly across the words.
CENTRAL ACADEMY OF ÉTHERIA ENTRANCE EXAMINATION Talented young mages are invited to participate.
Kaira came to stand beside him.
“Do you want to go?” Raizen stared at the announcement.
Then he nodded.
“Yes.” Zayden grinned.
“Then we’ll all go together.” Raizen turned toward them.
For a moment, he simply looked at his two friends.
They had met him when he had nothing.
They had fed him when he was hungry.
They had given him a home when he had nowhere to go.
And more than anything else, they had given him a reason to keep moving forward.
A small smile appeared on Raizen’s face.
“Together.” The three friends walked toward the academy.
None of them knew what was waiting for them there.
None of them knew that the entrance examination would change their lives forever.
To Be Continued…
— Kurotsuki