For an entire week, Kael didn’t miss a single sunrise.

  Each morning, he returned to the field behind his home. Each night, he left only when the stars took over the sky.

  At first, he burned the grass.

  Then the air.

  Then—nothing at all.

  By the end of the week, his mana had grown stronger than ever before. His control had sharpened. His concentration no longer wavered so easily.

  Tomorrow was the test.

  The academy grounds were crowded when he arrived.

  A wide magic circle stood at the center of the field. Floating above it was a crystal—clear, smooth, and lifeless.

  “That’s the same crystal as before,” the teacher said. “The stronger and more controlled your spell inside the circle, the brighter it will glow.”

  “Stand inside. Use any method you like. But remember—this test measures control, not just power.”

  The line of students shifted nervously.

  Mira stood beside Kael, glancing down at her hands.

  Kael leaned closer. “You’ve got this.”

  She nodded, took a breath, and stepped into the circle when her name was called.

  The crystal floated in front of her.

  Mira closed her eyes.

  She didn’t imagine water appearing.

  She imagined the air cooling.

  The warmth of the sun fading from the space between her palms.

  Tiny droplets formed—so fine they looked like mist. They gathered, folded inward, and became a smooth, spinning sphere of water.

  The crystal glowed—soft at first, then brighter.

  Then she released it.

  The water slammed into the circle’s invisible wall and vanished.

  Gasps rippled through the crowd.

  The stone shone brighter than most of the students before her.

  “Excellent control,” the teacher said. “Well done.”

  Mira stepped out, stunned—then smiled when she spotted Kael.

  “I did it,” she whispered.

  Kael smiled back. “Told you.”

  “Next—Reth,” the teacher called.

  “MOVE ASIDE! Let me show you what real power looks like!”

  The voice boomed across the field.

  Reth shoved his way forward, grinning like this was a performance instead of a test.

  He stepped into the circle.

  Mana exploded from him.

  The air cracked.

  A blazing surge of energy slammed into the crystal like a hammer.

  The stone flared violently—brighter than Mira’s, brighter than anyone’s so far. Red turned white-hot at its center.

  Students shielded their eyes.

  “Enough!” the teacher shouted.

  The crystal flickered wildly before settling down.

  Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

  Reth laughed. “See? Easy.”

  The teacher frowned. “Power without precision is not mastery.”

  But the crowd was already buzzing.

  Kael swallowed.

  Mira’s calm control.

  Reth’s overwhelming force.

  Two completely different paths.

  “At last—Kael.”

  His name echoed across the field.

  Kael stepped into the circle.

  His chest felt tight after seeing Mira’s control and Reth’s raw power.

  He forced himself to calm down.

  Silent.

  Empty.

  For the first time that day, his hands felt cold.

  Don’t think about them.

  Don’t think about winning.

  Just do it right.

  He closed his eyes.

  He breathed.

  He felt the warmth of the sun on the stone beneath his feet.

  The dry air brushing against his skin.

  The slow movement of wind behind him.

  Then—

  He raised his hand.

  The air in front of his palm twisted, growing denser.

  Slow.

  Careful.

  The rush of wind pulling inward could be felt even outside the circle. Students leaned back as the air itself seemed to sink toward Kael’s hand.

  The air grew hotter.

  Then he fed his mana into it.

  A fireball formed—almost half his size—floating in front of his palm.

  Kael opened his eyes.

  He released it.

  The fireball slammed into the circle’s wall and vanished.

  The crystal glowed.

  Red.

  Bright.

  The field went silent.

  Even Reth stopped smiling.

  “…Remarkable,” the teacher said.

  Kael exhaled.

  Only then did he realize he’d been holding his breath the entire time.

  Mira stared at him, eyes wide.

  Kael looked down at his hand.

  The fire was gone.

  But the warmth remained.

  Kael returned to his place.

  “Good job out there,” Mira said, smiling.

  “Thank you,” Kael replied, smiling back.

  “SCREW YOU!!” Reth shouted.

  He stormed toward Kael, pointing at him.

  “I promise I’ll surpass you next time.”

  “Okay…” Kael said, confused.

  “Silence. Go back to your place, Reth,” the teacher snapped.

  Later that day, in the principal’s office—

  An old woman sat behind the large wooden desk. Her hair was completely white, her eyes sharp despite her age.

  Kael’s class teacher stood beside her.

  Then—

  The door opened.

  Kael’s father walked in.

  “Iren Lumis,” the principal said. “Do you know why we called you today?”

  “No. I have no idea,” Iren replied calmly.

  “Well, your son managed to make the crystal glow red,” the principal said.

  Iren froze for a moment.

  Shock flickered across his face—just for an instant—before he smoothed his expression back into calm.

  “When I tested him the first time, I was disappointed,” Kael’s teacher added. “He could barely make it glow at all. I expected more—especially because he’s your son.”

  “Well, it’s not a big deal,” Iren said, shrugging.

  Both of them stared at him.

  “Come on,” the principal said. “Do you remember your own days? It took you two months to reach that level. He did it in fifteen days.”

  Iren went silent.

  The principal folded her hands.

  “Well, this isn’t the real question,” she said. “The main question is—will you allow him to join the National Academy?”

  He turned away from the teacher and toward the window.

  “Well… it’s his path in life,” he said at last. “He’s free to choose what he does with it.”

  With that, he walked out.

  The principal smiled faintly as she watched him leave.

  Later that day, the teacher stood before the class.

  “Kael has been officially invited to the National Academy.”

  Murmurs spread across the room.

  “Its the academy that trains powerful mages and swordsmen for our country. Only the invited students have the opportunities to study and learn here.”

  Mira looked at Kael, her face lighting up.

  Then the teacher added, “Kael, would you like to join the International Academy instead?”

  Rath cleansing his teeth in anger and jealousy .

  The room fell silent.

  Kael thought for a moment.

  Then he nodded.

  “Yes.”

  He clenched his fist under the desk.

  I won’t let any opportunity slip away this time.

  Next Chapter : The Road That Pulls Us Apart