𝘼 𝙜𝙤𝙡𝙙𝙚𝙣 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜
A sun-kissed morning unfolded with a gentle breeze sweeping through the city. Inside a small, golden-white residential building, everything appeared clean and shining. The building didn't seem very old, and both the interior and exterior radiated clarity and freshness. Inside, a person lay asleep in one of the rooms, where the atmosphere was calm and silent. The person was Edward Raizel, a 17-year-old boy with red hair and an innocent face. He was the adopted son of Edward Rionel and Edward Rinia. Though adopted, they cared for him as deeply as any biological parents would for their child. Still, there was a gap in their relationship. Despite their care for him, he wasn't the type of person who cared about anything or anyone around him. Some described him as selfish, others as a mere introvert, some as a fool who didn't understand the concept of emotion, and some as an art of mortals—the embodiment of selfishness and cruelty, which covered his true personality beneath it.
A feminine voice broke the silence—it was Rinia, entering Raizel's room as she asked him to wake up.
"Rinia stood with quiet grace—a mid-tall woman with flowing dark-blue hair that framed her gentle presence. A long gown draped around her like twilight, and in her expression, there was a calmness, soft and serene, as if the wind itself dared not disturb her.
Upon entering, she found Raizel preparing for his first day at Zeldia Magic Academy, the most prestigious magic school in the realm. Due to his immense magical talent, Raizel had been selected to attend the academy without question.
"So, you're awake already, Raizel?" Rinia asked, her voice calm.
Raizel didn't respond. He seemed unfocused, not paying attention to her words. His expression was blank, but not without meaning—just the silence that follows when sorrow has said all it can.
"If you're ready, please come to the dining table. I've prepared breakfast for you," Rinia said softly, her tone tinged with hurt. It wasn't the first time he had acted so silently. His lack of response to their love and care was a constant source of surprise and concern for his parents. In simple terms, Raizel seemed to have come into this world without the awareness of love or emotion. This harsh truth weighed heavily on those who cared about him.
"I'm leaving," Raizel said in a soft voice. He wasn't hostile, nor gentle.
Rinia snapped out of her thoughts, a bit surprised by his sudden words.
"Why? Don't you want to have breakfast?" she asked, curious yet pretty much gentle.
"I don't need any. I'm fine," Raizel replied flatly, he was expressionless.
"I see. Take care of yourself," Rinia responded quietly. "I hope your first day at the academy goes well," she added. Though her face wore the mask of calm, her eyes betrayed the sorrow she could not bury—like silent mirrors reflecting storms the world could not hear.
Raizel left the room without another word, and Rinia watched him go, letting a few of her tears slip free.
𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘼𝙘𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙢𝙮 𝘼𝙬𝙖𝙞𝙩𝙨
Since the academy wasn't far from his home, Raizel teleported straight to Zeldia Magic Academy.
The academy's structure was imposing, with a large purple castle at its center, a sprawling campus, and several smaller castles scattered around.
After passing through student verification at the gate, Raizel entered his classroom inside the purple castle. The classroom was a medium-sized hall, surrounded by pillars.
As soon as he entered, Raizel noticed a familiar face. It wasn't quite familiar, but it was. A boy he had met several years ago.
"I knew it, you'd be here," the boy called out. His voice reached Raizel.
Raizel, however, didn't respond. He simply sat down beside the boy. The boy was Aizis Jasin, a tall young man with long snow-white, messy hair. There was a gentle innocence in his gaze, soft and unassuming. The wind played through his long hair, letting the strands veil his face like silk curtains drawn by the breath of the world.
He came from one of the strongest families in Zeldia. Despite his royal status, Aizis preferred to stay out of royal society and its activities, choosing solitude instead. Unlike Raizel, who was also calm, Aizis wasn't as introverted.
"As I thought, you'd get admitted here. It's been a while," Aizis said. A faint smile touched his lips as he spoke, his voice gentle—like a breeze that carried warmth beneath its quiet whisper.
"I wanted to see the magic system of the world. Even though I have my own methods, I still want to learn more," Raizel replied, expressionless.
"I don't remember you doing much besides focusing on your own magical improvement," Aizis remarked. Though his tone carried no hint of hostility, his words bore a subtle edge—a quiet trace of criticism woven beneath the calm.
Raizel didn't reply. He didn't seem to care much about Aizis' comment.
At that moment, an stranger boy entered the room. He had deep dark hair and, like everyone else, wore a long, dark uniform. His deep crimson eyes drew the gaze of all around him—quietly commanding attention like embers glowing beneath the hush of night. He entered the classroom gently, wearing a casual smile. His hair fell over the left side of his face, partially hiding it from view.
He walked in, spotted Aizis and Raizel, and gave them a narrowed glance before heading their way—quiet, calm, but with something unreadable in his eyes. As he approached, both Aizis and Raizel noticed him.
Marco walked directly up to them and stood in front of both.
"Can I sit beside you guys?" he asked, He smiled softly as he said it, his tone calm and gentle—yet something in his eyes hinted at more than his words revealed.
Raizel remained silent. Aizis smiled a bit.
"Hmm, sure, you can," Aizis responded, smiling.
"I'm Marco, your classmate.'' Marco replied pretty gently and calmly, smiling a bit.
''May I ask your names?" he asked with a slight smile.
"I'm Aizis, Aizis Jasin," Aizis replied gently.
Marco sat beside Raizel, but Raizel showed no interest in speaking. He stared outside, deep in thought.
Marco waved his hand to get Raizel's attention. "Hi, I guess you didn't notice me. Can I ask your name?"
Raizel finally acknowledged Marco, glancing at him briefly.
"I'm Raizel, Edward Raizel," he replied. He wasn't displaying any respect or hostility, nor any expression on his face.
"I see, good to meet you guys," Marco said, giving a gentle smile.
At that moment, someone entered the classroom—a middle-aged woman with long dark hair. She was the teacher, and she stood in front of the teacher's desk.
"Good morning, students. I'd like to welcome you to Zeldia Magic Academy," the teacher said smoothly. She continued, "As you know, Zeldia Magic Academy was founded by the upper elders to teach the new generation magic. The wars between realms and worlds have put every realm in grave danger, so we must strengthen our defenses to keep our realm safe. It is your moral responsibility as students." She spoke with a bit of authority in her voice, but the respect behind her words was still clear.
"Today, I will teach you the importance of teamwork. In massive wars, teamwork is crucial to defeating opponents without losses. For this, you'll need to form teams and elect a leader."
"Yes, teacher," the students replied in unison.
"I think we should form a team. What do you think, Marco?" Aizis suggested, casual smile In his face.
"Hmm, since we've become friends, I think it's a good idea," Marco agreed. Marco glanced at Raizel a bit and smiled.
"Well, in this case, we should make Raizel our leader. What do you think, Aizis?"
"Well, I don't think it's something that I can disagree with," Aizis said, confident.
"So, what do you think, Raizel?" Marco asked, casually.
"If you want me to, I will," Raizel replied calmly. He was expressionless, just like earlier.
Marco was a little surprised by Raizel's words but didn't react, though he appeared confused.
After the lesson, the students completed their tasks like any other day. In the afternoon, once classes were over, everyone left the academy. The whole academy became completely silent and calm.
Aizis, Raizel, and Marco stood outside the academy gate.
"As expected, these types of magic aren't something we need to study," Aizis remarked, exhaling.
"I knew it. The magic lessons here are pretty basic and only for those who are barely aware of magic. Since we've already passed these stages, these lessons are nothing more than a waste of time for us," Raizel agreed.
"Hmm, same here. So, what are you guys planning to do?" Marco asked, In a tone laced with exhaustion.
"It's a bit of a problem. It looks like it's time to do it. What do you think, Raizel?" Aizis asked with a mysterious tone.
"Since there's no other option, we must do it." Raizel replied with casual tone.
"We need to go to the outer world to find different attributes. There are many elders who do this, hiding their identities while manipulating the inhabitants of other worlds. It's nothing surprising or new here," Raizel added.
"Yeah, I've heard those rumors. There are countless worlds out there. Visiting multiple worlds is neither impossible nor inconspicuous," Marco said, casual.
"Well, then, I believe it will help quite a bit. So, how do you plan on getting there, Raizel?" Aizis asked, casual tone with a trace of seriousness.
"You know the answer. We can simply use teleportation through the fabric of the world's space and time. But it's not possible for those with low mana. Anyone with insufficient magic power will have their soul shattered," Raizel explained calmly.
"You can see the immense amount of magical energy around us. We know it's ours. So, bypassing the space-time wall is not an issue for us," Aizis said confidently.
"Pretty confident, huh? That's interesting," Marco said, poking tone.
"I'm leaving now. I'm exhausted," Marco added with a sigh.
"Well then, be aware of that. We're going out tomorrow," Aizis said with a smile.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm pretty much aware of that. Just be sure you don't run away out of fear," Marco replied sarcastically.
"That's something you might do," Aizis said, poking him.
Marco smiled a bit at Aizis's poke.
"Hmm, I have to go too. So, it's time to leave, Raizel," Aizis said calmly.
Both of them drew a blue magic circle and teleported away with a flash of blue light, leaving Raizel standing alone.
"Friend? That word, Marco mentioned it... Why does it sound so familiar? Have I ever heard it before?" Raizel wondered aloud. It seemed like he had heard that word a long time ago, but the memory eluded him. Someone had asked him to be their friend long ago. The time was long ago, and Raizel failed to recall it properly.
He recalled a distant voice, asking him to be his friend. The voice had been calm, the face hidden in shadow. But the full memory remained elusive. Raizel stood there, lost in thought, a surprised expression on his face.
While thinking about that, he walked toward his home, which was a bit farther away.