The courtyard buzzed with whispered excitement for hours after Aria's duel, her name spreading like wildfire through the Magi Core Academy. Some praised her. Others muttered about danger and accidents. A few just stared when she passed, half curious, half afraid.
Aria didn't care.
She was past caring about the opinions of those too blind to see the truth.
Power was rising inside her — raw, beautiful, and frightening. It whispered under her skin like a second heartbeat.
That night, when the halls fell silent and the moons bathed the academy grounds in cold silver, Aria stood alone in the secluded garden behind the east tower.
The sky stretched above her like a black ocean. Stars winked and shimmered — but they felt close, closer than they should be. Almost like they were leaning down, watching.
Aria closed her eyes.
She could feel the threads of magic now — not just the spells taught in class, but the weave of existence itself. The thin golden strands that connected everything: stone, sky, air, even thought.
It had started after she touched the forbidden book, she realized. Her magic hadn't just grown stronger — it had shifted.
It no longer obeyed the rigid laws the professors so carefully outlined.No, it bent them.
She opened her eyes and lifted her hand.
Slowly, carefully, she reached out — not to cast a spell, but to touch the threads of the world.
The garden around her responded.
A breeze stirred, but there was no wind. The petals of moon-roses shivered. The stars above her seemed to ripple, like stones dropped into a still pond.
Aria smiled slightly.
"Let's see how far I can push this," she whispered.
She focused, pulling on a thread — gently, experimentally.
The stone bench nearby melted upward like wax, reshaping itself into a smooth, curved throne. The grass at her feet braided itself into intricate patterns without a whisper of effort. Even the very air seemed to hum with potential, vibrating with every breath she took.
It was exhilarating.
Terrifying.
Addictive.
Aria exhaled slowly, controlling her excitement. She couldn't afford to lose control. Not again.
Then, a noise — footsteps.
She tensed instinctively, but relaxed when she saw Elric jogging into the garden, clutching something awkwardly to his chest.
He skidded to a stop when he saw her — and the transformed garden around her.
His mouth opened. Closed. Opened again.
"You — you — what — the — the bench is alive!"
Aria blinked innocently. "No, it's not. It's just… fancy now."
The bench behind her wriggled slightly, settling into a new position with an almost smug little plop.
Elric pointed at it, looking betrayed. "Benches aren't supposed to move, Aria."
She crossed her arms, feigning deep thought. "Well, technically, neither are statues, but here we are."
Elric groaned, rubbing his face. "The professors are going to throw a fit."
Aria shrugged. "Only if they find out."
He stared at her. "They're going to find out."
A soft, amused voice cut through the garden.
"They already know."
Riven.
He stood at the edge of the garden, arms crossed, eyes gleaming faintly under the moons. For once, there was no frown on his face. Only a kind of cold, analytical interest.
"You're bending," he said, stepping closer. "You're not just using magic. You're... rewriting the terms of reality."
Aria frowned. "Is that bad?"
Riven studied her for a long moment. Then he shook his head slowly. "It's dangerous. And it's rare. Very rare. Most magicians are like architects — they work within the world's rules. Benders..." His lips quirked. "Benders can tear the blueprints apart and redraw them."
Aria's golden eyes gleamed in the moonlight.She felt no fear.
Only fierce satisfaction.
"So..." she said casually. "Like a reality writer now?"
Elric buried his face in his hands with a whimper.
Riven, unbelievably, almost smiled. "Something like that..."
He stepped forward until he stood directly before her, lowering his voice so only she could hear.
"Keep your head down for now. Don't show everything. Not yet." His tone sharpened. "There are those who would kill for what you can do."
Aria nodded once, serious now.
She had no intention of painting a target on her back. Not yet.
Riven stepped back, his expression unreadable again. "Tomorrow, training. A different kind. Be ready."
Without waiting for a response, he disappeared into the shadows.
Elric groaned dramatically. "You attract the most terrifying mentors."
Aria chuckled, sitting lightly on her living bench. "You say that like it's a bad thing."
Above her, the stars rippled again, as if laughing with her.
And somewhere deep inside, Aria knew:
This was only the beginning.
She hadn't even scratched the surface of what she could do.
Not yet...