The Academy had returned to its usual rhythm.
Or so it seemed.
Beneath the surface, Aria could feel the tension — whispers between professors, students glancing over their shoulders, the very air crackling with the memory of yesterday's rupture.But classes went on. Duties went on. Life pretended.
And so did she.
After a grueling morning of spellcraft lectures, Aria decided she needed a break. A proper one.She threw on her cloak and slipped away from the busy halls toward one of her favorite places: the Grand Archive — the Academy's legendary library.
The building loomed at the end of a winding path, its black-stone walls veined with shimmering silver threads of magic. The great oak doors parted with a soft sigh as she approached, recognizing her magical signature.
Inside, the scent of old parchment, ink, and dust wrapped around her like a familiar cloak.
Rows upon rows of towering bookshelves stretched into the distance, each crammed with tomes humming faintly with latent spells.It wasn't just a library — it was a living thing.
Today, Aria thought, I'm going to see just how far I can stretch what I know.
She wandered toward a forbidden-looking section titled:
"Experimental Spellweaving: Unstable Forms and Concepts"
Perfect.
Before she could dive in, a familiar, cheerful voice rang out:
"Skipping class again, Aria?"
She turned to find Nyra grinning mischievously, a stack of books teetering dangerously in her arms.
"I'm not skipping," Aria said innocently. "I'm... independently enhancing my education."
Nyra rolled her eyes. "Right. 'Independent enhancement' sounds like what Elric calls napping under trees."
As if summoned, Elric himself shuffled around the corner, rubbing his eyes and carrying exactly one book — a battered thing labeled "So You Failed Spellwork (And Survived)".
"Hey," he said, yawning. "Research is exhausting."
Aria laughed under her breath, and for a moment, the tension she always carried melted a little.
"Since you're both here," she said, "help me find anything on unique applications of basic magic."
Nyra's eyes lit up. "Ohhh, dangerous self-taught spell experiments? I'm in."
Together, the three of them scoured the shelves.
It wasn't long before Aria stumbled upon a slim, unassuming book bound in crimson leather. No title on the spine. She opened it carefully — and immediately gasped.
Inside were diagrams — detailed sketches — showing ways to bend simple spells into unpredictable shapes.An illumination spell folded inward to become a blinding flare.A water summoning charm twisted into thin whips sharp enough to slice metal.A basic shield spell exploded outward like a shockwave if inverted at the right moment.
Aria's mind raced.
This was it.
It wasn't about more spells.It was about using them differently.
While she scribbled notes furiously, Nyra plopped onto a chair beside her. "So, how's it feel to be a prodigy who's also a huge nerd?"
Aria shot her a mock glare. "Jealousy isn't attractive, Nyra."
Nyra clutched her chest dramatically. "Wounded! Betrayed! I'll go cry on Elric's shoulder."
Elric snorted. "Please don't."
At Aria's curious glance, Elric rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Uh, speaking of which — I don't think you even know my last name yet."
She tilted her head. "You're right. I don't."
He looked mildly sheepish. "It's Elric Valcoran. From the Valcoran line. We're... uh... lesser nobility, mostly farmers and minor enchanters."
Aria blinked. She hadn't expected that.Most of the students who flaunted noble blood here were insufferable.But Elric... he was normal. In a way that felt grounding.
"I like that," she said simply.
He gave her a crooked grin that made something weird flutter behind her ribs.
Meanwhile, Nyra stage-whispered loudly, "Marry him, Aria. Free food for life."
Both of them turned beet red simultaneously.
Before Aria could formulate a cutting retort, the air around them shifted slightly — a ripple, barely noticeable to non-mages, but enough for her trained senses to catch.
Security magic.
The library was reminding them they were technically unsupervised students tampering with dangerous knowledge.
Aria stood, the crimson book tucked under her arm.
"Time to test," she said, excitement burning in her veins.
Elric followed without hesitation.Nyra did a dramatic "marching off to war" stomp behind them, humming an exaggerated battle tune.
Outside, in a secluded courtyard hidden by ivy and wards, Aria rolled up her sleeves.
Let's begin.
She started simple — reshaping a light orb into a spinning halo of golden blades.Next, she inverted a defensive shield — turned it into a gravity well that pulled small stones inward.
Elric watched, jaw slack. "You're terrifying," he whispered with something dangerously close to awe.
Aria grinned. "Thank you."
Nyra conjured popcorn from nowhere and made exaggerated gasping noises at every spell.
By the time the sun started sinking below the horizon, Aria had mastered three new bent spells — and more importantly, something inside her had clicked:
Her reality-warping magic wasn't just brute force.
It was understanding.
It was creativity.
It was freedom.
And she wasn't going to let anything — not professors, not Sealbearers, not even ancient laws — put chains on her again.
Not ever.