Arthur was staring at the ceiling. A heavy silence filled the room, while faint voices of students echoed from outside. Julius and Anos were each lying on their beds.
Arthur was silently thinking: if he could learn the magic of resurrection, maybe he would be able to bring back his father, Maldrius.
But when the words of Professor Charles repeated in his mind — *"The soul turns into mana particles after death"* — a deep ache clenched his heart.
In a low, bitter voice, he murmured:
— *"Even if I master resurrection magic... I still won't be able to bring back the one I love..."*
At that moment, Julius spoke with his eyes still closed:
— *"You want to bring back Maldrius, don't you?"*
Arthur was stunned hearing this. He hesitated for a moment and asked:
— *"How... how did you know?"*
Julius, without opening his eyes, gave a faint smile and said:
— *"Idiot... one look at your face during the professor's explanation was enough. Everything was written all over you."*
Arthur realized it then and replied in a quiet voice:
— *"For a moment, it felt like a candle lit up inside my heart... but it was snuffed out immediately."*
Anos, still lying on his bed, joined the conversation:
— *"Didn't you hear what the professor said?"*
Arthur turned to him and asked:
— *"Which part?"*
Anos replied:
— *"It's true that most souls break down into mana after their mortal body dies... but there's still a one percent chance — a chance that some are reincarnated, or transported to another world.
And more importantly, the professor said that throughout history, there have been sorcerers who managed to perform resurrection even without a body... or a preserved soul."*
Arthur, feeling a spark of hope ignite within him, said:
— *"So you're saying... if I try hard enough, maybe one day...?"*
Anos smiled:
— *"That's exactly what I'm saying. You just have to become strong enough."*
Arthur lowered his head. In a soft voice, he said:
— *"Father Maldrius was a good man... He lived honorably and protected everyone. In his final moments, he had no regrets... Maybe... maybe it's better if I accept his death. Maybe that way, he can rest in peace."*
The room fell into a deep silence.
Only the faint sounds of beds and chairs shifting could be heard.
Anos smiled gently and said:
— *"I think that's wise. Facing the truth... that's the mark of maturity, Arthur."*
Arthur nodded in agreement.
An hour later, Arthur was ready to meet with Professor Charles.
Julius, still lying on his bed, said:
— *"Heading off to mana training again, as usual?"*
As Arthur put on his coat, he replied:
— *"Yeah. I can control the information I absorb from the environment better now, but more training will help me perfect it. If I keep it up, I might fully master it by the end of the year.
What about you guys? How's your training going?"*
Anos, who had set his glasses aside, said:
— *"Controlling explosive mana in the academy's environment is tough. I'm learning to minimize my mana output with smaller, more precise targeting. It'll make my attacks more efficient during battles too."*
Julius chimed in:
— *"I'm working on combining defensive skills with swordsmanship. With Professor Kyle's help, I've been practicing daily. I want strong defense and powerful offense in close combat."*
Arthur chuckled and said:
— *"Alright then, I'm off. You guys should get some rest too — but don't skip your training. No slacking off!"*
With that, he left the room and headed toward Professor Charles's office.
---
When he arrived, he stood at the door and said:
— *"Professor, may I come in?"*
The warm, calm voice of the professor responded:
— *"Come in, Arthur."*
Arthur stepped inside.
The room was filled with old books, the walls covered with towering shelves. The scent of tea and flowers floated in the air, mingling with the aroma of aged parchment. As usual, Professor Charles sat in his cozy armchair, reading.
Arthur greeted him respectfully:
— *"Good evening, Professor. I hope you're having a good day."*
The professor smiled and replied:
— *"Thank you, Arthur. The same to you. Have a seat."*
He gestured toward the chair next to him.
Arthur sat down as the professor pushed a cup of tea toward him.
— *"Made it just the way you like it. Now, let's get started with today's session."*
Arthur smiled and said:
— *"Thank you, Professor. Let's begin."*
Professor Charles took a sip of his tea and said in a calm tone:
— *"You've made remarkable progress in mana control and magical sensing. I can hardly believe you've reached this level in just three or four months... It normally takes an ordinary person three to five years."*
He paused, then added with a proud look:
— *"This year, we have some truly outstanding students at the academy. You, Anos, Julius, Sophia, William... I'm looking forward to seeing the future all of you will create."*
Arthur smiled humbly:
— *"They're incredibly talented. I just hope I can keep up with them."*
Professor Charles's voice grew a bit more serious:
— *"Don't underestimate yourself. Your talent is among the brightest I've ever seen.
By the way... I never asked you before."*
Arthur looked at him with curiosity.
The professor continued:
— *"What are your plans for the future?
You're the second-best in swordsmanship after Julius, and the second-best in magic after Sophia. With this potential, you could succeed in any path you choose."*
Arthur paused, gazing downward as if searching deep within himself.
Then he said softly:
— *"Honestly... I don't have any grand plans. I hope to graduate, find a government job... and live the rest of my life in happiness and peace."*
Professor Charles chuckled:
— *"I hope not everyone aims for something so simple! Well, kidding aside... What's your real dream?"*
Arthur gave a faint smile:
— *"That's really it, Professor... I truly just want a normal, peaceful life."*
The professor stared at him for a moment, then softly repeated Arthur's words:
— *"A peaceful life..."*
In a gentle voice, he said:
— *"It's a beautiful goal. But someone with your talents could become one of the very best.
Still, if that's truly your heart's wish, I hope you achieve it. I just hope I'm alive to see it happen."*
Arthur gave him a reassuring smile:
— *"You will be there, Professor. I promise."*
Professor Charles smiled back warmly:
— *"Alright then, let's begin the session."*
---
A few hours later, after the training ended, Arthur bid farewell to the professor and headed toward the dormitory.
On his way back, near the hall, he spotted Julius practicing his swordsmanship intensely.
For a moment, Arthur thought about going over to talk, but then he decided against it — he didn't want to disturb his training.
So he continued on toward the dormitory.
When he entered the room, he found it empty.
He thought to himself:
— *"Anos is probably training somewhere too..."*
Arthur sat down at his desk, turned on the study lamp, and fell into a deep, thoughtful silence.
His mind, once again, filled with thoughts about the future.
In a soft voice, Arthur murmured to himself:
— *"From a kid who had no future... I've become someone who can now choose his own path. Life really is full of surprises."*
At that moment, the door opened and Julius walked in.
He had a white towel draped around his neck, drying his face as he entered.
Smiling, he said:
— *"Oh, Arthur! How was training with the professor?"*
Arthur returned the smile:
— *"It went well. How about you?"*
Julius answered proudly:
— *"Today, I finally managed to pull off the Shining Wind technique!"*
Arthur smiled warmly:
— *"I'm really happy for you."*
Noticing the thoughtful look on Arthur's face, Julius asked:
— *"Something on your mind?"*
Arthur was a bit startled:
— *"Was it that obvious?"*
Julius laughed:
— *"Of course! Even if I were ten kilometers away, I'd still pick up on your mood.
Come on, what's bothering you?"*
Arthur took a deep breath and said:
— *"Just thinking about the future... A few months ago, we had no future at all.
But now, we've been given a chance.
We can shape our own destinies."*
Julius nodded with a knowing look and said:
— *"Yeah... If we had stayed in the orphanage, we probably would've ended up as farmers, mercenaries... or even thieves.
But now, we can dream much bigger.
Still haven't decided what you want to be?"*
Arthur sighed:
— *"No, not yet. I'm still not sure."*
Julius laughed proudly:
— *"I want to become a knight. A knight who protects people with every last breath."*
Arthur said with admiration:
— *"That's amazing! I'm sure you'll become a great knight."*
Julius smiled:
— *"Thanks! You'll find your path too.
No rush.
We're only in our first year.
There's a long road ahead."*
Arthur smiled warmly:
— *"Thanks, Julius... You're a great friend."*
Julius grinned:
— *"Of course I am!"*
---
An hour later, Arthur and Julius were busy studying when Anos stumbled into the room, completely exhausted.
He collapsed onto his bed without a word.
Concerned, Arthur asked:
— *"Mana exhaustion, Anos?"*
Anos just gave a weak thumbs-up, too drained to speak.
Frowning, Arthur walked over and muttered under his breath:
— *"I've told you a thousand times not to overdo it!
Overusing mana at our age can drain your life force.
You could cause yourself permanent damage."*
Anos was too weak to respond.
He simply lay there, breathing softly.
Arthur, with a sigh of compassion, removed Anos's boots and uniform, neatly folded his clothes, and covered him with a blanket.
He whispered to himself:
— *"This stubborn Anos... He never takes care of himself."*
From behind the desk, Julius called out:
— *"He's always like that... Sometimes he pushes himself so hard that he forgets what really matters."*
Arthur yawned:
— *"We'd better get some sleep...
We'll scold him properly tomorrow."*
With that thought, Arthur lay down on his bed and soon drifted into a peaceful sleep.
Tonight's calmness...
was merely the prelude to a storm that would challenge their fates.
A new adventure was only a few steps away.