As the sun set, the night came with a chilling air.
Kyle, having spent the remainder of his theory examination being taught the basics of bringing out his mana, found it painfully boring.
He was now walking toward where Headmaster Veylan had told him to go: somewhere called the Hall of Winds. During his walk, his mind wandered, spurring conversations between him and... well, himself.
I swear I would've figured it out eventually. Why waste two hours on something so basic?
Yeah, don't ask me.
Old man Roland and his cronies really are birds of a feather.
---
The first-years were ushered into the Hall of Winds—a massive amphitheatre open to the sky, filled with tiered seating and a stone platform at the centre.
This was where the Sorting would begin.
As a sort of welcoming event, a duel between upperclassmen had been arranged. Whether it was to foster competition or simply to excite the new students, no one really knew, but Caelum took the stand to begin announcing it.
Two older students stood across from each other, both wearing robes marked with their house insignias: one, a blazing phoenix; the other, two crescent moons facing away from each other.
The announcer's voice rang out:
"Today's demonstration features House Vermillion versus House Noctis. Magic allowed: Elemental. Restrictions: No lethal force."
The two seniors acknowledged the rules and took several steps away from each other.
As if on cue, Kyle entered the Hall of Winds, finding himself near the top benches where no one would notice his arrival.
He caught sight of the battle about to start—and his gaze locked with a pair of mesmerizing blue eyes he recognized immediately.
What's she doing here? Was she invited by the magister?
"Begin!" Kyle heard the command—and suddenly everything became a blur.
The duel exploded into chaos: fire, shockwaves, sheer willpower colliding.
Kyle barely understood half of what he was seeing, but the feeling of it lit something deep inside him.
Is this what a magic duel is like? It looks...fun. No, it looks exhilarating.
Though he didn't realize it, a crazed grin had spread across his face—something that would unsettle even the bravest child.
By the time it ended—both duellists breathing hard, the ground scorched around them—Kyle realized his hands were clenched into tight fists.
The announcer's voice echoed again:
"Tomorrow at dawn, the Sorting begins. Prepare yourselves."
Huh? That's it...? Maybe I really did show up late.
With a sigh, Kyle followed the others as they moved out, blending into the back rows as if he'd always been there.
Unbeknownst to him, however, someone had watched him masterfully pull off this little manoeuvre.
"Hey, Mirai. What are you staring at?" a voice called, pulling the girl's blue eyes away from Kyle.
"Nothing. Let's go. I'm hungry."
---
Later, in the boys' dorms, everyone was shocked to see Kyle back among them. They had clearly believed he'd been expelled—or failed to join altogether.
Interestingly enough, Orin had kept a spot open for Kyle in their room, "just in case they were wrong."
Now back inside, Orin paced back and forth, mumbling, "That black flame? That's rare. I've only heard of two others. One was two years ago... but that one was gold."
Kyle tilted his head. "Well done, detective. We're finally on the same page."
Orin threw a pillow at him. "Sarcasm isn't appreciated when I'm racking my brain over here."
Kyle chuckled, and Orin grinned. "What do you know about that third year, anyway?" Kyle asked.
"Not much. People say he hit Magus rank by the start of his third year. Ever since he found a mentor, he's basically disappeared socially."
Kyle nodded as he sat on his bed, replaying the day in his mind.
The flame.
The glyph.
The duel.
That shadow.
Something was pulling him forward, even if he didn't understand why yet.
"Do you know who that third-year girl was? The one from House Noctis?" Kyle asked, remembering those blue eyes again.
"Oooh, someone's already crushing on a third year? Aren't you moving a bit fast, Kyle? What would senior Mirai say?" Orin teased, grinning wide.
"Keep talking like that and people will think you're the girl here. You already sound like one," Kyle retorted, earning another pillow to the face.
"Anyway, so her name's Mirai, huh? Got it." Kyle smirked. I have a feeling I'll be seeing her again.
As he threw Orin's pillows back and settled into bed, Kyle muttered, "I'm sleeping."
As he drifted off, a faint pulse stirred in his palm—where the sigil of the Overseer had briefly marked him during the induction ceremony.
It faded before he could truly register it.
---
As the morning light seeped into the room, Kyle stirred awake.
Used to waking early, he simply let his body follow its natural clock.
Today's the day they get their results. Not me though—I'm already in. Kyle mused, staring at a sleeping Orin.
He slept in a way that could only be described as... unsettling.
"I know it's early, but could you at least sleep like a normal person? Someone might actually think you're dead," Kyle said, throwing a pillow at Orin, who stirred with a loud "eep."
Sigh.
"Are you sure you're not a girl?" Kyle teased as he opened the door. "I'll be at the Glasswalk if anyone asks."
He closed the door, leaving a sleepy, confused Orin behind.
On his way to the archives, Kyle passed through the market again, his eyes wide at the wares being sold.
Not because the goods were particularly interesting, but because the people buying them fascinated him.
What drives people to waste money on half this junk? I'd expect folks like me—who've never seen these kinds of things—to be the ones buying everything, not them.
Regardless, he continued walking until he reached the Runemark Archives.
Headmaster Veylan had told him beforehand that much of the public information regarding past mages would be kept there.
It was simply a matter of finding it.
You'd think with all the magic and tech around, they'd have come up with an easier system. Two hundred years of progress... and they thought making things harder to find would 'keep us humble' or something? Tch. Kyle grumbled, staring up at the massive library.
"Well, if it isn't little Mr. Curious back again. Missed me?"