It's Starting !

After Luke leaves — the dean's quiet musings

As the door of her office clicked shut behind Luke, silence returned like an old friend. The dean let out a long breath and leaned back in her chair. Her eyes wandered to the tall window, where warm afternoon light painted gentle patterns across the polished floor.

Her gaze grew distant. Almost amused.

"Luke… you say the first years are still immature, that they might cause reckless chaos once they get their familiars. So you want to show them restraint through fear…"

A small, wry smile curled her lips.

"But aren't you the one acting childishly? You're dragging a first-year into this, asking him to stand there and take it — your punching bag, essentially. And he's not even a mage. There's a vast difference between you two. You of all people should know that."

She turned back to her papers, but her fingers didn't move. Instead, she chuckled under her breath.

"Still… I am curious. That boy, Aether. He's come far in such a short time. I've already requested he craft some mechanisms for the academy. I wonder if he'll end up using those very same creations in this demonstration. That's really why I permitted this event — I want to see what he can do under pressure."

A soft, almost conspiratorial laugh slipped out. "Besides… she'll be arriving soon. I'm curious how she'll react when she hears of all this. Hah… how entertaining."

Then the dean finally set her pen back to paper, her office once again filled only by the quiet scratching of ink across documents.

Aether's lab — testing and thoughts

Far across campus, in the cavernous mechanical lab that smelled faintly of heated copper and mana oils, Aether stood hunched over his workbench. A tangle of metal limbs, rune panels, and thin mana conduits lay sprawled before him, softly humming with life.

He wiped sweat from his brow and stepped back, eyes scanning every inch of his constructs. They gleamed under the lab's crystal lamps, casting long, insect-like shadows on the walls.

Then he paused, tools still in his hand. His golden eyes narrowed in faint thought.

Why did I agree to Luke's little challenge again?

His lips curled into a half-smirk.

"There are two reasons, honestly," he muttered to himself. "First, I want to see firsthand just how strong these so-called elites of year five truly are when paired with their mana beasts. They radiate enough pressure that I know I wouldn't want to face them all together… but it'll be good data."

He tapped the side of his head with a small laugh.

"And second… I need a real stress test for these new creations. What better crash trial than the Child of Lights themselves? If they wreck them — perfect. I'll learn exactly how far I have to go. Either way, it's a win."

He rested a hand lightly on one of the constructs. Its runes glowed briefly under his palm.

"Who knows… if they like showing off so much, maybe the president will even pay me to keep making these. Now that'd be something."

But a darker flicker passed through his eyes, his grin fading just a touch.

"They're each terrifying on their own. Who knows how many resources the academy poured into raising them up like this? And if I'm careless… well, it might not just be my machines that break."

Aether rubbed the side of his temple and gave a resigned little sigh.

"Ugh. This place is crawling with powerful monsters — and I don't just mean the mana beasts. It's getting harder to keep up the act."

With that, he set back to work, using a delicate tendril of mana to trace along joints and seal minute flaws. Where he found tiny structural weaknesses, he whispered adjustments, tightening bolts with flicks of invisible force. Tiny clicks and whirs filled the lab until everything finally lay still, perfectly balanced.

The days leading up — rumors and irritations

By the time Aether finished and made his way back to the dorms, dawn was beginning to break, painting the academy towers in soft rose light. The very next day, rumors bloomed across campus like wildfire.

Everywhere he went, hushed voices chased him down halls.

"Is it true? Aether's mechanisms are going to face the year five chosen ones?"

"That kid's either insane or a genius. Maybe both…"

Even Claire cornered him by the cafeteria steps, arms crossed tight across her chest.

"Aether. Tell me. Is it true what everyone's saying? You're really going to hand your creations over for the chosen ones to obliterate — and you're fine with that?"

He blinked at her, then let out a laugh. "Of course. It'll be fun. You don't need to worry so much."

"Don't 'fun' me!" Claire snapped, smacking the back of his head lightly. Then her hands lingered on his shoulders. "Just… be careful, alright? You're reckless enough without poking the strongest students in the academy."

He only grinned, waving her off. "Seriously. Worry about yourself first."

But after she walked off, he ran a hand through his hair, golden strands slipping between his fingers.

Why is everyone making such a fuss? It's not like I'll be stepping into the arena myself. They're going to be blasting away at my machines, not me.

He flopped onto his dorm bed with a groan.

Still… it's weird how many people — especially girls — keep asking if I'm sure about this. It's almost like they're afraid something will happen to me personally. Nah… can't be.

Even so, the endless stream of concerned faces wore on him. By the time the sixth day rolled around, he was exhausted just from all the attention.

The night before — a quiet reckoning

At last, the night before the demonstration arrived. Aether lay sprawled across his bed, staring up at the moonlit ceiling. The campus was unusually quiet, the air thick with an almost electric anticipation.

"All eyes are going to be on me tomorrow," he muttered. "Not by choice, either. Damn Luke… why'd you have to rope me into this circus?"

Then his expression sobered, and he sat up. A low pulse of mana radiated off him, making the small objects on his desk — quills, glass lenses, scraps of metal — quiver and drift lazily upward.

"It's getting harder to hold all this back," he admitted under his breath. "Training with Rune… trying to keep up this facade of an average craftsman. I can't afford to slip tomorrow, not with so many sharp eyes watching."

He slowly exhaled, reining his magic back in. The floating objects dropped back to the surfaces with soft clinks.

"Man… that felt good though. It's been too long since I let it all flow."

He glanced toward the window, where the stars burned with cold indifference.

The year five chosen ones… paired with their familiars… this is going to be one hell of a test.

The morning — gathering at the Capital One Area

And so dawn broke on the day of the event. Excitement buzzed through the academy like a live wire. By midmorning, nearly every first-year student — including the newly recognized chosen ones of year one — had crowded into the vast Capital One Area. Some perched on makeshift benches, others simply stood packed shoulder-to-shoulder, snacks in hand, chattering wildly.

"This isn't even an official match," someone said in awe. "Where are all the teachers?"

"Probably thought it wasn't worth attending since it's just a demonstration," another laughed. "Though I heard Akabane-sensei came just to see Aether."

Sure enough, Akabane sat quietly near the edge of the arena, her eyes sharp and thoughtful. Her lips twitched faintly as she murmured to herself.

"Aether Ryens… I wonder just how far you've come. Something about you has always felt different. That's why… I can't help but look forward to today."

The arrival of the chosen ones

Then at last, the first group stepped onto the field — the year five chosen ones, marching in a sleek formation. At their head was Luke, radiating practiced charisma. As soon as the crowd spotted them, cheers exploded across the stands.

Students surged to their feet, waving and shouting. The chosen ones answered with graceful waves, like royalty on parade.

Hidden among the sea of faces, Lucas glowered, arms crossed tight. His teeth ground together.

I will crush him today. Even the dean isn't here — she should've come to see this. Doesn't matter. I'll make sure Aether Ryens is exposed as worthless. Then all her attention will come back to me, where it belongs.

Shanny's anxious heart

Just a step behind Luke, Shanny clutched her hands together, her elegant face drawn tight.

It's just a demonstration, she told herself over and over, like a fragile mantra. Everything will be fine. We'll all walk away smiling.

But her eyes kept darting toward the entrance, toward the one person who hadn't yet appeared.

Where are you, Aether Ryens? And what exactly did you see in Luke's request that made you so eager to accept?

The final wait

As the chosen ones spread out across the field, the chatter in the stands reached a fever pitch.

"Who are we still waiting on?"

"Aether! He's supposed to bring out the mechanisms they'll be showing off against."

"Oh right… that first-year genius inventor. This is gonna be insane!"

Popcorn bags rustled. Excited students perched on the edges of their seats. Even some of the younger teachers lingered nearby, curiosity written clear across their faces.

And above it all, the arena seemed to hold its breath.

Just waiting… waiting for the boy who somehow turned every carefully laid plan on its head simply by existing.