Chapter 34: Shadows of Concern

Raven stood at the doorway, watching Althea as she approached him. Her normally calm and collected demeanor was slightly off—there was a weariness in her steps, and her face seemed paler than usual. Despite this, she smiled softly, trying to reassure him.

"Don't worry, Raven," she said, her voice light but tired. "I'm just a little sick. Nothing to be concerned about."

Raven narrowed his eyes, watching her carefully. Something felt wrong. His Appraisal ability, though only C-rank, was strong enough to detect the faint traces of dark mana lingering around her. It clung to her like a shadow, subtle but undeniable. She either didn't notice or was deliberately avoiding the subject.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked cautiously. He didn't want to press too hard, but the dark mana had him on edge.

Althea waved a hand dismissively, her smile unwavering. "I'm fine, really. Just a little under the weather. I've been pushing myself too hard lately with some… research, but it's nothing serious."

Raven observed her closely. He could see through the facade but chose to remain silent, for now. If she was hiding something, there had to be a reason. He didn't want to force the truth out of her until he knew more.

Althea quickly shifted the conversation, her tone lightening as she tried to change the subject. "How are your basic spell studies going?" she asked. "I heard you're progressing well. You'll be joining the academy soon, once you turn fifteen. It's a big step."

Raven shrugged, leaning against the doorframe. "They're going fine," he said, though his mind was still preoccupied with the dark mana he had sensed. "I've been training in some other areas too. Getting ready for whatever comes next."

Althea nodded approvingly. "Good. The academy is no joke. You'll need all the preparation you can get." She smiled again, but there was something behind it—a flicker of concern or perhaps something deeper that she wasn't revealing.

Raven remained silent, debating whether to press her further. But he decided against it. If she wasn't ready to tell him what was really going on, he'd wait. But he'd be watching.

As they stood in the doorway, Althea's expression softened slightly, and she added with a teasing tone, "You know, when you go to the academy, I'm going to give you a present. So, look forward to it."

Raven blinked in surprise, a small smile tugging at his lips. "A present, huh? Now you've got me curious."

Althea grinned mischievously. "You'll just have to wait and see." With that, she turned and left, leaving Raven standing there, his mind buzzing with questions. But one thing was clear—whatever she was hiding, it was tied to that dark mana. And sooner or later, he'd find out what it was.

As Raven returned to his room, pondering the strange encounter, he suddenly received a system notification.

[System Notification: As part of an annual evolution, the system will randomly upgrade one of your abilities by 1 to 3 ranks. This will occur once a year.]

Raven's eyes widened at the unexpected message. "Randomly evolve one of my abilities?" he muttered, his mind racing with possibilities. A sudden upgrade could drastically shift his strength, depending on which ability it affected. The potential for growth was enormous.

Smirking to himself, Raven sat down on his bed, anticipation building within him. His future seemed even more unpredictable, and he couldn't wait to see which ability would evolve next.

After a moment, he picked up the basic wind magic book he had recently acquired, eager to continue his studies. Flipping to the first page, he began to read:

"Anyone can learn spells of any element, but the time taken to master them and the power of the spells depend on one's affinity, which is related to your awakening skill."

Raven paused, mulling over the information. This was crucial. His affinity would influence how effectively he could harness wind magic—and perhaps even other elements in the future. He felt a surge of determination; understanding this concept would be vital in his training at the academy. With renewed focus, he continued reading, eager to unlock the secrets of wind magic and expand his abilities even further.