4th day.

"So what happened to Azeus" Alex looked down and asked.

Leon pulled his head sideways "Azeus? whats wrong with him?" He looked clueless about the entire thing.

Alex was weirded out but then Rile looked up stopped eating for a moment.

Rile chewed slowly, her usual carefree expression dimming just a little.

"You know…" she swallowed, licking her fingers. "That's kinda funny, huh?"

Alex narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

Rile tapped her chin. "I mean, everyone knew he was burned, right? Screaming like a roasted pig?"

Leon frowned. "Burned? No one said anything about that."

Alex's stomach twisted.

"Wait… you're serious?" He looked between them.

Leon nodded. "Yeah, people just say he was found unconscious after picking a fight with you."

Alex's breath caught. This doesn't make sense.

Someone was covering it up.

Rile stared at Alex, her usual grin returning. But for some reason—

"Rile, stop playing with me, I obviously saw yo---" Before Alex continued to talk Rile put her hands on his lips and winked.

"What... is going on between two of you guys." Leon looked weirded out.

"Alex what did you do for you to get this hurt anyway, the report said you fell?" He asked.

Alex looked at Rile who was smirking at him and he too smiled "Yes, actually I fell down from the roof of the entire castle..." He blurted this out.

"Wha... how did you even..." Before Leon asked anything else.

BLLLLLLLZZZZZ!!!

The bell rang.

"Damnit, its back to the training... come on Rile, we need to go." Leon pulled her up.

"Owwwww.... nooo my meaaat...." Rile screamed but, she looked at Alex too.

It felt like she was watching him too closely.

"We will visit you again here Alex, just rest this day." Leon said this and left.

"What... was that... who is Rile... i do not understand anything... but one thing is clear."

Alex clenched his fists beneath the sheets. He needed to get stronger.

--

Later That Night

The infirmary was silent.

Alex lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, his heart pounding with frustration.

He could still feel Azeus' boot on his spine. The humiliation. The powerlessness.

He took a deep breath, then carefully sat up. His body screamed in pain, but he grit his teeth. He couldn't stay weak.

Glancing at the moon that shined in the sky brightly. he looked down, and clenched his fists, he could finally move without any pain.

Time to train.

--

The Life Tower

The Academy at night felt… different.

The usual student chatter was gone, replaced by an eerie silence. Shadows stretched unnaturally under the moonlight.

Alex reached the Life Tower—a massive, ancient structure radiating an energy he'd never felt before.

If mana strengthens the body… then maybe I can use this.

Alex looked up see the Life Tower "I could see blue lights that were coming out from this tower when instructor touched it before, will it act the same if I do it..."

He reached out—

And then—

A voice whispered behind him.

"You shouldn't be here."

Alex whirled around.

Nothing.

The courtyard was empty.

His pulse quickened. Every instinct told him to run.

Then—

A breath touched his ears.

"You're being watched, Alex."

His blood ran cold.

And then—

A hand shot out of the darkness.

But...

But…

Alex jumped back and kicked with all his might.

"OUCH!!! What's wrong with you, man? I was warning you!"

He looked up to see a girl with blue eyes, blonde hair, and glasses standing there, rubbing her arm where he had hit her.

"Who… are you?" Alex asked, his body tense. His mind was still rattled from the previous night—someone grabbing him in the dark didn't sit well with him anymore.

"Get out of the tower. Right now." The girl grabbed his wrist and pulled him away.

"Do you want to die? Do you even realize how dangerous that is?" she scolded, her voice sharp.

Alex yanked his arm back. "Who are you?" he repeated.

The girl adjusted her glasses with an exasperated sigh. "I am Vale . And you, mister, almost just died. Touching the Life Tower would have flooded your body with massive amounts of mana all at once. Since you're not a trained mage, you would've literally exploded." She let out a dry chuckle, shaking her head.

"WHAT?!" Alex's heart pounded as he stumbled backward.

"Your name?" Vale asked. 

"Alex." Alex responded quickly.

Vale adjusted her glasses again, smirking slightly. "You really are reckless, huh?"

Alex's breathing was still heavy. If she hadn't stopped him… would he have actually exploded?

His fists clenched. Damn it… I really am weak.

She studied him for a moment. "Sneaking around in the middle of the night, trying to mess with ancient structures… Do you have a death wish or something?"

"I don't have time to be weak," Alex muttered, his voice low and filled with frustration.

Alicia raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And nearly getting yourself killed is supposed to make you stronger?"

Alex didn't answer.

She sighed. "You're lucky I was passing by."

She took a step closer, her blue eyes narrowing. "I've seen your type before—desperate to prove themselves, charging ahead without thinking. It never ends well."

Alex looked away, his jaw tightening.

Vale smirked. "You really want power, don't you?"

"More than anything," Alex admitted, his voice like steel.

Vale tapped her chin. "Then maybe… I can help you."

Alex snapped his head toward her. "Help me? How?"

"Listen to me carefully, Alex," Vale said, her tone serious. "When we finish training—in four days—come to room 456. I'll give you something that will help you get stronger."

Alex frowned. "What? What are you talking about—?"

"I've told you everything you need to know. See you then—bye!" Vale interrupted before tossing something onto the ground.

Poof!

A cloud of smoke erupted, and in an instant—she was gone.

Alex stood there, blinking in confusion.

"Who… was that?" he muttered, glancing around.

He looked up at the sky, then shook his head. Guess I'll find out later.

His body still ached—though he was healing, he wasn't fully recovered yet. With a tired sigh, he turned back toward his dorm.

End Of Chapter.