I had only managed to read the first fifth of the booklet. That portion revealed itself to me a year and a half ago, and since then… nothing. No new symbols shifting. No new pages unlocking.

  It wasn’t even that I understood the language. The symbols moved—twisting and contorting into the words I recognized whenever I looked hard enough.

  It felt less like reading and more like being allowed to understand.

  So far, the booklet has taught me how to feel mana in the atmosphere, and how to channel my own magic through other magic. Things some academies hinted at theoretically, sure, but the concept of feeling mana?

  That was unheard of.

  And yet… I had done it before. During sparring matches. Deep inside Emberroot with Jerek and Mariel. By Eric’s side as he guided us through dungeons.

  I told myself the rest would make sense eventually.

  But today? Today was different.

  It was my first day at the Imperium Academy.

  Jerek and Mariel were already waiting outside at eight sharp, practically vibrating with excitement. I shoveled breakfast down, barely said anything to my parents, and sprinted out the door.

  “Hey guys!” I yelled.

  Their warm smiles hit me like sunlight.

  “Hey, chump.” Jerek greeted, smacking a hand onto my back with just enough force to irritate me.

  “Hello, Cade.” Mariel said. Her pendant caught the morning light and reflected it across her face, making her look—somehow—more radiant than usual.

  I couldn’t help but smile. These two were the best friends I could’ve ever asked for.

  Jerek was no longer the frail noble I’d met years ago. He was taller, stronger, but still held his chin high with that unmistakable noble pride.

  Mariel was the same gentle, intelligent girl — but the trust I felt from her, from both of them, ran deeper than anything else in my life.

  We made our way through the neighborhoods, markets, and other trouble as we marched towards our future.

  When we arrived the stories were true, Veran’s sword “Witherband” was on display for all to see. No one could break the glass to use it, even if someone did break the glass they still couldn’t use it.

  Relics can only be used by the one who infused their blood and mana with the sword. I mean in theory someone could swing the sword, but they couldn’t inflict its morvain rot.

  As I stood and looked at the relic I could feel the cold stone beneath my shoes, followed by distant instructors training students.

  We walked through the vast academy. From training grounds, to sports, to test taking. The school was massive. We didn’t have to go to any classes until nine. In the meantime we made our way to the library.

  Mariel grabbed a book on lucen magic, Jerek grabbed a book on morvain magic, and I tried looking for a book that could tell me about my booklet from the ruins. I gave up after a few minutes and grabbed a book on swordsmanship.

  Swordsmanship is less books and more physical work, but that doesn’t mean one is easier to learn or use than the other. I have almost strictly been learning from my parents and my magic ability was progressing fine but swordsmanship was lacking.

  The three of us read little bits that were helpful but then a bell rang so we hurried to the courtyard.

  “Welcome students.” The headmaster himself spoke up.

  “As you’re all aware, classes are year-round. But you have one semester for your own independent learning. When that semester is over, everyone comes back to school and we begin a new year with new students.”

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  Oh right, I hadn’t thought about it yet. Jerek, Mariel, and I are the new kids. Probably going to run into bullies.

  The rest was some classic stuff everyone knew. Such as rules and whatnot. I was assigned a class with both Mariel and Jerek for our first class of the day, and throughout the day had a few classes with one or both of them, occasionally neither of them though.

  Somewhere in all the talking headmaster Veran had let a few other people take charge of the talking. He stood just behind the speaker at all times, but for some reason I always felt his gaze on me.

  The last speaker was done, and Veran released us to let us go to our classes.

  Well that would’ve been nice.

  “Mr. Grimmholt, Cade isn’t it?”

  What?

  “Y-yes.”

  The hell does he want with me?

  He opened his mouth again. “Tell me your parents name, refresh my memory.”

  Did my parents do something wrong?

  “My father is Vance Grimmholt, and my mother is Kestria Grimmholt.”

  Veran laughed. “Well everyone, for anyone who doesn’t know — Vance and Kestria were formerly also in question to be Grand Marshals like myself. Mr. Torian Gale beat them to the spot however.”

  Is that true?

  “Hey, I’m not laughing because it’s funny. I’m laughing because that must mean Cade is pretty exceptional right?” He paused and looked at the crowd with a stupid grin, then back to me. “Just don’t be too bright here Cade, fit in and no one will get hurt.”

  That’s totally not ominous.

  I humbly abided by his request. “I understand.”

  His face held a smile after laughing, but his gaze didn’t match the smile.

  It was the first time in my life that I felt truly unsafe. And the students eyes piercing my soul with annoyance didn’t help anything.

  After that humiliation we went to our first classes. I learned a little bit about my book n’ blade skills but I knew I’d learn more as time went on, and as I did my own reading.

  I watched through a window as Jerek began his shield training, and Mariel was doing sword training.

  I also noticed a girl a few years older than us on the other side of the training ground with a professor. Perhaps a one on one?

  She had subtle red hair. Almost like the pigment couldn’t decide if it wanted to be brown or red. It was long, and wavy.

  And her magic—it looked like she was casting fire but it looked heavier. Before I could actually look at it though a teacher's voice pierced my thoughts.

  “Mr. Grimmholt,” he said sharply, “can you tell the class the primary difference between morvain and Lucen magic?”

  I launched into an explanation. And kept going. And going.

  “Neither are inherently good or evil,” I said. “The caster determines the intent. Lucen fire, for example, can be channeled into a purifying heat around a blade, and when you stab a monster the wound cauterizes immediately—preventing regeneration—”

  I continued for what must have been five uninterrupted minutes. By the end, the class wore the exact same expression: blank, exhausted, overwhelmed.

  “And lastly—” I was finally cut off.

  “Okay!” the teacher cut me off, pinching the bridge of his nose. “We get it. You’re smart. Brilliant, even. But you dumped the entire textbook on us in one breath.”

  He walked over to my desk and crouched beside it.

  “Look, kid,” he said quietly, “you’re going to be an incredible warrior one day. But you can’t expect everyone else to think like you. When you teach—or lead—you give people one idea, from multiple angles. Then you let them connect the dots.”

  I nodded, absorbing every word. This man wasn’t just smart—he knew how to train someone. And I loved that.

  Classes wrapped up and I met with Jerek and Mariel in the cafetorium. We dined and laughed just the same as after the dungeon — naturally paid for by Jerek.

  This felt like it was one of my few last good memories. Like I’d want it to last forever, but I was in the last hour until the world would end — or maybe just my world would end.

  And while this feeling loomed through me I phased back into reality when Jerek was elbowing my stomach.

  “Cade, they’re about to address us again.”

  I nodded and shifted focus to the center of the stage. One of the administrators was giving our last welcome speech for the day.

  My eyes couldn’t help but dart to Veran.

  Not only were his eyes on me, but it felt like I had more eyes on me than I could even count. I had to be on my best behavior here.

  But why?

  We wrapped up and each walked our own separate ways home.

  I was exhausted.

  I walked through the house, greeted my parents with a forced smile, and ate dinner with them.

  After dinner I’d wash up and walk to my room. When I walked to my room the booklet was still open and on my desk. I went to close it when I started seeing the shifting of the symbols again.

  The book was allowing me to read more of it?

  I was too tired to even read, but I did glance at the title of the next section of the book.

  It was called “Goddess’s followership.”

  Hmm, what could this be?

  My thoughts ran wild, but I was too tired to keep track of what it all meant. I simply dozed off thinking about overlap from what I had learned from school, and from the booklet.

  What possibly could be happening. It felt like I was a centerpiece to this game, but I didn’t even know what game was being played.