Darius woke up before sunrise, slowly opening his eyes as he felt the chill of the early morning filling his spacious room. This time was his favorite—the quiet that preceded the day's clamor.

  He rose from his bed without hesitation, grabbed his light coat, and silently left his suite, heading toward the training courtyard outside the academy building. The sky was still partially dark, but threads of dawn began to creep in slowly, casting faint shadows on the ground.

  He stood in the middle of the courtyard and took a deep breath.

  "Alright... let's try again."

  He began by focusing his spiritual energy in his left hand, then attempted to merge it with his magical power. Afterward, he slowly raised his left hand and drew hidden symbols in the air with his finger, as if his energy was writing in an invisible language.

  As the energy flowed, he felt a light tingling in his fingertips, then a small vortex of energy began to form in front of him. He had to maintain its stability, control its flow before it dissipated or exploded beyond his control.

  But no sooner had he tightened his grip on it than the vortex shook, and the energy suddenly surged, causing a brief flash before vanishing completely.

  Darius exhaled in frustration, but he wasn't discouraged. "Better than last time," he said to himself, thinking about how to improve his control in future attempts.

  This type of spell wasn't easy, but there was a reason he was determined to master it.

  After several more attempts, and as the sun began to rise slowly behind the trees, he decided to stop. His body was a bit tired, but he felt satisfied with the progress he had made.

  He returned to his suite with steady steps, removed his coat, and stood in front of the mirror for a moment, gazing at his reflection. He looked calm as usual, but his eyes held something different—a slight fatigue, though it wasn't unfamiliar to him.

  He entered the bathroom and washed his face with cold water, restoring his usual focus. After that, he put on his formal academy uniform and adjusted the collar of his jacket before leaving the room, ready to start his day at the academy.

  On his way to class, he met Castro, who was leaning against one of the pillars with his hands in his pockets as usual.

  "Don't tell me you woke up early to train again?" Castro said in a mocking tone, looking at the faint signs of fatigue on Darius's face.

  Darius smiled half a smile. "You know me."

  "Yes, and I know you won't rest until you master that spell," Castro said, shaking his head, then added, "But haven't you thought about sleeping an extra hour at least?"

  Darius said enthusiastically, "I can't sleep; I've gotten so close to mastering the spell."

  Castro laughed lightly. "You look like a kid when you get excited like this."

  They exchanged a few more words, then entered their class, where the school day began as usual.

  Inside the classroom, while the teacher was seriously explaining the details of one of the basic spells, Darius leaned back slightly in his seat, his eyes wandering listlessly between the board and the window. After a few moments, he pulled out a book different from the curriculum ones—finely printed but with worn edges from frequent use. He opened it quietly to a pre-marked page, filled with complex symbols and advanced spells. The current lesson didn't hold his attention; the explanations were too easy. He let his mind dive into those obscure words, searching for a new thread to lead him to better control over his energy.

  In the middle of the explanation, the sensei suddenly stopped writing spells on the board and turned toward the students with a firm look.

  He clapped his hands twice to grab their attention. Darius, who had been immersed in his notes, raised his head cautiously.

  The sensei said in a clear voice that everyone could hear:

  "Today, we'll set aside the theories. It's time for practical training."

  Murmurs mixed with excitement and tension swept through the class. Castro, sitting near Darius, leaned toward him with a smile and said:

  "Finally, some action."

  Darius showed no interest in the matter. The students rose from their seats and followed the sensei to the wide courtyard outside the academy building. It was the same courtyard where Darius had trained before sunrise, but the difference now was the daylight that revealed the burning enthusiasm in the students' eyes. They stood in organized rows in front of a medium-sized training dummy, surrounded by a faint blue aura like a transparent dome.

  The sensei raised his right hand and began drawing complex symbols in the air with lightness and precision that amazed everyone. Soon, the dummy was enveloped in a shimmering layer, emitting a faint and stable glow.

  "This is a defensive barrier of the eleventh level," the sensei said in a stern tone. "Your task today is to shatter this barrier to hit the dummy. Or at least create a crack in the barrier."

  A brief silence fell before the murmurs rose again, this time mixed with anticipation and expectation. One of the students, a burly young man with messy brown hair, stepped forward first. He focused his energy and launched an offensive spell toward the dummy. The barrier trembled for a moment, but it didn't crack. The young man growled in frustration and returned to his place.

  The attempts continued. Some students barely caused minor vibrations, while others managed to create light cracks that quickly closed. When Castro's turn came, he unleashed a focused fiery spell that made the barrier shake more violently, but it didn't shatter. He returned lightly to his place and said to Darius:

  "Not bad, right? But I know you'll wow them all."

  Finally, the sensei said in a voice carrying clear expectations:

  "It's your turn now, Darius."

  Breaths held, and eyes turned toward him in anticipation. Castro whispered with a laugh:

  "Come on, show them something unforgettable."

  Darius stepped forward calmly, his steps steady but without any showmanship. He raised his hand slowly, and instead of summoning the immense energy everyone was used to, he began drawing much simpler symbols. There was no dazzling flash or vortices of power—just a calm and stable stream of energy.

  He whispered in a barely audible voice: "Wind Spear."

  A concentrated stream of air surged toward the barrier. The barrier trembled for a moment, but it didn't crack, settling for a light vibration that quickly faded. The students didn't let out the usual gasps or comments of astonishment; instead, a short silence fell, interspersed with some surprised murmurs.

  Darius returned to his place without showing any annoyance.

  The sensei, who seemed to have noticed but didn't comment on it, said loudly while looking at the rest of the students:

  "Power isn't everything; focus and control are no less important."

  Castro, who hadn't expected this outcome, leaned toward him and said in a puzzled tone: "Strange... you didn't use a strong spell this time."

  Darius replied: "I have more important things to use my magical energy on."

  After the practical test ended, the students discussed the results among themselves for a bit, then began to disperse to their destinations. Castro stepped forward and patted Darius on the shoulder with a friendly smile, then said lightly: "I'm off to finish some tasks. See you later, my friend."

  Darius nodded to him and ended the conversation with a short smile. After they parted, Darius moved and headed to the library. Upon entering, he went straight to Sylvina, who was sitting in her usual spot reading a book.

  He approached her, placed his book on the table, and sat down, saying with a smile: "Hello, Sylvina-san."

  Sylvina raised her head, saying in a soft voice while smiling: "H... hello."

  Darius smiled, his eyes sparkling with clear enthusiasm, and said in a tone dominated by excitement and confidence:

  "I've gotten so much closer this time... I feel like I'm on the verge of mastering the spell. It won't take long before I succeed completely."

  Sylvina slowly raised her eyes to him, showing some hesitation, but she couldn't ignore his enthusiasm. She fidgeted with the edges of her book's pages before whispering in a soft voice:

  "Th... that's great... but... you should be careful, don't rush too much... sometimes excessive enthusiasm makes control harder..."

  Darius laughed lightly, saying:

  "I know, I know... but this time is different. I was able to form the vortex more stably... true, it didn't last long, but it was much better than before."

  Sylvina hesitated, shifting slightly in her seat with mild anxiety, then said in a low voice without daring to look at him directly:

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  "If... if you want... I can help you more... I mean, if you'd like that... I've just read a lot about balancing energy... it might be useful."

  Darius looked at her with genuine gratitude, the smile not leaving his face. "I'd be truly grateful. Your perspective always adds something new for me."

  Her face flushed a little, and she lowered her head back to her book, whispering:

  "I'm not... I'm not that good... I just read a lot, nothing more..."

  Darius smiled a small smile as he saw Sylvina's shyness, then reached out and pulled the chair to sit more comfortably, saying in a more serious tone:

  "So, when would suit you to start? Every minute that passes could make a difference in the training."

  Sylvina slowly raised her eyes to him, then carefully closed her book and clutched it to her chest, before saying softly: "Now... if you want."

  Darius said with clear enthusiasm: "Alright, let's go."

  The two left the library together, walking with steady steps toward the training courtyard. When they arrived, the courtyard was empty.

  Darius placed his book on a nearby stone table, opened it to the page about the spell, and pointed to a specific section, saying: "Here. When I reach this step, that's where the problem in the spell begins."

  Sylvina approached and took a look, and Darius said: "I'll start the spell again; watch me closely."

  Darius began preparing. He took a deep breath, then raised his hand and started gathering his spiritual and magical energy, attempting to summon the vortex again. The energy swirled around his hand before forming a small, unstable vortex. Barely seconds passed before it began to shake violently, then suddenly collapsed and disappeared as if it had never existed.

  He exhaled in frustration, but he didn't give up. He tried again... then a second time... then a third. Each time, the vortex formed but didn't hold, always collapsing before completing.

  After his fifth attempt to form the vortex, fatigue showed on him. Sylvina had been watching him silently, and while placing her hand on the book's pages, she stared at the book and reread it a few times.

  Darius turned to her, wiping his sweat with the back of his hand, and said in a tone that didn't hide his exhaustion:

  "I feel like I'm doing all the steps correctly, exactly as the author wrote, but the result is the same every time... the vortex doesn't complete."

  Sylvina moved her finger over one of the lines while thinking deeply, then raised her eyes to him:

  "You're right; I watched you and didn't find any obvious flaw in your application. This is strange... the book itself mentions exactly what you did."

  Confusion appeared in her eyes, then she slowly closed the book and clutched it to her chest:

  "Would... would you mind if I took this book with me for a few days? I might need to read it carefully away from any distractions. I want to make sure nothing escapes us."

  Darius looked at her as if weighing the suggestion, but he quickly smiled calmly:

  "Of course. I think we need a fresh look at the text. Personally, I feel like there's something we haven't seen yet."

  Sylvina nodded, breathing a clear sigh of relief, then said:

  "Thank you. I'll return it to you soon... and I'll try to find the real reason for the spell's failure."

  Sylvina left the courtyard carrying the book carefully in both hands, as if holding a dangerous secret.

  **That Night, in Sylvina's Room**

  She closed the door quietly and lit a candle on the small table beside the bed. She placed the book in front of her and opened the first page, then placed her palm on the first line and began reading in silence. She had decided to read the entire book anew, line by line, scrutinizing any detail that might reveal the reason behind Darius's repeated failures.

  The hours passed slowly, and as Sylvina progressed in her reading, her sense that the text held nothing different grew. The sentences and phrases resembled what she had read hundreds of times before. She tried to continue searching with a keen eye, until a feeling of disappointment overcame her.

  In the morning of the next day, she met Darius in the academy hallway, showing signs of fatigue. He asked her gently:

  She shook her head slowly and said in a soft voice:

  "Nothing... I read the entire book and didn't find any flaw or secret. Everything seems as it's written."

  Darius smiled at her gently and patted her shoulder:

  "It's okay; you've put in a lot of effort. Don't exhaust yourself more than necessary; there might really be nothing there."

  Despite his reassuring words, Sylvina felt the weight of expectations on her shoulders. She knew Darius didn't blame her, but she couldn't stop herself from thinking she had let him down.

  ***

  In the Following Nights

  The long nights repeated, and Sylvina's sleeping hours decreased as she reread the book over and over. Sometimes she would stare at the same page for minutes, searching for a missing letter or a strange slant in the writing, to no avail. Her eyes would waver from extreme drowsiness, and she would fold the book in frustration.

  Yet, she would return again with more stubbornness, unwilling to accept that the text was completely ordinary.

  Sylvina would immerse herself in the words and lines until sleep overcame her while sitting. Papers with notes piled up beside her, and with every page she turned, despair crept deeper into her heart.

  Sylvina began to feel physical and mental exhaustion, her eyes tired from staying up late. Despite that, she continued reading, determined to find the solution.

  One night, while her eyes moved between the lines with extreme fatigue, something unusual caught her attention. She stopped, then returned her gaze to the previous line. There was a letter that seemed slightly longer than the adjacent ones.

  She furrowed her brows and leaned closer to the book, then brought the candle nearer to confirm what she saw. Upon closer inspection, she noticed that the extension of the line wasn't random; it drew a precise mark.

  "Is... is this a symbol?"

  She muttered as she redrew what she saw in a small notebook beside her. She carefully turned to the next page and began examining every word closely. After minutes of scrutiny, she found another symbol, in the same disguised style.

  Her curiosity surged at once, and she began flipping through the pages with enthusiasm, but extreme caution. Every few pages, a new letter appeared in its strange form. The symbols were very small, integrated into the original text, as if the author had deliberately hidden them skillfully.

  **The Next Day, Inside the Library**

  Sylvina met Darius in a quiet corner of the library, her eyes sparkling with the excitement of the new discovery. She placed the book and the papers filled with symbols in front of him and pointed with her finger, saying:

  "Look at these symbols." She flipped through the book's pages and added: "And here too. They're not random. They appear only on specific pages: 12, 47, 82..."

  Darius stared at the numbers, then quickly realized the pattern:

  "The difference between each page and the next is 35... there's a specific sequence."

  Sylvina nodded with a smile, before saying:

  "These symbols aren't just additional marks; they're part of the spell, but written in a language older than the basic text. And each symbol doesn't carry just one meaning... but multiple meanings, depending on how it's read."

  Darius looked at her inquiringly, so she continued, running her fingers over the paper:

  "In other words, if we decode three symbols, we might get more than one possible interpretation. It could be correct, wrong, or carry a completely different connotation. Any wrong arrangement could lead to an unexpected result."

  Darius smiled, his eyes gleaming with excitement:

  "This makes it more complex... but interesting."

  Sylvina raised her eyes to him, surprised by his enthusiasm, and suggested:

  "I can decode the symbols, but it will take a long time."

  Darius said enthusiastically:

  "Let's decode these symbols together. It will be fun."

  Sylvina hesitated for a moment, but she nodded shyly and whispered:

  "Alright... if that's what you want."

  From that day on, the two began spending long hours after classes ended, moving between the library and the quiet corners of the academy, researching the mysterious symbols and carefully flipping through ancient books.

  On some nights, they would suddenly raise their heads to discover the library nearly empty, or hear the librarian reminding them that closing time was approaching. Despite the fatigue, neither was ready to stop before making even slight progress.

  Darius would note down the different possibilities for the symbols, trying to find connections between them, while Sylvina relied on ancient language books, comparing possible meanings for each symbol according to the context. Sometimes, after hours of work, they would discover that one of the interpretations they had adopted was completely wrong, forcing them to start over.

  But with every complication, there was a renewed sense of challenge, and a hidden feeling that they were approaching something bigger than they had imagined.

  As the days passed, Darius's enthusiasm grew more and more, and he no longer saw the spell as a difficult challenge, but as an intriguing puzzle that aroused his curiosity with every secret he came closer to uncovering. As for Sylvina, she found in this experience a new side she wasn't familiar with; researching books wasn't new to her, but she hadn't expected it to be this enjoyable when shared with someone else.

  **During the Exam Period at the Academy**

  The academy was going through a period of periodic exams, where students sat in the halls with focus and attention. In one of those halls, Darius sat in front of his exam paper, pen between his fingers.

  He looked at the questions printed on the paper, but they seemed blurry, unclear. His mind was reweaving the symbols he had discovered with Sylvina, as if they were etched in his memory.

  Instead of writing answers, he began drawing quietly on the paper. The strange symbol formed under his pen, as if his fingers moved by an involuntary impulse.

  When the proctor announced the end of time, Darius stared at his nearly blank paper, except for that single symbol. He picked up the paper and handed it in without hesitation, leaving the hall as if nothing had happened.

  As he walked through the academy corridors, he didn't think for a moment about the exam. All that occupied him was returning to the library, to Sylvina, to the symbols that refused to leave him in peace.

  As for Sylvina, she was a girl accustomed to constant studying, memorizing information quickly thanks to her sharp memory. The night before the exam, she reviewed the books and notes she had carefully recorded, feeling confident and calm as she entered the exam hall the next morning.

  Once the papers were distributed, Sylvina scanned the questions with an expert eye and began providing thorough answers one after another. It didn't take long for her paper to fill with solutions, after which she allowed herself a few short moments to review what she had written and confirm the correctness of the answers.

  When she finished, she looked up and noticed that most of her classmates were still writing; the remaining time hadn't ended yet. She felt a bit bored, and thoughts of the mysterious symbols crept into her mind again.

  When the proctor announced the end of time, Sylvina gathered her papers and approached calmly to submit them. She left the class and headed to the library.

  **One Night of the Week, Inside the Library**

  Quiet enveloped the library corridors, with only the dim light of the lamps and the sound of flipping ancient book pages remaining. Sylvina and Darius sat around an antique wooden table, with a collection of papers marked with obscure signs and symbols spread before them.

  Sylvina rubbed her tired eyes from time to time, while Darius contemplated difficult-to-understand lines. Fatigue was evident on her face; her hair fell over her cheeks, and her eyelids nearly closed from extreme exhaustion. Yet, she continued flipping through the papers with determination.

  Darius sighed quietly as he watched her. He thought about the amount of sleepless nights and effort she had put in with him over the past days, feeling deep gratitude toward her. He set the pen aside and gently took the papers from in front of her, then said in a tender tone:

  "Sylvina-san... that's enough for one night."

  She looked at him wearily and protested:

  "But we haven't finished yet; there are two symbols we haven't..."

  He interrupted her gently with a warm smile on his lips, gathering the papers in his hands:

  "If we don't take a break, we won't achieve anything. Tomorrow starts the weekend break... what do you think about going out together? Enjoy some fresh air and forget these symbols for a while."

  Surprise appeared on Sylvina's face, and she paused for moments, hesitating between her desire to continue the research and her need for rest. Darius stepped closer to her and said:

  "Don't worry; the book won't run away from us. But if we exhaust ourselves more, we might make new mistakes. Getting out of the academy will give us new energy."

  Sylvina looked at the stacked papers and the book, then looked back at Darius. Despite the shyness that overcame her, part of her truly longed to escape this atmosphere for a while.

  She closed her eyes briefly, then sighed: "Alright... maybe you're right."

  A smile spread across Darius's face, and he said as he carefully gathered the papers: "Tomorrow, let's meet at four in the afternoon at the academy gate."

  Sylvina nodded, and moved to stand up. Darius took the papers and put them in his bag, then they left the library.

  (To be continued.)