The following morning, Roy woke up earlier than usual.
He sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the floor.
He hadn't forgotten what happened the night before.
The pendant.
The memory.
The voice.
"Run, Roy!"
And one word that had slipped from his mouth before the memory disappeared.
Mom.
Roy rubbed his eyes.
"Was that really a memory?"
He couldn't tell.
It had felt real.
Too real.
He reached for the pendant on his desk.
The moment his fingers touched it, nothing happened.
No light.
No voice.
Nothing.
Roy frowned.
"So you only work when you feel like it?"
He placed it inside his drawer.
He wasn't going to carry it around.
Not yet.
There were too many questions surrounding it.
And Roy hated having unanswered questions.
---
Class 1-A
"Good morning!"
The classroom became noisy as students settled into their seats.
Roy walked in and immediately noticed Leo waving at him.
"Roy!"
Roy walked over.
"Morning."
Leo looked at him.
"You look terrible."
"Thanks."
"I mean you look tired."
"I know what you meant."
Leo laughed.
"Couldn't sleep well?"
"Not much."
"Why and don't try to lie?"
Roy pulled out his chair.
"Thinking."
"About?"
"Nothing important."
Leo sighed.
"You're doing it again."
"Doing what?"
"Keeping secrets."
Roy looked at him.
"Everyone has secrets."
Leo leaned closer.
"True."
He smiled.
"But you have a lot."
Before Roy could answer, the classroom door opened.
Their instructor walked in.
"Everyone take your seats."
The class immediately became quiet.
The instructor placed a stack of papers on the desk.
"Today we're going to begin a new section."
He wrote on the board:
NEXIS CORE DEVELOPMENT
Roy immediately became interested.
The instructor turned around.
"Every Nexis user has a core."
A diagram appeared on the board showing the human body with a glowing point around the chest.
"The core is responsible for storing and circulating Nexis."
He pointed toward the diagram.
"As your understanding of Nexis improves, your core becomes more efficient."
A student raised his hand.
"Does that mean your Nexis output increases?"
"Not necessarily."
The instructor smiled.
"Output depends on several factors. Core capacity, control, efficiency, physical condition and elemental compatibility."
Roy wrote everything down.
"Someone with a large core but poor control may lose to someone with a smaller core and superior efficiency."
Roy immediately remembered his fight with Lee.
That made sense.
The instructor continued.
"There is another important factor."
He wrote:
NEXIS RESONANCE
"Resonance occurs when your body and element synchronize."
Roy looked at his hands.
"At high levels, resonance can dramatically improve your abilities."
A student asked:
"Can everyone achieve resonance?"
"Yes."
"Then why doesn't everyone use it?"
"Because it isn't easy."
The instructor looked around the classroom.
"Some people spend years trying to achieve complete elemental resonance."
Roy became even more interested.
"So that's what I need."
He didn't know exactly how to control Lightning yet.
But if he could synchronize with it...
Maybe he could finally understand his power.
---
After class, Leo followed Roy outside.
"You're thinking again."
Roy looked at him.
"You say that like it's a bad thing."
"It's not."
Leo smiled.
"Actually, I think you're becoming more serious."
"Maybe."
Leo suddenly stopped.
Roy turned around.
"What?"
Leo pointed toward a large notice board.
A crowd had gathered around it.
"What's happening?"
"Let's find out."
They walked over.
A large announcement had been posted.
ACADEMY CLUB COMPETITION
All first-year students are invited to participate.
Combat Club
Weapon Club
Beast Taming Club
Smithing Club
Nexis Research Club
Tactical Strategy Club
Archery Club
Medical Support Club
Elemental Development Club
The list continued.
Roy stared at it.
Leo grinned.
"Now that's interesting."
Roy nodded.
"Yeah."
A student near them shouted.
"Which club are you joining?"
Another replied.
"Combat Club!"
Someone else yelled.
"Weapon Club!"
The crowd became louder.
Roy looked at Leo.
"What are you joining?"
"Combat."
"Obviously."
Leo laughed.
"What about you?"
Roy looked at the list.
He had already joined the Combat Club temporarily.
But something caught his attention.
Elemental Development Club.
He pointed toward it.
"That one."
Leo looked surprised.
"You're choosing Elemental Development?"
"Yeah."
"Why?"
"Lightning."
Leo nodded.
"Fair enough."
Roy continued looking.
Then he noticed another club.
Weapon Club.
His eyes stayed on it for a few seconds.
He remembered his failed attempt to synchronize Lightning with a weapon.
Maybe it was worth trying again.
"I might join that too."
Leo smiled.
"You're going to join two clubs?"
"Maybe."
"You're going to have no free time."
Roy shrugged.
"I'll manage."
---
The Elemental Development Club
That afternoon, Roy entered the club building.
The room was much smaller than the Combat Club.
There were several training stations.
Each one was designed for a different element.
The club supervisor stood in the center.
"New members?"
Roy raised his hand.
"Yes."
The supervisor looked at him.
"Element?"
"Lightning."
The man smiled.
"Good."
He pointed toward one of the training platforms.
"Let's see your control."
Roy stepped forward.
He raised his hand.
Lightning appeared.
The supervisor watched carefully.
"Maintain it."
Roy concentrated.
The Lightning remained around his hand.
Ten seconds.
Twenty.
Thirty.
The energy began becoming unstable.
Roy immediately reduced the output.
The Lightning stabilized.
The supervisor nodded.
"Interesting."
Roy looked at him.
"What?"
"You're doing something most beginners don't."
"And what's that instructor ?"
"You're adjusting your output instead of forcing it."
Roy remembered the lesson from the library.
"Is that good?"
"Very."
The supervisor walked around him.
"But you're still wasting energy."
Roy frowned.
"How?"
"Your Lightning is escaping through your fingertips."
Roy looked at his hand.
He hadn't noticed.
The supervisor pointed.
"You're leaking Nexis."
Roy concentrated.
He could feel it now.
Tiny amounts of energy were escaping.
He adjusted his flow.
The sparks became smaller.
But more stable.
The supervisor smiled.
"Better."
Roy nodded.
He continued practicing.
For the first time, Lightning didn't feel like something he was fighting against.
It felt like something he was learning to understand.
---
After an hour, Roy left the club.
His hands were slightly tired.
But he felt better.
As he walked down the hallway, he heard voices.
"Hey."
Roy stopped.
Three students stood ahead.
One of them stepped forward.
"You're Roy, right?"
"Yeah."
"I heard you're joining Elemental Development."
"Yeah."
The student laughed.
"Why?"
Roy frowned.
"Because I want to."
"Lightning users belong in Combat Club."
Roy stared at him.
"Who said?"
The student shrugged.
"Everyone knows Lightning is an offensive element."
Roy smiled slightly.
"Then everyone is wrong."
The student's expression changed.
"What?"
Roy walked past him.
"An element isn't limited to one role."
The student looked annoyed.
"You think you're special?"
Roy stopped.
"No."
He turned around.
"I just think you're boring."
Leo, who had just arrived behind Roy, covered his mouth to stop himself from laughing.
The student became angry.
"You—"
Roy raised a hand.
"Don't."
The student stepped forward.
"Fight me."
Roy sighed.
"Not today."
"Scared?"
"No."
"Then—"
"I said not today."
Roy walked away.
Leo followed him.
After they turned the corner, Leo burst out laughing.
"You're terrible."
"What?"
"You insulted him and walked away."
"He was wasting my time."
Leo shook his head.
"One day, that temper is going to get you into serious trouble."
Roy stopped walking.
He looked at Leo.
"I know."
Leo's smile faded slightly.
Roy continued.
"I'm trying to control it."
Leo nodded.
"Good but you're failing miserable."
---
The Weapon Club
The next day, Roy entered the Weapon Club.
The instructor looked at him.
"You're the Lightning user."
Roy nodded.
"Yes."
"I heard about your compatibility test."
Roy frowned.
"Everyone knows about that?"
"News travels you are still the hot topic in the academy."
Roy sighed.
"Apparently."
The instructor handed him a wooden training sword.
"Show me your weapon control."
Roy held it.
He immediately noticed the difference.
It felt strange.
He preferred his fists.
But he wanted to learn.
He activated Lightning.
The energy traveled into the sword.
Crack!
The sword vibrated.
Roy immediately released it.
The instructor smiled.
"Too much output."
Roy looked at him.
"Again?"
"Again."
Roy tried.
This time, he used less.
The Lightning flowed into the sword.
The blade began glowing faintly.
Roy smiled.
"That's it."
"Don't celebrate yet."
The instructor suddenly kicked a training weapon toward him.
Roy caught it.
"Attack."
A training dummy activated.
Roy rushed forward.
He swung.
BAM!
The dummy barely moved.
Roy frowned.
"Again."
He attacked.
This time, he concentrated the Lightning at the point of impact.
BOOM!
The dummy was pushed backward.
The instructor nodded.
"Better."
Roy looked at the sword.
"So that's how."
"You're naturally suited to weapon synchronization."
Roy looked at him.
"Why?"
"Your Nexis flow is aggressive, but adaptable."
The instructor smiled.
"With enough training, you may be able to develop a completely different fighting style."
Roy looked at the sword.
A thought appeared in his mind.
Lightning + sword.
He smiled.
"Interesting."
---
That evening, Roy returned to his dormitory.
He sat at his desk.
His notebook was open.
He wrote:
Training Goals
1. Improve Lightning control.
2. Reduce Nexis waste.
3. Develop weapon synchronization.
4. Improve physical speed.
5. Control my temper.
He stared at the last one.
Then added:
6. Understand my past.
Roy stopped writing.
The pendant.
The mysterious person.
The Northern Hall.
Kenneth.
Everything was connected somehow.
But he still didn't know how.
Suddenly, there was a knock.
Roy looked toward the door.
"Who?"
"Me."
Leo.
Roy opened it.
Leo was holding two bags.
"I brought food."
Roy stared.
"Why?"
"Because you're always training and I'm getting worried you lose focus on some things ."
Roy shuddered cause he knew what he meant and didn't want to talk about that topic. Leo could only shake his head seeing Roy remain silent then he handed him one.
"Here"
Roy smiled.
"Thanks."
They sat on the floor.
For a while, they simply ate.
No mysterious letters.
No strange memories.
No fights.
Just two friends talking.
Leo eventually looked at Roy.
"You know something?"
"What?"
"When I first met you, I thought you were scary."
Roy laughed.
"Why?"
"You almost fought everyone."
"I didn't."
"You fought Lee."
"He attacked me."
"You threatened three guys."
"They were annoying."
Leo laughed.
"Exactly."
Roy shook his head.
"But you're different now."
Roy looked at him.
"Different how?"
"You're calmer."
Roy thought about it.
Maybe Leo was right.
He had been trying to control himself.
Not because someone told him to.
But because he was beginning to understand that his temper could cost him more than a fight.
Leo stood.
"I'll see you tomorrow."
"Yeah."
He reached the door.
Then stopped.
"Oh, and Roy?"
"Hm?"
"Don't forget."
"Forget what?"
"The club competition."
Roy frowned.
"What competition?"
Leo grinned.
"Tomorrow."
Roy's eyes widened.
"Tomorrow?"
"Yep."
Leo laughed as he left.
Roy stared at the door.
Then at his training notes.
"Tomorrow..."
A competition between the academy clubs.
It sounded like a simple event.
But Roy had a feeling that something unexpected was waiting for him.
And somewhere else in the academy...
A sealed door deep beneath the northern wing remained untouched.
Behind it, faint blue sparks flickered in the darkness.
Then disappeared.