One breath in. One breath out.
It's the only thing I had been doing for nearly two hours, while concentrating solely on the vast amount of information that Charlotte and Claire had practically assaulted me with when explaining things yesterday. Ignis, Blackthorn Academy, Bog's Alchemist Shop, Thordnhold, magic, mana, aura, my own application to be a student at Blackthorn Academy. They had also dropped off the few meager possessions of mine they had managed to find in a tavern room in Thornhold that I had apparently been living in prior to the dorms opening. The items were basic clothes and materials, a journal, a necklace with a shield pendant, and a cheap sword. The journal was blank, which wasn't very helpful.
Looking at the pendant had made me feel deja vu, so I had put it on in hopes of remembering something, but nothing had come to me. I had changed into my plain brown trousers and put on a white shirt that they had given me along with it, tired of being in a medical gown and bandages.
Everything had left my mind scrambled, and as hopeful as I had been to remember some details of who I was and what was going on, most of them still eluded me. I vaguely remembered the explosion that had injured me, the feeling of the heat rolling over my body. Outside of that, nothing had come back to me, at least not yet.
I sighed frustratedly, tired of sitting in this stupid bed. I wanted to stretch my aching limbs and get out of this damn room. I gingerly placed my left leg on the ground, worried it might suddenly begin to throb. But just as Miss Barrett had assured me, it didn't hurt. She had been by numerous times yesterday evening as well as during the night to cast a healing spell on my leg. After watching her do it the first time, amazed by the golden energy emanating from her hands, I realized that this divine energy was what had stopped the pain when I awoke, screaming in pain.
According to Claire, healing magic had two distinct types. The first type was a green-looking energy that was called regenerative magic. It could treat flesh wounds and poisons to a certain extent, but only those with a high level of mastery could even attempt to mend serious wounds or anything related to bones. The second type, which was far harder to obtain and master, was called divine healing magic. It involved utilizing divine energy, the energy of the Lumanor, the Realm of Light. It could purge a body of demonic and shadow energy, accelerate recovery, mend broken bones, and bring someone back from the verge of death. Only those who worshipped and held faith in the Lumanorian gods, or had a contract with one, could utilize divine energy. Miss Barrett seemed to worship or hold immense faith in one of the gods and had been blessed with divine energy.
I stood up and walked over toward the only window this room possessed. The room in which I had been resting was special, with all of its walls being covered in blue crystal-like stone that had characters etched into them. The crystals themself were known as manastone, which was essentially both a conduit and a storage device for mana. Charlotte had explained that the characters etched into them were runes, or more specifically, regenerative healing magic runes. They glowed and emitted a faint green light constantly, slowly but surely healing my injuries. The room was only used on patients with dire injuries, such as my own.
Looking out the window of the room, I saw the same sight that greeted me as usual. My room was located on the second floor in the West Wing of the castle, with the window overlooking a courtyard overflowing with trees, fountains, and statues. It was honestly a pretty nice view that made my recovery a little bit easier to bear. Looking at the courtyard calmed my nerves and made me feel less alone. Claire had told me it was called Isabella's Sanctuary, one of the few green spaces within the castle when it was originally constructed.
Apparently, when Xavier Blackthorn had first built the castle that would later become his academy, he had neglected to plant a single tree, flower, or blade of grass within the castle. When his wife, Isabella Blackthorn, first visited the castle she was appalled by how grey and dreary the castle was and quickly set about making it look more alive. Xavier quickly changed his design plans and did his best to make the castle more alive. A bizarre course of action, Claire told me when she finished the story, considering that Xavier Blackthorn was so powerful that he could slay dragons and had once leveled a mountain with a single spell.
There was a soft knock on the door, giving me a moment to turn around before it opened. First to walk in the room was Miss Barrett, looking as tough and composed as the last time I had seen her. The second person through the door was a tall white white-haired man with golden eyes and a curious expression. His snow white hair was long and went down past his shoulders, while his beard was trimmed and well-maintained. The old man seemed ancient and slightly frail, with a wiry smile barely showing through is weathered and wrinkled face. He was dressed quite professionally in black pants, black dress shoes, and a black suit vest with a long overcoat that had silver buttons. He also walked with a silver-handled cane, assisting him as he entered the room. To be honest, I wasn't quite sure what to make of him, but I could tell he was important and that he was here on business despite the friendly expression.
"Who are you?" I asked the man. Better to be direct and cut to the chase, I didn't like the idea of going through polite introductions. Miss Barrett shot me a cold look, apparently not liking my slightly disrespectful approach. The old man merely chuckled, amused by my directness.
"I am Headmaster Aldaric Elwen. It is good to meet your acquaintance, Mr. Gray. How is your recovery progressing? I'm told that you had quit the painful awakening yesterday," said Headmaster Elwen eloquently.
I gulped. So this man was the headmaster of the prestigious Blackthorn Academy? Although he looked merely like a polite old man with intriguing gold eyes, his neutral tone and controlled speech pattern suggested someone far more calculated. Being headmaster would naturally mean that he was a powerful mage and a figure of immense authority, to say the least. Not someone to anger or take lightly.
"It's nice to meet you, Headmaster. I assume you're here to talk to me about my memory?" I said, hopeful he would be straightforward.
"Cutting straight to the chase, are we?" he countered. I shrugged.
"No use in avoiding the reason you came here. I'll tell you that I don't remember anything except getting burnt up in an explosion and waking up here. They brought me what little belongings I had, but none of that seems to be jogging my memory," I told him bluntly.
"Hmmm," grunted the headmaster, deep in thought. "Forgive me for what I am about to do, but I also would like to get straight to the point,"
The old man then focused his golden eyes to look straight at me, staring so hard that I was convinced he was going to burn a hole through me. The pressure on me increased as the seconds passed, the room around me warping slightly in my vision. I stumbled, the feeling was impossible to describe, as if I were under an ever-shifting spotlight. The spotlight moved all throughout the inside of my head, sending spikes of pain as it did.
"Aldaric!" shouted Miss Barrett angrily.
The pressure being exerted on me abruptly disappeared, with a firm hand grabbing me and supporting me in my disoriented state. I raised my head to find it was Headmaster Elwen who was supporting me, his expression being near impossible to decipher. Sorrow? Concern? Regret? It was impossible to tell. I also wasn't sure how he had gone from one side of the room to the opposite side where I was standing. Was he extremely fast, or did he teleport? Was that even possible for him to do?
"Why would you do something so invasive without even asking? You know very well that those with mentalist magic capabilities are not to abuse their abilities. You know better, Aldaric," barked Miss Barrett, her face scrunched into a look of disappointment.
"Please forgive me, Agatha and Silas. I don't mean to doubt you, but I wanted to try and catch any possible magical and mental defenses off guard if you were lying about the memory loss. I apologize for probing you with my magic without your consent, but you must understand that our current situation is far more dire than you know," said the headmaster with a tired sigh. I wasn't sure how it was possible, but the headmaster seemed even older and more weary when he said that last line.
"So what did you see?" I croaked out, my throat dry due to what I had just experienced. How odd to be asking about what he saw in my mind, hoping that he would know more about me than I did.
"Why don't we take a seat first? Agatha, please give us some privacy. I promise I won't be doing any more drastic actions," promised the headmaster. His demeanor had gone back to calm, his eyes once again showing hints of curiosity.
The Headmaster Elwen waved his left hand in front of us while using his right to support me. A dim flash of blue light flickered in front of us, and two cozy chairs with a table between them appeared. Two steaming cups of coffee and a plate of cheese and crackers also sat on the table.
I scoffed and then chuckled at the scene before me. Headmaster Elwen looked and me with a raised eyebrow, intrigued by my reaction.
"Do you always treat your guests to a nice sit-down of coffee and crackers after you make them feel like their head is about to explode?" I asked sarcastically. The headmaster looked down at me for a moment before letting loose a boisterous laugh. He carefully set me down in the one chair before taking a seat across from me on the other side of the table, chuckling to himself the whole time.
"To answer your question, Mr. Gray, I don't usually employ such barbaric techniques. Especially against a student who is under my protection, which is why I must ask for your utmost forgiveness," Headmaster Elwen said with a sigh. "As I mentioned, these are extremely trying times, and tragically, you have been caught up in the middle of something incredibly sensitive and important."
"What is so important to involve you so directly? And not only that, but to forcefully look into my mind?"
"I cannot tell you everything, mainly because it does not pertain to you. It is also because it is a gravely secret matter involving property belonging to His Majesty, King Garrick Reinhardt," explained the headmaster as he snatched a cracker from the pile on the table and began eating it.
The king was involved in this mess? I knew that there was likely something complex happening beneath the surface, but to think that the king of Ignis would have a role in this was surprising, to say the least. Just what had I gotten myself into? Why had I been in that shop at the same time something that the king owned was there? More importantly, what could the item have possibly been? I highly doubted that the headmaster would tell me even if I asked, but that wasn't going to stop me.
"How do I factor into this then? What was the item, what did you find in my mind, and could someone be after me because of my involvement?" I rattled off worriedly. The last thing I wanted was a king after my head. My head was swirling with the possibilities, though I wished very much it wasn't.
"Calm yourself, young man. I will answer your questions as best I can," said Headmaster Elwen sternly. I took a deep breath and steadied my mind before giving the old man a nod.
"The item was a vial that contained something of immeasurable value and power. I cannot tell you any more than that, unfortunately. We have not found any trace of it yet, so you might face quite a lot of attention and questions due to your proximity to the item," explained Headmaster Elwen. I nodded; that did make sense. Until this vial was found, I would be a prime suspect in its disappearance.
"Your role in this all is still uncertain, Mr. Gray. My former student, whom I assigned to investigate the incident, came up with next to nothing; he could not even figure out why you were in that shop. To be frank with you, any effort to look into your past or piece together who you are comes up with mere speculation," said the headmaster as he munched on his cheese and crackers.
Another dim blue flash of light flickered, and then a folder appeared on the table in front of me. I could assume it was Headmaster Elwen's doing, but how he did such a thing without a second thought was confusing to say the least. The folder had my name on it, which prompted me to quickly open it. Unsurprisingly, the folder was basically empty.
Silas Varyn Gray
Age: 17
Height: 5'11
Weight: 175 pounds
Eye Color: Hazel
Hair Color: Dark Brown
Father: Tomas Gray (DECEASED)
Mother: Mayla Gray (DECEASED)
Siblings: Unknown
Reported Mana Level: 23/1000
Reported Aura Level: 1/100
Birthplace: Snowreach, located in the territory of Shiverwild in the year 617 of House Reinhardt's reign
General Appearance: The boy sports shaggy, dark brown hair, almost black. His facial features are narrow, with a small nose and no freckles or distinguishing marks. His skin is fair, which makes sense for someone from a northern territory. He carries himself rigidly and moves with a sense of purpose when moving around. (All details mentioned above were gathered by interviewing citizens of Thornhold who had interacted with Silas Gray after his arrival.)
Notes:
"No records of any siblings found due to the destruction of records because of a fire at the Snowreach administrative building in the year 630. The cause of the fire was never discovered, highly suspicious. Traces of Silas Gray and any family related to him either do not exist or end in a certificate of death. Parents and local relatives in Snowreach have all had their records suspiciously destroyed or lost.
Due to his disappearance since the death of his parents in the year 628, Silas Gray has disappeared from all official records and has had almost no true presence in Snowreach since the year 631. Due to high tensions between the common folk and the nobles of Snowreach, as well as the reported number of Equalists located in Snowreach, it is possible that Silas Gray is a member of the Common Equalists, a violent organization credited with the death of numerous nobles and the destruction of large amounts of both noble and royal property. The reason why Silas Gray may be a member is unknown, leaving much to assumption.
Silas Gray suddenly reappeared in Thornhold a few months before the start of the academic year, submitting a lackluster application to Blackthorn Academy. He was accepted on the basis that he would serve time in the Blackthorn Regiment of His Majesty's Royal Army if he proved to be talented enough. Such a tactic to gain entry is common for many commoners and nobles alike to get a place at the academy.
His past and current circumstances are not only extremely suspicious but leave very little to work with in terms of trying to decipher his goals. If he has truly lost his memory, and not even mental magic can find any clues, then it may be impossible to ever figure out his intentions and why he was in Bog's Alchemist Shop."
The notes ended there, leaving nothing more for me to learn about myself. The place called Snowreach once again gave me a sense of deja vu, this time even more vexing than when I had seen the pendant. Simply looking at the word made me feel an odd sense of cold, bitterness, and longing. What any of those emotions meant in the grand scheme of things, I had no clue. I guess it would make sense that the place I grew up and lived with my parents for a short time. I tossed the folder back onto the table in frustration. Another dead end.
"Pretty bold of you to lay all your cards out on the table like this. You could have played it safe and kept this information from me, since it sounds like my former self was involved with whatever the Common Equalists are," I said dryly. A cunning man such as the headmaster didn't seem like the type to be so suddenly trusting.
"It seems you catch on quickly, Mr. Gray. Normally, I would never hand such a file to someone that I would consider a potential threat to my academy and my students' safety. After peering into your mind, though, I now know that you currently pose no threat," explained Headmaster Elwen nonchalantly.
"Oh really? What did you see that makes me such a non-threat?" I asked him impatiently. What had he seen that had so definitively told him that I wasn't an Equalist?
"It's actually quite simple. Your mind is completely devoid of any information, memory, or structure. Your mind shows signs that it had been destroyed beyond repair, on purpose, by a powerful mage," said the headmaster plainly. I stared at him.
"Are you telling me that I'm going to permanently be an idiot or something?" I said nervously. The headmaster let out a roaring laugh, the loudest yet, the second the last word had left my mouth.
"Yet again, you surprise me. I thought you were only business-oriented, it's good to see a young man such as yourself show more human worries," said Headmaster Elwen with another chuckle. "No, you will not turn into any kind of idiot, Mr. Gray."
I breathed a sigh of relief, glad that my mind hadn't been turned into a pile of useless mush. Now that that was out of the way, I did begin to consider the gravity of what the headmaster had said. A mage had seemingly destroyed my mind? Shouldn't I be feeling more dire effects than just memory loss? He had also said my mind was damaged beyond repair. What implications did that have?
"I can sense your confusion at my words. You are right to think that you should be in a much worse state than you are. Your mind shows scars of utter destruction, meaning that I should be looking at a drooling husk instead of who I am now talking to," explained Headmaster Elwen. "Yet, while your mind shows scars of such action, it is healthy and strong. It is completely vacant of any complex memory, though, a total blank slate. In time, you may regain some of your memory, or maybe not. It is impossible to tell."
"How is something like that even possible? I should be a burnt corpse or a mindless drooling idiot from what it sounds like," I ranted angrily.
"This world is full of strange magic, with so little that we understand. It is the opinion of both Miss Barrett and I that you experienced Miracruia, or more commonly called Second Spark," explained the headmaster.
"What the hell is Miracuria? Some kind of magic?" I questioned impatiently.
"It's the name given to a condition where a mage or aura user miraculously comes back from the brink of death or a devastating magical attack," he answered. "It defies all logic, and very little is known about it, unfortunately."
I sighed and wished things weren't so damn complicated. Sounds like I had extremely slim chances of ever finding out what truly happened to me or who I was before all this mess, or even what had gotten me into it. So what were my options? I had no parents, no home from the sound of it, no memory, and minimal magic abilities from what had been in the notes of the folder the headmaster had handed me.
"Pull yourself from your troubled thoughts, Mr. Gray. You have a decision to make: Will you stay at this academy and forge a new path? Or will you leave and try and return to your former home?" pondered the headmaster. "The decision is yours, though I believe you will find the academy to be both the safe option and the one with a brighter path."
I blinked.
"Are you looking into my mind again and reading my thoughts? You're creeping me out with how spot on you are responding to my train of thought," I asked him with a raised eyebrow. Damn old man was starting to give me the creeps.
"I am not, but I apologize for being able to understand your struggles," replied Headmaster Elwen jokingly. He certainly was an interesting old man.
"Nevertheless, you must choose," asserted the headmaster once again. "Who you are from this point on will be decided by your choice."
I gulped and then nodded. Should I stay at the academy? To be honest, the decision was pretty obvious. Leaving and trying to stake things out on my own would not only lead to zero answers but would leave me vulnerable to whoever might be after me. At least here at the academy, I would learn magic and become strong enough to protect myself. I would also hopefully have the protection of the headmaster, who seemed to be on my side. It was a no-brainer.
"I'll be staying."