The wind howled through the high towers of Valen Academy, carrying with it the scent of ozone and stone.
Inside the great amphitheater of the Elements, the air was thick with anticipation — and tension.
Marcus stood at the center of the circular dais, his posture relaxed but his mind razor-sharp.
The Elemental Resonance Trial had begun an hour prior, and though most students struggled to maintain even a flicker of elemental harmony, Marcus had done what no one expected: he'd achieved resonance across two elements — fire and aether — a feat typically reserved for sixth-stage Elementals.
And then came the accusation.
"By order of the Imperial Magic Council," Aelia Serin's voice rang out like steel striking flint, "this trial is hereby nullified. Marcus Valen has been found in possession of an unregistered artifact that artificially enhances magical output."
She stepped forward, gloved hand extended toward him.
"My staff," Marcus said coolly, offering the obsidian-tipped wand without resistance.
Aelia seized it with deliberate disdain.
"This device contains a resonance core tuned to unstable frequencies. It's designed to mimic natural resonance — a crude cheat, even by commoner standards."
A murmur rippled through the audience.
Some students scoffed.
Others whispered anxiously.
Marcus met her gaze, calm as ever.
There was no anger in his eyes — only calculation.
"I request a retest," he said.
The chamber fell silent.
Aelia blinked once, clearly surprised.
"You were just disqualified."
"Then prove it again," Marcus replied.
"Without any tools. Without interference. Let every judge feel my magic firsthand."
Solan Fein, seated among the observing councilors, stiffened.
Aelia narrowed her eyes.
"You think you can replicate what you did before?"
"I know I can," Marcus said simply.
There was a pause.
Then Aelia gave a slow nod.
"Very well. Let the second trial begin."
Back in the solitude of his dormitory, Marcus opened the Codex.
Its pages shimmered in the dim candlelight, shifting between ink and memory.
He focused on Solan Fein's name, watching as the numbers beside it pulsed red.
Current Fate Drift Influence: +3%
Status: Active Participant in Conspiracy Targeting Subject
His lips curled into something that wasn't quite a smile.
So it was the Council after all.
They hadn't waited long to move against him.
But this wasn't just paranoia or political maneuvering — it was precision.
Timing.
Execution.
Someone powerful wanted him discredited early.
And they'd given him the perfect opportunity to strike back.
He placed a hand over the Codex.
The system responded instantly.
> [Fate Drift – Minor Event Alteration] Ready.
> [Fate Steal Attempt Available]
> Target: Solan Fein
> Do you wish to initiate?
Yes.
> [Fate Steal Successful]
> You have absorbed 1% of Solan Fein's fate energy.
> Your fate influence bonus increases by +0.5%.
> Current Bonus: +0.5%
A warmth bloomed in his chest, subtle but undeniable — clarity sharpening his senses, confidence flowing like a river behind his thoughts.
He closed the Codex.
Time to perform.
Back in the amphitheater, the judges had formed a circle around him.
Each placed a hand upon the central rune-stone, allowing them to perceive the flow of magic within the test subject.
Marcus raised his hands.
He inhaled deeply, letting the mana of the world settle into his veins.
Then he began.
First, fire.
A simple flame danced above his palm.
Then aether — not from his wand, but from within.
The two forces wove together, forming a spiral of light and heat, a helix of raw energy that defied the known limits of a fifth-stage Elementalist.
Gasps filled the chamber.
"This shouldn't be possible," one of the older professors whispered.
"He's channeling two incompatible elements without a catalyst."
Aelia stared, unmoving.
Solan Fein looked as if he'd swallowed ash.
The spiral grew brighter, tighter — until it erupted into a controlled burst of radiant energy that lit up the entire arena.
Silence followed.
Then, applause.
Scattered at first, then building like thunder.
Marcus lowered his hands.
He looked directly at Aelia.
"Now," he said, "do you believe me?"
Her jaw tightened.
"You're dismissed. For today."
He nodded once and turned away, leaving the amphitheater with measured steps.
Only when he was out of sight did he allow himself a breath.
The Codex pulsed softly beneath his coat.
> [Memory Fragment Unlocked – Page 2/100]
> "There is power beyond blood... beyond lineage... beyond law."
> Current Fate Steal Limit Increased to 1.5%
Marcus paused beneath the shadow of the archway.
He smiled.
The Codex in Marcus's hand pulsed again—steady, dark, alive.
He stood alone atop the eastern tower of Valdrith Academy, the wind carrying the scent of old parchment and distant storms.
Below, the academy sprawled like a sleeping beast, its spires and courtyards bathed in silver moonlight.
But his thoughts were not on the view.
They were on Aelia Serin—his mentor, his shadow, and now, his first true obstacle.
### I. The Mentor's Gaze
Aelia Serin was no ordinary professor.
She held the rank of Grand Magus, one of only twelve living scholars to have surpassed the 9th Class (Grand Elementalist) threshold.
Her presence at Valdrith Academy was an anomaly—a woman of her caliber teaching first-year theory and magical fundamentals.
Most assumed it was political; others whispered she was in exile.
Marcus knew better.
From the moment he'd returned to this life, he had watched her with new eyes.
In his past life, she had been the first person outside his bloodline to believe in him.
She had guided his early studies, nurtured his curiosity, even defended him when the other professors mocked his "unorthodox" methods.
And yet, she had done nothing when his brothers conspired against him.
She had said nothing when his fiancée whispered poison into his wine.
Now, as the Codex hummed in his mind, he reviewed every lesson, every glance, every cryptic warning.
He saw the pattern where once there had only been confusion.
She knew.
And worse—she was watching him again, just like before.
### II. The Codex Strikes
The next morning, in the Hall of Elements, Aelia presided over the weekly aptitude test.
Students lined up to channel their affinity through the Prism Obelisk, a relic that measured elemental resonance.
For most, it was a mundane ritual.
For Marcus, it was the stage.
He stepped forward, hands clasped behind his back, face neutral.
> [Codex Interface Activated – Target Lock: Aelia Serin]
He focused.
The book responded, pages flipping silently in his mind.
> [Fate Drift Cooldown: Ready]
> [Target Fate Resonance: High]
> [Risk of Detection: Moderate]
> [Action Options:]
> — Steal 1% Fate → +0.5% Fate Reserve Cap
> — Analyze Fate Path → View Possible Futures
> — Trigger Minor Event Alteration
Marcus selected the last.
As Aelia raised her hand to activate the Obelisk, the air thickened.
A student beside him sneezed—an innocent sound, but enough to make her hesitate.
In that fraction of a second, Marcus nudged fate.
A gust of wind blew through the open archway.
Not enough to be noticed by most—but for someone attuned to the flow of magic like Aelia, it disrupted the calibration of the Obelisk.
It flickered.
Then surged.
The Obelisk flared crimson, its readings scrambled.
Gasps echoed through the hall.
"Anomaly detected," Aelia murmured, frowning.
She turned toward Marcus.
Their eyes met.
He smiled faintly.
Not the warm, eager smile of the boy she once taught.
This one was sharp. Cold.
And in that instant, she knew.
Something had changed.
### III. The Confrontation
Later that evening, in the private study chamber beneath the library, Aelia summoned him.
"You tampered with the Obelisk," she said without preamble.
"I did no such thing," Marcus replied smoothly.
"Merely observed the limits of the system."
Her gaze narrowed.
"You've grown dangerous."
"And you've grown suspicious," he countered.
"Why are you watching me?"
A long silence stretched between them.
Finally, she sighed.
"Because you're not the same boy I once taught."
Marcus tilted his head.
"No. I'm not."
There was something in his voice—something ancient, layered—that made even Aelia pause.
Then, quietly, she asked: "Do you remember what I told you before your final exam, three years ago?"
He did.
_"Some doors, once opened, cannot be closed. Be certain you want to walk through."_
He answered without hesitation.
"I remember. And this time, I'll be the one closing the door behind me."
She studied him a moment longer.
Then, unexpectedly, she smiled.
"Very well, Marcus Valen," she said.
"Let's see how far you can go."
As she left, the Codex pulsed again.
> [Fate Drift Complete – Major Insight Gained]
> [New Entry Added to Codex: 'The Silent Watcher']
> [Unlock Condition Set: Reveal Aelia Serin's True Allegiance]
### IV.
Aftermath & Foreshadowing
The incident sent ripples through the academy.
Word spread of the malfunctioned Obelisk.
Whispers grew about Marcus's strange behavior.
Some dismissed it as coincidence.
Others began to watch him more closely.
Solan Fein, ever the informer, filed a discreet report to the Council:
> Subject: Marcus Valen.
Status: Monitor Only.
Do Not Interfere Unless Directive Issued.
But now, Marcus knew the game.
He had taken his first real step.
The Codex had begun collecting.
And somewhere deep within the archives of the Imperial Magic Council, an old seal cracked open—and something ancient stirred.
To be continued…