Chapter 9: First Lessons
Ethan stood in the back row of the training hall, watching Master Donovan pace with that deceptive shuffle. Those gray eyes swept the room like they could strip every student bare.
"Combat is the true definition of life," Donovan said. Voice calm but sharp. "Everything else from rank, lineage, your clever theories, they all fall apart when someone's trying to end your life."
Ethan kept his face blank. His hands twitched for a blade. These words weren't new. They were carved into him from another lifetime. But now, trapped in sixteen-year-old flesh, he had to pretend every word was fresh.
"Pair up!" Donovan ordered. "Show me the basics."
Ethan drew Marcus Tidecaller. How fitting. Marcus would become one of the kingdom's finest blades someday. Right now, he looked like he was praying not to drop his weapon.
They circled each other. Ethan moved like the novice he was supposed to be. Hesitant and off-balance. But when Marcus lunged, instinct took over. His body flowed into water-stance, a fluid, natural style and he pivoted, tapping Marcus on the side.
The room went quiet.
"Interesting footwork, Cole," Donovan said. Tone unreadable. "Where did you pick that up?"
Every head turned. Ethan's gut clenched. That stance wasn't something a farm boy should know. Not unless he'd trained with the soldiers.
"I... I don't know, sir," Ethan said. Kept his voice steady. "It just felt natural."
Donovan's stare lingered. Something flickered in his eyes. Recognition? Close enough.
"Felt natural," Donovan repeated. "How convenient."
The rest of the class blurred past. Ethan let Marcus land hits he could have avoided in his sleep. Still, Donovan's attention clung to him like a shadow. When the dismissal bell rang, Ethan was out the door before it finished echoing.
**********
Magical Theory was held in a sunlit chamber in the tower. Tall windows allowed afternoon sunlight across the chalk diagrams. Professor Elara Aldurren moved between them, silver hair catching the sunlight glow.
"Magic is inheritance," she said. Voice crisp and warm. "Not just power. Memory. The flame your ancestor shaped still answers your call. The earth they moved still listens."
Ethan sat mid-row, taking notes he didn't need. Around him, others scribbled like their lives depended on it. His attention drifted. Three seats down, Maya stared at her hands like they held secrets she couldn't unlock.
"Professor, can Maya demonstrate?" A low-ranked noble girl called out. Maya's head snapped up.
Professor Aldurren looked at Maya gently. "Would you demonstrate your affinity?"
Color drained from Maya's face. "I'd rather not."
"Nonsense," the girl - Amelia said. Smile sharp as a blade. "A simple light spell will do."
Ethan watched Maya's hands tremble. In his old life, this was where everything went wrong. Where shadows spilled out and put three classmates in the infirmary.
But now? Nothing.
Maya strained. Her fingers moved, but no spark came. Whispers rose among the other students.
"I can't," she said finally. Hands dropping. "I'm sorry."
Professor Aldurren's expression softened. "It's fine, dear. Theory and practice grow at different speeds."
After class, Ethan caught up with Maya in the corridor. She was moving fast, spine rigid.
"Hey," he said, matching her pace. "Tough session."
"I don't need sympathy," she said. Eyes forward.
"Not sympathy. Help." He kept his tone light. "You've got more raw magic than half the room. I know theory inside out. We could team up."
She stopped. Turned. Her eyes pinned him to the spot.
"Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why help me? What do you want?"
He met her gaze. For just a second, he let her see past the surface. The weariness. The knowledge. The urgency burning in his chest. "Because you deserve better than the box they're trying to cram you into. Because you approached me when you felt the wrongness in the Academy"
She blinked. Guard coming back up.
"I don't know what that means."
Something was wrong but he still prompted her.
"Just think about it."
**********
The abandoned tower hummed with old magic. The kind that made people active. Perfect for secret training.
Ethan climbed quietly, skipping the creaky steps. The sound hit him halfway up. Not neat classroom spells. Something alive. Unruly. Like bottled lightning.
He stopped at the doorway.
Maya stood in the center of the room. Shadows curled around her like smoke. She looked calm and powerful. In control.
Then she saw him.
The shadows vanished. She stumbled back. "You followed me."
"I was worried," Ethan said. Hands up, stepping inside. "After class..."
"You can't tell anyone." Her voice shook. "Please. If they find out..."
"They'll be afraid," he said softly. "I know."
She laughed. Bitter sound. "You don't know anything."
"I know you're Thornfield's bastard," he said. The words hit like a slap. "I know your mother was a tavern girl. I know you've hidden your power since you were a child."
Her face went through a dozen emotions. "How...?"
He was ready. "I read people. The way they behave. You carry yourself like someone raised around wealth - but not in it. You flinch at noble names. You're here with no connections. Shadow magic? It's in your bloodline."
Maya swallowed hard. "So what now? You going to use it against me?"
"I'm going to help you control it." He paused. "Because right now, you're dangerous. And I don't think you want to hurt anyone."
She stared at him. The walls she kept up started to crack.
"I don't trust easily," she said.
"I wouldn't expect you to." He took a slow step forward. "But what's coming... we won't survive it alone."
"What's coming?"
He didn't answer. Not yet.
She looked down. Then back up. "Fine. But if you betray me..."
"You'll break something important," Ethan said. "Maybe my face."
That got a small smile. "Or just bruise it. A lot."
"Fair." He offered his hand. "Partners?"
She looked at it. Hesitated. Then took it.
"Partners," she said. "But I'm still going to figure you out."
Ethan grinned. This time, it wasn't forced. "I'd be disappointed if you didn't."
The handshake felt like more than an agreement. Like the first piece of something larger clicking into place. Maya's grip was firm, calloused from years of hiding what she was.
"When do we start?" she asked.
"Tomorrow night. Same time." He glanced around the tower room. "This place will work. Old magic in the stones masks any magic."
"You know a lot about magic for someone who can't cast."
"I read. A lot."
She studied his face. "There's more to it than that."
There was. So much more. But how do you explain that you've watched her die? That you've seen what happens when shadow magic runs wild? That you're here because time itself bent backward to give you another chance?
"Some stories take time to tell," he said.
Maya nodded slowly. "I can wait. For now."
They walked back toward the dormitories together. The Academy grounds stretched around them, peaceful in the moonlight. But Ethan could feel the wrongness underneath. The corruption that was already spreading.
"Ethan?" Maya's voice was quiet.
"Thank you. For not running when you saw..."
"The shadows don't scare me," he said. "What scares me is what happens if you don't learn to control them."
She was quiet for a long moment. "Is that a threat?"
"It's the truth."
Back at the East Wing, they parted ways. Maya headed toward the women's dormitories. Ethan watched her go, noting how she moved through patches of shadow like they were old friends.
In his room, Kaleb was already asleep. Breathing deep and steady. Farm boy dreams of home and family.
Ethan lay on his narrow bed and stared at the ceiling. Tomorrow would bring new challenges. More chances to slip up. More opportunities to save people who didn't know they needed saving.
But tonight, he'd taken the first real step. Maya was an ally now. Not just someone he was trying to protect, but someone who might actually help him change things.
The thought should have been comforting.
Instead, it terrified him.
Because now he had something to lose again.
Outside his window, thunder rolled across the Academy grounds. Or maybe it was something else. The sound of a future being rewritten, one choice at a time.
Ethan closed his eyes and tried to sleep. But questions chased him into darkness.
How long before Donovan figured out who he really was? How long before Maya's shadows turned dangerous again? How long before the demons noticed he was there?
Time was running out. But for the first time since his return, Ethan felt like he might actually have a chance.
This time, he had allies and this time, things would be different.