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The Talentless Magic Thief

Corypo
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Synopsis
In a world where everyone is granted a unique magical power upon coming of age, Dan received nothing but a blank book. His ability? To steal any spell he sees or touches and record it within the pages. At the Royal Academy of Magic, he is scorned as a “thief” and labeled talentless—until he challenges the arrogant noble and genius light mage, Cain de Valois, revealing a glimpse of his true power. This catches the attention of a mysterious sorceress who takes him in as a secret apprentice, determined to unlock the secrets of his gift. Living as an outcast by day and a student of the most powerful witch by night, Dan sets out to prove that wisdom and knowledge can surpass natural talent—and that he is far more than just a thief.
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Chapter 1 - The Evolution of the Talentless

In our world, one is not born great, but born with the hope of becoming so.

This greatness comes on the day of the Mana Awakening, the day an individual comes of age and magical power flows through their veins for the first time, granting them a unique ability that shapes their identity and future.

Some control the flames of a dragon, others whisper to the winds and they obey. There are those who heal wounds with a touch, or see the threads of the future.

As for me, Dan Fern, I was granted a book.

Not a metaphor or a symbol of knowledge, but a real, physical book. Its cover was of dark leather, carved with runic letters, and its pages were as empty as a desert untouched by foot.

On the day of my awakening, while my peers felt the glow of mana in their chests, I felt the weight of this tome in my hand, having appeared from nothingness.

I felt no latent power, no magical influence in my soul. I was empty, just like the pages of my book.

For this reason, in the halls of the Royal Academy of Magic, they don't call me Dan the Mage. They whisper behind my back, calling me by a nickname I find more accurate, and more ironic: "The Thief."

Isn't it funny? In a place where innate talent and authentic power are celebrated, I stand as an anomaly. A thief of knowledge, a parasite feeding on the creativity of others.

And this nickname has a good reason...

This book of mine is both my crime and my tool. Its ability is simple and devastating: to steal spells. Any spell cast in my presence causes my book to pulse with life for a moment, and its complex symbols are etched onto one of its blank pages, becoming mine. I can then, by merely touching the page, summon that spell as if it were my own innate ability.

"Lost in thought again, Dan?"

The voice of Leo, my only friend in this place, brought me back to reality. We were standing in the Grand Training Arena, a massive stone amphitheater surrounded by giant mana crystals floating in the air, casting a faint blue glow that illuminated the ancient runic engravings on the walls. The air was charged with tension and the faint flickers of magic left behind by spells.

I turned my head towards him and forced a smile. "Just thinking about how ridiculous this test is."

Leo laughed, his fiery red hair dancing with his mirth. He embodied everything I was not: confident, full of life, and his ability was direct and powerful. He was a fire mage of the highest caliber.

"It's a basics test, Dan. Demonstrating mana control. It's not supposed to be complicated."

"For you, maybe," I muttered, tightening my grip on the strap of the leather satchel that held my precious book. "You have a river of fire inside you. As for me, all I have is an empty well, waiting for someone to drop a bucket in."

Leo gave me his usual look, a mix of pity and understanding. He was one of the few who knew the truth about my ability.

"Don't say that. Your ability is amazing in its own way. It's unique."

"'Unique' is a polite word for 'parasitic'," I replied coolly, my eyes watching the other students show off their powers. A girl wove threads of water in the air, another young man made small rocks rise and orbit around him in a harmonious dance. All innate abilities, a part of their very souls.

"Professor Elara is coming," Leo whispered, straightening his posture.

Silence fell over the arena as Professor Elara entered. She was a tall woman with perfectly braided silver hair and eyes as sharp as a hawk's. She never smiled, and her presence alone was enough to command order.

She stood in the center of the arena and said in a clear, strong voice that echoed throughout the space, "Today's test is simple. You will come forward one by one. The requirement is to form a stable 'Mana Orb,' then give it an elemental property of your choice. This test measures not just raw power, but control and precision. Those who fail will repeat the preparatory year."

A few tense minutes passed. Students came forward, some succeeding with ease, others stumbling. I watched an orb of lightning form and fizzle out, and an orb of wind spin violently before exploding. My book wasn't interested in these basics. It was dormant, cold under my touch. It was waiting for something of value, something worth stealing.

Then it was his turn.

Kain de Valois. Heir to one of the most ancient magical families in the kingdom. He was tall, with platinum-blond hair and icy blue eyes that radiated arrogance. He hated me, not a personal hatred, but one of principle. In his eyes, I was an insult to the concept of pure, authentic magic his family prided itself on.

Kain strode forward with confident steps, turning for a moment to shoot me a look of disdain before facing Professor Elara.

"Just a mana orb, Professor? This is dreadfully boring," he said, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Allow me to show you something more interesting."

"Very well. I have no objection."

Elara did not object, but watched him with narrowed eyes, as if challenging him.

Kain smiled coldly. He raised his hand, and mana gathered around it, not in the shape of an orb, but as a brilliant white light. His aura was powerful, pure, radiating strength. He whispered words I had never heard before, and threads of light began to form and intertwine in the air, creating what looked like shimmering chains.

"Ethereal Light Binds," Leo whispered beside me in awe. "That's an intermediate-level spell, at least! It requires immense control over your magical element."

"Hmm!"

In that moment, I felt it.

A faint heat began to seep from my book's leather cover. It wasn't an unpleasant heat, but more like a beam emanating from the book. Beneath my fingers, I felt a slight vibration, as if its untouched pages were silently fluttering inside.

I closed my eyes for a moment and saw in my mind's eye golden symbols forming and flowing, tracing the path of the complex spell Kain was casting. The book was devouring it, deciphering its code, and recording it as its own.

Kain finished his display, and the chains of light faded in a soft flash. Silence reigned for a moment, then the students erupted in admiring whispers. Kain looked directly at me, a smug, triumphant smile on his face. His message was clear: This is real magic, you impostor.

"Very good, Mr. de Valois. Impressive control," Professor Elara said in a neutral tone, before her cold eyes returned to her list. "Next... Dan Fern."

I froze in place. All eyes turned to me. I could hear muffled laughter and sarcastic whispers. "What's he going to do? Read us a story from that book of his?" I heard someone say.

I took a deep breath, feeling the warm pulse of my book under my hand. It was like a friend reassuring me. I walked to the center of the arena, standing in the same spot Kain had stood moments before. Kain's eyes followed me, filled with malicious anticipation, waiting for my humiliation.

"Mr. Fern," Professor Elara said. "A simple mana orb will suffice."

I looked at her, then at Kain, then at my book.

"Pardon me, Professor," I said, in a calm, steady voice that surprised even me. "I think I'll try something a bit more exciting as well."

Elara tilted her head in assent.

I raised my left hand, just as Kain had done. I took out my book and placed it in my right hand. As soon as I opened it, it glowed with a faint light, and the knowledge flowed into my mind. I felt the words, the symbols, the path of mana required to form the "Ethereal Light Binds." It wasn't my power, but it was now my knowledge.

"Wh-what in the hell are you doing?" our blond friend shouted in anger.

I closed my eyes, ignoring the faint gasps of astonishment from those around me. I whispered the same words I hadn't heard, but which I now knew by heart. I felt the faint mana in the environment being drawn to me, following the path my stolen knowledge had laid out for it.

Before the stunned eyes of everyone, threads of white light began to form and intertwine in the air before me. They weren't faint or weak. They had the same purity, the same power, and the same complexity as Kain's. Perhaps even a little brighter.

"Ethereal Light Binds."

I opened my eyes. The chains of light floated before me, shimmering with a deadly beauty. A dead silence fell over the arena. I could hear my own heartbeat in my ears.

I looked at Kain. His mouth was slightly agape, his blue eyes wide with utter shock. The arrogance had vanished from his face, replaced by a mixture of disbelief and pure rage.

Then I looked at Professor Elara. For the first time since I'd met her, her eyes weren't cold or neutral. They were shining with a sharp glint of curiosity.

I let the spell fade. I said nothing more. I turned and began to walk back to my spot, leaving a resounding silence behind me.

I wasn't a mage. I had no innate power. But in that moment, everyone understood, and I understood too, that not having magic doesn't necessarily mean you're weak.

I had stolen my first spell in front of everyone, and what happened next was something akin to a punishment.

My walk back to my spot was the longest journey of my life. Every step fell into a well of absolute silence, so heavy I could almost hear their thoughts colliding in the air.

The moment I reached Leo's side, the dam broke. The silence didn't explode into a roar, but leaked out in a cascade of whispers.

"Impossible... He has no affinity for the light element, does he!" a girl with blue hair standing near us whispered.

A young man beside her replied in a low voice, "Did you see that? He copied Kain perfectly. The same gestures, the same glow. How?"

"Is that his ability? Mimicry?" a third person wondered, their voice a mix of awe and disdain. "That... that's not real magic. It's cheating."

That word, "cheating," stung me more than "thief." Because it carried an accusation of deceit, of playing outside the rules everyone else held sacred.

Suddenly, an angry voice cut through the wall of whispers.

"You!"

It was Kain de Valois. He advanced on me with quick, forceful steps, his face, which moments ago had been a mask of shock, now a canvas of pure rage. His blue eyes burned with a cold fire, and his hands were clenched into tight fists at his sides.

He stopped directly in front of me, and the students around us took a few steps back, forming a circle around us, as if we were in a fighting pit.

"How dare you do that?" he shouted, his voice ringing through the arena. He no longer cared about maintaining his calm, aristocratic image. "Answer me, you thief!"

The word "thief," spoken so loudly, made me freeze. It was my truth, but hearing it as a direct accusation was different.

I lifted my head and looked him straight in the eye. "And what if I did?" I said quietly, trying to hide the tremor in my voice.

His rage intensified, and he stepped closer until I could almost feel the heat radiating from his body. "This isn't just any spell! 'Ethereal Light Binds' is a spell passed down in the de Valois family! Only those with the family's blood in their veins can wield it! How dare you defile it with your filthy touch?"

"I wasn't aware it was exclusive to your family," I replied with a coldness I didn't know I possessed. "Perhaps you should guard your secrets more carefully."

My words were like pouring oil on a fire. I saw his hand rise, and sparks of light began to gather around his fingers. He was about to attack me.

Leo immediately stepped between us, raising his hands in a defensive gesture. "Kain, calm down! We're in the training arena!"

But Kain couldn't see anyone but me. He was blind with rage.

"Enough!"

Professor Elara's voice was as sharp and cutting as a sword's blade. She didn't shout, but her commanding tone froze everyone in their tracks, even Kain, whose sparks of light immediately vanished from his hand.

She walked towards us with her calm, confident steps and stood between us. She looked at Kain first. "Mr. de Valois, losing control of your emotions is the first sign of a weak mage. Twenty points deducted from your score."

"Wh—"

Kain's face hardened, but he didn't dare to object.

Then she turned to me. Her silver eyes were piercing, searching for something deep within me. I couldn't read her expression. Was she angry? Impressed? Or did she see me as the others did, a mere fraud?

"As for you, Mr. Fern," she said slowly, "you have demonstrated an unexpected ability, one that has begun to pique my curiosity."

She announced in a voice that had regained its strength for all to hear, "Today's test is concluded. You are all dismissed."

The students began to move slowly, casting furtive glances at me and Kain. But before I could breathe a sigh of relief and escape with Leo, Professor Elara added sternly:

"Not you two. Mr. de Valois, Mr. Fern. Follow me to my office. Now."

The blood froze in my veins. I looked at Kain and saw in his eyes a silent promise of revenge. Then I looked at Professor Elara's back as she walked away, and I felt the weight of my book in my satchel.

The walk from the training arena to the faculty wing was short, but it felt like an eternal march through hostile territory. Every step was like a hammer blow on the anvil of my anxiety.

I walked a few paces behind Professor Elara, while Kain walked along the opposite wall, maintaining a distance between us as if my very presence contaminated the air he breathed. We didn't exchange a single word, but the silence between us was heavier than stone, saturated with the silent animosity that shone from his eyes whenever our gazes met for a moment.

I could feel the curious stares of the students following us from the side corridors, their whispers like snakes, slithering into the corners and stinging what little self-confidence I had left. "Thief" and "fraud" were the two words I could clearly pick out.

We finally arrived at a door of polished ebony, inscribed with small runic crystals that glowed with a faint silver light. Professor Elara opened the door with a smooth motion and entered, gesturing for us to follow.

Her office was not lavish like those of other professors from noble backgrounds. Instead, it was a temple to knowledge and order. Its walls were covered from floor to ceiling with dark oak shelves, groaning under the weight of ancient tomes and strange magical artifacts: crystal orbs pulsing with a calm light, miniature models of mythical creatures preserved in glass, and scrolls hanging on the walls depicting complex transmutation circles. The air carried the scent of old paper, dried herbs, and a faint hint of ozone—the smell of disciplined power.

She pointed to two chairs in front of her massive desk. "Sit."

I sat cautiously on the edge of my chair, while Kain threw himself into the other with an arrogance that hadn't left him despite the situation. I placed my satchel, containing my book, on my lap and hugged it as if it were a protective shield.

Professor Elara sat behind her desk and steepled her long, slender fingers on its polished surface. She didn't look at us directly at first, but fixed her eyes on a point in the space between us, as if organizing her thoughts.

"I will be clear," she finally began, her calm voice cutting through the tension. "What happened today in the arena goes beyond academic competition. It touches the very essence of what it means to be a mage."

She turned her sharp gaze to Kain first. "Mr. de Valois, your accusation of theft against Mr. Fern is a serious one. Do you have any proof beyond the fact that he used a spell known to your family?"

A vein throbbed in Kain's neck. "Proof? The proof is that he did it! This boy," he said, gesturing at me with contempt, "has shown no magical talent his entire life. His ability, if he even has one, is a mystery even to the professors. No one has ever seen him cast a spell. And suddenly, he uses an intermediate-level light spell that requires years of training and an innate connection to the element? It's not possible. It's fraud!"

"Fraud requires a method, Mr. de Valois. Did you see him use a forbidden magical tool? A stolen scroll?" Elara asked with cold logic.

Kain hesitated for a moment. "No... but..."

"Then all you have are suspicions based on familial arrogance," she cut him off sharply, then her icy gaze turned to me. I felt as if she were stripping away my layers of defense, looking directly into my anxious soul.

"And now you, Mr. Fern. Today you showed something no one expected. In truth, Kain has a point. Your use of a light spell with such mastery contradicts all reports concerning your abilities... or rather, the lack thereof. Explain."

This was the question I dreaded. I swallowed, my throat dry. What could I say? The whole truth would make me an outcast, possibly a prisoner. A complete lie was impossible; she would see through it.

"I... I can't fully explain, Professor," I stammered, choosing my words carefully. "My ability is complex. It doesn't work in the traditional way."

Elara leaned forward slightly, her gaze intensifying. "Don't be evasive with me, boy. What is your innate ability? What were you granted on your day of awakening? Though I believe I can already guess the answer."

I was silent for a moment, feeling Kain's burning stare. There was no point in being evasive anyway.

"I was granted a book."

Kain raised his eyebrows mockingly and whispered, "How ridiculous."

But Professor Elara didn't laugh. Her eyes narrowed further, and the curiosity in her gaze sharpened into intense focus. "As I suspected. Show me this book."

With trembling hands, I opened my satchel and took out the dark leather-bound tome. I placed it on the polished desk between us. It looked simple and old in this imposing place.

Elara reached her hand toward it but stopped just before touching it. "May I?"

I nodded.

She touched it with her fingertips and closed her eyes for a moment. I felt her disappointment even before she spoke. "I feel nothing. Just an old, empty book. No magical aura, no latent power. Are you mocking me, Mr. Fern?"

"The book itself isn't magical," I said quickly, feeling despair creep in. "Its ability is what..."

"Let's end this farce," Kain interrupted angrily. "He's wasting our time. There's one way to know the truth. Administer the 'Mana Measurement' test, Professor. It will reveal his innate elemental affinity. If he has no affinity for the light element, he's a liar and a fraud."

It was a trap. A perfect trap. I knew I had no affinity for any element.

Professor Elara looked at Kain, then at me, then at the book. She stood up abruptly. "A fine idea, Mr. de Valois."

She went to one of the glass cabinets and took out a clear, fist-sized crystal. She returned and placed it on the desk in front of me. "Place your hand on it, Mr. Fern. The crystal will glow with the color of the element you have the strongest connection to. If there is no connection, it will remain clear."

This was the verdict. I looked at the transparent crystal, then at Kain's triumphant face. There was no escape.

I took a deep breath, extended my trembling hand, and placed it on the cold crystal.

I waited. And they waited with me.

One second. Two seconds. Ten seconds.

Nothing happened. The crystal remained perfectly clear and transparent, like a piece of ordinary glass. There was no color, no glow, no reaction. It was definitive proof of my magical emptiness.

A wide, vicious smile spread across Kain's face. "Just as I said. Nothing. He's empty. He used some trick to copy my spell. This fraud must be expelled from the academy!"

But Professor Elara wasn't looking at the crystal. She was looking at the book.

Because something was happening.

On the first page of the book, which was slightly ajar, faint golden symbols began to slowly appear, writing themselves out of thin air. They were the same complex symbols of the "Ethereal Light Binds" spell. The book, somehow, was reacting to the memory of the spell in my mind, or perhaps to its remnants in the air.

Elara noticed. She leaned over the book, her eyes wide with genuine astonishment this time. "What is this?" she whispered, as if she had forgotten we were there.

She slowly extended her finger and touched the glowing symbols on the page.

The moment she touched them, a blast of pure white light erupted from the book. The light flooded the entire office for a moment, making Kain recoil in his chair and shield his eyes, then it vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

Silence fell again, but it was different this time. It was no longer a silence of accusation, but one of awe mixed with confusion.

Professor Elara was still staring at the book, her finger still touching the page where the symbols had now faded. She slowly raised her gaze to me, and in her eyes was an expression I had never seen before. It wasn't anger or doubt. It was something closer to... discovery.

"Mr. de Valois," she said, her voice steady, but I detected a new tone in it. "You may leave. This matter no longer concerns you."

"But Professor...!" Kain began to protest.

"I said, leave!" she commanded with an authority that brooked no argument.

Kain stood up, shot me one last look full of hatred and confusion, then exited the office, slamming the door behind him.

We were alone. Me, her, and my book, which had just revealed a part of its secret.

"Dan Fern," she said, sitting down again, her eyes never leaving the book. "I believe your training from now on... will be under my direct supervision."

"Training under your direct supervision?" I repeated her words in a faint voice, trying to understand what that meant. "But... why?"

Elara pushed the clear crystal aside, focusing all her attention on my book, which was still open on her desk.

"Your ability, Mr. Fern, is not mere 'mimicry' as you believe. Mimicry is a superficial imitation of a spell. What you did was a perfect replication. And what this book just did is something far beyond imitation."

She ran her hand over the book's cover again, this time with great caution. "This book doesn't just steal spells, does it? It records the 'essence' of the spell. The source code of magic itself. And when you touch it, it doesn't grant you the ability to cast the spell, but rather the instantaneous 'knowledge' of how to cast it, bypassing the need for an innate connection to the element."

Her analysis was frighteningly accurate. In a few sentences, she had summarized what had taken me months to vaguely comprehend. I nodded slowly, feeling a wall of secrecy crumble between us.

"This makes you incredibly dangerous," she continued in a calm voice tinged with warning. "And it makes you priceless. In the wrong hands, this ability could steal the secrets of an entire kingdom. In the right hands, it could revolutionize the world of magic."

She raised her eyes to me, her gaze as sharp as a scalpel. "The question is, which kind of hands are yours, Dan Fern?"

I couldn't answer. I didn't even know how to begin to answer a question like that. So I stood there, silent.

"That is why I will be supervising your training," she said, as if she had read my thoughts. "Not just to teach you, but to watch you. From today, your lessons will be with me, in this office, after the school day ends. We will explore the limits of your ability, and we will set rules for it. And everything that happens between us will remain an absolute secret. Is that clear?"

"Perfectly clear, Professor," I said, feeling a mixture of dread and relief. Dread of this intense scrutiny, and relief because, for the first time, I wouldn't be alone in facing this secret.

Our first training session the next day was more like a scientific experiment than a magic lesson. Elara locked her office door and activated a series of runes on the walls that glowed with a faint silver light before disappearing. "A ward of silence and privacy," she explained coolly. "No one can see or hear what happens in here."

She placed my book on a small stone pedestal in the center of the room. "Today, we start with the basics. I want to understand the 'theft' mechanism. I want you to steal a simple spell in front of me."

She stood a few meters away and raised her hand. "I will cast a simple 'Light Orb' spell. Watch your book carefully. Describe to me what you feel, and what you see."

I nodded, focusing all my senses on the book.

Elara whispered the magic word, and an orb of warm light formed in her palm. It was a basic spell every novice learned.

The moment the light appeared, I felt it. The same faint warmth seeped into the book's cover. It was like a slight hunger, a quiet desire to consume.

I opened the book to a blank page and saw the process with my own eyes. Faint lines of golden ink began to appear, drawing themselves with astonishing speed and precision. They weren't just symbols; they were more like a complex blueprint, describing the flow of mana, the vocal vibration of the word, and the mental intent required to shape the light.

"It's drawing it," I said in an amazed voice. "It's drawing the spell like a map."

"Can you use it now?" Elara asked, keeping her light orb steady.

I touched the page with my finger. The knowledge flowed into my mind instantly. It wasn't just instructions; it was like an implanted memory. I suddenly knew how to gather the ambient mana, how to whisper the word, and how to shape it into a ball of light.

I raised my other hand and mimicked her gesture. I whispered the magic word, and an orb of light appeared in my palm, a perfect match for hers.

Elara gave my orb an analytical look, then glanced at her own. "Interesting. The energy used is not from your body. You are pulling it directly from the environment, from the free mana in the air. Your book doesn't just teach you the spell; it also teaches you the most efficient way to use it without consuming your personal energy. You are not an empty well, Dan. You are a conduit."

Those words were a shock to me. "A conduit?"

"Yes. A normal mage uses their internal mana as their primary fuel, drawing a little from the environment as a supplement. You do the exact opposite. This explains why the crystal showed no effect. You have no innate element because you are not a 'source,' you are a 'conduit'."

Well, I still couldn't grasp all this new information, so I decided to go along with it for now until I understood how it worked.

The next few hours passed in a series of controlled experiments. Elara cast spells from different elements: a small water arrow, a miniature stone shield, a gentle gust of wind. Each time, my book devoured them with the same quiet hunger, and I replicated them with perfect accuracy.

"So there are limits," she observed after a while. "Spells that require a massive amount of mana, like summoning an elemental or changing the weather in a specific area, might be beyond your ability to channel currently. Your book might steal them, but your body might not withstand the required energy flow."

Then she moved on to the next stage of the lesson, one I hadn't expected.

"Now, it's your turn to steal consciously," she said, placing an old scroll on the desk. "This is a simple 'Runic Lock' spell. I haven't cast it, but it's written here. Touch the scroll with one hand, and the book with the other. I want to see if your ability also works on written magic."

I hesitated. This was different. Stealing a spell cast in the air felt passive, like a reaction. But stealing a spell directly from a scroll... that felt like a deliberate violation.

"Go on," she urged with a tone that accepted no refusal.

I took a deep breath. I placed my left hand on the cold runes of the scroll and my right hand on the cover of my book.

The feeling was completely different this time. There was no warmth, but a pulling sensation, as if my book were siphoning the ink off the page through my arm. It was slightly unsettling.

I saw the symbols form on a new page in my book, but they were slower, more labored.

When it was finally over, I felt a slight exhaustion.

"It worked," I said, lifting my hands. "But it's much harder than usual."

"Of course, it's harder," Elara said. "You're not just stealing a spell; you're stealing static knowledge protected by its own wards. But this opens up endless possibilities. Libraries, ancient archives, other mages' grimoires... they have all become potential targets for you."

She looked at me with utmost seriousness. "And this brings us to the most important lesson of the day, Dan. Your ability is truly not ordinary. You don't possess a specific magic; you possess access to all magic."

She stood and walked to the window, looking out at the distant towers of the academy. "A normal mage sees the world through the lens of their element. A fire mage sees solutions in flame, and a water mage sees them in flow. But you, you see all the lenses. You must learn when to use each one, and more importantly, when to use none of them."

She turned back to me, a glint of cold wisdom in her eyes. "Your first lesson is not about how to steal, but why you steal. And before we move on to any powerful spells, you must answer me this: When you can be anything, who do you choose to be?"

She left me with that question, which echoed in the silence of the office. For the first time, my training wasn't about learning magic, but about learning who I was—Dan Fern, the thief standing on the threshold of limitless power.

The following weeks passed in a haze of secrecy and strenuous effort.

My life transformed into a dual existence. By day, I was Dan Fern, the quiet, reclusive student whom everyone avoided, who sat in the back of the class, never participating, never standing out.

I endured Kain's looks, filled with suspicion and silent hostility, and the students' whispers, which never quite died down but shifted from mockery to wary curiosity. They saw me as a potential threat, waiting for the right moment to reveal itself.

But in the evening, after the corridors emptied and the lights dimmed, I transformed. Behind the warded door of Professor Elara's office, I was not the outcast student, but the sole explorer of an unknown land. I was the magical conduit, as she called me.

The Professor's training was rigorous and methodical. It wasn't about learning flashy spells. It was about understanding.

"You cannot simply steal what you do not understand," Elara would always repeat.

She had me study the theories of mana, the history of the elements, and the philosophy of runic circles. She forced me to analyze every spell I stole, to break it down into its fundamental components: intent, incantation, and pathway.

"A normal mage feels the spell," she told me one evening as we analyzed the structure of a simple air shield. "But you, you must think about it. You must see its mechanics. Your strength lies not in emotion, but in the logic behind the chant."

With time, I began to improve at reading spells, regardless of their element. I even mastered replicating high-rank spells to a decent degree.

And slowly, I began to change. My book, which was once just a passive tool, became an extension of my mind. I learned how to gently prod its hunger to sense the spells around me, even if they weren't powerful.

The academy's corridors, once silent and boring to me, were now filled with the faint impressions of magic. I could feel the remnants of a haste spell cast by a student late for class, or the faint protective aura around the library's archives.

My closest friend, Leo, was my only link to the normal world. He noticed the change in me, but he didn't understand its source.

"You seem... calmer lately," he said to me one day as we were having lunch in the noisy dining hall. "But not the calmness of fear. It's a different kind. Like you know something no one else does."

I smiled a small smile. "Maybe I'm finally learning how to read books, perhaps?"

Leo laughed, but his eyes remained curious.

"So that's it, then. Good luck to you, mysterious Dan."

"For heaven's sake, man, don't give me embarrassing nicknames."

Leo laughed again.

"Loud and clear, my diligent friend," Leo said, then snatched a piece of meat from my lunch plate.

I let out a long sigh...

"By the way," Leo added, "Kain is still watching you. In every practical training session, he casts a new, complex spell, then looks at you, as if daring you to steal it again. He's trying to bait you."

I knew that. I could feel my book pulse every time Kain showed off his power, a faint desire to record those powerful spells.

But I followed Elara's instructions. "Never show your hand unless you are forced to. Ambiguity is your strongest shield right now."

So, I ignored him. I did the bare minimum required in public classes, sometimes deliberately failing to form the simplest spells I hadn't yet stolen, which only added to everyone's confusion.

They saw me use the Ethereal Light Binds once with perfection, then stumble to light a candle with a simple fire spell. This contradiction made me even stranger in their eyes.

The turning point came late one night. Elara had obtained special permission for us to enter the Forbidden Archives, a section of the library only senior professors could access.

The place wasn't dark and scary as I had imagined, but quiet and majestic, the air saturated with the power of ancient knowledge.

"Here are books containing spells that are no longer used," Elara whispered, her voice echoing in the silence. "Old magic, some of it dangerous. I want to test your book's ability to absorb something no one has seen for centuries."

She pointed to a book bound in silver chains to a stone pedestal. "This is the 'Tome of Faint Shadows.' It contains spells based on manipulating visual perception. Not illusions, but an actual bending of light around an object. A true invisibility spell."

"Why is it forbidden?" I asked, approaching cautiously.

"Because complete invisibility tempts weak souls to betrayal and espionage. Some people might think of using it in unethical ways."

"Like what?" I asked.

"Like spying on the girls' changing room, perhaps."

"Right. Sorry for the question with the obvious answer. Please continue."

"Hmm?" Elara tilted her head, questioning.

I turned and approached the book on the stone pedestal.

"Hmph. In any case, try to replicate the spell."

I placed my hand on the chained book, and my other hand on my own. The sensation this time was powerful, like putting my hand in a cold electric current. I felt a fierce resistance from the old tome, as if some consciousness was guarding its pages.

The theft process lasted for long minutes, and I could feel sweat beading on my forehead. When it was over, I was panting, feeling as exhausted as if I had run for miles.

"It worked," I said in a tired voice, looking at the complex symbols that had drawn themselves in my book. They were different from anything I had seen before, full of curves and sharp angles.

"Good," Elara said. "Now, rest. You will not attempt to use it tonight."

I agreed with her. Naturally, no one knew what physical and mental effects a forbidden spell might cause.

But fate had other plans.

On my way back to my dorm, I chose to take an outer corridor overlooking the academy gardens. The moon was full, casting a silver light on the stone paths. I was exhausted, but I also felt a kind of satisfaction.

Suddenly, I heard voices coming from a dark alley between two buildings. They weren't ordinary voices. There was a muffled sound, and another voice speaking in an arrogant, threatening tone.

"I thought I was clear. This area is mine. Any trade that happens here goes through me first."

I recognized that voice immediately. Kain de Valois.

A primal curiosity pushed me to the edge of the alley, hiding behind a large stone pillar. I saw the scene clearly under the moonlight.

Kain was confronting two first-year students, who looked terrified. One of them was pinned to the wall by threads of light, similar to the "Ethereal Light Binds" but thinner.

The other student was on his knees, a small open box in front of him on the ground, containing what appeared to be small, unpolished mana crystals.

"These are crystals from my family's mines," the kneeling student said in a trembling voice. "I'm just selling a few to cover my tuition."

"Everything that comes from your family's lands benefits the de Valois family," Kain said coldly. "Besides, you didn't get permission to sell those crystals. This is considered a clear theft from the de Valois family."

The irony. He was talking about theft.

"Either you give me half your profits from now on, or I'll report you to the academy administration for illicit trade. And I'll make sure your friend here spends a night in the healing wing." Kain tightened his grip, and the light binds glowed brighter, making the pinned student groan in pain.

The blood froze in my veins. This wasn't just bullying; it was extortion and abuse of power. This was the true face of Kain de Valois, away from the eyes of the professors.

In that moment, I didn't think. I didn't analyze the situation. All of Elara's lessons about patience and ambiguity evaporated in the face of this blatant injustice. All I felt was a cold anger.

I stepped back into the full shadow of the pillar. I opened my book to the new spell's page, the page of Faint Shadows. I hadn't practiced it, and I didn't know its consequences. But the knowledge was there, clear in my mind.

I placed my hand on the complex symbols. I whispered the strange words that felt like they stuck to my tongue. There was no flash or sound. Instead, I felt a strange sensation, as if the world around me had bent slightly. I looked at my hand and saw it become transparent, then disappear completely.

It had worked. I was invisible.

I took a deep breath and stepped out from behind the pillar, heading towards the alley with silent steps. I was a ghost on a moonlit night, a ghost carrying all of his enemy's spells in his arsenal. And for the first time, I wasn't planning to steal. I was planning to protect.

Moving while invisible was a surreal experience beyond all imagination. It wasn't just an absence of image, but an absence of presence.

I felt the air flow around me as if I didn't exist, and the moonlight passed through me without casting a shadow. My steps, which I made sure were light, made no sound on the cold stones. I was an illusion, a fleeting thought in the fabric of reality.

I approached the entrance of the alley, my heart pounding in my chest so hard I feared it would betray my silent presence.

At that moment, Kain had his back partially to me, focusing all his attention on the kneeling student, who was gathering his scattered crystals with trembling hands. The other student was still bound to the wall, his face pale with pain and fear, the light binds pulsing with a slow, cruel rhythm.

"Hurry up," Kain said with an impatient tone. "I don't have all night to waste on scum like you."

This was the moment. I didn't have a complex plan. All I had was a book full of stolen knowledge and a cold anger guiding my actions.

I raised my right hand, keeping my left in subtle contact with my book under my cloak. I didn't need to look at it; the pages I had touched were engraved in my temporary memory. I summoned the knowledge of the Ethereal Light Binds, the very spell I had stolen from Kain himself in the training arena. I felt the ambient mana gather around me, a hidden current of energy responding to my silent will.

I whispered the magic words in a low voice and directed the spell towards the binds he was using.

No light came from my hand, as my body was still hidden. But in the next moment, something strange happened. The light binds holding the student to the wall suddenly glowed violently, then flickered and vanished in a faint flash, as if a lamp had been abruptly unplugged.

The student was freed and fell to his knees, gasping, clutching his wrists where faint red marks remained.

Kain spun around immediately, his eyes wide with utter confusion.

"What...?" He looked at his hands, then at the freed student, as if he couldn't believe his spell had failed on its own. "How...?"

I didn't give him time to think. While his focus was scattered, I summoned another spell, one of the simple ones Professor Elara had forced me to steal and deconstruct over and over: a gust of wind.

It was a basic spell, but sometimes, the simplest tools are the most effective.

I directed a focused, invisible burst of air at the small box of crystals, which the kneeling student had just finished gathering. The box flew from his hands, slid across the stone floor of the alley, and stopped at the feet of the student who had just been bound.

"Take it and go!" I shouted, but I didn't use my real voice. I used my knowledge of simple sound spells to alter my tone, making it sound deeper, as if coming from everywhere at once.

The two students jumped to their feet in a state of terror and confusion. They looked at each other, then one of them snatched the box, and they bolted out of the alley without looking back, leaving Kain alone to face an enemy he couldn't see.

"Who's there?!" Kain yelled, spinning in a full circle, his eyes gleaming with anger and caution. "Show yourself! Are you such a coward you can't face me?"

He began to gather light in his palm, forming a glowing orb that illuminated the dark alley, revealing every nook and cranny... except for me.

I stood just a few meters away from him, perfectly still, watching as panic began to creep into his arrogant features. He was facing the unknown, and that scared nobles more than anything.

I decided to add a final touch. I remembered another spell I had stolen from a student in a training session, a simple sound spell used to mimic voices.

I whispered in a low voice, imitating Kain's own, and made the sound echo off the walls around me. "Why? Are you afraid of the shadows, Kain de Valois?"

He froze. Hearing his own voice accuse him of fear had a visible effect. His eyes widened, and he began to breathe faster. "Who are you?!"

I didn't answer. Instead, I began to back away slowly and quietly out of the alley, leaving him alone with his demons and his doubts.

I canceled the invisibility spell when I reached a safe corner, feeling my body suddenly return to existence, as if a weight had returned to fill a void. I leaned against the wall, feeling exhaustion wash over me. It wasn't just physical exhaustion, but mental and nervous fatigue.

Using two consecutive spells, in addition to the complex invisibility spell, had drained my concentration. But as I panted to catch my breath, a new feeling I had never known before crept into me. It wasn't just satisfaction; it was a feeling of power. Not the power of magic, but the power of influence.

I had faced Kain de Valois. I hadn't defeated him in a duel; I had defeated his arrogance. I had planted a seed of doubt and fear in his mind, a seed that would grow in the dark.

I looked at my book, still warm under my hand. I was beginning to understand what Professor Elara had said. It wasn't about what I stole, but how I used what I stole. Tonight, I hadn't used magic to show off my power, but to defend the weak. I wasn't a mage, and I wasn't a thief in the traditional sense.

I was something else. I was a force in the shadows. And that, for some reason, made me feel more real than ever before.

The next day, as I entered the academy's front gate as usual, I heard some strange things.

Apparently, the ghost that had roamed the alley that night had left behind more than just a confused and angry Kain de Valois; it had left behind a small legend.

Rumors began to spread like wildfire about the Ghost of the Academy, a mysterious protector who intervened in the shadows, stopping bullies and helping students who were being wronged.

The stories grew with each retelling. Some said it was the spirit of an old professor, others claimed it was an ethereal being summoned by the academy's magic itself.

I listened to these whispers in the dining hall and corridors, a strange sense of detachment washing over me. They were talking about me, but they didn't know it. I sat among them, Dan Fern, the student everyone still ignored, while they glorified my other persona.

I told Professor Elara everything. I expected her to reprimand me for my recklessness, for breaking the first rule she had set: ambiguity. But instead, she listened in silence, her piercing eyes studying my face. She even seemed a little pleased to hear what had happened.

"There is no need for punishment. You have already answered my main question," she finally said when I finished.

"What question?" I asked, confused.

"When you can be anything, who do you choose to be?" she repeated her first question to me.

"You chose to be a shield. Instead of using your ability to steal crystals for personal gain, you chose to use it to protect those who deserved protection. That is your true core." But there was a warning in her tone. "But it is also dangerous. Kain will not let this go. He is obsessed now with finding out who you are. He is searching, using his family's influence to access records he was never meant to see."

She was right. Kain became quieter and more focused, but in a frightening way. His superficial arrogance disappeared, replaced by an icy determination. I would see him in the library for late hours, studying books on rare magical abilities and mysterious artifacts. He was trying to find a clue to hunt me down.

The inevitable confrontation came during the Festival of the Twin Stars, an annual event at the academy where the best students competed in magical duels in front of a crowd of nobles and high-ranking mages of the kingdom.

I was supposed to be just a spectator, but Kain had other plans.

At the festival's peak, after his overwhelming victory in his final duel, Kain stood in the center of the grand arena, refusing to accept his prize. He grabbed the sound-amplifying crystal and said in a booming voice that echoed through the packed amphitheater.

"Lords and ladies, esteemed professors. Before I accept this honor, there is a matter that must be settled. There is a coward hiding among us. A thief who skulks in the shadows, tampering with the laws of magic and nature, or as he is now known, the Ghost of the Academy."

A stunned silence fell over the audience. I was sitting in the back rows next to Leo, and I felt the blood drain from my face.

"I have spent weeks researching," Kain continued, his eyes scanning the stands, as if searching for me. "And there is only one student in this academy whose circumstances match this phenomenon. A student with no innate ability, yet who has shown a sudden mastery of magic. A student who was granted a mysterious tool instead of real power. I am talking about you... Dan Fern!"

Every head turned towards me. I felt thousands of eyes piercing me. Leo beside me was frozen in shock. On the main platform, I saw Professor Elara rise slightly, her face a mask of ice.

"I challenge you, Dan Fern, you thieving fraud!" Kain shouted. "Here and now. An official duel. Use all your tricks, all your stolen magic. Let's see if your ghost can face the light of day."

It was a perfect trap. If I refused, I would look like a coward and a guilty man. If I accepted, I would be forced to reveal all my secrets in front of the magical world's elite.

I looked at Elara. She nodded her head very slowly, a barely perceptible movement. It wasn't approval; it was a message: The choice is yours. I have prepared you for this moment.

Before, I would have ignored everything and walked away, but now that my ability had developed this far, I would not run.

I rose to my feet and walked down the stone steps, each step feeling like it could be my last. When I reached the arena floor, Kain was waiting for me with a triumphant smile.

"Finally crawled out of your hole, thief," he whispered as we stood face to face.

"I'm tired of hearing that word," I replied, in a calm voice that surprised me. "If you want revenge, then try and take it."

The arbiter announced the start of the duel. Kain wasted no time. He unleashed a barrage of light spells, spears of pure light shooting towards me with deadly speed.

I didn't try to counter-attack. Instead, I did what I had been trained to do.

I touched my book and summoned the knowledge of dozens of defensive spells I had stolen during my training. A stone shield rose from the ground to block the first spear. A wave of wind deflected the second. A barrier of water formed in the air and extinguished the third. I moved smoothly, weaving my defenses from different elements, every move calculated and logical.

The crowd watched in stunned silence. They were seeing a single student use fire, water, earth, air, and light magic with equal mastery. This was impossible, a violation of all known laws of magic.

"Is that all you have, Kain de Valois?" I asked, my voice steady. "This isn't even close to a fight, just a display of brute force."

His anger grew. He began to use more complex spells—chains, spears, blasts of light.

And each time, my book whispered the solution to me. I was stealing his spells the very moment he cast them, analyzing them, finding their weak points, and using another spell to counter them. I wasn't fighting him; I was simply demonstrating the appropriate reactions to avoid injury.

"How... how are you doing this?!" he screamed, exhaustion beginning to show. He was consuming enormous amounts of mana, while I was just a conduit, drawing my energy from the charged atmosphere of the arena.

"Let me explain something simple to you, Kain," I said calmly.

"You see magic as a gift, a birthright," I said, advancing slowly towards him. "I see it as a language. And you only speak one dialect. I, on the other hand, have learned its entire alphabet."

"What is this nonsense you're spouting? Enough of your arrogance, you thieving fraud!" he yelled, and in a moment of desperation, Kain gathered all his remaining strength into a single, devastating spell, a family spell I had never seen before. A massive beam of pure white energy, so powerful it distorted the air around it, shot towards me.

I knew I couldn't block it. I didn't have time to steal and analyze it.

So, I didn't try.

Instead, I touched the page containing the spell of Faint Shadows. In the split second before the beam reached me, I whispered the magic word.

I vanished.

The devastating beam passed through the space where I had been standing and slammed into the far wall of the arena in an explosion that shook the entire amphitheater.

I reappeared directly behind Kain. He was panting, his back to me, looking at the destruction he had caused, believing he had won.

I didn't summon any offensive spell. I didn't need to.

I slowly extended my hand and placed it on his shoulder.

"I told you... you're not good at fighting," I whispered in his ear.

"Wh—" He opened his eyes in absolute shock, not daring to look back.

The moment I touched him, I touched my book with my other hand. I didn't try to steal a spell. I did something new, something I had never trained for. I tried to read his mana, to see his source code as my book saw it.

For a moment, a vision flooded me. I saw a river of golden light, powerful and pure, but turbulent and violent. I saw years of pressure, of his family's expectations, of an arrogance built as a shield to protect his fear of not being good enough.

Then I whispered in his ear, not as Dan, but as the Ghost.

The next moment, I changed my voice to Kain's and whispered, "Your power is fine, Kain. But you don't know how to use it. Learn how to use it first, then face me, you weakling."

I pulled my hand away. Kain collapsed to his knees, crushed by the weight of those words, by the absolute shock of seeing someone understand the essence of his magic better than he did.

Silence fell over the arena. There was no cheering, but a deep awe. I looked at the crowd, at a smiling Professor Elara.

They no longer saw me as a thief, or a ghost. There were looks of respect for a promising mage.

I turned and left the arena, leaving Kain kneeling behind me. I walked towards Professor Elara, who was waiting for me at the exit, and on her face, for the first time, was a bright smile.

"You gave them a new name for you today," she said quietly.

"And what is it?" I asked.

"Not the Thief, not the Ghost. But 'The Archivist.' The one who reads and records all magic."

I looked at the book in my hand. It was no longer a burden or a shameful secret. It was my identity. I didn't need an innate power, because I held the key to all power.

"Not a bad title. I like it," I said with a smile.

My story didn't end here. It had just begun. The world is full of books, of lost spells, of secrets waiting to be read. And I, Dan Fern, the Archivist, was about to start reading the magic of the entire world.