CHAPTER 53 – THE SHADOW OF TOMORROW
The morning sun had not yet fully risen, but the Academy's stone walls looked as though they had long left the night behind. The air carried a lingering tension from the previous evening; even the mana currents were not flowing as they normally did, drifting instead like an invisible mist hanging over the campus. Seryn felt this tension the moment he got out of bed—but the tension was not coming from outside. It was coming from within.
The crack in his chest reminded him of its presence the moment he awakened, pulsing faintly. After Aurellius's touch, he had experienced—for the first time—a few seconds of absolute silence upon waking. The gray flow had completely stopped, the crack had gone utterly numb. That moment of emptiness had brought him both peace and fear. But now, with the cold morning air filling his lungs, the crack began to tremble again.
Seryn took a deep breath, placed his hand on his chest, and listened to the rhythm of the gray flow. It felt like there was a second heart beating inside him. A heart that wasn't his, pulsing with a rhythm not aligned with his own—sometimes slow, sometimes frantic. With every breath he took, the gray flow constricted for a moment, then expanded again.
"It hasn't burst yet," he murmured to himself. "But it's not fully under my control."
Kai and Rien were already awake. Kai announced his arrival by kicking Seryn's door, and when Seryn finally opened it, both Kai and Rien entered the room.
Kai watched Seryn carefully. "Are you feeling better?"
"I'm not worse," Seryn replied. "That counts."
Rien frowned. "You know what that answer means, right? Things still aren't right."
"Yes," Seryn answered. "And even if the fourth node is postponed, this won't change."
Kai rolled his eyes. "Yes! The fourth node. We were going to talk about that." His voice dropped. "Why do you think it was postponed? Why not do it today?"
Rien answered before Seryn could speak. "Isn't it obvious? Duke Aurellius's presence threw off every security protocol the Academy has. They have to reevaluate everything. Even the Temple doesn't act this openly."
Kai lifted his hands dramatically. "So we're saying… the exam was postponed because of Seryn?"
Rien shot him a sharp look. "Because of the Duke. Not Seryn."
Seryn said nothing. He did not feel guilty, but he understood that everything was shifting around him. It wasn't a pleasant feeling; it was heavy.
Outside the door, there was movement—footsteps, whispers, rising mana vibrations… It seemed the whole Academy had woken early.
Kai rushed to the door. "I'm checking."
When he cracked it open, two students were walking past.
"…yes, it's definitely postponed," one said. "Valen held a meeting this morning."
"Of course it's postponed!" the other replied. "Who holds an exam the morning after the Duke shows up? And Seryn… the one with the gray flow… no one knows what will happen because of him."
Kai slammed the door. "See?" he declared dramatically. "Your name is everywhere now."
"Not my name," Seryn corrected. "My surname."
Rien let out a short breath. "He's not wrong."
"Apparently not," Seryn said. "But this only buys me time. The crack follows its own timing."
Kai muttered, "Tomorrow will be harder."
A cold shadow seemed to fall over the three of them at those words. They all knew: postponement was merely the herald of greater pressure.
When Seryn dressed and stepped outside, the hallway was even more crowded.
"There are more eyes watching us today," Rien whispered.
Kai nudged a nearby student with his elbow. "What are you staring at? Yes, he's Daskal!"
The student flinched and hurried off.
Seryn didn't laugh. He knew Kai was trying to help him… but it also made people even more tense.
When they reached the courtyard, the Academy's morning atmosphere was sharper than usual. Mana currents flowed in layered waves, and everyone's attention seemed drawn to a single point: the western gate.
Rien noticed immediately. "There's movement."
"What movement?" Kai asked.
Lyra, who had just arrived quietly, pointed.
At the western gate stood a group of figures clad in red-and-black special armor. The elite guards of House Daskal. Beside them, a standard-bearer held the crest of the house.
And walking among them was a man.
Lord Caerus Daskal.
A figure Seryn knew from long ago—one of Aurellius's most trusted commanders. One of the strongest voices of authority within the House. Simply put: Daskal's fist.
Kai's jaw dropped. "Isn't that… the commander of the northern front?"
Rien nodded. "Yes. For him to be here… this is historic."
Seryn showed no outward emotion, but he took a deep breath. He remembered Caerus. Even as a child, Caerus's aura pressure had been enough to force a person onto their knees.
Now, Caerus was walking directly toward him.
Students parted to the sides. Even teachers stepped away. No one would stand in front of someone rumored to be close to SSS-level. There was no official record confirming it, but his battlefield achievements made it clear he was far from ordinary.
Caerus's eyes found Seryn as he approached. His stride never changed—firm, steady, measured.
He stopped in front of the three students.
Kai and Rien instinctively stepped back.
Seryn didn't move.
Caerus examined him from head to toe. His face was unreadable, but the sharpness in his gaze made something in Seryn's core tighten.
Finally, he spoke.
"Seryn."
His voice did not resemble Aurellius's—it was younger, sharper, but equally commanding.
Seryn bowed his head. "Lord Caerus."
Caerus stepped closer. It felt as though he could see straight into Seryn's chest.
"You've changed," he said.
Seryn did not reply. Caerus continued:
"The last time I saw you… you were weak, fragile, indecisive." His eyes narrowed. "But now… you're carrying something gray. And that thing is not yours."
Kai's mouth fell open. Rien held his breath.
Seryn stayed calm. "It may not be mine… but I'm trying to control it."
Caerus gave a cold, amused smile. "Yes. I see that. The tremor of the crack can be felt from here."
Rien stared in shock. "You… can see it?"
Caerus didn't even look at him. "I can. Because that crack is not foreign to House Daskal."
Seryn's eyes widened. "My grandfather… said the same."
Caerus inclined his head slightly. "Aurellius doesn't tell everything. But there is one thing you must know."
He leaned in. His voice dropped.
"This crack didn't appear just to harm you. It appeared to remind you of something."
Seryn's heart sped up. "Remind me of what?"
Caerus answered with a hard expression:
"Your responsibility."
Seryn didn't understand—but he had no time to ask. Caerus turned. A guard handed him a box. He took it and placed it in Seryn's hands.
"I brought you resources," he said. "For your preparation for the fourth node."
Kai's eyes sparkled. "Resources? What kind?"
Caerus shot him a cold look. "Not for you."
Seryn didn't open the box. "Thank you."
"I heard you reclaimed the Daskal name," Caerus said. "I believe you earned it."
Seryn remained silent.
"But," Caerus added, "a name is not only a shield. It is a burden. Those who cannot carry it… cannot remain in our house."
He stepped back. The entire courtyard was silent—even the instructors seemed to be holding their breath.
"I am watching you, Seryn," Caerus said. "Not just me. House Daskal, the Empire, the Temple… all are waiting for you. Many do not want you to rise. But some… believe you must."
Seryn lowered his head slightly. "My duty… is to protect myself first."
For the first time, Caerus looked pleased.
"Correct answer."
Then he turned and walked away. His guards followed. As his footsteps faded across the stone, the mana pressure diminished.
Kai finally exhaled. "I almost died."
Rien spoke with a grave tone. "That man… doesn't joke."
At that moment, Lyra arrived and approached them. She looked at Seryn. "Are you all right?"
Seryn held the box in his hand. Even the faint mana leaking from it was powerful.
"I'm not sure yet," he said.
When he opened the box, there were three items inside:
1. A dark gray mana stone woven with silver veins.
The same color—and the same vibration—as the crack.
2. An old ritual parchment.
A sealed Daskal technique seldom given to anyone.
3. A note.
Just a single sentence:
"Tomorrow you will either break or be shaped."
Seryn closed the note. The gray flow stirred inside his chest.
Rien stared at the items. "These… are extremely rare."
Kai grew excited. "This stone! This stone alone could carry someone through a transformation trial!"
Lyra was silent. Her eyes were fixed on the stone. "This is… meant to stabilize the crack."
Seryn nodded. "Yes. But not to heal it. Just to get me through the exam."
Kai grinned. "That's still good!"
Rien was more realistic. "If this stone comes with a price, I wouldn't be surprised."
Lyra whispered, "Every power has a price."
When Seryn picked up the stone, the crack inside his chest warmed. The stone vibrated in perfect rhythm with the gray flow. Almost… like a call.
"This," Seryn said, "is risky."
Kai immediately placed a hand on his shoulder. "We're with you!"
Rien nodded. "You need to prepare. Tomorrow will decide everything."
L
yra added quietly, "You must understand this power… before it devours you."
Seryn looked at the gray stone. Its vibration matched the crack.
"I will prepare," he said.
But inside, a voice whispered:
Am I truly ready?