The eastern tower of Castle Thornhaven was a monument to magical power. As Aiden climbed the spiral staircase,
flanked by his silent escorts, he could feel the mana density increasing with each step. It pressed against his skin
like atmospheric pressure, making it harder to breathe. The walls themselves seemed to hum with contained
energy, covered in intricate runes that pulsed with soft blue and silver light.
By the time they reached the top, Aiden's legs burned and his shoulder throbbed. His malnourished body was
reaching its limits. But he kept his face neutral, his breathing controlled. Show no weakness. That principle had
kept him alive in Tokyo, and it would serve him here.
The escorts stopped before a massive door carved from dark wood and inlaid with silver symbols. One of them
knocked three times—a specific rhythm that Aiden's trained mind automatically catalogued. The door swung open The room was enormous, easily sixty feet in diameter, with a domed ceiling that showed not stone or paint, but an
active view of the sky above. Stars were beginning to appear in the twilight, though it was still afternoon outside.
Time magic? Illusion? Aiden couldn't tell.
Seven chairs arranged in a semicircle dominated the far side of the chamber, each positioned on a raised
platform. Six were occupied.
The figures seated there radiated power in a way Aiden had never encountered. Even without his mana sense, he
would have known these were dangerous individuals. Their presence filled the room like the weight of deep water,
pressing down on everything.
"The candidate, Tower Master," one of the escorts announced, then both knights bowed deeply and retreated,
leaving Aiden alone.
The figure in the central chair leaned forward, and Aiden got his first clear look at Tower Master Aldwin. He was
ancient—easily in his seventies, with a long white beard and eyes that burned with an intensity that belied his age.
He wore robes of deep purple embroidered with constellation patterns that seemed to move across the fabric.
"Aiden Blackwood," Aldwin's voice was surprisingly strong. "Fifteen years old. Slave for three years. Copper mines
of Greyhall. Spontaneous mana awakening during demonic beast attack." He set down the paper he'd been
reading—Elena's report, Aiden realized. "Is this information accurate?"
"Yes, Tower Master." Aiden kept his voice steady, remembering Elena's advice. Brief and honest.
"Look at me, boy."
Aiden raised his head and met Aldwin's gaze. Those eyes seemed to pierce through him, examining not just his
face but something deeper. Aiden felt a strange sensation, like fingers brushing against the edges of his
consciousness. He instinctively pushed back, and Aldwin's eyebrows rose slightly.
"Interesting. Natural mental resistance. Rare in someone untrained." Aldwin leaned back. "Council members, your
impressions?"
The woman to Aldwin's left spoke next. She appeared middle-aged, with sharp features and hair like spun silver.
Her robes were crimson, and her fingers bore multiple rings that glowed faintly. "His mana signature is unusual.
Chaotic but controlled—like a wild animal that's learned discipline. The awakening may have been spontaneous,
but there's structure underneath. Previous training of some kind."
"Combat training," added a heavyset man with a thick beard. His robes were brown and green, earth tones. "I can
sense it in his stance. He's positioned himself for maximum escape routes despite being exhausted. This is no
ordinary slave child."
A younger council member—barely thirty, with angular features and robes of pale blue—laughed softly. "Oh, this is
delicious. A mystery wrapped in chains. What are you really, boy? An agent? A spy? Some noble's bastard with fabricated records?"
"I'm a slave who survived," Aiden said quietly. "Nothing more."
"Lies." The word came from the fourth council member, a woman so old she made Aldwin look young. Her milky
white eyes suggested blindness, but Aiden had the distinct impression she saw more than anyone in the room.
"But not malicious lies. Protective lies. He hides something, but not a threat to the kingdom. I sense... confusion.
Displacement. As if his soul doesn't quite fit his body."
Aiden's blood ran cold. Could she sense the transmigration? His mind raced through possible explanations,
excuses, but before he could speak, Aldwin raised his hand.
"Enough speculation. We'll learn the truth through testing." He stood, and the other council members did likewise.
"Aiden Blackwood, you stand before the Mage Council of Thornhaven under the Laws of Ascension. We will
evaluate your mana capacity, affinity, control, and potential. If you pass, you will be accepted into the Arcane
Academy for training. If you fail, you will be returned to slavery. If you are deemed a danger, you will be executed.
Do you understand?"
"I understand."
"Do you consent to this evaluation?"
Aiden almost laughed. Consent? As if he had a choice. "I consent."
"Very well. Step into the circle."
Only then did Aiden notice the intricate pattern carved into the floor at the chamber's center—a complex
geometric design that hurt his eyes to look at directly. He walked to it, each step measured and calm despite the
fear coiling in his gut.
As soon as he crossed into the circle, the runes flared to life. Light erupted from the floor, surrounding him in a
cylinder of pure white energy. Aiden gasped as he felt something pulling at his core, drawing out the blue spark of
mana he'd discovered during the beast attack.
"First test," Aldwin intoned. "Mana capacity. How much power can your body contain?"
The pulling sensation intensified. Aiden felt his mana being drawn out, measured, quantified. The blue spark that
had been barely a flicker grew brighter, expanding throughout his body. It felt like fire in his veins, like electricity
along his nerves. He gritted his teeth, refusing to cry out.
Numbers appeared in the air above him, glowing in arcane script. Several council members leaned forward with
interest. "Forty-two units," the silver-haired woman announced. "For an untrained fifteen-year-old? That's... exceptional.
Most children his age have twenty to thirty units at most."
"His body is underdeveloped due to malnutrition," the earth mage noted. "With proper nutrition and training, that
capacity could easily double within a year."
"Second test," Aldwin continued. "Elemental affinity. What type of mana resonates most strongly with your soul?"
The white light shifted, cycling through colors. Red—fire. Blue—water. Green—earth. Yellow—air. Purple—lightning.
Each color washed over Aiden, and he felt his mana responding differently to each one.
Fire felt warm but wrong, like wearing someone else's clothes. Water was cool and flowing, more comfortable but
still not quite right. Earth was solid and stable, air was free and chaotic. Lightning sparked against his nerves with
an intensity that made him wince.
Then the light turned to shadow—a deep, dark gray that seemed to absorb all other colors. The moment it
touched him, Aiden's mana sang. This was right. This was natural. The darkness didn't frighten him; it welcomed
him like an old friend.
"Shadow affinity," the blind woman whispered. "Primary manifestation. How fitting for one who hides secrets."
"Rare but not unheard of," Aldwin said, though Aiden detected a note of concern in his voice. "Shadow mages walk
a dangerous path. The line between control and corruption is thin."
"Third test," the young council member said eagerly. "Mana control. Can he shape and direct his power?"
A crystalline sphere materialized in the air before Aiden, hovering at chest height. "Channel your mana into the
sphere," Aldwin instructed. "Shape it. Control it. Show us your will made manifest."
Aiden reached for the blue spark within him—now more of a flame after the capacity test. He'd done this before,
instinctively, when striking the beast. But this time he had to do it consciously, with precision.
He extended his awareness toward the sphere, and his mana followed like smoke drawn by a draft. The sphere
began to glow with soft blue light as his energy filled it. So far, so good.
"Now shape it," Aldwin commanded. "Form a simple construct. A blade, perhaps, given your name."
A blade. Aiden's specialty in his previous life. He'd carried dozens of knives, knew their weight and balance
intimately. He closed his eyes and visualized—not just any blade, but his favorite: a straight-backed tanto, seven
inches of high-carbon steel, perfect for close-quarters killing.
His mana responded to the visualization with shocking eagerness. The sphere dissolved, and in its place, a blade
of pure shadow-infused energy formed. It was perfect—the exact dimensions he'd imagined, with a dark edge that
seemed to cut through the very light around it. The council chamber fell silent.
"Impossible," the silver-haired woman breathed. "First-time conscious manifestation, and he creates a stable
construct? With that level of detail?"
The earth mage stood up from his chair. "That's not beginner's luck. That's muscle memory. He's done this before,
or something very much like it."
"The blade is perfect," the young council member added, his earlier amusement replaced by genuine awe. "The
balance, the edge geometry—whoever or whatever he was before this life, he knew blades."
Aiden opened his eyes and saw the shadow blade floating before him, solid and real. Before this life. They knew.
Not the specifics, perhaps, but they knew something fundamental about him was wrong.
Aldwin stood slowly, his expression unreadable. "Aiden Blackwood, or whoever you truly are, that is enough.
Dismiss the construct."
Aiden released his focus, and the blade dissolved into wisps of shadow that faded into nothing. The circle's light
dimmed, and he nearly collapsed. The tests had drained him completely.
"Council members," Aldwin said formally. "We vote. Should this candidate be accepted into the Arcane Academy?"
"Aye," said the silver-haired woman immediately. "His potential is extraordinary."
"Aye," the earth mage agreed. "Despite the mysteries surrounding him."
"Aye," the young council member grinned. "I want to see what he becomes."
"Aye," said another member who hadn't spoken yet. "Power like this, properly trained, serves the kingdom."
The fifth member, a thin man with nervous energy, hesitated. "His shadow affinity concerns me. And the secrets
he carries could be dangerous. But... aye. Under close supervision."
All eyes turned to the blind woman. She sat silently for a long moment, her milky eyes seeming to stare directly
into Aiden's soul.
"The boy carries two lives within him," she said finally. "One ended in violence and darkness. The other was born in
chains and suffering. Both have shaped him, made him what he is. He is dangerous, yes. But danger can be
directed. Power can be trained. And sometimes..." she smiled, a surprisingly warm expression on her ancient face.
"...sometimes those who have walked through hell make the best guardians against it. Aye."
Aldwin nodded slowly. "The vote is unanimous. Aiden Blackwood, by the authority of the Mage Council and the
Laws of Ascension, you are hereby released from slavery and accepted into the Arcane Academy of Thornhaven. You will be provided with housing, education, and the resources necessary to develop your abilities. In return, you
will serve the kingdom when called upon. Do you accept these terms?"
Aiden's voice came out rough with emotion he hadn't expected to feel. "I accept."
"Then from this moment forward, you are no longer a slave. You are a student of magic. A mage in training. Your
old life ends here." Aldwin's eyes gleamed. "And your new one begins."
The chamber erupted with light, and Aiden felt the iron collar around his neck grow warm. Then, with a soft click,
it fell away, clattering to the floor. Three years of chains, ended in an instant.
He was free.