The auditorium of Crestwinter Academy buzzed with restless excitement. Hundreds of students packed the tiered seats, whispering about rankings, destiny, and dreams of glory. At the center of the stage, the massive crystal sphere—the Mana-Level Analyser—glowed with a soft blue hum.
Alexander stood quietly near the corner, scarf pulled high to hide most of his face. Davin bounced beside him, practically vibrating with nerves.
"Bro… imagine if I get A-rank," Davin whispered dramatically. "My mom will finally stop treating me like a houseplant."
Alexander didn't reply.
He couldn't reply.
Because two voices inside his head were already talking over each other.
"Relax," a carefree voice chuckled, echoing in his mind like a flame flickering. "Worst case? You accidentally blow up the analyser again. Fun, right?"
Ravak.
The red soul sealed within him—wild, passionate, unpredictable.
"Honestly," a calmer voice replied, sharp as golden light, "if anyone here is going to cause chaos, it's you. Alexander, be cautious. Your mana needs to stay low."
Glyssa.
The golden soul—strategic, cunning, always calculating.
Alexander exhaled slowly."Both of you… please. Not now."
Davin blinked. "Bro… who are you talking to?"
Alexander looked away. "No one."
But something bothered him—something he hadn't felt in years.
A pull.A pressure in his chest.Like a thread tugging from far, far away.
Almost as if someone who shared his heartbeat was reaching out.
Far beyond Crestwinter… far beyond Eldoria…
In the distant Nytheris Kingdom, a young man halted mid-swing in the royal training grounds.
Lucas Valmont stood alone, chest rising and falling as he gripped his blade. The palace walls towered around him, but the sudden burning behind his golden eye was impossible to ignore.
A flash—A memory—A feeling.
"…Brother?"
He touched his chest, startled by the ache blooming there.Why now?He hadn't felt this connection since they were separated as children.
But the sensation grew stronger.
Something was happening.
Something tied to the other half of him…the half he'd been forbidden to see.
His golden eye pulsed faintly—resonating with something distant.
Back in Crestwinter, the principal's voice cut through the noise:
"Alexander… Valen."
A fake name for a fake life.
Alexander stepped forward, suppressing every bit of mana he could. His hand hovered over the blue sphere. Glyssa whispered sharply from within:
"Steady. Slow output. Breathe."
Ravak snickered."Or let it spike. Make it interesting."
Alexander ignored both and placed his hand on the analyser.
The crystal flared instantly.
Light surged through the auditorium.Students gasped.Teachers stood up in alarm.
Davin choked. "BRO. WHAT IS HAPPENING—"
Alexander felt something snap inside his chest.
Something old.Something connected to him.
Ravak stirred violently, excited."Ohhh~ I know this feeling. Someone familiar is reaching for us…"
His red eye twitched beneath the illusion spell.
And far away, Lucas staggered. His vision blurred as the golden eye throbbed harder, calling—no, answering—something it had long forgotten.
Solara's voice whispered gently inside Lucas's mind:
"Your mirror… awakens."
Lucas inhaled shakily.
"…Alexander."
Back in the auditorium, Alexander forced all the mana back into himself with one painful breath. The analyser flickered, dimmed, stabilized.
A single number appeared on the huge display.
A-RANK
Whispers exploded across the hall.
"A commoner?!""How is that possible?""That's insane!"
Alexander didn't respond.
He could barely breathe.
Because even though he had suppressed everything…
The resonance still lingered in his chest.
A heartbeat calling to another heartbeat.A soul whispering to its twin.
And somewhere in Nytheris…
Lucas whispered the same words at the same time.
"He's awake."