Volume 1
Chapter 4: The Ghost in the Crystal Ball
Flashback: One Year Ago. The Year of the Crystal Barrier.
The Academy grounds were empty. A magical pestilence—the "Mana Blight"—had forced the faculty to seal every student in their individual dormitory towers.
For most students, it was hell. No parties, no duels, no social posturing in the Great Hall.
For Elian, it was the Golden Age.
Elian sat at his desk, his room illuminated by the soft blue glow of a Communication Orb. Floating inside the glass sphere was the face of Lara, looking exhausted and frantic.
"I don't get it, Elian!" she groaned, burying her face in her hands. "The Transmutation of Lead requires a stable atomic lattice. My formula keeps collapsing."
"That's because you're using the standard textbook ratio," Elian said calmly. He wasn't wearing his Grey Cloak. Here, in the privacy of his room, he was just Elian. "The textbook assumes perfect laboratory conditions. But the humidity in your tower is high, right? You're near the lake."
"Yeah, it's freezing damp."
"So adjust for moisture," Elian said. "Add a variable of -0.4 to the binding agent. Ignore the chant's warning about instability. Trust the math."
Lara hesitated, then scribbled the change on her parchment. She cast the spell.
On the other side of the orb, Elian saw a flash of gold light.
"It worked!" Lara squealed, her face lighting up with a genuine, beaming smile that made Elian's chest feel tight. "Elian, you're a lifesaver. Seriously. I would have failed this semester without you."
"It's just... basic structural adjustment," Elian mumbled, looking away from the orb to hide the faint blush on his cheeks.
"It's not basic. It's brilliant," Lara said softy. "You know, when this Blight is over... we should actually hang out. Like, in person. Not just for studying."
Elian's heart did a strange flip. "Really?"
"Yeah! The Student Council is planning a 'Return Banquet' when the barriers drop next week. You should come. Sit with me."
For the first time in his life, Elian thought that maybe, just maybe, the "class system" of the Academy didn't matter.
One Week Later.
The barriers were down. The Academy was alive with noise.
Elian stood in front of his mirror. He had spent an hour trying to make his Grey Cloak look presentable. He had even tried to tame his messy hair.
He checked his pocket watch. The Banquet started in ten minutes.
He tapped his Communication Orb. "Lara? I'm heading over."
The mist in the orb swirled, and Lara's voice came through, but no image.
"Hey... Elian?" Her voice sounded tight. Strained. "Listen, about the Banquet..."
"Yeah?"
"It's... actually canceled. The Faculty said the Mana Blight isn't fully cleared yet. Too risky to have everyone in the Great Hall. I'm just going to stay in my dorm and sleep. Sorry!"
Elian felt a pang of disappointment, but he nodded. "Oh. That makes sense. Safety first. We can study tomorrow then?"
"Yeah! Totally. Goodnight, Elian!"
The connection cut.
Elian took off his cloak, sighing. He sat back down at his desk, pulling out his violin. If the party was canceled, he might as well practice.
An hour later, his orb buzzed.
It wasn't a call. It was a broadcast. The Daily Oracle—the Academy's student-run illusion paper—had sent out a mass update.
"The Return Banquet is Lit! House Veridia throws the party of the year!"
Elian frowned. He tapped the notification.
A holographic image projected into the air above his desk. It was a moving illusion of the Great Hall, packed with hundreds of students. Music, food, dancing lights.
And there, in the center of the frame, was Lara.
She was wearing a sparkling red dress. She was laughing, holding a goblet of nectar, her arm linked with a high-ranking Fire Mage from the Gold Cloak faction. She looked radiant. She looked happy.
She looked like someone who didn't want to be seen with a Grey Cloak.
Elian stared at the hologram. The image looped—Lara laughing, Lara toasting, Lara leaning into the Fire Mage.
The logic in Elian's brain tried to process the data.
Premise A: Lara said the Banquet was canceled.
Premise B: The Banquet is happening.
Conclusion: Lara lied.
Reason: Social incompatibility.
Elian didn't cry. He didn't throw the orb against the wall.
He felt something inside him—a small, fragile gear that had started to turn during the remote year—simply snap.
He reached out and tapped the orb.
[Block User: Lara]
[Confirm?]
"Confirm," Elian whispered.
The hologram vanished. The room returned to silence.
Elian picked up his quill and opened his textbook. He didn't play the violin that night. He studied until his eyes burned, burying himself in numbers that never lied to him.
Present Day.
Elian woke up with a start, gasping for air.
Sunlight was streaming through the dormitory window. The dream faded, leaving the familiar bitter aftertaste in his mouth.
"Stupid brain," Elian muttered, rubbing his eyes. "Why retrieve corrupted files?"
He dragged himself out of bed. Today was the day.
The Remedial Practical.
Professor Hyst had posted the pairing list on the notice board. Elian didn't even need to look; he knew his luck. He would probably be paired with a rock golem or a tree stump.
He dressed quickly, ignoring the mirror, and headed to the library.
When he arrived, the "Remedial Corner" was already chaotic. Students were panicking, chanting verses under their breath.
"Elian!"
Kael waved him over from Table 9. "Good news and bad news."
"Give me the bad news first," Elian said, dropping his bag.
"Hyst didn't pair you with a partner," Kael said. "He said you're a 'Special Case,' so you're just floating. You have to assist whoever is struggling the most."
"And the good news?"
"There is no good news," Kael grinned. "I just wanted to soften the blow."
Elian groaned and sat down, opening his book on Structural Integrity.
"Just ignore everyone," Elian told himself. "Read the book. Survive the hour. Go back to bed."
But the universe, as usual, had other plans.
A few tables away, a loud, hiccuping sob broke the silence.
"Oh, Great Spirit of the... the... Aqueous Depths..."
Elian tried to ignore it. He tried to focus on his vectors. But the crying was persistent. It was the sound of pure, helpless frustration.
It was the sound of someone who was trying their hardest and failing because the system was broken.
It sounded exactly like Elian felt inside.
Don't do it, his brain warned. Stay in the shadows. It's not your problem.
Elian looked up. He saw a terrified First Year boy shaking with a wand in his hand.
Elian sighed, closing his book with a heavy thud.
"Inefficient," Elian whispered.
He stood up.
End of Chapter 4