The wind stirred gently across the hilltop, rustling leaves like whispered secrets. Lucien stood at the edge of the training yard, the faint chill brushing against his skin. Before him stood Levi—the instructor, arms folded and gaze hard.
"Forget about it, Lucien," Levi said quietly, his voice lost in the wind. "The reason I called you here... was to tell you something where no one could hear us."
Lucien's heart sank. "What do you mean?"
Levi looked away for a moment before turning back. "You're manaless."
The words hit like a punch to the gut.
Lucien blinked. "What?"
Levi sighed. "It shocked me too. In all my years, this is the first time I've seen a demon born with no mana. Zero. Nothing."
Lucien took a step back. "That... that can't be right."
"According to the details on your family," Levi continued, "you're from a line of low-tier demons. Barely any mana among them. That might explain it."
"But—" Lucien's voice cracked.
"I'm telling you this because I don't want the other students to find out and mock you. It's better if you just go home, Lucien. Forget about Aethercrest Academy. Your kind…" Levi's eyes narrowed, "...aren't welcome here."
He turned and walked away.
Lucien stood frozen, fists clenched.
"My kind…" he whispered. "I'm a demon too. What does he mean by that?"
The wind picked up again as Lucien stared at the glowing mana evaluation orb from a distance—its faint crimson shimmer still flickering in his memory. His voice dropped low.
"They don't welcome my kind, huh…"
He turned and walked out the gates.
---
By the time Lucien returned home, night had already begun to fall. The glow of the lanterns spilled softly through the windows of the Crowe residence.
The moment he opened the door, his parents shouted in unison:
"Congratulations!!"
Confetti popped. A small glowing flare sparked from his father's hands. But Lucien didn't even smile. He trudged past them, head low, and disappeared into his room.
Beatrice blinked. "What… just happened?"
Ronald scratched his head, still holding the flare. "Maybe he's just hungry?"
Beatrice frowned. "You think that's it?"
"I mean... maybe? Go check on him. I'll handle—"
Beatrice squinted. "Don't touch the cake."
"What? I wasn't—!"
"Don't. Touch. The. Cake."
She narrowed her eyes, took a tray of rice and curry, and headed upstairs while giving her husband one last suspicious glance.
Lucien lay curled on his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. His mother's knock echoed softly through the room.
"Lucien? Are you in there?"
No response.
"Lucien… talk to me."
"I just… I want to be alone," he muttered.
"Did something happen at the academy? Were you bullied?"
"No. That's not it."
"Then what is it?"
"It's just… I didn't make it, Mom."
Beatrice hesitated, then slowly opened the door. The room was dim, the only light coming from the moon outside the window. Lucien sat on the bed, hunched over.
"I didn't get in," he said quietly. "Levi said I'm manaless. He told me to give up. That I didn't belong."
Beatrice's breath caught. She rushed to him and pulled him into her arms.
"I'm so sorry, Lucien…"
"There's nothing to be sorry for," he whispered. "Maybe I really am just a failure. Maybe I'll work in Dad's forge."
Tears streamed down her cheeks. "You're not a failure. You hear me?"
Lucien wiped his eyes but tried to force a smile. "I'll be fine."
"You've really grown," Beatrice whispered, brushing his hair back. Then she lifted the tray. "Now open your mouth. Ahhh—"
"Mom, seriously?"
"Just do it."
Lucien sighed, then opened his mouth.
"That's my little demon lord," she said with a grin.
Lucien chuckled weakly. "I can eat by myself now."
"Fine," she smiled, handing him the tray and heading for the door.
---
Downstairs, Ronald had already taken a bite out of the cake.
"DEAR!" Beatrice's voice roared.
A burst of flame erupted from her hand. Ronald yelped as a small plume of smoke drifted from his head.
"You're still scary as ever," he said, coughing.
"Who do you think made me that way?"
"But what happened to Lucien?"
"He's manaless. That's why he didn't get in."
Ronald's smile dropped. "Manaless?"
"He says he's fine… he wants to help in the forge now."
Ronald placed a hand on her shoulder. "Then I'll make him the best smith this land's ever seen. I swear it, as his father."
---
Aethercrest Academy – Principal's Office
Levi stood in silence. Before him, a shadow—unseen and unknowable—spoke from the darkness.
"How were this year's students?"
"Promising," Levi replied. "But… there was one anomaly."
"Oh?"
"During the mana assessment test… a boy touched the orb. It glowed."
"Then that's normal, isn't it?"
"No," Levi said. "It didn't glow blue… or gold. It glowed crimson."
The shadow paused.
"Crimson?"
Levi nodded. "We've never seen it before. And because it didn't match any known bloodline… we failed him."
"I see…" the shadow said softly. "So a rare phenomenon was dismissed as a glitch?"
Levi swallowed hard. "Y-Yes."
"What's his name?"
"Lucien Crowe. From a low-tier demon family."
"Manaless… yet crimson."
The shadow chuckled. "This year might be more interesting than I thought."
Levi placed a photo on the desk and walked out silently.
The shadow leaned forward into the moonlight, revealing nothing but its glinting eyes.
"Lucien Crowe… I look forward to meeting you."
---
The Next Morning — Crowe's Forge
Clang!
The sound of steel meeting steel echoed in the forge as Ronald hammered glowing red-hot metal. Sparks danced in the air like fireflies.
Lucien watched in awe. "That looks… hard."
"Give it a try," Ronald said with a grin.
Lucien picked up the hammer and struck the blade. The jolt surged through his arms like lightning.
"Oof!"
"You'll get used to it," Ronald laughed.
Then—
"LUCIEN!!"
Beatrice burst into the workshop, panting.
"What happened—?!" Ronald asked.
Beatrice smiled wide and handed Lucien a scroll. "You got in!"
Lucien blinked. "What…?"
He opened the scroll, but it appeared blank to his eyes.
"I can't read it."
"Let me," Ronald said, taking the letter.
---
Dear Lucien Crowe,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into Aethercrest Academy. Your evaluation has revealed traits that defy standard classification.
While the nature of your mana remains unclear, your potential has been deemed… extraordinary.
We look forward to your future contributions at Aethercrest.
Yours in secrecy and expectation,
The Academy Board
"Sealed beneath the signature was the sigil of Aethercrest: a three-eyed phoenix coiled around a blade, wings outstretched—symbolizing rebirth, battle, and vision beyond the known."
---
Lucien's hands trembled.
"I… I got in?" he whispered.
Beatrice pulled him into a hug, tears spilling from her eyes. "Yes, my little demon lord. You did it."
Ronald clapped. "This calls for a celebration!"
They rushed home. Beatrice laid out a feast—roast meat, glowing fruit, sparkling cider.
"Eat as much as you like!" she said proudly.
Ronald reached for a drumstick—
SMACK!
Beatrice's palm crashed into his head. Smoke hissed from his hair.
"This food is only for my little demon lord," she said, eyes blazing.
Ronald gulped. "Yes, ma'am."
Lucien burst into laughter. His parents stared… then laughed with him.
Tears welled up in his eyes as he whispered to himself:
"I did it. I got in."
---
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