Chapter 20 – Academy
The first light of dawn painted the streets in soft gold as Samy stepped out of the house, dressed simply in a plain T-shirt and loose pajama pants. The air still carried the chill of the night, and his breath made faint clouds in the air.
He walked briskly, though he was a little late—it took nearly twenty minutes on foot to reach the bakery.
By the time he arrived, the day's preparations were already underway. Ingredients were laid out neatly, the large mana-powered oven already humming with stored heat.
A young boy was waiting for him—his apprentice for the day. Samy tied on his apron and cap without a word, his practiced hands moving straight into kneading dough.
The boy tried to mimic his movements, stumbling now and then, but Samy's quiet corrections kept him on track. Soon, the trays of dough were set aside for proofing before being slid into the oven.
The warm smell of yeast began to fill the air, a comforting promise of breakfast to come.
---
Back at the house, Ryken woke with his usual discipline, stretching before heading for a quick shower. He went to the kitchen expecting breakfast, only to find the table empty. Clicking his tongue in mild annoyance, and headed to a nearby village bakery.
He bought fresh bread still warm from the oven.
Back home, he tore a piece off. Soft… and the smell—perfect.
He reheated last night's leftover curry and knocked on Shinra's door. "Up. Shower. Now," he called.
Over breakfast, Ryken slid a small satchel toward Shinra.
"I don't have anything to carry," Shinra said, frowning.
"You will," Ryken replied. "Today they'll give you your uniform and books. Take the bag."
---
The sound of wheels on stone announced the arrival of the cart that would take them to the academy.
Ryken called out, and Shinra appeared with Lizz perched on his shoulder, wearing a half-white shirt under a dark grey waistcoat, matching trousers, and black shoes.
Ryken's eyes narrowed with a teasing grin.
Wheeeew.
"Where are you going, Sir Prince?" he whistled.
Shinra ignored him and climbed into the cart.
On the ride, Ryken kept throwing small jabs—"Bet someone's gonna fall for you today. What do you think, Prince?"—but Shinra's silence was heavy.
He sat with his gaze fixed on the road ahead, memories of his father and mother flickering uninvited in his mind. Ryken noticed, but didn't press.
---
The Spiral Guild loomed into view, vast and imposing. Passing through its main hall, Ryken led Shinra to the academy building behind it.
A teacher greeted them at the entrance, his eyes going briefly to Lizz before nodding in understanding. He took Shinra by the shoulder.
"See you later," Ryken said, waving. Shinra lifted a hand in return but didn't look back.
"Will he be alright…?" Ryken muttered to himself, watching the boy walk away.
---
The classroom was large, built like a lecture hall in a university. Rows of tiered seating faced a central stage where a magical board stood.
Only about fifteen students were present, most of them older than Shinra.
Among the faces, Shinra spotted one he recognized—the boy he had met in the garden.
The teacher stepped up with Shinra beside him.
"Good morning, everyone. We have a new friend joining us today," the teacher said.
"Good morning, sir," the class chorused.
" Introduce yourself, boy."
Shinra straightened. "My name is Shinra. I'm eight years old, from Wisdom—a country in the Middle East. And this is my friend ,Lizz."
"Listening to name lizz",
Laughter broke out. Even the teacher smiled before clearing his throat. "Silence. Shinra, go sit next to Edward there."
Edward sat in the third row, gaze fixed ahead. Shinra greeted him quietly, but Edward didn't answer.
The teacher began the lecture, his voice steady as he wrote glowing words onto the magical board.
"Today, we'll discuss birth-gifted powers—also called natural powers."
Shinra listed them one by one:
Fire, Water, Earth, Ice, Lightning, Light, Shadow, Healing…
"These are abilities you're born with," he explained. "But to use them, you need mana—the fuel that powers all magic."
Mana Manipulation
"Mana is everywhere—in the air, the earth, even within you. You draw it in from the atmosphere, store it in your core, and circulate it through your body the same way your heart circulates blood.
By doing this, you can strengthen your body or use your gifted power more effectively."
Mixing of Elements
"You can also combine two different elements by manipulating mana in your core.
Focus on the two elements, imagine them merging, and let your mana shape them into one."
Example: Fire + Ice → a blue flame that freezes whatever it touches.
Water + Earth → mud.
Healing + Lightning → greatly accelerated healing.
Fire + Lightning → dark purple flame, a hundred times stronger than normal fire.
Mana Infusion
"Mana isn't limited to spells. You can pour it into weapons, infusing them with elemental power."
Infuse mana into a sword, then release fire magic through it → Flame Sword.
If the weapon leaves your hand, the magic fades.
The teacher closed his notes.
"That's all for today's magic theory. Next will be a history lecture with Elwin. Wait here until he arrives."
The students stood in unison.
"Thank you, sir," they said before the teacher left.
As soon as he was gone, the other students gathered around Shinra, curious eyes sizing him up.
One boy leaned in.
"Hey… are you really from Wisdom?"
Shinra nodded. "Hmm. Yes."
Someone reached out to touch Lizz, but the little lizard snapped at their fingers.
"Ow!" the boy yelped.
Shinra sighed. "Lizz, don't bite people."
Another student squinted at Shinra's face.
"Are you… an elf? Your ears are a little longer than ours."
Murmurs spread across the group.
BANG!
A small paper ball hit the head of one of the students.
Elwin had arrived.
"That's how you greet your teacher, huh?" he said with a smirk.
His eyes scanned the room before landing on Shinra.
"You—the new boy. What's your name?"
"Shinra."
Elwin's gaze flicked to the desk, where Lizz was curled up asleep. A faint smile tugged at his lips, but he quickly turned it into a neutral expression.
"Alright. Sit down."
As Elwin began his history lecture, he suddenly looked at Shinra again.
"You're from Wisdom, right?"
Shinra stood. "Yes."
"Then do you know the name of Wisdom's king?"
Shinra shook his head. "No."
Elwin's tone grew firm.
"Of course you don't. No one does. In all recorded history, there has never been a king of Wisdom. Remember that, all of you."
---
The bell rang for break. Most students left in groups, but Shinra stayed behind, trying again to speak to Edward.
"My name's Edward," he finally said.
Shinra smiled, offering his hand—but before Edward could take it, a group of boys entered.
"Look at the weird pair," one sneered.
"Shut up. Nobody asked you," Shinra snapped.
They shoved him against the wall, grabbing his collar. "Cocky little—"
The punch never landed.
Edward's hand had caught the boy's wrist.
After a tense moment, the bullies backed off and left, muttering curses.
"Come with me," Edward said.
They climbed to the building's upper terrace, where the view stretched wide—a small lake glistening ahead, the village's fields to the left, clouds drifting lazily in the breeze. Shinra's breath caught.
For a brief moment, the weight in his chest eased.