That night, the Hall of Awakening was once again filled with light.
But it was not the sacred light that had shone in days gone by. Nor was it the light of pride that usually glowed when young mages-to-be arrived to undergo the Awakening, waiting to discover the power that would shape their lives forever.
Instead, there was only the dim glow of dozens of mana lamps hanging along the stone walls of the archive chamber. The room was quiet, wrapped in the cool, heavy air typical of ancient stone structures that had guarded secrets for centuries.
Amid the silence, Grandmaster Altheon remained awake. His eyes—eyes that had witnessed countless years, seen both great glory and terrible ruin—were fixed upon a crystal box resting on the table. Inside lay dozens of shards of Mana Stone: the remnants of the catastrophe that had forever altered the course of Edward Briar's life.
For days, he had sat in that very spot, examining each shard one by one. For days, he had tried to piece together fragments of information, searching for answers about what had truly occurred. Yet strangely, the deeper he delved into his research, the more questions arose. It was as if the secret only drew further away each time he felt he was beginning to understand it.
Altheon let out a long sigh, a breath heavy with the weight of knowledge and worry. His wrinkled hands—hands that had once commanded the highest levels of magic and guided generations of mages—slowly reached out to touch the surface of the crystal box.
And in that moment, his eyes froze in place.
One of the small shards lying in the corner of the box began to pulse.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Exactly like the steady rhythm of a living heartbeat.
The Grandmaster stood immediately, his aged body moving with surprising speed.
"That cannot be…" he murmured softly, barely audible, yet filled with utter disbelief.
He leaned closer, staring intently at the shard. And sure enough, it pulsed again—this time shifting in color: first bright red, then vivid blue, then red once more, then blue again. Over and over, as if some hidden life stirred within the stone, trying to make its presence known.
For the first time since the incident at Edward's Awakening, Grandmaster Altheon felt something he rarely experienced: a deep sense of unease, mixed with a vague, unsettling dread that he could not quite explain.
For all the thousands of years of magical knowledge he possessed, Mana Stones were objects without life. They stored energy, yes—but they never possessed a will of their own. They never pulsed as if they had a living heart.
Yet here, in the dim light of the archive chamber, the rules that had always been taken as absolute truth seemed to tremble.
The next morning.
The air inside the Hall felt cool, yet heavy—thick enough to almost hang between every step and every breath. Several senior mages had been summoned, arriving from all corners of the realm where they each practiced their own fields of expertise.
The underground research chamber was now filled with faces rarely seen gathered in one place. People whose names were often spoken of in historical records, whose skills had been tested by time and great events.
There was Mage Orion, renowned as an expert in ancient artifacts—a man who had held and studied relics from long-forgotten ages. There was also Mage Helena, the royal rune scholar, who had spent decades deciphering the patterns and meanings of magical symbols. And there were several other senior mages, veterans who had once stood at the front lines of battle, their eyes and minds trained to recognize any form of energy.
All of them stood in a circle around the sturdy stone table. No one spoke much. Every gaze was fixed upon one thing: the shards of Mana Stone lying there.
"So this is what required the Grandmaster to summon us so early in the morning?" Helena asked, her voice calm yet laced with deep curiosity.
Altheon gave a slow nod. His aged face appeared more weary than usual, yet his eyes remained sharp and alert.
"Watch closely," he said simply.
He slowly lifted the lid of the crystal box.
Several seconds passed in silence. Nothing happened. Only ordinary stone shards lay still and unmoving.
But then, slowly yet unmistakably, the largest shard began to glow.
Red—bright, yet not blinding.
Then it shifted to blue—deep and profound, striking straight to the heart.
Then back to red.
Blue again.
The pattern repeated, gentle yet distinct.
In an instant, the entire room fell into absolute silence. Nothing could be heard but the sound of held breath.
Mage Orion's eyes widened, leaning forward slightly as if he could not believe what he was seeing.
"I have never encountered energy like this in all my years," he whispered, his tone filled with disbelief.
Helena furrowed her brow deeply, her mind racing as she tried to match what she saw with all the knowledge she had spent her life accumulating.
"This is not elemental affinity," she stated firmly. It was not fire, nor water, nor earth, nor wind. This energy held a nature entirely different—something foreign and unknown.
"I know," Altheon replied quietly.
"Then what is it?" Helena asked again, her eyes locking directly onto the Grandmaster, hoping for an explanation.
But Altheon did not answer.
He remained silent, watching the shards continue to pulse and shift color. For deep in his heart, he had to admit the truth: he himself did not know exactly what this was.
And it was that very uncertainty that disturbed him most—even frightened him.
A short while later, the discussion began.
But Edward had not yet arrived. The air still hung heavy with the silence that had just fallen. So Altheon used the time to explain something they might already know, yet needed to be reminded of—so that all would understand the gravity of what they were facing.
"A Mana Stone is far more than just rock," he said slowly, his voice echoing softly against the stone walls of the underground chamber.
Several mages nodded faintly. Yes, they all knew this truth. It was knowledge instilled in them since they were first students. But Altheon continued, his tone growing heavier, as if opening pages of history long covered in the dust of time.
"These stones were crafted thousands of years ago."
He paused briefly, letting his words sink in.
"Long before the modern kingdoms were founded."
"Even long before most of the history we study in libraries was ever written."
Orion crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes never leaving the shards. His voice was steady yet sure as he spoke.
"Then these are relics from the First Era."
"Exactly," Altheon replied, clear and firm.
He pointed directly at the shards still glowing faintly.
"For thousands of years, Mana Stones have been used to awaken the flow of mana within a person's body. To reveal what elemental affinity they possess. To measure the strength of energy stored within their soul. And most importantly—to determine the full potential a mage may one day reach."
Helena nodded in agreement. "That is why every Great Hall across the realm keeps one. It is the foundation upon which all our knowledge and practice is built."
Altheon looked from one face to another around the table, his gaze deep and serious.
"And for all those thousands of years…"
He paused again. The air in the room seemed to grow heavier still.
"There has never been a single record of a Mana Stone ever breaking."
The room fell silent once more—deeper and heavier than before. No one moved. No one spoke. Everyone present understood the profound, terrifying meaning behind those simple words.
The silence stretched on, until finally the sound of approaching footsteps was heard. The door opened, and standing in the doorway was the person they had been waiting for: Edward Briar.
By midday, Edward finally arrived at the grounds of the Great Hall.
His steps slowed gradually, as if an invisible weight tugged at his feet, urging him to pause. His gaze swept over the grand structure that had stood for centuries. It was true—most of the rubble and dust had been cleared away, and the worst of the damage had been repaired as best as possible. But eyes that knew what had happened here could not be so easily fooled.
The scars of that terrible incident remained clear, as if carved permanently into every corner.
There were pillars that had once shattered, now rejoined yet still bearing faint lines where they had broken. Stone floors cracked in long, jagged lines, as if marking the path of a great upheaval from beneath the earth. On some walls, dark stains lingered—marks left by the uncontrolled explosion of mana energy. Most striking of all, in the center of the main floor, a faint symbol remained: a strange mark blending red and blue. A symbol no one could yet explain, and no purification magic had ever been able to fully erase.
At that moment, Edward felt a tight, uneasy twist in his stomach. This feeling always came whenever he set foot within these grounds. It was as if the very air carried heavy memories, clinging tightly to the deepest parts of his soul.
Every time he came here, the memories of that day returned. The day everything he believed in fell apart. The day his fate had taken a sharp, unexpected turn, changing the entire course of his life forever.
A voice broke through his thoughts. A guard in official uniform stepped forward and pulled open the great doors before him.
"The Grandmaster is waiting for you inside," the guard said, polite yet firm.
Edward gave a small nod, trying to calm his racing heart. He took a deep breath, then stepped across the threshold.
The moment he stepped through the doorway of the research chamber, the entire atmosphere shifted. All the mages, who had been busy with notes, tools, and discussions, turned as one to look at him.
One glance, then another, until dozens of eyes were fixed upon him. The stares made his chest feel tight, spreading a deep discomfort all the way to his bones. There were so many meanings behind those looks. Most held curiosity, as if he were some great puzzle waiting to be solved. Others held quiet concern, as if looking at something precious yet fragile. But what weighed most heavily upon him was the faint, unmistakeable fear in the eyes of some—something they could not fully hide.
Edward hated being looked at like this. He hated it deeply. It made him feel as though he was no longer one of them, but rather a stranger who had wandered into a place where he did not belong.
At the far end of the room, Altheon slowly rose from his seat. His aged face, full of quiet authority, regarded him calmly.
"Thank you for coming," Altheon said, his voice deep and steady.
Edward offered only a faint smile—one that never quite reached his eyes.
"To be honest, I didn't really have a choice," he replied plainly.
Several of the mages fell silent, looking awkward and unsure how to respond. But Altheon gave a faint smile at the corner of his mouth.
"At least you still have the spirit to joke," he said softly.
Edward shrugged, though his heart felt heavy.
"It's the only way I keep myself from losing control and panicking," he answered honestly.
Altheon raised his hand, pointing toward the large table in the center of the room.
"Come closer," he said, gentle yet firm.
Edward stepped forward slowly, one foot after another, as if his legs were bound by something unseen. The nearer he drew to the table, the stronger a faint vibration seemed to travel up through his body and into his chest. A strange feeling grew within him—like a soft voice calling his name from far away. Something that felt strangely familiar, as if it had always been a part of him, even though he was certain he had never seen these objects before.
Then…
Without warning, all the shards of Mana Stone resting on the table lit up at once. The light blazed bright, merging into a single powerful stream of energy.
WHOOMMM!
A low, resonant hum filled the entire chamber. In the air, glowing lines began to form—ancient runes long forgotten by time—spinning slowly until they formed a great circle that enclosed the entire room.
The mages immediately stepped back, their faces filled with alarm and confusion.
"What is happening?!" one of them called out.
"I did nothing!" another protested, his voice trembling.
"It activated on its own!"
Helena nearly stumbled, almost dropping the staff she held tightly. Orion stood frozen, his face turning as pale as parchment.
Edward, however, stood perfectly still. He felt no fear as the others did. Instead, the brilliant light felt strangely familiar—too familiar. As if he had seen it many times in his dreams, or even held it deep within the hidden memories of his soul, locked away until now.
The glowing runes continued to turn slowly, as if dancing to the rhythm of an invisible energy. Then, from among all the shards, the largest one suddenly lifted and floated freely in the air. A soft, radiant white light poured from within it, slowly taking shape until it formed a vision—an illusion, a recording of events long past.
Instantly, the entire room fell into absolute silence. No whispers, no sound of breathing. Every eye was fixed upon the scene unfolding before them.
They saw it clearly: the Hall of Awakening. That very place, on that very day—the day Edward had undergone his Awakening ritual. There stood a much younger Edward, straight and still before the great Mana Stone. Around him were the other candidates waiting for their turn. Silvia stood a little way off to one side, and there was Altheon, watching from the front. Everything appeared so vivid, so alive, as if time had been turned back and they were all transported once more into the past.
Edward swallowed hard, his throat growing dry. He had never—never—wished to see that day again. For so long, he had buried those memories deep within himself. But now, without any way to refuse, he was forced to watch it all again, right here in front of everyone.
The recording continued to play slowly, as if replaying the moment step by step. They clearly saw the flow of mana begin to gather, casting a gentle glow that wrapped around the entire Mana Stone. The light grew brighter and stronger with each passing second.
Then…
Abruptly, a thick, dark mist appeared, spreading rapidly through the air. The atmosphere in the room instantly grew tense, breaths catching in throats. Several older mages immediately recognized that terrifying presence.
"That is…"
"The power of Destrover…" one mage whispered, his voice shaking.
The dark aura swelled larger, coiling tightly around the Mana Stone. Faint cracks began to spread across its surface—exactly as everyone who had been there remembered.
But in the next moment…
Altheon froze, his entire body going rigid. His aged eyes stared sharply, unable to believe what he was seeing. There was something different here. Something no one had noticed during the actual event.
A light.
One of brilliant red, and another of blue as clear as crystal.
It appeared for only a fraction of a second, just before the great explosion shook the Hall. So brief it was almost impossible for the naked eye to catch—yet the recording stored within the shards had captured it perfectly.
"What is that?" Helena whispered, her voice barely audible.
Orion shook his head slowly, his expression full of uncertainty. "I… I do not know."
Altheon continued to watch without blinking. His heart beat faster than usual. He knew one thing with absolute certainty: that red and blue energy did not belong to Destrover. He was sure. One hundred percent sure.
The red and blue light swirled gently, merging together until it formed a distinct shape: the symbol of an eye. One half burned bright red, the other glowed deep blue—two opposing forces, yet bound together as one.
At once, the entire room was wrapped in heavy silence. No one dared to breathe too loudly.
But for Edward, it felt as though the whole world around him had stopped turning. His heart raced, as if it might leap from his chest. This symbol… he knew it well.
Again.
It appeared in the restless dreams that haunted him. It was etched faintly within the soul crystal he had possessed since childhood. It was marked as a mysterious sign on the pages of ancient, crumbling books. And now… here it was again, clearly recorded in the vision of the day that had become the darkest turning point of his life.
What did this symbol truly mean?
Why did it keep appearing at every important moment connected to him?
While all eyes were fixed upon the glowing red-and-blue eye symbol floating in the air, Edward's ears caught something else. A sound—faint, yet clear—drifting through the silence.
A whisper.
Soft, yet carrying the weight of ages. It seemed to come from a place thousands of years away, crossing time and space to reach only him.
"It is still too soon…"
Edward turned his head sharply, his heart pounding. He looked quickly around the room—left, right, into every corner. But there was no one else moving or speaking. All the mages remained fixed upon the vision, their faces full of wonder and confusion. Not a single one showed any sign of having heard the strange voice.
No one else had heard it. Only him.
Once again, just as it had happened so many times before.
The whisper vanished as quickly as it had come, dissolving back into the silence without leaving a trace. But it left behind yet another question that twisted in Edward's mind: What did those words mean? Too soon for what?
The recording finally came to an end. The light slowly faded and vanished completely, leaving behind only faint afterimages that dissolved into the air. The shards of the Mana Stone fell back onto the table with a soft, dull clink, as if pulling the entire room back into reality.
Before long, the silence broke. Voices rose all at once, filling the chamber in a lively exchange of opinions.
"It was Destrover who destroyed it—that much is clear."
"Indeed, no other power is so ruthless."
"No. That is not necessarily true."
The debate began to grow heated. Most of the mages present were convinced that the dark aura they had witnessed was the sole cause of the destruction that day. Yet amid the growing commotion, Altheon remained silent. He neither agreed nor disagreed, simply staring blankly at the shards before him, as if some great secret lay hidden within them.
At last, Helena found the courage to speak, her voice soft but clear enough to be heard.
"Grandmaster?"
"What is your opinion on all of this?"
Altheon slowly lifted his gaze, looking from one questioning face to another. Then he lowered his eyes once more to the stone fragments and spoke in a quiet but steady tone that carried to everyone present.
"There was a second power."
As if a cold wind had swept through the room, silence fell instantly once more.
"A power that was active at the exact same moment as Destrover."
He paused for a moment, letting out a long breath as if carrying a heavy burden long buried.
"And in my view… that power was not the cause of the destruction."
"Then what was it?" someone asked, their voice trembling with curiosity.
Altheon did not answer immediately. His gaze drifted to the spot in the air where the red-and-blue eye symbol had slowly faded.
"It may well be… that it was the very thing that saved them."
No one dared to respond. The words were too heavy, too contrary to everything they had believed for so long. No one knew what to say.
Meanwhile, hundreds of kilometers away from the city of Hougwe, in the heart of the grand, bustling royal capital, stood a tall tower rising high above all other buildings. In one of its uppermost chambers, hidden from the eyes of the world, stood a man clad in a simple black robe that nonetheless radiated immense authority.
In his hand he held a neatly folded sheet of paper—a confidential report sent through special channels known only to the innermost circle of power. It had been compiled in meticulous detail from eyewitness accounts, traces of residual energy, and records gathered in secret from the day the incident occurred. It told of everything: a young man named Edward Briar, the destruction of the Hall of Awakening, the supposedly indestructible Mana Stone that had shattered into pieces, and most striking of all—the strange red-and-blue symbol that had appeared in the midst of the event.
As he read line after line, his once cold and resolute face grew increasingly pale. His fingers tightened slowly around the paper.
"Impossible…" he murmured softly, his voice heavy as if reluctant to accept what was written before him.
He turned the sheet over, reading once more the final passages describing the shape and nature of the symbol, ensuring there was no mistake in the writing or error in observation. Once he was certain the words were true, his hand clenched into a fist until the paper crumpled.
"That symbol should have vanished thousands of years ago… along with the secrets buried deep within history," he whispered again, his tone a mix of disbelief and profound unease.
Without wasting another moment, he turned toward his desk. He quickly took up pen and ink, writing a brief yet weighty message that summarized the report and contained a vital warning to be delivered without delay. When finished, he sealed the letter with a special mana ward, ensuring its contents could not be read by anyone unworthy.
"Send this immediately to the Royal Council," he commanded firmly.
A servant waiting in the corner of the room stepped forward and bowed respectfully. "It shall be done at once."
After the servant had departed, the man in black turned his gaze once more to the window, looking far into the distance toward the north. Far beyond lay the city of Hougwe—and all that had just taken place there.
And for the first time in many years, despite his vast knowledge and authority, the man felt something he rarely experienced: a creeping sense of fear settling deep within his heart. He realized this was no ordinary incident. Something long thought lost was beginning to awaken once more.
Night fell.
The Hall stood silent again, empty and deserted. Everyone had returned home, carrying their weariness and their own thoughts. One by one, the mana lamps that had illuminated every corner were extinguished, leaving only a faint glow that slowly faded into darkness. A profound stillness settled over the research chamber, as if time itself had ceased to flow.
Yet upon one of the neatly arranged tables, a single small fragment remained. It was considered worthless, entirely insignificant—too small to draw notice, too weak to hold any real power, and thus simply forgotten.
Several minutes passed in absolute silence.
Then, slowly but surely, the tiny shard began to glow. It pulsed steadily, shifting in color: red, then blue, red again, then blue—almost as if it were breathing.
In time with its rhythm, a voice began to emerge from nowhere. It sounded ancient, carrying the weight of thousands of years, deep and resonant as it filled the enclosed space.
"The Balance awakens…"
Crack.
Crack.
CRACK!
A sharp sound shattered the silence. The fragment broke apart instantly, turning into fine dust that drifted through the air. And just before the dust was carried away by the faint night breeze, the shape of an eye—glowing red and blue—appeared in the center of the room. It hovered for a moment, motionless, as if watching something unseen.
Then it vanished completely into the darkness, as if it had never been there at all.
But on that very night, something that had slumbered for ages had finally awakened. And the world, resting in its peace, had not yet realized it.
To be continued