📖 Chapter 3 – The Calm Before the Storm
A cold wind slipped through the shattered windows of the hut. The candles that had burned through the night were now dying one by one, leaving behind a heavy silence.
The faint glow of the magic circle carved into the floor had faded too, leaving only the scent of burnt wood.
But inside me, a storm was raging.
It wasn't just my body that had awakened — my mind had too.
I stood up and looked around. The hut was ancient: rotting wooden beams, damp stone walls, shelves covered in thick cobwebs.
Yet this wasn't just any place.
This was the first turning point of the story.
"I'm here… exactly here…" I whispered to myself. My voice was cold, but laced with a strange determination.
Memories surfaced — not mine, but the ones I had once read. I remembered them now not as a reader, but as someone living inside those pages.
The end of the first term exams…
The visit of Princess Elira to the academy…
And immediately after — the first demon assault.
That attack was the first major turning point in the story. Hundreds of students would die. A handful of instructors would disappear. And Lucien's tale of heroism would truly begin here.
But the most important part… would be my betrayal.
Or rather, the betrayal of this body's original owner.
"Revenge…" I whispered, biting my lip.
The fool had destroyed everything over childish pride. The princess's gaze turning toward Lucien, the people praising him as a hero — it had shattered the former Seryn's pride into pieces.
And in that rage, he had turned to the demons for vengeance.
But that fool was gone.
His soul had been erased.
And in his place stood a soul that had broken the chain.
Still… my situation was far from safe.
Time was running out.
If the story was still following its original path, there were only nine days left until the first attack.
Nine days.
In just nine days, everything would happen. History would repeat itself.
"Nine days…" I murmured. "What can I do in so little time?"
I paced slowly across the room.
Yes, I had entered the academy three months ago.
My family had disowned me, stripping away my title, wealth, and dignity.
Now, I owned nothing but five gold coins and an old wooden wand with barely a trace of mana left in it.
But… I had one advantage.
Knowledge.
I closed my eyes and tried to recall every detail of that arc.
The demon attack didn't happen out of nowhere. There were warning signs — strange shadows spotted near the academy grounds, students disappearing without a trace, fluctuations in mana concentration near the northern forest…
All of it was foreshadowing. And now I knew how to read it.
"I have to act before they happen…" I muttered through clenched teeth.
Lucien hadn't noticed those signs back then. He had only appeared after the chaos began, earning his glory in the aftermath.
But I… I could act before the story unfolded.
Maybe I could sabotage their summoning points.
Maybe I could weaken their attack.
Maybe — just maybe — I could rewrite fate before it even began.
The thought burned like fire in my chest.
But almost immediately, cold reality washed over me.
I couldn't do this alone.
I had no allies, no money, no strength. My mana core had only just formed. I could barely control a simple wind spell.
Worse still, no one at the academy would believe me.
The weak, worthless third son — no one would listen to what he had to say.
"No…" I whispered, shaking my head. "I'll do it without their trust."
I would carve my own path.
Just as a soul that defied fate was meant to.
I approached the cracked window and gazed out. A thin morning mist drifted above the forest. The silence of the night was slowly being replaced by birdsong. The sky over the academy island was turning pale as dawn approached.
It all looked peaceful… but I knew that peace wouldn't last.
This was nothing more than the calm before the storm.
I placed a hand over my chest. I could feel the steady rhythm of my newly formed core.
With each beat, mana flowed through my veins, strengthening my muscles, sharpening my senses.
But this strength was far from enough.
Nine days… only nine days remained.
The wind stirred at my fingertips. A small vortex formed, swirling gently.
Sparks of lightning danced in the air.
I was no longer the old Seryn.
I didn't sleep that night. Instead, I spent the hours planning.
I laid out everything I needed to do, step by step.
First: I had to find the location where the demons would breach the island. Their gateway was hidden near an ancient stone altar deep within the northern forest. If I could find it, I could disrupt their magic seals and weaken their arrival.
Second: I had to grow stronger. Alone, I stood no chance against the demons. But if I trained relentlessly, I might at least protect someone — or buy enough time to change the outcome.
Third: I had to observe. Some of the academy's teachers and students were secretly in league with the demons. I would watch them, track their movements, and uncover their loyalties before the battle began.
And fourth — perhaps the most important of all:
Not revenge. Balance.
This world was not meant to be saved completely, nor was it meant to be destroyed. My duty… was to balance it.
By the time the sun rose, I stepped out of the hut.
The cold forest air brushed against my face, but my heart felt warm.
Each step I took was no longer a choice — it was a declaration of war.
Fate had already written this story.
But now, the pen was in my hands.
In the distance, the academy towers pierced the morning sky. I had to return before classes began.
But the one returning today was not the same cowardly, useless boy from three months ago.
I was now the soul that had broken the chain.
And those who break chains… never a
ccept the endings written for them.
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