The first light of dawn filtered through the grimy window of "The Rusty Lantern," pulling me from a restless sleep. No dreams—just the echo of that quiet voice in my mind, whispering things I couldn't quite grasp.
I sat up on the cot, my body stiff but not aching. The room was as basic as promised: a thin mattress, a basin of murky water, and walls that smelled of mold. No frills. Five Silberkronen well spent—or wasted, depending on how long I lasted here.
I flexed my fingers, glancing at the storage ring on my right index. It still felt foreign, heavy, but the faint warmth when I used it last night had been real. I focused on the travel bag—stored away—and summoned it back. It appeared in my hand with that soft pop.
Useful.
On the small nightstand beside the bed, the dagger lay in its sheath. I picked it up, turning it in my hand. Celestite, that's what it's called. The blade, when unsheathed, caught the faint light with that night-sky shimmer—deep indigo and violet flecks dancing across the surface.
So beautiful.
I held it closer, the weight familiar now, like an extension of my arm. In this strange world, where everything felt off-balance, this dagger... it grounded me. The violet gleam mirrored my hair, a reminder that I was different here—marked, somehow. No lineage, no bloodline, just me. And now, this.
In Valenridge, I had nothing. No family, no memories of one. Just an empty room and a packed bag. The silence there had been suffocating, a constant reminder of how alone I was. Here, in Aetherhold, I was starting over—or trying to. But the dagger felt like a piece of the night sky in my palm, a silent promise that I wasn't entirely alone. It was more than metal; it was an anchor in the chaos, a tool to survive without drawing attention. To stay invisible. For the first time since waking up in this world, something felt like it belonged to me—not just a possession, but a piece of armor against the uncertainty gnawing at my chest.
It eased the ache just a little, that hollow feeling I'd carried since Valenridge. Maybe that's why I bought it—not just for protection, but for the illusion of connection in a place where I had none.
Really—So beautiful, I should give it a name...
Something to make it mine. Not just a tool, but a companion in this madness—a quiet ally in a world that already seemed determined to notice me.
How about...
Celestite Fang.
Thirty-five Silberkronen. Every one worth it, now that it also had a name.
I summoned my backpack back and stored the travel bag again, leaving only the essentials in my backpack. Lighter load. Better for blending in.
I'd say I'll leave the book in the ring, safer that way.
Stay Invisible. That was the plan. Survive, stay invisible, avoid the nobles. No heroics, no attention. Just make it through.
I splashed water on my face from the basin—cold, but it woke me up—then headed out.
The commoners' quarter was stirring. Bakers opened their shops, the smell of fresh bread mixing with the metallic tang of mana in the air. Commoners like me hurried along, heads down, while a few nobles on horseback clipped by, their cloaks fluttering.
I followed the main road back to the square, the academy gates visible in the distance. The walls were even more imposing by day—gray stone etched with glowing runes, towers capped with crystal that caught the sun like prisms.
The crowd thickened as I approached. Recruits streamed through the gates, some in fine uniforms, others in plain clothes like mine. Guards checked parchments at the entrance, waving people through.
I gripped my enrollment paper in my pocket, heart beating a little faster. This was it. The Sternenkrone Academy.
The gates were massive, open now, with a steady flow of people. I joined the line, keeping my head low.
The guard at the front took my parchment without a word, scanned it, then handed it back. "F-Class. Through the side gate, down the path to the lower halls. Orientation in the auditorium—don't be late."
I nodded, slipping through.
The grounds were vast. Pathways branched off the main road, leading to gardens, training fields, and buildings that looked like castles. Mana hummed everywhere—stronger than in the city, like a constant buzz in my bones.
Signs pointed the way: "High Noble Wing," "Main Halls," "Auditorium."
I followed the one for the auditorium, but the paths twisted. One led to a courtyard with nobles practicing spells, another to a stable with strange, glowing horses.
I turned a corner—wrong again. A dead end at a garden wall, overgrown with vines that shimmered with mana.
Damn.
I backtracked, but the crowd had thinned. The sun was higher now—orientation probably starting soon.
Stay invisible. And here I was, already lost.
I spotted a side path, narrow and less traveled. It led through a shaded grove, trees with leaves that glowed faintly.
This has to be it.
But it wasn't. The path opened to a quiet plaza with a fountain—mana water bubbling like stars in liquid form. No auditorium.
Frustration built. I was wasting time.
A voice from behind. "Lost?"
I turned. A girl with long silver hair stood there, smaragd-green eyes watching me. She wore a crisp academy uniform, edged in gold.
Celine de Luthaine.
The name popped into my head unbidden, like a memory I shouldn't have.
No. Just a coincidence.
"Yeah," I said, keeping my voice steady. "Looking for the auditorium."
She smiled faintly. "First-year? Follow me. It's this way."
She turned, walking with graceful confidence. I hesitated, then followed. No choice.
The path she took was different—straight through an arched gateway I hadn't noticed.
"Thanks," I said as we walked.
"No problem. Name's Celine de Luthaine."
Celine de Luthaine.
The name hit like a punch. Familiar. Too familiar.
I swallowed. "Eryndor Vale."
She glanced at me. "Vale? That's... unusual. No house?"
"No house."
She nodded, not pressing. "The academy can be confusing at first. The paths are designed that way—tests your sense of mana flow. Feel the pull?"
I frowned. "Pull?"
"The mana. It flows stronger toward the main halls. Close your eyes, focus. You'll feel it."
I did—briefly. A subtle tug, like a current in the air, pulling toward the left.
Weird.
"See?" she said. "You'll get used to it."
"Why help me?" I asked, suspicion creeping in.
She shrugged. "We're all new here. Besides, you look like you could use a hand. F-Class?"
"How did you know?"
"The parchment in your pocket. The seal's different."
Sharp eyes.
We walked in silence for a moment, the path winding through a grove of trees with leaves that shimmered faintly.
"You don't talk much," she said, glancing back.
"Not much to say."
She laughed softly. "You'll learn. The academy changes people. Some for the better. Some... not."
Her tone was light, but there was something underneath—something I couldn't place.
We reached the auditorium—a massive hall with high ceilings, filled with recruits. The ceremony had already started—a teacher on stage calling names.
Celine slipped into the crowd. I tried to follow, but the doors closed behind me with a boom.
Heads turned. Hundreds of eyes on me.
Fuck... and there goes my plan to stay invisible.