The Arcane Tower stood at the heart of the academy.
It was taller than any other building on campus, its dark stone walls covered with ancient runes that glowed faintly at night. Even during the day, the tower seemed to radiate a quiet, intimidating presence.
Most students only ever saw it from a distance.
Very few were allowed to enter.
Lucien stood at the base of the tower, holding the silver badge the vice headmaster had given him.
The entrance was guarded by a massive stone door engraved with magical symbols.
As Lucien approached, the runes on the door flickered to life.
A soft humming sound filled the air.
Lucien raised the badge.
The moment the silver emblem came close to the door—
The runes glowed brighter.
Then the massive stone door slowly opened with a deep rumbling sound.
"Access confirmed."
A calm magical voice echoed from somewhere within the tower.
Lucien stepped inside.
The door closed behind him with a heavy thud.
For a moment, everything was silent.
Then the lights inside the tower gradually brightened.
Lucien looked around.
The interior was enormous.
Spiral staircases wound upward along the inner walls, connecting dozens of floors above. Bookshelves filled with ancient tomes covered the lower levels.
Floating magical lights drifted slowly through the air like glowing fireflies.
And everywhere—
Mana.
Lucien could feel it clearly.
The entire tower was saturated with magical energy.
"Impressive," he murmured.
Most magical academies had libraries.
But this place was something entirely different.
It was more like a giant magical research facility.
Lucien began walking forward.
Rows of ancient spellbooks lined the walls.
Titles written in old languages covered their spines.
Some books even radiated faint magical auras.
Lucien picked one up at random.
"Advanced Elemental Compression."
He flipped through a few pages.
The spell formulas were complex, far beyond what first-year students normally studied.
But to Lucien, they were still understandable.
After all, his mind now contained knowledge from another world.
Still…
Something felt strange.
This place is too quiet.
The tower should have contained other students.
Yet he saw no one.
Lucien continued walking deeper into the first floor.
Suddenly—
He felt it.
A faint pulse of mana.
Very weak.
But extremely ancient.
Lucien stopped.
"…What was that?"
The feeling came again.
A slow, rhythmic wave of magical energy.
It seemed to be coming from somewhere deeper inside the tower.
Lucien's curiosity instantly ignited.
He followed the sensation.
The pulse led him past the main library hall and toward a narrow corridor that most people probably ignored.
At the end of the hallway stood another door.
Unlike the main entrance, this one was small and covered in dust.
There were no glowing runes.
No magical guards.
Just an old wooden door.
Lucien frowned.
"That's… suspicious."
Still, he pushed the door open.
The room beyond was small.
Much smaller than the grand halls outside.
It looked more like an abandoned storage chamber.
Broken shelves leaned against the walls.
Old scrolls lay scattered across the floor.
Clearly, no one had cleaned this place in years.
But the mana pulse was stronger here.
Lucien slowly stepped inside.
The moment he crossed the threshold—
The pulse intensified.
Then he saw it.
At the center of the room sat a stone pedestal.
And on top of it—
A single book.
Unlike the others in the tower, this one looked ancient.
Its black cover was cracked with age.
Strange symbols were carved into the surface.
Symbols Lucien had never seen before.
Yet somehow—
They felt familiar.
Lucien approached slowly.
The closer he got, the stronger the mana pulse became.
It was almost like the book was… breathing.
"That can't be good."
Still, curiosity won.
Lucien reached out and touched the cover.
The moment his fingers made contact—
The symbols on the book ignited with golden light.
A shockwave of mana burst through the room.
Lucien staggered backward.
"What the—"
The book floated into the air.
Its pages flipped open rapidly.
Light poured from the ancient text.
Then a voice echoed directly inside Lucien's mind.
"…Finally."
Lucien froze.
The voice was ancient.
And powerful.
"Who said that?" he demanded.
The floating book slowly turned toward him.
"You awakened me."
Lucien stared.
"…Books aren't supposed to talk."
The voice ignored the comment.
"For centuries, I have waited for someone with the correct mana signature."
Lucien frowned.
"Mana signature?"
"Yes."
The golden symbols glowed brighter.
"You carry the bloodline of the Arcane Emperor."
Lucien blinked.
"…I what?"
The book seemed almost amused.
"Interesting. It seems you did not know."
Lucien rubbed his temples.
This world keeps getting more complicated.
Before he could ask another question—
Footsteps echoed in the hallway outside.
Lucien turned toward the door.
Someone was approaching.
A moment later, the door opened.
Silver hair appeared in the doorway.
Elena Frost.
She looked surprised to see him.
"…I thought I felt something strange here."
Then she noticed the floating book.
Her eyes widened slightly.
"What is that?"
Lucien looked back at the glowing artifact.
The book slowly closed itself.
The golden light faded.
Then it dropped back onto the pedestal as if nothing had happened.
The room returned to silence.
Elena stared at him.
"…Lucien."
"Yes?"
"You're hiding something again."
Lucien smiled faintly.
"Maybe."
Elena stepped into the room.
Her eyes were now shining with excitement.
"Good."
She crossed her arms.
"I hate boring people."
Lucien sighed.
Something told him his peaceful academy life was about to become much more complicated.
And somewhere deep within the Arcane Tower—
Ancient magic had just awakened.