I woke up to a sharp, ringing sound drilling through my skull—high-pitched and relentless, like a bell chiming in some distant place but somehow lodged inside my head. I groaned and pressed my palms to my temples, hoping it would stop. It didn't.
Instead, it got worse.
Voices flooded my ears—people talking, shouting, laughing. Footsteps pounded against cobblestone streets. Carts creaked, metal clanged, someone sneezed from what had to be a few blocks away. Every sound reached me as if the world had shoved itself right up against my skin.
"What's happening to me?" I whispered, my voice shaking.
I pushed off the bed and stood. My body felt… light. Too light, like I wasn't fully touching the ground. My balance was fine, but the air itself felt thinner, clearer. I could see the cracks in the wall near the ceiling, smell the faint tang of ripe mangoes from the crates downstairs, even feel the faintest vibrations of the floor beneath my feet. It was like every sense I had had been turned up past its limit.
I staggered into the bathroom, splashing cold water on my face, trying to bring myself back down. When I looked up at the mirror, I froze.
The boy staring back at me wasn't the same one who had gone to bed last night.
My skin looked clearer, almost… glowing, and the scars I'd grown used to seeing along my arms and collarbone—gone. Just gone. My eyes looked brighter too, their color sharper, more alive. There was no mistaking it. The Arcana Core hadn't just given me power—it had changed me.
And that wasn't even the scariest part.
I pulled back my shirt. The mark on my chest still pulsed softly, faint but unmistakable. It looked like a burn shaped into a rune, dim blue light threading along its edges like veins of fire. If anyone saw it… I didn't even want to imagine what the Empire would do.
I had to control it. Suppress it. Hide it.
Before all this, I used to spend hours reading about Arcana. Even though I had no real talent, I'd study the basics of energy flow, meditation techniques, even old knight manuals. Just in case. Back then, my efforts had always ended in disappointment—nothing more than warm palms and wishful thinking.
But maybe now… maybe all that reading would finally pay off.
I dropped to the floor in the center of my room, crossing my legs and straightening my spine like the guides said. My hands rested on my knees. I closed my eyes.
Breathe in…
And then it hit me.
A surge of raw, unfiltered power burst inside me like a storm breaking loose. It crackled through my veins, wild and burning. My body trembled, sweat pricked my skin. I clenched my jaw, my hands curling into fists as I fought to stay still.
And then I saw it.
Not with my eyes—this was something deeper. Somewhere inside me, I saw the Core. Or what was left of it. It wasn't a cube anymore. It was this glowing ember, pulsing like a second heart. Blue and bright and ancient. I felt its weight, its hunger. Its awareness.
I pushed back.
I imagined a wall of light—thick, solid, strong—encasing the ember. Sealing it. Holding it still.
The harder I focused, the more control I seemed to gain. The energy thrashed and coiled, but slowly, it dimmed. Like it was listening. Like it was waiting.
And then… it was quiet.
When I opened my eyes, I was drenched in sweat, breathing hard. My limbs felt like jelly. But when I looked down at my chest, the mark had dimmed, just a faint glow now.
I let out a shaky laugh. "It worked…"
---
I changed into fresh clothes and double-checked the mirror to make sure the glow wasn't visible. Satisfied, I slipped downstairs. Mom wasn't in the house—she must've gone to the kiosk early. Business had been slow lately, and she never liked being unprepared.
I left through the back and cut through the alleys. I didn't want to risk running into anyone from school—especially not Ryn or his gang. With the Arcana Core inside me, I couldn't afford to lose my temper. Or control.
By the time I got to the kiosk, Mom was already setting out the fruit. Her hands moved fast, but when she spotted me, they stopped.
"There you are," she said softly. "I was starting to worry." Her eyes scanned me, narrowing. "Are you… feeling okay? You look… different."
I gave her the best smile I could. "I'm fine. Just had a weird night, that's all."
She didn't believe me. Not fully. I could see it in her eyes. But she didn't press. Instead, she reached out and rested a hand on my shoulder.
"You were meditating, weren't you?" she asked gently.
I nodded. "Yeah. I've been thinking. I want to take the cadet exam. This time will be different."
Her eyes widened. "Kael…"
"I mean it," I said, straightening up. "I know I can do this."
She stared at me for a long moment, and then finally gave a slow nod. "Then I support you. Just… make sure you register on time, alright?"
"I will."
---
After we finished setting up, she sent me to the warehouse to pick up more fruit. I took the carriage and headed off, winding through the familiar streets. But everything felt different now. The city looked the same—dusty roads, shouting merchants, glowing crystal lamps—but I didn't.
I could feel the Core humming quietly inside me. I wasn't afraid anymore. Not exactly. But I knew I had to be careful.
As I loaded crates into the cart, I caught myself glancing down at my chest again. The mark was hidden, but I could still feel it. Like a heartbeat that wasn't mine.
I didn't know what I was yet. A knight? A vessel? A mistake?
But for the first time in my life… I had a chance.
And I wasn't going to waste it.