The weekend of drinking passed by, and a new week had arrived.
The sky over Stellaris was clear that morning, a pale blue with thin streaks of cloud drifting lazily by.
Students moved along the paths in steady streams, uniforms neat, footsteps hurried, voices blending into a dull hum in the background.
Soren walked among them.
It was the start of the third week of classes.
By now, the new schedule no longer felt like a death sentence.
The long days, the early mornings, the training in between, the club responsibilities at night, it was all starting to become familiar.
His worries from that night still lingered, of course.
The thought of losing himself.
Freya's last words.
They were still there, sitting quietly at the back of his mind like sharp stones he refused to touch.
But he had decided, at least for now, to put them aside.
Not because they were solved or because they didn't matter, but because there was nothing he could do about them yet.
If an opportunity ever appeared, if there were even a small chance to find answers, he would grab it without hesitation.
But until then, he had other things to focus on.
Those things being:
How to fuck over Sofia. What to do with Morcant.
He grimaced slightly as he walked.
Although he knew most of the emotions he felt about Freya's situation weren't originally his, that didn't matter anymore.
He had taken over Soren's body.
He had walked through that estate.
He had listened to Sofia's calm, poisonous words.
He had watched the way servants looked at him, the way they acted.
Even if they weren't technically his family, he had experienced firsthand how they treated Soren, both directly and indirectly.
And because of that, he couldn't just leave it alone.
He had decided that he needed to get stronger.
There were plenty of other reasons for growth as well, such as surviving the main story, protecting his friends, and dealing with the Lunar Cult, but right now, his primary motivation sat firmly with the Arden family.
Freya's diary described Sofia as "weak" now, permanently crippled, unable to fight at full strength, but she was still a border count.
She still had status, influence, and people who would obey her without question.
And Freya herself, by the age of twenty-four, had almost been a member of Trinity, the strongest knight order in the entirety of Fialova.
That said enough.
If Soren wanted to deal with Sofia, he had two choices.
Either gain enough power to deal with her quietly and erase the fallout before it could reach him.
Or gather enough proof to drag her down publicly, in a way that couldn't be spun or buried.
If he handled it carelessly, it wouldn't be Sofia's head rolling.
It would be his.
"Annoying…" Soren muttered under his breath as he walked up the stairs to the Martial Studies building.
Then there was the second problem.
Morcant Calder.
Bishop of Envy.
High-ranking member of the Lunar Cult.
For now, Morcant was quiet, but Soren knew that wouldn't last.
Soon enough, Morcant would start moving, and when he did, things would get ugly fast.
In the game, Morcant's actions were randomised between accounts.
Sometimes he would attack the player directly from the start, revealing himself and turning the early game into hell.
Other times, he would watch and toy with the protagonist, only closing in once he had "enjoyed" himself enough.
The developers had said they designed him that way to make the Lunar Cult feel truly chaotic.
Soren had agreed back then.
As a mechanic, it was great.
As a player, it had been stressful.
As someone living it now, it was a nightmare.
Because it meant that this time, he had no idea which pattern Morcant would follow.
Would he target Alex right away?
Would he go after someone else first?
Would he lurk in the background until the worst possible moment?
There was no way to know.
In the end, all Soren could do for now was prepare, wait, and hope Alex would be all right.
He clicked his tongue lightly and pushed open the door to his next class.
••✦ ♡ ✦•••
Right now, Soren was in [Mana Control & Enhancement] with Alex.
The classroom for the course was wide and simple, with plain stone walls and a high ceiling.
Small windows lined the upper part of the wall, letting in soft light that mingled with the glow of mana lamps.
The desks and chairs were pushed to the edges of the room, and in the centre, students sat cross-legged on cushions arranged in loose rows.
The air was quiet, filled only with the sound of controlled breathing.
Ever since the beginning of the semester, this was the class in which Soren had made the most progress.
The main reason was obvious.
[Chimera].
Ever since his awakening and the moment he gained the ability to use it at will, this class had changed entirely.
It was still finicky if he tried to use the ability on other parts of his body besides his eye.
When he experimented with it on his arm, for instance, he occasionally lost feeling or misjudged how much of his body to transform.
But that didn't matter right now, because for this class, the most important part was his eye.
The one that let him see mana.
Mana flowed through the room in gentle currents.
Some students had faint streams trickling through their circuits, while others had clumsy whirlpools condensed in their chests.
To his spirit eye, it was all painfully clear.
Add to that his increased mana control from the second hidden piece and the new [Mana Sensitivity] skill he had just acquired, and this class was now a breeze.
The lesson's structure was simple.
Follow Professor Sylvara's instructions while meditating.
Circulate mana.
Control it.
Enhance the body.
Sylvara herself would walk slowly between the students, occasionally pausing to observe someone closely, sometimes giving advice, and, when needed, even directly moving a student's mana with her own.
That was only possible because Sylvara herself was a spirit.
Not someone with a spirit contract, but a spirit itself.
When spirits reached a certain level, they could assume a humanoid form, solid bodies that looked and functioned like any other race.
Some chose to form contracts and partner with humans, elves or another of the many races that inhabit Ivansia.
Others, like Sylvara, decided against it and chose to live independently, integrating into society in their own way.
Being taught mana control by someone who was literally made of mana had its advantages.
Soren sat with his legs crossed and his back straight, eyes closed.
He could feel Alex seated slightly to his right, a steady presence, calm and focused.
Soren called on [Chimera].
His eye opened, and the world shifted into layered colours.
He could see the mana around him, within him; lines of faint light tracing through his circuits.
He focused on his own body, watching the way his mana moved through his chest, then down his arms, then into his legs.
"Good," a soft voice said from behind him. "You're doing well."
Sylvara's presence was cool and gentle, like a breeze moving through water.
Back in their first lesson together, she had given Soren strange looks when he used [Chimera].
At the end of that class, she had even asked him to stay behind.
They had talked briefly.
She had watched him for a while, eyes shimmering faintly, and then said something that had cemented his suspicion.
– That form you take… it's close to a spirit.
If even a spirit thought so, there was no reason to doubt it.
[Chimera] was a skill that temporarily turned him into something spirit-like.
"You should relax a bit more," Sylvara continued. "Your body is too tense, which is making the mana course through your circuits slower."
Her hand rested lightly on his shoulder.
Soren hadn't realised how tightly he had been holding himself; he let out a long breath and deliberately relaxed each part of his body, starting from his shoulders, then his spine, then his jaw.
He felt the mana in his circuits respond.
"That's better, now try again," Sylvara said kindly.
He nodded slightly and focused once more.
Mana.
He called it up from his core, letting it flow outward, imagining it spreading through his body like water.
From his chest, up to his shoulders, down his arms, into his fingertips.
Then back down, through his torso, through his hips, his thighs, his calves, and into his toes.
The goal was simple in theory.
Fill every inch of the body evenly.
No gaps.
No clumps.
Once a person could properly circulate mana through their entire body like that, they could begin to "enhance" themselves with it, strengthening muscles, toughening skin, and sharpening senses.
Mana Enhancement.
Once you became somewhat proficient at it, you would no longer need to fill your entire body.
You could selectively reinforce your legs for speed, your arms for power, your nose for smell, or even channel mana into your weapon.
But for beginners, the full-body method was the easiest.
"You're getting closer," Sylvara said.
When Soren opened his eyes, she was smiling down at him.
"You'll probably awaken mana enhancement soon."
She straightened up and brushed off her long skirt.
"If you struggle, just ask for help," she added, then moved away to check on another student.
"Thank you," Soren replied quietly.
He watched her for a couple of seconds, then closed his eyes again.
For some reason, though, he felt eyes on him.
A faint prickling sensation at the back of his neck.
He opened his eyes and swept his gaze around the room.
Everyone else seemed to be focused on themselves, eyes closed, hands resting on their knees, and expression serious.
Nobody was openly staring.
'Did I imagine it?'
He shut his eyes again.
For just a moment, when Sylvara had praised him, he had felt it.
Envy.
Disdain.
It brushed against him faintly, like a breeze carrying someone else's mood.
He didn't really understand why.
In his opinion, he hadn't done that much.
But this was Stellaris.
A class F student.
A "failure" with a stained reputation.
Getting praise from a professor in front of everyone… it was probably enough to bother some people.
'Whatever, this is more important,' he decided.
He shifted his attention to the side and focused on Alex.
Alex's mana flow was completely different from his own.
If Soren's was like carefully guided water, Alex's was more like a thick, bright current.
Strong, natural, and steady, filling every circuit without hesitation.
From his heart outward, Alex's mana filled every inch of his body.
It sank into muscle, bone, nerves, leaving no space empty.
Soren watched in silence.
Whoosh.
The mana around Alex suddenly intensified.
It gathered and tightened, wrapping around his body like a cloak, then flared outward.
The air in the room stirred, and even Soren's right eye, the one not using [Chimera], could see a faint shimmering around Alex's figure.
'He's done it.'
Alex had just awakened his mana enhancement.
And earlier than in the game.
Up until now, Alex had mainly relied on his [Divinity] and various skills to carry him through fights, using his natural talent and instincts rather than proper physical reinforcement.
But now…
He had crossed the threshold.
Sweat poured down Alex's face, but his grin was wide and genuine.
"Well done," Sylvara said as she stepped in front of him. "I wasn't expecting you to awaken so soon. It seems we truly have some talented students this year."
Her tone was impressed.
A few students open their eyes to glance over, then quickly shut them again.
Soren took a quiet breath.
He had just watched someone awaken mana enhancement right in front of him.
He could see Alex's flow clearly, see the mounts where the mana had "clicked" into place, see the way circuits pulsed evenly now.
'I can do it,' he thought.
No, more than that…
'I have to.'
He closed his eyes once more and turned inward.
Mana.
He called it up slowly, steadily, careful not to rush.
From his centre, he guided it outward, repeating the same pattern as before, but this time with more focus and intention.
Shoulders.
Neck.
Head.
He pictured the mana flowing through each part, like light mapping out his body from inside.
Arms.
Hands.
Fingertips.
Down again.
Chest.
Stomach.
Back.
Hips.
Thighs.
Knees.
Calves.
Ankles.
Toes.
He moved slower than he wanted to, checking and rechecking each path, making sure there were no empty spots, no uneven pools.
His breathing settled into a steady rhythm.
In.
Out.
In.
Out.
Gradually, he felt it.
His circuits were full.
Almost every part of his body was cradling mana.
Just a little more.
He let out a deep breath, then pushed the final bit of mana down his arm and into the tip of his finger.
Whoosh.
The air around him shifted.
A faint breeze stirred his hair.
A thin, almost translucent glow shimmered across his skin, barely visible unless you looked closely.
He opened his eyes.
He had done it.
A grin tugged at his lips as he looked at the air around him.
Compared to Alex's earlier display, it was weaker.
The glow was more faded, and the pressure was softer.
But that didn't matter.
He had awakened it.
For him, that was enough.
"Wow. A second one in the same class? I knew you were both close, but this quickly…?" Sylvara said as she approached him again.
Her eyes were wide, surprise clear in her expression.
"You've both done well."
As the mana around him slowly settled and the air grew still again, Soren wiped his brow with his sleeve.
He turned to his right.
Alex was already looking at him, a slightly awkward smile on his face.
"Aren't you supposed to be a mage?"
"Why are you surprised?" Soren shot back. "I fight like a knight, too."
Alex chuckled.
"We should duel again sometime. I'd like to see how much you've grown."
The reflexive answer rose up in Soren's throat.
'No.'
He nearly said it.
'Turn it down.'
'Stay out of it.'
'Don't get too involved.'
That had always been the first instinct with anything connected to the "main story."
But he swallowed the refusal.
He had already decided.
He couldn't keep running from everything connected to Alex anymore.
Their paths were intertwined, whether he liked it or not.
Besides, he sparred with Amelia all the time for training; adding another strong opponent wouldn't hurt.
If anything, he needed it.
"Fine," Soren said at last. "Just give me a few days."
Alex blinked.
"Wow, you actually agreed?" he asked, sounding genuinely surprised.
"Only this time. I want to know how strong I've gotten."
"Hmm. I'll help with that, then," Alex said, his grin turning a little sharper.
"Just don't try to kill me. I've had enough of that," Soren joked.
Alex snorted.
Around them, a few students had already started whispering.
– Did you hear? Arden and the Hero are going to duel again…
– Last time was crazy enough.
Soren and Alex remained unaware of just how far those murmurs would spread.
And how big that duel would become.
————「❤︎」————