> "Some journeys begin not with courage, but with a choice — to take a single step forward, even when the past still burns."
---
The carriage rolled gently over cobbled roads, its wheels whispering stories of countless travelers who once sought the same dream.
Inside sat a boy who had just said his goodbyes — his eyes soft with the weight of memories, his heart restless with something unknown.
Show sat quietly, clutching the letter of acceptance in one hand and a small golden pendant in the other — the only relic of his parents, entrusted to him by Father Elric.
He ran a thumb across its surface. The gem in the center pulsed once, faintly, like a heartbeat responding to his thoughts.
The world outside changed from village paths to towering stone arches and shimmering air — mana flowing like invisible rivers.
And then, beyond a veil of morning mist, stood Arcane Academy.
---
It wasn't merely a school. It was a kingdom within a kingdom — towers of crystalline marble, bridges woven from glowing runes, and gardens that breathed life through floating petals of mana. A faint hum of power filled the atmosphere, almost musical.
Show stepped out of the carriage, feeling the faint heat of his own aura resonating with the place.
> "So this… is where my path begins."
The words left his lips like a whisper to fate.
---
As he walked through the grand gate, a sudden gust of wind spiraled past him. Mana particles danced in the air — and from the courtyard steps, a figure turned.
A boy with radiant golden hair and calm silver eyes looked directly at him. Raelyn.
His aura was different — serene, but vast, like light itself had taken human form.
For a brief moment, Raelyn's pupils glowed faintly.
> "That presence… it's ancient," he thought.
"Why does it feel so familiar?"
Standing near the gates, Professor Eldren was silently watching the new arrivals. His sharp eyes flicked toward Show, and something in his expression hardened — not out of suspicion, but realization.
The faint glow from Show's pendant reflected in Eldren's monocle. He didn't speak, but in his mind, he marked the boy.
> "The flame returns… to where it once belonged," he murmured softly.
---
The grand hall was alive with energy — students filling rows of marble benches, banners of elemental sigils hanging from the ceiling.
At the center, a single dais shimmered with magic as the Headmaster Alden Enchantrion appeared — tall, graceful, and radiating an ageless calm. His voice filled the space effortlessly.
> "Welcome, young magi, to the heart of Arcania — Arcane Academy."
"Here, you will not only study magic… you will become it. Magic is not a tool. It is emotion made manifest — the reflection of who you are."
Show listened, heart steady, yet his pendant glowed again, brighter this time. Raelyn noticed it instantly — as if their energies resonated for a moment.
Eldren's eyes narrowed. Alden paused briefly, his gaze flicking toward Show — a subtle, knowing look, before he continued his speech.
---
After the ceremony, students gathered by class.
Show found his name under Class 1-A — a list that would define the start of countless stories.
The classroom was wide and ancient, windows etched with glowing runes. As Show entered, he caught sight of his soon-to-be classmates.
At the front, leaning casually against a desk, was Drake — cool, stoic, his pale blue eyes fixed on the window as if the world beyond was more interesting. The faint frost in the air near him made his desk shimmer.
Beside him, with wild enthusiasm and wind-tousled hair, sat Hibiki, waving a hand.
> "Yo! You're the new guy, right? Show, wasn't it? I'm Hibiki — your soon-to-be best pal!"
Before Show could even reply, Hibiki had already grinned and nudged him. "Don't look so serious, bro. We're in the coolest class in the Academy!"
Show chuckled faintly. "I'll try to believe that."
---
A group of students nearby introduced their own colorful energy to the room:
Cyrus, confident and broad-shouldered, stretched lazily. "As long as there's a challenge, count me in," he said, his tone loud enough to carry.
Chris, quiet but steady, was already reading a thick spellbook. His earth-toned robes matched his calm, grounded nature.
Akito, spinning a glowing deck of enchanted cards between his fingers, smirked. "Hope none of you are bad luck. I hate repeating my wins."
Presto, adjusting his thunder-glyph bracelet, sighed. "Don't jinx it, Akito. First day and we're already betting?"
Across the room, the girls brought an entirely different warmth:
Karen, leaning against the wall, brushed a strand of her hair aside with graceful poise, her charm almost glowing. She caught Show's eye briefly — and smiled faintly.
Lily was humming softly to herself, tending to a small flower floating in a crystal sphere — her magic alive even in her touch.
Lyra, focused but calm, whispered something to Lily — nature magic flowing like gentle vines around her hands.
Lina, sitting quietly with a healer's emblem around her wrist, observed everyone with soft eyes that missed nothing.
Show took it all in — the laughter, the rivalry, the energy.
For the first time in his life, he felt surrounded by people who belonged to the same world he was only beginning to understand.
---
The doors opened again, and Professor Eldren entered with the same sharp composure that could silence a room instantly.
"Settle down," he said, his voice smooth but commanding. "Your first lesson begins not in spells… but in understanding yourselves."
He walked between the rows, stopping momentarily beside Show's desk. The faint glow from the pendant had stopped, but Eldren had already seen enough.
> "Fire," Eldren said quietly, eyes glinting.
"Interesting."
Show looked up. "Sir?"
Eldren gave a faint smile that revealed nothing. "Control it well. Or it will consume you."
He moved on.
---
One by one, the students introduced themselves, revealing their magic and their personalities — sparks of light, bursts of wind, threads of stone, petals of life.
Then came Show's turn.
> "I'm Show," he said simply. "Fire magic… and I guess my goal is to find where I truly belong."
There was a brief silence — not out of mockery, but something else. Raelyn's radiant aura pulsed faintly again, responding to those words.
His eyes narrowed slightly, sensing something powerful — a flame older than any mortal fire.
Eldren noticed too. Alden, from the upper balcony, folded his hands behind his back, watching with an unreadable expression.
> "So it begins," Alden whispered to himself.
"The flame of the ancients… has returned."
---
After class, as the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the Academy golden, Hibiki dragged Show toward the courtyard.
> "Come on! You gotta see this view — it's unreal!"
"Alright, alright," Show laughed. "You really don't run out of energy, do you?"
"Not when the wind's this good!" Hibiki said, letting a playful gust swirl around them.
Drake passed them without a word, glancing once at Show — his eyes unreadable.
Raelyn, still in the hall, turned to watch Show from afar. The light in his palm flickered for a moment — faint, but real.
Something about that boy's fire… didn't feel ordinary.
---
High above, in the Headmaster's chamber, Alden Enchantrion stood beside Eldren.
> "You saw it too," Alden said.
"The resonance," Eldren replied. "His fire reacted to Radiant magic. That shouldn't be possible."
"And yet, it happened," Alden murmured. "History moves again. Keep watch on him, Eldren. The legacy of the ancients has found its spark."
The old wizard turned to the window, where the evening light bathed the academy towers in gold and crimson.
> "When flame and light meet again… the world will remember."
---
The camera of destiny pulled back — across towers, spires, and the glowing sigils of the Academy — until it settled once more on the boy in the courtyard, laughing faintly as the wind danced around him.
> "And from that day on, the legacy that once slept beneath the ashes began to stir once more."
---