Chapter 1 – The Weight of a Promise
The morning began the same way it always did.
Cold earth beneath bare feet.
A quiet breath drawn into steady lungs.
The weight of a wooden sword resting in familiar hands.
Kael stood at the edge of the field behind his family's house, the village still half-asleep behind him. Mist clung low to the ground, wrapping the world in muted gray as the first light of dawn crept over the hills.
He raised the sword.
Not fast.
Not strong.
Just correct.
His feet shifted, grounding him. Mana stirred faintly beneath his skin—subtle, obedient, dangerous if mishandled. He didn't force it. He guided it, slowly threading it down into his legs.
The world felt heavier for a moment.
Then steadier.
He stepped forward and struck.
The motion pulled at his muscles, not with pain, but with resistance. His legs trembled slightly as the mana reinforced them, enhancing balance rather than speed. It wasn't much. It never was.
Kael lowered the sword, breathing carefully.
Too much, and he'd exhaust himself before sunrise.
Too little, and the training meant nothing.
"Again."
The voice came from the fence.
Aeris sat perched atop the weathered wood, one knee pulled to her chest, watching him with sharp, familiar eyes. Strands of her dark hair danced lazily in the breeze, faint sparks of mana flickering unconsciously around her fingers.
"You're leaking it," she said.
Kael exhaled. "I felt it slip."
"You always do. That's the problem."
He adjusted his stance and tried again.
This time, he restricted the flow. Instead of reinforcing his entire lower body, he narrowed it—just enough to strengthen his ankles and calves.
The strain was sharper.
His muscles burned almost instantly.
Aeris nodded slowly. "Better control. Worse endurance."
"Story of my life," Kael muttered.
She laughed and hopped down from the fence. "You'll get there. You always do."
He glanced at her. "That doesn't sound like confidence."
"It is," she said simply. "Just honest."
They stood in silence for a moment, watching the sun rise higher.
"You're going to town today, right?" she asked.
Kael nodded. "Herbs for my mother. The apothecary said they're ready."
"And training after?"
"Always."
Aeris smiled, but there was something tense beneath it. "Good. You can't fall behind."
He met her gaze. "I won't."
They had made that promise years ago—spoken beneath the same sky, standing barefoot in the dirt, dreaming of a future larger than their village.
One with steel.
One with mana.
Breakfast was warm and loud.
Lira talked endlessly, Aeris chimed in with exaggerated stories, and Kael listened more than he spoke. His mother watched them from the stove, eyes soft but knowing.
"You two still talking about the academy?" she asked gently.
"Yes," Aeris said without hesitation.
Kael nodded. "We'll make it."
His mother sighed. "Then be careful how you chase that dream."
"We will," Kael said. "I promise."
The road to town stretched long and familiar.
Aeris walked beside him part of the way, speaking of her struggles with mana—how focusing it into precise spells left her exhausted, how mistakes sent headaches pulsing behind her eyes.
"People think magic is easy," she said. "They don't feel the cost."
Kael nodded. "Same with the sword."
They stopped at the forest's edge.
"I'll head back," Aeris said. "Training this afternoon."
He hesitated. "Don't overdo it."
She smiled. "You too."
Then she turned and walked away.
Kael continued alone.
The encounter happened by the river.
Aeris sat cross-legged on the bank, practicing control while Kael rested nearby. A stone hovered shakily above the water, mana trembling around it.
"Easy," Kael said. "Guide it."
"I am," she snapped. "It just—"
The stone dropped.
Before either of them could speak, footsteps approached.
Three figures stood watching.
Their cloaks bore the sigil of the academy.
"You're Aeris Vale," the woman said calmly. "Your mana signature is… exceptional."
Kael's heart sank.
"You're invited," she continued. "No entrance exam required."
Aeris froze.
"I promised—" she whispered.
Kael took her hand.
"Go," he said. "I'll catch up."
The woman's gaze shifted to him. "One year. Pass the exam."
Kael nodded.
"I swear," he said quietly.
Aeris's eyes filled with tears.
Then she smiled.
The road home felt longer than ever.
But Kael didn't slow.
Because the promise still stood.
And now, it had weight.