The next morning arrived quietly at Aetherion Academy.
A thin layer of mist rested over the training grounds as the sun slowly climbed above the distant academy towers. The stone fields, which had been loud and chaotic during the previous day's evaluation, now felt calm and almost peaceful.
Ethan Aldric Voss arrived early.
Not because he was eager.
But because observing things before others arrived often revealed more than crowded moments ever could.
A few students were already present on the fields. Some stretched their arms and legs, preparing for training. Others practiced basic sword forms with stiff movements.
Ethan walked toward the section marked for the Intermediate training group.
Around fifteen students had been assigned there.
Students with potential.
But not the strongest.
Not yet.
He leaned lightly against the wooden fence surrounding the training ring and watched the others without speaking.
Several of them looked nervous.
Some clearly wanted to prove themselves.
Others were quietly comparing their abilities to the students around them.
The academy had a way of creating that atmosphere quickly.
Competition.
Lucas appeared a few minutes later, jogging across the field toward Ethan.
"You're here already," Lucas said, slightly out of breath.
"I arrived early."
Lucas looked around the Intermediate training field.
"So this is your group."
Ethan nodded.
Lucas crossed his arms.
"Looks serious."
"You should be at your own training field," Ethan said calmly.
Lucas waved dismissively.
"My Beginner group starts later."
He leaned against the fence beside Ethan.
"I came early to watch."
Ethan didn't comment.
More students gradually arrived.
The group slowly filled until about fifteen students stood inside the training area.
Then Instructor Selene Varis appeared.
She walked across the field with steady, confident steps. Her dark braid swayed slightly behind her as she stopped in front of the students.
Her sharp eyes scanned the entire group.
Every student straightened instinctively.
"Good," Selene said.
"At least some of you understand the meaning of punctuality."
A few students looked relieved.
Others stiffened even more.
Selene continued.
"The Intermediate group exists for one purpose."
She paused briefly.
"To determine who is capable of advancing."
Her gaze moved slowly across the students.
"If you are here, it means you showed potential during the evaluation."
"But potential means nothing if it is wasted."
Silence filled the field.
Selene pointed toward the weapon rack.
"Training swords."
"Take one."
The students moved immediately.
Ethan stepped forward and picked up a wooden sword.
The weight felt light in his hand.
Familiar.
Very familiar.
For a brief moment, memories flickered through his mind.
Real battles.
Real steel.
A dark battlefield beneath a broken sky.
But the memory disappeared just as quickly.
This was not that battlefield.
Not yet.
Selene stepped into the center of the ring.
"We will begin with sparring."
Several students exchanged glances.
Sparring on the first day was normal for academy training.
Selene raised a finger.
"One rule."
Her voice hardened slightly.
"Do not hold back because you are afraid."
She paused.
"But do not act recklessly either."
Her eyes moved across the field.
"Pair up."
Students immediately began looking for partners.
Some quickly paired with friends.
Others awkwardly approached whoever stood closest.
Lucas leaned over the fence from outside the field.
"This is where things get embarrassing."
Ethan stepped into the ring.
A tall boy with short brown hair approached him.
"You're Ethan, right?"
Ethan nodded.
"I saw your match yesterday," the boy said.
"That disarm was clean."
"Thank you."
The boy offered his hand.
"Marcus."
Ethan shook it briefly.
Marcus picked up a training sword.
"Let's spar."
They stepped into one of the smaller rings.
Around them, other matches were already beginning.
Selene's voice rang out again.
"Begin."
Wooden swords clashed across the field.
Marcus attacked first.
A quick forward strike.
Ethan stepped aside calmly.
Marcus followed with another attack.
Ethan parried.
Their wooden swords collided with a sharp crack.
Marcus blinked slightly.
"You're calm," he said while circling.
"Training helps."
Marcus smiled.
"Let's see."
He attacked again.
This time faster.
Two quick strikes.
Ethan blocked the first.
Redirected the second.
Marcus stepped back.
His expression changed slightly.
"You're definitely holding back."
Ethan didn't respond.
Instead, he moved forward.
A simple counterattack.
Marcus barely blocked it.
The impact forced him to step back.
"…Okay," Marcus muttered.
"That was fast."
They circled each other again.
Marcus attacked once more.
Ethan blocked.
Stepped.
Redirected.
Every movement was efficient.
Nothing wasted.
After several exchanges, Marcus suddenly lowered his sword.
"I surrender."
Ethan blinked.
Marcus shrugged.
"You're better."
Instructor Selene walked closer.
"Why did you stop?" she asked Marcus.
Marcus answered honestly.
"Continuing would only prove the same result."
Selene looked at Ethan.
Then at Marcus.
After a moment, she nodded.
"Fair judgment."
She wrote something on her clipboard.
Ethan noticed.
Lucas shouted from the fence.
"Hey!"
"Don't start looking cool now!"
Several students laughed.
Ethan ignored him.
Selene turned toward the group.
"Enough sparring."
Students stopped their matches.
"Form a line."
They obeyed quickly.
Selene looked across the group again.
"Your skill levels vary."
She paused.
"But a few of you show promise."
Her eyes briefly stopped on Ethan.
Then moved on.
"Training will become more difficult from this point forward."
Several students looked nervous.
Selene crossed her arms.
"And tomorrow…"
She continued calmly.
"You will spar against Advanced group students."
A wave of tension spread through the field.
Lucas nearly fell over the fence.
"WHAT?!"
Ethan remained silent.
Because he remembered this event from the previous timeline.
This was the moment many students realized something important.
Aetherion Academy did not exist to make students comfortable.
It existed to separate the talented from the ordinary.
Ethan's gaze slowly moved toward the far side of the training grounds.
Where the Advanced group was practicing.
Among them—
Catherine Ravenscroft moved through sword forms with calm precision.
For a brief moment, she glanced in Ethan's direction again.
Then she returned to her training.
Ethan watched quietly.
Because the academy year had truly begun.
And the story—
Was slowly moving forward.