Morning arrived quietly.
A thin layer of mist covered the academy grounds as students gathered inside a large stone hall.
Sol entered without drawing attention.
He chose a seat in the back.
Not too far.
Not too close.
Best position to observe everything.
The classroom was wide and circular.
Rows of stone desks.
At the center—
A massive rune circle carved into the floor.
Students whispered among themselves.
Excited.
Nervous.
Curious.
Sol remained silent.
Watching.
Listening.
Then—
The room fell quiet.
A woman walked in.
Long silver hair.
Cold eyes.
Calm steps.
"Sit properly."
Her voice wasn't loud.
But it carried authority.
This was—
Instructor Seris.
A true Mage.
She stood at the center of the rune circle.
"Today," she began,
"you will learn the foundation of all magic."
She raised her hand slightly.
The rune circle lit up.
Flames appeared.
Water flowed.
Wind swirled.
Earth shifted.
All elements—
Perfectly controlled.
Sol's eyes sharpened.
[Analyzing…]
Rune Structure Detected
Energy Efficiency: 92%
"…So this is real magic."
Seris continued.
"This world is built on Aether."
"Every element you see is a branch of it."
She waved her hand again.
The elements fused—
Then separated.
"Fire burns."
"Water flows."
"Wind moves."
"Earth stabilizes."
A pause.
"But true mages…"
"…don't just use elements."
Her gaze swept across the room.
"They understand them."
Silence filled the hall.
Sol leaned slightly forward.
Understanding…
That word mattered.
"Magic is not about power," Seris said.
"It is about structure."
She pointed at the rune circle.
"Runes are the language of the universe."
The circle shifted.
Symbols changed.
"Every spell—no matter how simple—"
"…is built from runes."
Sol's eyes focused intensely.
[Analyzing Rune Pattern…]
Learning… 12% → 37%
His heartbeat slowed.
So this is how spells are formed.
Not random.
Not chaotic.
Structured.
Logical.
Perfect for him.
"Your first task," Seris said,
"is to create a basic rune."
Murmurs spread across the room.
"Even a flawed rune… is acceptable."
Students began trying.
Some closed their eyes.
Some moved their fingers.
Small sparks appeared.
Then vanished.
Failure.
Again and again.
Sol didn't move.
Instead—
He observed.
Each mistake.
Each instability.
Each flaw.
[Error Detected: Energy Leakage]
[Error Detected: Rune Misalignment]
"…I see."
After several minutes—
He slowly raised his hand.
A faint glow formed above his palm.
Not flashy.
Not bright.
Just—
Stable.
A small rune.
Perfectly shaped.
He immediately closed his hand.
The rune disappeared.
No one noticed.
Except one person.
Kael.
From across the room—
He was watching.
Not surprised.
Not impressed.
Just… thinking.
Sol lowered his head slightly.
Too risky.
He would not repeat that.
Meanwhile—
Instructor Seris spoke again.
"Remember this—"
"Magic is not about showing strength."
"It is about control, efficiency…"
"…and understanding what others cannot."
Sol's lips curved slightly.
Good.
That matched his path perfectly.
The class ended soon after.
Students left, discussing loudly.
Sol walked out quietly.
But inside—
His mind was moving fast.
Runes.
Structure.
Energy flow.
Everything was becoming clearer.
"System."
[Ready]
"Start rune simulation."
[Processing…]
A faint smile appeared.
While others were learning slowly—
He was already beginning—
Magic Research.