Chapter 6: Eldoria Arcane Academy

The gates of Eldoria Arcane Academy were larger than most castles.

They rose from black stone, covered in silver runes and ancient carvings. Two enormous statues stood on either side of the entrance. One depicted a robed mage holding a staff toward the sky. The other showed a knight with a sword pointed toward the ground.

Both statues had no faces.

Noah Blake stared at them with open admiration.

"Do you think they ran out of money?"

Ethan Vale looked up at the statues.

"Perhaps they wanted to represent the emptiness of modern education."

Noah nodded seriously.

"That makes sense."

Elena Frost gave them both a tired look.

"They are symbols of the two founding paths of Eldoria. Sorcery and martial magic."

"Why don’t they have faces?" Noah asked.

"To represent the fact that any person can walk those paths."

"No, I think they ran out of money."

Elena stopped walking.

Noah immediately looked away.

The three of them had arrived at the academy shortly after sunrise.

The journey from the ruined tower had taken less than an hour, though it had been filled with uncomfortable silence, suspicious glances, and one brief argument between Elena and Noah about whether a poisonous flower looked edible.

Ethan had not participated.

He had been busy examining the change in his body.

The Crown Fragment had not restored his strength.

It had barely restored a fraction of it.

His Mana Core was still damaged, his body was still weak, and his pathways still struggled to contain even small amounts of energy.

However, his control had improved.

Before absorbing the fragment, mana moved through him like water through cracked glass.

Now, the cracks were beginning to close.

The change was small.

But Ethan had learned that small changes were often the beginning of disasters.

Ahead of them, thousands of students passed through the academy gates.

Some wore expensive uniforms decorated with family emblems. Others arrived in carriages pulled by magical beasts. A few descended from the sky using floating platforms or enchanted wings.

The academy accepted students from every kingdom in the continent.

Nobles.

Commoners.

Foreign heirs.

Prodigies.

And, on rare occasions, people who should have been dead.

Ethan glanced at the towers beyond the gates.

Eldoria Arcane Academy had changed since his time.

The old military walls had been replaced by elegant spires. The central tower was taller now, its peak hidden inside the clouds. Floating bridges connected the buildings, and hundreds of glowing crystals drifted above the courtyard like stars trapped in the daytime sky.

It was beautiful.

It was also built over his grave.

Noah adjusted the strap of his bag.

"Do you know where we are supposed to go?"

"Registration Hall," Elena answered.

"And where is that?"

"The building with the sign that says Registration Hall."

Noah looked across the courtyard.

There were more than twenty buildings.

"Which one has the sign?"

"The one in front of us."

Noah turned around.

He had been looking in the opposite direction.

Elena sighed.

Ethan watched the students gathering around the entrance.

Many of them were staring at him.

That was understandable.

His clothes were damaged from the fall, his left sleeve was torn, and a faint black mark was visible around his wrist.

Elena, on the other hand, had the crest of House Frost embroidered on her cloak.

People recognized her.

Some whispered her name.

Others moved aside as she passed.

Noah noticed the attention.

"You seem popular."

"Elena is the heir of one of the strongest magical families in the north," Ethan said.

Elena looked at him.

"How do you know that?"

"Noah told us."

Noah smiled proudly.

"I provide valuable information."

"You provide excessive information."

"That is still information."

They entered the Registration Hall.

The building was enormous inside, much larger than its exterior suggested. Long lines of students stretched across the marble floor. Floating screens displayed names, instructions, and examination numbers.

At the center of the hall stood a large crystal suspended above a golden pedestal.

Its surface was perfectly clear.

Ethan recognized it immediately.

An **Origin Crystal**.

A device used to examine a person’s magical potential, affinity, and core stability.

In the past, Origin Crystals had been rare and unreliable.

Modern craftsmen had clearly improved them.

That was unfortunate.

A woman sitting behind the nearest desk looked up.

"Names?"

"Elena Frost."

The woman immediately sat straighter.

"House Frost?"

"Yes."

The woman’s eyes moved to the crest on Elena’s cloak.

"Of course. Registration number twelve. Testing hall A."

She handed Elena a silver token.

Elena took it.

"Noah Blake."

The woman looked down at her crystal tablet.

"Blake... from the western province?"

"Yes."

"Registration number two hundred and seventeen. Testing hall C."

Noah accepted his token.

The woman’s eyes moved toward Ethan.

"And you?"

"Ethan Vale."

She typed his name.

The crystal tablet flickered.

Her expression changed.

"You are the applicant from Greymoor?"

"Yes."

"Registration number nine hundred and ninety-eight. Testing hall F."

Noah leaned over the desk.

"Is that bad?"

The woman frowned.

"It means he registered late."

"Oh."

She looked back at Ethan.

"Do you have your recommendation letter?"

Ethan handed it to her.

She opened the letter and read it silently.

Her eyebrows rose.

"This recommendation is from Martha Hale."

"Yes."

"The village healer?"

"Yes."

"She has no official academic authority."

"She has treated half the eastern province."

"That does not make her an authorized sponsor."

Ethan looked at the letter.

Martha had mentioned nothing about this.

The woman returned it.

"Your application will be placed under provisional review."

"What does that mean?" Noah asked.

"It means the academy will decide whether he is permitted to continue after the first examination."

"So he can be rejected before the real examination?"

"Yes."

Noah turned toward Ethan.

"That seems unfair."

"The academy is not required to be fair."

The woman looked at him.

"It is required to be accurate."

Ethan took his token.

"Where is testing hall F?"

"East courtyard. Follow the blue line."

A glowing blue line appeared on the floor.

It moved through the hall and disappeared beyond a side door.

Noah checked his token.

"I am in hall C."

Elena held hers up.

"Hall A."

They had been separated.

Noah’s expression fell.

"Perhaps we can request a different hall."

"Why?" Ethan asked.

"Because I have developed an emotional attachment to both of you."

"You met us yesterday."

"It has been a very intense day."

Elena looked toward the blue line.

"We will meet after the examination."

Noah pointed at Ethan.

"Try not to be arrested before then."

"No promises."

They left the registration hall together.

The blue line led Ethan through a narrow corridor and into the eastern courtyard.

Students were already gathering there.

A large stone platform occupied the center of the courtyard. Three tall crystals stood on it, each connected to a series of golden rings.

A middle-aged man in a dark academy robe stood before the platform.

His hair was completely white, but his body was tall and straight. A thin scar ran from his temple to his jaw.

"Applicants for Hall F," he called. "Stand behind the line."

Ethan joined the group.

There were about one hundred students.

Most looked nervous.

A few looked bored.

One young man stood near the front with his arms crossed. He had blond hair, a sharp face, and a dark red uniform marked with a silver cross.

The students around him kept their distance.

Ethan recognized the expression on their faces.

Respect mixed with fear.

The instructor raised his hand.

"I am Professor Lucian Gray. You will complete three examinations today. The first will measure your Mana Core. The second will evaluate your magical affinity. The third will test your combat judgment."

A student raised his hand.

Professor Gray looked at him.

"Yes?"

"Will we be allowed to use artifacts?"

"No."

"Can we use external mana sources?"

"No."

"Can we form contracts with summoned creatures?"

"No."

The student lowered his hand.

Professor Gray continued.

"Anyone who attempts to interfere with the examination crystals will be removed from the academy grounds."

His eyes swept across the students.

They paused on Ethan.

Only for a second.

But Ethan noticed.

Professor Gray knew.

Perhaps not everything.

But enough.

The first examination began.

Students approached the Origin Crystal one by one.

When they placed their hands on the pedestal, the crystal displayed their core rank and stability.

"Mana Core: Initiate."

"Core stability: seventy-two percent."

The student stepped aside, looking disappointed.

"Mana Core: Apprentice."

"Core stability: eighty-nine percent."

The next student smiled proudly.

Several students applauded.

Ethan watched the crystal.

The modern classification system was simple compared to the laws that truly governed magic, but it was useful.

The academy measured power by the density and stability of the Mana Core.

It did not measure intelligence.

It did not measure battle experience.

It did not measure whether a mage understood the weakness hidden inside a spell.

That was why institutions preferred numbers.

Numbers were easier to control than talent.

The blond student approached the platform.

The whispers grew louder.

"That is Adrian Cross."

"His father is a Royal Guardian."

"He formed his second core when he was thirteen."

"He is already an advanced Apprentice."

Adrian placed his hand on the crystal.

The device shone brightly.

A deep blue light spread across the courtyard.

"Mana Core: Apprentice."

"Core stability: ninety-eight percent."

The students reacted immediately.

Even Professor Gray raised an eyebrow.

Adrian removed his hand.

His expression remained calm.

A girl near Ethan whispered:

"He is definitely going to be accepted."

"He is already accepted," another student replied.

Adrian turned away from the platform.

His eyes passed over the gathered applicants.

They stopped on Ethan.

Not because Ethan was interesting.

Because Ethan was the only person who did not look impressed.

Adrian approached him.

"You are Ethan Vale."

Ethan looked at him.

"So I have been told."

"You were involved in the incident beneath the Emerald Forest."

"That depends on which incident."

"The collapse of the ancient ruins."

"I was there."

"Did you awaken the seal?"

Ethan considered lying.

The problem with lies was that they required maintenance.

The truth was often more efficient.

"I may have touched it."

Adrian’s gaze hardened.

"You may have?"

"I did not keep count."

"You should be more careful with your words."

"You should ask better questions."

Several students nearby went silent.

Adrian studied Ethan for a moment.

He was not angry.

Not yet.

Instead, he seemed to be measuring him.

"You do not look like someone who should have survived that incident."

"I hear that often."

"Your core is damaged."

"Yes."

"You will not pass the combat examination."

"That is possible."

Adrian leaned closer.

"Then why are you here?"

Ethan glanced toward the Origin Crystal.

"To attend the academy."

Adrian’s expression tightened.

Before he could respond, Professor Gray called out:

"Ethan Vale."

The courtyard became quiet.

Ethan walked toward the platform.

Professor Gray stood beside the crystal.

"Place your hand on the pedestal."

Ethan did so.

The crystal remained dark.

A few students began to whisper.

Professor Gray frowned.

"Try again."

Ethan applied a small amount of mana.

The crystal flickered.

A thin line of blue light appeared inside it, then vanished.

The device made a low clicking sound.

A magical panel formed above the pedestal.

**Mana Core: Incomplete.**

**Core Stability: 11%.**

**Warning: Severe Mana Pathway Damage.**

The courtyard erupted in laughter.

Someone near the back shouted:

"Is that even a core?"

Another student laughed.

"He came here with a dying core!"

"Maybe the academy has a charity program!"

Noah was not there to defend him.

Elena was not there either.

Ethan stood beneath the floating words and listened to the laughter.

He had been insulted by kings.

He had been cursed by priests.

He had watched entire armies swear to avenge their fallen.

None of them had been as annoying as a group of teenagers.

Professor Gray lifted his hand.

The laughter stopped.

"Silence."

The students obeyed.

Professor Gray looked at the display.

"Your result is provisional. You are not permitted to continue."

Ethan looked at him.

"On whose authority?"

"Mine."

"Then I request a second examination."

Professor Gray’s eyes narrowed.

"Why?"

"Because the crystal is wrong."

A few students began laughing again.

Professor Gray did not.

"Are you claiming that the academy’s Origin Crystal is inaccurate?"

"I am claiming that it is unable to measure me."

The courtyard became silent.

Adrian Cross looked at him with renewed interest.

Professor Gray studied Ethan’s face.

Then he stepped aside.

"Place your hand on the crystal again."

Ethan did.

This time, he did not release mana.

He released authority.

Only a thread.

A trace so small that even an Archmage would have difficulty detecting it.

The crystal lit up.

The blue light turned violet.

Every rune on the platform activated at once.

The golden rings began to spin.

The floating display flickered rapidly.

**Mana Core: Error.**

**Core Stability: Error.**

**Mana Signature: Unrecognized.**

The crystal cracked.

A thin line spread from the top to the bottom.

The laughter disappeared.

Professor Gray’s face became pale.

Ethan removed his hand.

The crystal shattered.

The fragments remained suspended in the air, frozen by a force none of the students understood.

Then the courtyard alarm rang.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

All around the academy, protective barriers activated.

A message appeared above the broken crystal.

It was written in ancient violet letters.

**AUTHORITY DETECTED.**

**CROWN FRAGMENT CONFIRMED.**

**VESSEL: AZEROTH VEYR.**

No one moved.

No one spoke.

Ethan stared at the message.

He had not summoned it.

He had not intended to reveal anything.

The Crown Fragment had acted on its own.

Professor Gray turned toward the academy towers.

Far above them, a dark figure appeared behind the central windows.

A woman with golden eyes watched the courtyard from the highest tower.

Even at that distance, Ethan could feel her attention.

She was smiling.

Professor Gray looked back at Ethan.

His voice was quiet.

"Take him to the Headmistress."

Adrian Cross stepped forward.

"Professor, what does this mean?"

Professor Gray did not answer.

The academy alarm continued to ring.

Students began backing away from Ethan.

Some were afraid.

Some were confused.

One or two looked excited.

Ethan looked toward the central tower.

The woman with golden eyes lifted one hand.

The shadow behind the window moved.

A voice entered Ethan’s mind.

Not through the air.

Not through mana.

Directly.

**Welcome home, Azeroth.**

Ethan’s expression did not change.

But the Crown Fragment inside his chest began to burn.

The woman continued:

**Try not to destroy my academy before the welcoming ceremony.**

Ethan looked at the ruined crystal around him.

Then at the students staring as if he were a monster.

Finally, he smiled faintly.

"I make no promises."

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