The Infirmary — The Day After
Kayle and James walked quietly toward Silvia's bed. Though she had regained consciousness, her condition was still fragile. During the battle, she had pushed her body past its limits—awakening her second mana circle far too soon.
Just a month ago, Silvia had been a mere first-circle mage. Her sudden leap to the second circle, while impressive, had strained her body severely. She had overdrawn her mana reserves to a dangerous level.
> "When a mage adds a new circle into their heart, the body and soul must slowly adapt. If not, the mana becomes volatile—hard to control and capable of damaging the user from within," Kayle thought, concern flickering in his eyes.
She was now suffering from Mana Exhaustion.
---
Mana Exhaustion:-
A critical condition caused by excessive mana depletion. The user loses the ability to safely channel magic For sometime. Symptoms include fatigue, cognitive dissonance, and, in worst cases, cardiac rupture or neural collapse. Full rest and gradual mana recovery are essential. Rushing can lead to permanent damage—or death.
---
Inside the infirmary, the once-quiet halls were bustling again. Most students had regained consciousness. Parents from noble and commoner households alike filled the ward, weeping with relief or whispering in gratitude. For once, status didn't matter. Everyone was simply thankful to be alive.
Kayle and James approached Silvia's bed, where she sat upright, chatting with Jack, Rames, Mariya, Latty, Rose, Jin and Shawn.
"Oh, you're surrounded by friends," James smiled.
"Yep, we just woke up around the same time," Silvia said cheerfully. "Guys, this is my big brother, James. He's in the Knight Department."
James gave a respectful nod. "Good to meet you all. James, from Knight Studies."
"Whoa, Silvia—your brother's handsome!" Latty exclaimed.
"Are you sure you're commoners?" Rose asked, wide-eyed. "With muscles like those, he looks like he's carved from stone."
"Nice to meet you, Brother," Jack said warmly.
"Brother? He's Silvia's brother, not yours," Rames teased with a sly grin.
Jack frowned. "So what? Silvia's my friend. Can't I call her brother 'Brother' too?"
"You know what I mean." Rames smirked.
James raised his hand, chuckling. "It's fine, really. Call me whatever makes you comfortable."
"Thanks, but because of noble formalities, I'll stick to calling you James," Jack said apologetically.
"No problem. I'm only two years older than you anyway," James replied with an easy smile.
While they chatted, Kayle approached Silvia with a small parcel.
"Here. I brought something for you," Kayle said, a little flustered. "I figured you'd be sick of infirmary food. There are some pastries in here too."
Silvia took the package gratefully. "Thank you. Did you eat? Want to share it with me?"
"No, I already did. You go ahead," Kayle replied.
Just then, Jack's brows furrowed. "Wait a second, Kayle. During the battle… didn't you say you went to the restroom? Then how did you end up in the arena? You weren't with us in the private zone."
Silvia blinked. "Yeah! I remember asking, but you said nothing. So how did you get back?"
All eyes turned toward Kayle. He froze for a second, racking his brain.
"Well… uh… after I left for the restroom, some girls approached me," he said slowly. "They wanted to ask about the last assignment. So, I went with them… and then the accident happened. I ended up hiding with them."
"The arena was noisy. Shouldn't you have gone somewhere quieter for that?" Jack asked, narrowing his eyes.
"You're such a blockhead," Rose said, rolling her eyes. "Obviously, those girls didn't want to talk about the assignment. He is way too handsome every girl is talking about him"
Silvia smiled, but it was a little too sweet—masking her annoyance. "Kayle… who were those girls?"
Kayle looked to James for help, but James turned away, stifling a laugh.
> "Now it's your turn to face her wrath," James thought, smirking wickedly.
Latty jumped in. "You should cut him some slack, Silvia. He's too handsome—every girl wants to be friends with him. Even the seniors asked me to introduce them to Kayle."
"Same here," Rose said.
"Me too," Mariya added.
"I know," Silvia replied with a calm smile. "But I'm not worried. Nothing's going to happen."
"What do you mean?" Latty asked curiously.
"Well… let's just say, he's already been marked with the confirmation seal." Silvia said, grinning.
Kayle's face turned crimson.
"Confirmation seal? What's that? Did any of you hear about that?" Latty asked.
"No idea," Rose replied, eyes glinting with curiosity.
As their attention turned to him, Kayle stood up abruptly. "Anyway, you should eat and get some rest. I'm heading to the library."
And just like that, he fled.
Aeon walked through the quiet marble hallway of the academy, the flickering crystal lights casting long shadows across the walls. His steps echoed faintly behind him, but his thoughts ran far ahead—deep into tomorrow's storm.
> "The investigator from the royal family will arrive tomorrow," he thought, his expression calm but cold. "Lorath has already fed them lies—pressuring the academy to take full responsibility for the incident. She'll paint this tragedy as proof of incompetence, demanding the right to replace our security forces with imperial defense units, infiltrate the academy council with her lapdogs, and rewrite the process for selecting professors. Soon, she'll have full control over Venessa Academy under the pretense of reform. And with that control, she'll turn every professor into her pawn."
He clenched his fist slightly, then exhaled and composed himself.
> "They think they've erased the trail. That no one will trace this back to the Doroka clan. But they don't know... I've already taken care of the two infiltrators. Tonight, the professors will investigate the underground market, only to find it abandoned. But I can't leave it at that. If I don't move now, the rest of them will disappear before they're exposed. The two men I eliminated were just couriers... their superiors are still in the city, waiting."
---
In the night— Aeon Enters the Underground Market
Wearing a long, tattered cloak and a mask that obscured his face, Aeon slipped through the less-patrolled southeast border of Alofis. The deeper he moved, the more the city changed—from paved stone roads and marble pillars to muddy alleys and rusted metal signs.
This was the Underground Market—a place where morality, like coin, could be exchanged for anything.
Here, business was done behind coded phrases in seedy bars and abandoned inns. You didn't ask questions. You didn't use names.
Aeon stopped outside a boarded-up shop with faded paint and a crooked doorframe. He entered without knocking.
Dust clung to the air. The shop's windows were sealed, letting in no light. Shelves stood empty. Shadows pooled in every corner.
He walked calmly toward the old cash counter when a voice emerged from the darkness.
"You're late."
Three cloaked figures stepped out from the shadows behind him. Their faces were hidden, but their hostility was clear.
"You were supposed to deliver the item last night," one said sharply. "Because of your incompetence, we've stayed longer than necessary. Where were you—and where is your partner?"
Aeon, in his perfectly mimicked Doroka accent, gave a small bow.
"Apologies, sir. There were complications during the mission. I ordered my partner to wait outside the city borders. If we failed to return, he was to report everything to the clan."
The leader snorted, slightly appeased.
"At least one of you used your brain. Now, give me the item."
Without hesitation, Aeon pulled a small, unmarked box from beneath his cloak and held it out. The man took it, opening it with swift fingers.
Inside, resting on velvet, was the black diamond necklace—gleaming dark as obsidian, humming softly with mana.
"Good," the man said, satisfied. He closed the box and slid it into his inner robe. "No more delays. We leave now. This delivery will elevate my status—maybe even earn me command of a force. The clan leader is expecting us."
Aeon lowered his head to hide the flicker of a smirk.
Aeon walked silently beside the cloaked Doroka clan members under the cover of night. The shadows of the city stretched long and deep, swallowed by the dim glow of the distant moon. Their footsteps echoed faintly in the quiet alleys of Alofis.
At the city gates, the group stopped.
The guards stood by, they were holding their spears. Guarding the city gate.
The Doroka agents changed into merchant uniforms and loaded a disguised carriage with sealed crates. One of the wheels creaked under the weight as they pushed it forward.
Each of them held forged identity documents. When presented, the guards barely glanced at them.
"You may pass," one muttered,
Then they left the city. After moving from a while. One man said
> "I can't believe it," one of the men muttered under his breath. "They didn't even check the crates. Is this what they call 'capital security'?"
> "Yeah, they say Alofis is a fortress. At this rate, even spies from another empire could stroll in unnoticed," another said with a snort.
> "Enough," the leader grunted. "We have the item. Get back to the clan."
> "Leader, lighten up. It's not like anyone's listening."
Just then—a deep rumble echoed through the forest road.
WHOOOM!
A massive wall of fire erupted ahead, crackling violently and lighting up the trees in orange and gold. Horses reared and neighed in panic, the carriage nearly tipping.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Fireballs rained down from the sky, slamming into the path, scattering the agents like insects.
CRACK! The crates exploded, wood and flames flying.
They looked up.
A woman hovered above the flames. Her hair floated, caught in the wind. Crimson mana radiated around her like a storm.
Her boots thudded against the ground as she descended, each step deliberate. Her eyes were radiating like crimson flames.
It was Olivia, the Sixth-Circle Mage of Venessa Academy.
"Who are you?! Why are you attacking us?!" the leader yelled over the roar of the flames.
Her voice sliced through the chaos.
"You don't know? Or are you just pretending? How disappointing."
"W-We're merchants! Sint Trading Group!" Leader said. Holding his arm.
> "Still lying? Fine. Let's do this the hard way. You Doroka bastards."
The flames pulsed with her fury.
> "No... how does she know?! We were careful!"
> "We're not Doroka—"
FWOOOSH!
Olivia launched a spiral of flames that split mid-air, curving like serpents. They exploded beside the men, forcing them to leap for cover.
> "Shit! She's insane! Forget about the mission, I'm not dying here! ATTACK!"
The three regrouped and charged. CLANG! WHOOSH! Their blades cut the air, laced with poison spells. SIZZLE! The air shimmered with the toxicity.
Olivia blocked with a single glowing palm, her face calm.
"I warned you."
They nodded to one another and unleashed a tri-spell blast.
SHHHHRRRREEEEEKKKK!
A wave of black-green poison screamed through the clearing, crashing against the flames.
BOOM!!!
The entire forest shook. Smoke and dust flooded the area.
They waited, panting.
> "We got her..."
> "She underestimated us."
CRACKLE.
The dust cleared.
Olivia stood, untouched. Her cloak waved gently in the breeze.
Her eyes glowed with fire.
"You really made me angry now. I was going to break your bones and let you live. Now? I'll show you something worse than death."
She raised her hands.
FWOOM! FWOOM!
Two colossal fire pillars erupted from her sides. The ground sizzled. The air itself seemed to scream.
"She's a monster," the leader stammered.
"I don't want to die!" one shouted and turned to run into the woods.
RUSTLE-RUSTLE!
He crashed through the brush, breathing heavily.
Suddenly—THWACK!
A fist emerged from the shadows, smashing into his ribs. He flew into a tree.
He ran crazily, without looking behind he was so much scared that he wasn't paying attention to his surroundings. Olivia crimson eyes were in his mind.
"She is a monster. How can someone like her had to come after us."
As he running.
Then
THUD.
Someone punched him. On his nose, sending him flying to the tree. And he lost consciousness as His head hit the tree.and then.
Aeon appeared from the darkness, cloak billowing.
He bent over the unconscious man,and pulled out a Doroka clan token, that he took from the man in the oklo village and pocketed it.
"Everything is done."
He vanished into the shadows.
After a while that man regained his conciseness. And he raised his head and saw that. The Olivia crouched beside him, smiling.
> "Ah, awake already? Good. I didn't want to carry you."
The man fainted instantly.
Olivia stood, before him and searched his clothes and picked up the token, and muttered:
"So, it's true," she said coldly. "The Doroka clan dared to make a move against Venessa Academy... They'll regret this."
The flames around her flared once more—a warning to anyone who might still be watching.
---
Midnight.
Aeon returned to his personal dorm, the halls silent and still under the moon's pale gaze.
The living room was empty. His personal maid was already asleep in her quarters. Without making a sound, Aeon made his way to his room and quietly shut the door behind him.
As always, he stood before the window, hands in his pockets, staring at the moonlight that bled through the glass and cast silver shadows across the floor.
"Thank god I reached Olivia yesterday afternoon," he murmured. "Disguised as a member of the Night Birds… I gave her the tip about Sint Merchant employees operating in the underground market, selling illicit goods. I knew she would try to contact the Night Birds sooner or later."
He let out a faint breath, then sank into thought.
The Night Birds...
An elusive information network that has eyes and ears in every corner of the capital. From nobles to black-market dealers, from city guards to palace maids—they know almost everything. Almost.
But in the original story… even they never discovered the Doroka Clan's ties.
Because the Doroka had buried themselves deep.
The Sint Merchant Group—one of the three largest trading companies in the capital.
Clean. Respected. Rich.
But behind the curtain, a darker truth.
"Doroka Clan," Aeon muttered, "a minor clan on paper… working under one of the empire's five great clans—the Xopicca Clan. The Poison Clan. The doroka clan work under the shadow. A vassal clan .... executing order discreetly"
The Doroka were Xopicca's hounds—obedient, expendable, and hidden in plain sight.
"They inserted their members into the Sint Merchant Group as ordinary employees—thier identities crafted as the harmless civilian. men with fake names and fabricated lives. No one would suspect them of being anything more than merchants."
He stepped closer to the window, eyes narrowing.
"But now… that cover is broken."
He smirked faintly.
"The world doesn't know about Doroka's ties to Sint. Which means, with the right pressure, Xopicca will be forced to abandon them—and Sint will have no choice but to frame the Doroka to protect its own reputation. Doroka will be left out in the open, blamed for everything. And Lorath… she'll be forced to make a decision."
He leaned against the cold glass, his breath fogging the window for a moment.
"That's what I expect. But things could spiral further. This might not end with a single clan being sacrificed. Depending on tomorrow… it could be far more gruesome."
He turned away from the window, the silver light fading behind him.
"Everything will be decided tomorrow."