Elias walked out of the school's alchemy lab looking more irritated than usual, earning a few suspicious glances from passing students. He ignored them and made his way to the dorms. Unfortunately, being from a poor noble house meant he couldn't afford a private room—and his roommate was back.
Arthur wasn't the worst person to live with, but he was utterly convinced that he and Elias were friends. For some absurd reason.
"Arthur, I believe I've asked you more than once not to intrude on my side of the room," Elias said, closing the door behind him. "And yet here I find you rummaging through my things. Let me guess, looking for my class notes? You won't find any. I don't take notes."
Arthur turned around with a grin and casually threw an arm over Elias's shoulder.
"Well, I was looking for your class notes, but now I understand why I couldn't find them. So, how about you help me study?"
Elias calmly removed Arthur's hand from his shoulder and dropped onto his bed.
"What exactly would I gain from helping someone who doesn't bother taking notes or paying attention? If you spent less time flirting with anything that breathes, you might not need my help."
Arthur laughed, clearly expecting the jab.
"Fair enough. But hear me out—if you help me study for this exam, I'll let you run any experiment you want on me. As long as it doesn't permanently disfigure me."
Elias raised an eyebrow and smiled, the expression just a little too pleased. If Arthur had one talent, it was making a deal—and Elias already had something in mind. Something he'd been preparing for months. All he needed now was a willing, breathing participant.
"Fine. I'll help you. But only because I need a living human for an experiment."
Arthur blinked, his smile faltering.
"Wait… what do you mean living? Have you experimented on non-living humans before?"
Elias didn't answer. He simply looked at Arthur and smiled.
Arthur stared at him, his voice suddenly more serious.
"Answer me, Elias. This is safe, right?"
Elias continued smiling as he began unpacking his things and preparing for dinner, offering no reassurance whatsoever.
Elias walked into the dining hall and quietly got in line for lunch. His tray held a basic, balanced meal—rice, vegetables, and chicken. He never bothered with the more expensive options. Technically, he was a noble, but his financial situation was no better than that of a commoner. His family had a manor, but no land, no territory, and no real income.
He sat alone, as usual, and began eating without looking up.
Not long after, a small group of students gathered behind him, very deliberately, and started talking about him in voices far too loud to be casual. Their mockery was clumsy and obvious, but Elias paid them no mind. The words of lesser minds held no value to him.
The atmosphere shifted when one of them, a particularly loud and belligerent boy, stepped closer and clamped a hand down on Elias's shoulder, squeezing hard, clearly trying to provoke a reaction.
Elias didn't even flinch.
"Remove your hand from my shoulder," he said calmly, "if you enjoy walking, you ape."
The boy hesitated, clearly taken aback by the complete lack of fear in Elias's voice—and the quiet venom of the threat.
"Oh yeah? And what are you gonna do if I don't?"
Elias let out a tired sigh. He slowly opened his right hand, revealing a small black symbol in the shape of a diamond etched into his palm.
He channeled mana into it.
The symbol expanded, flowing across his hand and up his forearm like spreading ink. His entire arm was soon coated in a pitch-black shadow, from which faint, feather-like wisps drifted into the air. At the center of his palm, where the diamond had been, an eye formed—sharp, lidless, and glowing faintly.
The eye turned on its own, scanning the room briefly before locking onto the boy behind him. The feathers along Elias's arm suddenly straightened like quills and launched in rapid succession.
They struck the boy's chest, arms, and shoulders. For a moment, he looked confused—the impact hadn't hurt at all, and the feathers had vanished as soon as they touched him. He scoffed, about to speak again.
Then his body locked up.
His knees buckled, and he collapsed to the ground, completely paralyzed.
Elias took another bite of his food, unfazed.
The dining hall was silent.
Dozens of students stared as the belligerent boy lay twitching on the floor, completely paralyzed. A few gasped. Others backed away. Even the loudest of the group who had mocked Elias earlier suddenly found more interesting things to stare at on their plates.
Elias didn't so much as glance at them. He finished his meal in peace, picked up his tray, and walked out as if nothing had happened.
But the whispers began before he even reached the door.
"Did you see that?"
"What was that thing on his arm?"
"Was that a curse? Or… some kind of summon?"
"He didn't even chant anything…"
Faculty were alerted within minutes.
Professor Obel arrived first, kneeling beside the paralyzed student. After checking his vitals and confirming there was no permanent harm, he stood and looked toward the exit with a deep frown.
"Find Elias Crowe," he said simply. "Bring him in."
Elias returned to his room to find Arthur snoring loudly, sprawled across his bed. He sighed, changed into his sleeping clothes, and slipped into bed without a word.
The next morning, Elias woke early, dressed in his uniform, and prepared for class. As he opened the door to leave, he came face to face with one of the school's armored guards. Without a word, Elias stepped aside, already knowing what this was about.
There was no point resisting. He'd have to explain it all eventually, and he wanted to avoid whatever pointless attempt at intimidation they had planned.
The guards escorted him through the academy halls in silence and practically shoved him into the disciplinary chamber. Elias stumbled slightly, caught himself, and shot them a flat, unimpressed glare before taking his seat.
He looked up toward the raised platform overlooking the room. Seated behind a long table were the familiar faces: Professor Obel, Head of Alchemical Studies; Professor Malric, of Magical Ethics; and Dean Hestara, head of the disciplinary committee.
Hestara spoke first, her voice sharp and official."I'm sure you're aware of why you're here, so let's get straight to it. Why did you attack your peer, Mr. Crawford?"
Elias sighed and tapped his fingers lightly on the table."I'm sure no one told you, but Mr. Crawford laid hands on me first. He enhanced his strength with mana and squeezed my shoulder in an attempt to cause physical harm. I warned him—clearly—that if he continued, I would defend myself. He chose to ignore that warning."
Hestara nodded slowly, folding her hands. She didn't press further, likely because neither Elias nor Crawford belonged to any influential house. That made things easier.
Malric leaned forward next, his expression more severe."Your reasons aren't our concern anymore, Mr. Crowe. What we want to know is what, exactly, you used to carry out that so-called defense. The residual mana had no elemental signature, classified as null. The surveillance enchantments weren't much help either. We saw your arm turn black and Crawford collapse. Explain yourself. If your answer is unsatisfactory, you're looking at expulsion—or worse."
Elias smiled, calm and deliberate. There were few things he enjoyed, but proving himself smarter than people who thought they held power over him? That was one of them.
"It's the result of years of personal experimentation," he began. "A hybrid of alchemy, rune theory, and bodily modification. I've altered the properties of my right arm entirely. When I activate the rune on my palm, the arm becomes semi-sentient—capable of independent thought, movement, and attack. It can also perform simple tasks like storing items in spatial pockets. It's still a work in progress, of course. I've been refining it for years, but progress has slowed due to limited access to the necessary resources."
Malric's eyes narrowed."So a nineteen-year-old student created something most certified mage-engineers wouldn't dare attempt. If we hadn't already cast a lie-detection spell on this room, you'd be in chains by now."
He leaned back, still staring at Elias."Humor me. I'd like to examine that arm up close sometime. It's… curious, to say the least."
Obel, who had remained silent until now, asked a few technical questions—what served as the control node, how the sentience was regulated, what kind of sigils sustained the transformation. Elias answered each one calmly and precisely, though with just enough vagueness to keep his secrets intact.
Eventually, the questioning ended.
"You're free to go," Hestara said. "But this is your only warning. Any further use of that arm on school grounds without authorization will not be excused."
Elias stood, nodded once, and left the chamber.
He arrived late to class—not that he cared. His arm remained quiet beneath his glove, but he could still feel the eye watching from his palm.
Always awake. Always aware.