Moonlight quietly illuminated the massive windows of the Headmistress' office.
Stacks of academy documents covered the large wooden desk at the center of the room while the faint glow of mana lamps cast soft golden light across endless bookshelves.
Seraphina Vale calmly turned another page.
Even at eighty-three years old, the Headmistress of Aetherion Arcane Academy radiated overwhelming presence. Her silver hair flowed neatly over her shoulders while traces of blue flame mana flickered faintly around her fingers as she reviewed reports from the Tower investigation.
The atmosphere remained peaceful.
Until—
BANG!
The office doors suddenly opened.
Adrian Vale hurried inside.
As Will Grey's roommate, Adrian was one of the few students who regularly stayed around the isolated boy despite his weak magical talent and poor reputation among noble students. Normally calm and easygoing, the academy student now looked visibly shaken.
"Headmistress!"
Seraphina slowly lifted her golden eyes toward him.
For a brief moment, she simply observed the boy silently.
"…Adrian."
"Healers said Will's condition got worse again," Adrian said quickly. "His mana pathways are unstable and internal bleeding hasn't fully stopped yet. We need better treatment."
The Headmistress calmly closed the document in front of her.
"He is already receiving treatment from the best healers available within the academy."
"But—"
"Adrian."
Her voice wasn't loud.
Yet the pressure behind it instantly stopped him.
The old woman leaned back slightly in her chair.
"You know better than most how dangerous the Tower truly is."
Adrian clenched his fists tightly.
Seraphina continued calmly.
"This is not the first time Will Grey has returned from the Tower half-dead."
Her tone wasn't cruel.
Just realistic.
Cold reality spoken by someone who had witnessed countless students die over decades.
Still—
Hearing those words now only made Adrian's expression darken further.
"He almost died…" he muttered quietly.
Silence filled the office.
Then suddenly—
You care deeply for him.
Adrian's eyes widened slightly.
Mental communication.
A high-level spell.
Seraphina hadn't spoken aloud.
That is not weakness, her calm voice echoed directly inside his mind. But panicking will not improve his condition.
Adrian slowly lowered his head.
"…I know."
For the first time since he entered the room, Seraphina's expression softened slightly.
"That stubborn child survives things he has no business surviving," she said quietly. "If determination alone could become magic, Will Grey would already stand among the Mage Lords."
Adrian let out a weak laugh despite himself.
"That almost sounded comforting."
"It was."
Before Adrian could respond—
The office doors burst open once again.
"Elena?"
The brown-haired girl stood at the entrance breathing heavily, her eyes still red from crying.
But before she could speak—
The scene shifted.
Several minutes earlier.
Outside the academy infirmary.
Elena Hart sat nervously on a wooden bench while tightly gripping the edge of her uniform skirt. Her eyes remained fixed on the closed infirmary doors.
Beside her stood Professor Kael Veyron.
The wind-element professor leaned against the wall with crossed arms while quietly observing the hallway.
Meanwhile Sion Valcrest stood several meters away in uncomfortable silence.
For once—
The arrogant noble had nothing to say.
No mocking smile.
No insults.
Only guilt.
"…Will's tougher than he looks," Kael finally said casually. "That idiot survived worse."
Elena lowered her head.
"But this happened because he tried to save them…"
Her voice trembled slightly.
Sion's fists tightened instantly.
Kael noticed but chose not to comment.
The hallway became quiet once more.
Then suddenly—
The infirmary doors opened.
An elderly healer stepped outside.
All three immediately stood up.
"Well?" Elena asked anxiously.
The doctor looked genuinely confused.
"It's… honestly unbelievable."
Kael frowned slightly.
"What happened?"
"The damage to his internal mana pathways should've killed him already," the healer muttered. "But suddenly his body began stabilizing on its own."
Even now, disbelief filled the old man's voice.
"It's practically a miracle."
Elena's eyes widened.
"…He's alive?"
The healer slowly nodded.
"He's officially out of danger."
For several seconds Elena simply froze.
Then tears immediately filled her eyes again.
But this time from relief.
Without hesitation—
She turned and sprinted away.
"H-Hey!" Kael called after her.
"She's going to the Headmistress," Sion muttered quietly.
Kael sighed softly.
"…Probably."
The wind professor glanced toward Sion.
The noble student remained unusually quiet.
Finally—
Sion spoke again.
"…Professor."
"Hm?"
"…Why did Will save us?"
Kael raised an eyebrow slightly.
Sion looked away immediately.
"That thing was targeting me…"
The hallway fell silent.
Then Kael smirked faintly.
"Because despite acting like a reckless idiot…"
His gaze shifted toward the infirmary doors.
"Will Grey is a better person than most mages."
Sion said nothing after that.
Back in the present—
"He's awake!" Elena shouted.
Adrian instantly stood up.
"What?!"
"The doctors said his condition stabilized!"
Relief immediately flooded Adrian's face.
Seraphina quietly watched both students for a moment before speaking calmly.
"Go."
Elena blinked.
"Huh?"
"Before the healers throw both of you out of the infirmary."
The two students immediately rushed out of the office.
The doors slammed shut behind them.
Silence returned once more.
Seraphina slowly leaned back in her chair.
"…A miracle, hm?"
For the briefest moment—
Blue flames flickered quietly within her golden eyes.
Darkness.
Pain.
Cold.
Then—
Light.
Will slowly opened his eyes.
Everything looked blurry.
A dull ache pounded violently inside his skull while his entire body felt strangely heavy.
For several moments he simply stared upward blankly.
Where…
Where was he?
Hospital?
No.
The ceiling looked unfamiliar.
Stone walls.
Mana lamps.
Ancient-looking furniture.
Then suddenly—
Memories crashed into him.
A silver-haired girl smiling beneath a sunset.
Dungeon corridors.
Classroom humiliation.
A dream of becoming Mage Lord.
Blood.
Pain.
The Basilisk.
Will suddenly grabbed his head tightly.
"Ghh—!"
The memories weren't organized.
They came in broken fragments.
Emotions.
Dreams.
Regrets.
Not his memories.
Will's memories.
"…This…"
His breathing became uneven.
It wasn't a dream.
That realization struck harder than anything else.
He was really here.
Inside another person's body.
"…Holy shit…"
The words escaped unconsciously.
Then suddenly—
BANG!
The door burst open.
"WILL!"
A figure rushed toward him instantly.
Before he could react—
Adrian grabbed both his shoulders.
"You absolute idiot!" Adrian shouted. "Do you have any idea how worried everyone was?! Don't ever do something like that again!"
Will blinked blankly.
"…Huh?"
Adrian genuinely looked furious.
And terrified.
"You almost died!"
As Adrian violently shook him—
A doctor immediately stormed into the room.
"STOP SHAKING THE PATIENT!"
SMACK!
"Ow!"
The elderly healer glared at Adrian angrily.
"He survived fatal internal injuries barely an hour ago!"
Adrian immediately stepped back awkwardly.
"…Sorry."
The doctor sighed before approaching the bed.
"How are you feeling?"
"…Like I got hit by a truck."
"…Truck?"
"…Never mind."
The healer placed a hand against his chest while warm mana slowly flowed into his body.
"…Interesting."
The old man looked visibly confused again.
"Your recovery speed makes absolutely no sense."
Will froze slightly.
Recovery speed?
System?
Nothing appeared.
No blue screen.
No magical interface.
Only reality.
"…Very strange," the healer muttered quietly.
Before Will could think further—
Another figure suddenly rushed beside the bed.
"Elena?"
The brown-haired girl looked moments away from crying again.
"You idiot…" she whispered shakily. "Don't scare people like that…"
Will stared at her silently.
Then suddenly—
Another memory surfaced.
Elena defending him in the hallway.
Elena helping him study.
Elena quietly sitting beside him during lunch.
Warm emotions surged through his chest.
Not his emotions.
Will's.
And somehow—
That made things hurt even more.
"…I'm okay," he said quietly.
"You almost died!"
"…But I didn't."
"That's not the point!"
Will gave a weak smile.
Seeing people genuinely worried about him still felt strange.
Back on Earth—
Nobody would've reacted like this.
The thought made his chest tighten slightly.
The healer cleared his throat loudly.
"The patient still requires proper rest."
Adrian immediately nodded.
"Right."
Elena hesitated before stepping back slowly.
"…We'll come back tomorrow."
Will quietly nodded.
The three eventually left the room together.
The door slowly closed behind them.
Silence returned.
Will leaned back against the bed slowly.
The room suddenly felt much larger.
Much quieter.
He stared silently at his hands.
Different hands.
Not his.
Will Grey's.
"…So this is real…"
No office.
No endless overtime.
No lonely apartment.
No meaningless life.
Instead—
Magic.
Mana.
Towers.
Monsters.
Dreams.
A fantasy world.
A weak laugh escaped him.
"…This is insane."
Then suddenly—
Pain exploded inside his skull again.
"Ghh—!"
Instinctively—
His right eye twitched.
The world suddenly sharpened.
He could hear the movement of curtains.
The heartbeat of someone walking outside the room.
The faint pulse of mana inside nearby crystals.
Everything slowed for a split second.
Too much information flooded into his brain simultaneously.
Then—
It vanished instantly.
Will grabbed his head while breathing heavily.
"…What the hell was that…"
His heartbeat pounded violently.
But despite the pain—
A smile slowly formed on his face.
Excitement.
Pure excitement.
All those childhood dreams.
Fantasy worlds.
Heroes.
Magic.
Power.
He had spent years imagining those things while trapped inside a dull meaningless existence.
And now—
He was here.
Actually here.
Will slowly turned toward the moonlight shining through the infirmary window.
"…Guess my old life really ended."
Silence filled the room.
Then quietly—
Almost like a whisper to himself—
"But maybe…"
A grin slowly spread across his face.
"…this life might finally become interesting."
Far beneath the endless Tower—
Something stirred.