Lucien was in a deep sleep, as if the world around him didn't exist.
"Wake up," Ren said, "Lucien."
Silence.
Ren crossed his arms and stood at the bedside, his facial expression unperturbed, like those who had already gotten on their nerves but somehow still managed to show it in a peaceful way.
"Lucien." he said again.
No response.
Ken glanced at the clock and shut his book.
"We're officially late," he said. "And unofficially doomed."
Derian was tightening the straps on his boots.
"Perfect," he murmured. "I hate getting on time."
Ren bent down and tapped on Lucien's forehead.
Finally, Lucien opened his eyes.
"Morning." He lazily sat up, still half lost in thought.
"What time is it?" he asked.
"The kind of time when professors start remembering names," Ken replied without looking at him.
Lucien froze.
"We're all late," Derian said.
Lucien sighed, rubbing his face. "So, we're skipping breakfast."
Ren took his coat.
"No," he replied. "We're skipping dignity."
Lucien got up and took his uniform.
"I should've gone to bed earlier," he grumbled.
Derian chuckled.
"You didn't sleep late," he said. "You slept carelessly."
Meanwhile, Ren went to the door and opened it.
The outdoors were chilly and freezing.
Then he put his hand inside his coat's side pocket and took out four slices of bread.
One handed to Ken.
One to Derian.
Then he threw one right at Lucien's face.
"What the—" Lucien said.
"Put it in your mouth and run." Ren said.
Ken raised an eyebrow and asked. "Is this some kind of survival drill?"
"No," Ren answered. "It's called being late."
Derian shoved his slice between his teeth without question.
"Efficient," he murmured.
Ken shut his book and took a bite. "If we chew while running," he said, "we might not pass out."
Ren stepped aside and gestured toward the hallway.
They barely made it.
Lucien was visibly frustrated. He breathed in through his nose and slammed his hand against the wall outside the lecture hall.
Ken was crouched forward, hands on his knees.
Derian looked the same as he always—unreadable.
Ren peeked at the door.
No noise from inside.
Too quiet.
"That's even worse than shouting."
The door open its own.
Every person in the hall faced the new arrivals.
Professor made a sudden stop in his speech.
Four figures stood there.
Messy.
Out of breath.
Bread crumbs were still very much on them.
Ren was the first one to speak.
"Sorry," he said with a calm voice. "We were delayed."
The professor didn't move for a moment.
"Delayed?"
Lucien gulped.
"Yes, sir."
Ken added, "Time behaved… aggressively this morning."
Professor's eye was twitching.
"You're late," he said with a very slow tempo.
"That's right." Ren nodded in agreement.
"You're interrupting the class."
"Also right." Ren nodded once more.
With a sigh, the professor said, "Names."
Ren didn't hesitate.
"Ren."
"Ken."
"Derian."
"Lucien."
The professor was looking at Lucien quite intensely.
Lucien didn't look away but met his gaze.
A murmur went around the hall.
Someone whispered, "isn't that the crystal guy?"
Ren turned his head slightly to face Lucien. "They recognize you."
Lucien muttered back, "I hate that."
The professor tapped on the desk.
"You four," he said. "Take the back seats, quietly."
The professor pinched the bridge of his nose. "Class," he said, "as you can see this is why punctuality matters."
Ren leaned backward slightly and whispered, "We made an impression."
Ken whispered back, "A criminal one."
"So class, I'm your class co-ordinator and also the only teacher of mana control for this year, name Helrix." He said.
"Lucien stand up, what is mana?" He asked.
Lucien chose his words carefully. "Fuel," he said. "A medium, not the source."
Silence spread.
"Sit," Helrix said.
Nothing more than a few minutes and the doors were open once again.
Eira walked in.
No hurry. No fluster.
Just late.
Helrix glanced at her once.
"You too," he said, pointing without emotion. "Last seats."
Eira nodded and walked down the steps.
She stopped when she reached Luciens desk.
Each desk was long enough to seat five students comfortably.
Then without asking she sat one seat behind him, close enough that he could feel her presence without turning.
The lecture continued.
"Most of you will learn magic," Helrix said. "But learning is not understanding."
Lucien tried to concentrate.
Failed.
He felt her move closer slightly.
"I feel like I'm alone," Eira said in a low voice.
Lucien was surprised.
He turned just enough to look at her. "What?"
She met his eyes—calm, direct.
"Would you come and sit with me?"
His thoughts stopped working.
There was no shame in her face.
Lucien was doubtful. But then he moved his books, changed his seat, and sat beside her.
They didn't have the slightest touch of their arms.
Eira came closerjust a little, not intimate.
"I wanted to speak freely without people overhearing," she whispered.
Lucien was puzzled. "About?"
She looked straight ahead, eyes on the board.
"We'll talk about it later," she said.
During the entire lecture, Lucien didn't hear a single word Helrix said.
By noon, the academy had already made one thing clear.
This place didn't care who you were before.
Only what you could become.
Lucien studied the process of mana circulation, the theory of elemental affinity, the structure of spells.
Every professor had two assistants, training under them during free hours.
Lucien was about to leave the lecture hall when a sharp voice stopped him.
"Lucien."
He turned.
One of the academy's assistant was standing near the corridor pillar with a clipboard under her arm.
"Principal wants to see you," she said.
Lucien frowned. "Now?"
"After your classes," she said.
The principals office was larger than it needed to be. There were already a number of people in there—professors, assistants, and an elderly man who was sitting quietly near the window.
As Lucien walked in, the principal looked up.
"Lucien," she said affectionately, folding her hands. "First of all, how was your first day?"
Lucien hesitated.
In fact, a thousand different answers crossed his mind.
However, he chose to tell the safest lie.
Just normal.
The man sitting by the window laughed quietly.
"Normal," he repeated.
The principal indicated with her hand. "This is Mr. Hiser,"
Lucien looked.
Mr. Hiser was old—but not weak. His posture was relaxed, eyes sharp behind thin spectacles. The kind of man who didn't need mana flares to feel dangerous.
The principal explained further, "He's here to see you because of your entrance test."
Lucien tensed up.
Mr. Hiser brought his upper body a little forward. "I heard an Archmage-grade crystal shattered."
Lucien kept quiet.
"There is something I want you to do," Mr. Hiser said softly. "Concentrate, the same way you did on that day."
Lucien was reluctant. "Here?"
"Yes."
Lucien closed his eyes.
He focused.
Not on mana.
Not on power.
On absence.
Nothing happened for a heartbeat.
Then Mr. Hiser's face changed.
He seemed to lose his breath.
"Stop," he said in a very serious tone. "Stop right here."
Lucien confused. "What?"
"Where did you learn that?"
Lucien looked confused. "Learn what?"
"The method, " Mr. Hiser said. "The focus."
Lucien was shaking his head. "I didn't learn it. Everybody can focus."
Mr. Hiser couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"No," he said in a very soft voice. "What you are doing is not focus."
The room was absolutely quiet.
"You are deliberately forcing your mind to Null Ascension."
Lucien was shocked. "Null… what?"
"A forbidden state," Mr. Hiser explained. "A place where there is nothing, No mana, No laws, No concepts."
"Anyone who enters it improperly," Mr. Hiser continued, "either disappears… or breaks."
Lucien was nervous but he still managed to ask, "Disappear?"
"Disappear, " Mr. Hiser said, "Completely, Forever."
"Is that why you called me here, to witness another death, Trisha?"
Lucien spoke in a very low voice. "But I still didn't feel anything."
"Thats exactly the point," Mr. Hiser replied. "Next time, don't even try it again."
Lucien wasn't sure what to do. "Is there anybody who uses it?"
Mr. Hiser was thinking before he answered.
"One," he said. "Not even seven stars of humanity but—"
He averted his eyes.
"Lord Azer."
The night came slowly.
Dinner was loud—people dragging chairs, food trays dropping, talking all at once which you could never really understand fully.
Lucien was sitting together with Ren, Ken, and Derian at their regular table.
Ren was already halfway through his second plate.
Derian was eating as if the food was going to disappear.
Ken, as usual, observed everything while having the least amount of food.
Eira came with her tray and stopped at their table.
They all remained silent for a short while.
After that, Ren looked up.
"Oh."
Derian stopped in the middle of his mouthful. "Is… is this intentional?"
Eira unruffled by the situation, fetched a chair and sat down.
Ken slightly moved his head, his eyes very alert, voice absolutely neutral.
"You know," he said, "this is the fourth time that you have dined with us since yesterday."
Lucien looked at Ken.
Ken went on without any sign of emotion.
"From a statistical point of view, that is definitely not coincidence anymore."
Ren smiled. "Yeah, he is right. You are the one who is now suspicious."
Eira stared at her tray. "Is that so?"
Ken was looking right into her eyes.
"Not really. I was just thinking if you were going to be a part of our chaotic group?"
He was trying to recruit her because she's one of the strongest in the first year.
After a short silence, he added in a very casual tone, "Oh, don't bother denying it. You don't sit with chaos this long unless you're curious."
Derian slowly consumed the contents of his plate.
"Firstly," he asked, "what chaotic group?"
Ren pointed to the individuals gathered at the table.
Derian frowned and said, "Is that the best you could come up with this for group?"
Ren simply shrugged while responding, "but it's true!"
Derian clicked his tongue and stated, "Couldn't we have something cooler? Something like…Vanguards? Or—"
"No,"
"Stop!" Lucein said.
Eira listened to the discussion but didn't interject until it was proper for her to do so.
"I haven't made a decision yet," Eira said. "I'll think."
"But you didn't say no," Ren said as he reclined in his chair.
"Acceptance pending," Ken added.
"To pending disasters," Derian raised his cup.
Lucien sighed, but did not intervene with them.
For the first time since he had been in the canteen, the loud voices of other patrons did not feel annoying.
It felt…normal.
Lucien stood up preparing to leave when someone slid a chair back, sitting next to him.
"Do you like to take walks?" Eira's voice remained evenly toned and no hesitation or softness was added to encourage him.
"Like to go for a walk at night?" Lucien responded glancing at her.
"Especially at night," was her response.
Eira didn't ask the question due to doubt about how Lucien felt. Eira asked the question because she already made up her mind. After a long pause, Lucien asked for clarification and nodded in the affirmative.
Ren stopped eating and put his fork down. "A walk at night?" he asked slowly.
Ken did not look up as he stated: "Statistically," and continued his meal.
Derian handed Lucien a piece of bread. "Here, take this for energy in case you need it to stay alive."
Lucien looked at them and said, "What's so hard about walking?"
Ren responded with, "You would be amazed how quickly simple plans can come apart."
Eira looked back toward his friends and then back at Lucien. "You have some really loud friends."
"They think it's some type of defense mechanism," Lucien answered.
As Lucien and Eira continued to walk out Eira heard the Ren shout after them, "Enjoy your personal time."
Lucien turned back to give Ren an irritated look. Ren raised both of his hands in a gesture of being harmless. Ken shook his head. Derian smiled.
Both of them walked in silence for some time.
Lucien noticed first that Eira didn't seem to want to discuss the class incident. However, she seemed to be waiting for the right opportunity.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, Eira began talking again. "The moment when I was late in class… you looked very lost."
"That's nothing new for me," Lucien said.
"No," she replied, "this was different."
At this point she came to a halt and they were next to a needed worn out crack stone bench that hadn't been frequently used.
"Please, sit down."
Eira looked to left and right to make sure that no one else could hear what they were going to say, and then she locked eyes with him.
"I wanted to talk to you privately," she stated firmly. "People lie in crowds. Even to themselves."
Lucien didn't add anything to that statement.
"And with your test," Eira continued, "it was obvious that everyone thought you possessed some sort of demonic powers," she continued, "That makes sense."
"What do you think?" Lucien asked.
"Well, the truth is it wasn't your power that destroyed it but rather the fact that it couldn't define you." She said.
"Define?" questioned Lucien with a confused expression on his face.
"Power that follows rules leaves traces," answered Eira unemotionally, "but yours didn't follow that method."
"I don't know what I am doing," Lucien replied in a softened voice.
"This is the very reason why I'm having this discussion with you now," Eira stated. "You are incomplete."
Silence hung between the two.
Lucien thought he would receive condemnation or pity, but instead he received nothing.
"Incomplete does not mean weak," stated Eira. "It indicates that you are unfinished."
Staring into the emptiness around him, Lucien's only response was, "So tell me why you are telling me this?"
"Because unfinished things either break," she said, "or become something no one planned for."
"I have no clue who or what you become," Eira stated. "But here's my advice, do not try to complete the void."
She leaned towards Lucien.
"HEY."
A familiar voice interrupted them.
Ren, Ken, and Derian came walking around a corner as if they were trying to act casual and relaxed, but they were working way too hard at it.
Ken looked at the time. "We've waited twelve minutes exactly."
Lucien got to his feet. "What are you all doing, following me?"
Ren shrugged his shoulders. "It's a buddy system."
"Since when?"
"Since about five minutes ago."
Eira got to her feet and gave Ren a quick look. "You're really loud."
Ren grinned, "We practiced for this."
Lucien looked back at Eira. "You said there was something else you wanted to say."
She thought for a moment, "I'll tell you later. We'll have a chance to talk again."
Then she turned around and headed back to the dorm without looking back at him.
Ren moved close to Lucien. "So... Mission incomplete?"
Lucien walked past Ren. "Get out of my way."
Ken had a small smile. "Something definitely happened."
Derian stretched his arms. "At least today wasn't dull!"
Lucien was walking along, and Eira's words were stuck in his head.
Incomplete.
For the first time, the word didn't feel like an insult.