The gates of Arcana Academy opened only once a year.
Runes carved into ancient stone walls pulsed softly with magic, and everyone who passed through felt as if their soul was being weighed. This place did not merely accept those who used magic—it accepted those who belonged to it.
Eren Valek stood before the gates.
He carried no wand.
No sigil glowed upon his body.
Yet there was a calm in his eyes that the other applicants did not have, as if he already knew he did not belong here—and had decided to step forward anyway.
"Name?" the gate warden asked.
"Eren Valek."
The warden raised a soul crystal in his palm. It glimmered briefly, then went dark. His expression hardened.
"You have no sigil."
The words spread through the crowd in hushed whispers.
"That's impossible."
"A sigilless student can't enter."
"Why is he even here?"
Eren ignored them. His gaze remained fixed on the gate.
In that moment, something no one else noticed happened.
The runes etched into the gate trembled—just slightly.
As if the magic itself was testing him.
The warden hesitated, then spoke stiffly. "You may enter. But you will be recorded."
The instant Eren stepped forward, the academy fell silent.
The courtyard was already filled with students lined up for the entrance tests. Professors observed from above. Some watched with curiosity. Others with open discomfort.
"This boy should not be allowed to participate," said a sharp voice. It was Professor Althar, Master of Elements. "The rules are clear."
"His name is on the list," replied Professor Lyenne calmly. Her eyes never left Eren. They were not cold—but they were cautious. "And rules are sometimes meant to be questioned."
The tests began.
The fire crystal flared.
The water crystal shifted and flowed.
The wind crystal howled.
Each student left a reaction behind.
When Eren's turn came, an uneasy stillness settled over the courtyard. He placed his hand on the crystal.
Nothing happened.
Laughter broke out almost immediately.
"See?"
"He really has no sigil."
"He won't last a day here."
"Failure," the examiner declared.
As Eren pulled his hand back, a sharp cracking sound echoed. A thin fracture spread across the surface of the crystal. The laughter died instantly. The professors stiffened.
"This… isn't normal," Lyenne murmured, stepping forward without realizing it.
Eren's head throbbed. His heartbeat thundered in his ears. Then he heard it—a whisper from deep within. The voice was neither male nor female, but it was unmistakably clear.
"Magic is not avoiding you.
It is trying to understand you."
Althar's gaze hardened. "This boy will be monitored."
Lyenne nodded slowly. "And taught."
The whispers returned, but they were different now—uneasy, uncertain.
"Are they protecting him?"
"Or are they afraid of him?"
For the first time, Eren looked around him. He had been accepted into the academy. That much was true. But he was clearly not wanted.
Still, the strange sensation inside him grew stronger.
He might not belong here.
But this place could no longer ignore him.
That night, a short but heavy note was added to Arcana Academy's registry:
"Eren Valek. No sigil. Student status granted.
Possible Silent Sigil."
Lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, Eren felt something within the stone walls of the academy remain awake.
He might not belong here.
But now that he had entered…