The medical ward door opened with quiet authority.
The room stilled.
Headmistress Velarna Dhar stepped inside — tall, composed, draped in deep indigo robes lined with silver runic embroidery that shimmered faintly under the light.
Her gaze settled on Avdhoot.
"I see you have recovered quite well."
Avdhoot straightened slightly in bed.
"Yes, Headmistress."
She walked closer, hands folded behind her back.
"As the head of this academy," she said calmly, "it is my responsibility to ensure your safety. The Sky Reaper incident should not have escalated to that extent."
Her eyes softened — just barely.
"You and your team faced something far beyond first-year parameters."
She paused.
"But you returned. Together."
A faint nod.
"That alone is a remarkable feat."
Avdhoot lowered his head respectfully.
"We just did what we had to."
Velarna studied him a moment longer — as if measuring something unseen.
"Once you are fully recovered," she continued, "visit my office."
"Yes, ma'am."
She turned to leave.
As she reached the door, she added without looking back:
"Rest. You will need clarity soon."
Then she exited.
Moments later Meira returned with the head nurse, while Tara entered balancing a basket of fruit.
Veer dramatically announced, "The hero demands tribute."
"Shut up," Tara muttered.
The nurse conducted a full mana scan.
Her brows rose slightly.
"Your mana channels are exceptionally clean."
Avdhoot blinked.
"Is that… good?"
She smiled faintly.
"It's rare. But yes. You may still feel residual fatigue. Sleep will help stabilize the flow."
"I'll do that."
Once she left, Tara placed the basket on his lap.
"These aren't normal apples and oranges," she said smugly.
Inside were:
• Crimson Solpear – similar to apples, but with a faint warmth in the flesh that enhanced minor mana recovery.
• Sunveil Citrals – citrus-like fruit with translucent golden segments that refreshed mental clarity.
• Mistbloom Berries – pale blue berries that reduced minor mana strain.
Avdhoot took a bite of a Crimson Solpear.
Warmth spread gently through him.
Veer leaned forward.
"You owe us, by the way."
"For what?"
"For not letting you die."
Tara crossed her arms.
"You're not allowed to scare us like that again."
He smiled faintly.
"Understood."
Meira returned to her seat quietly, watching him carefully.
That night, he slept without dreams.
The next morning.
Avdhoot stood before the tall oak doors of Headmistress Velarna Dhar's office.
Before his knuckles touched the wood—
"Come in."
He blinked.
He hadn't knocked.
He entered.
The office was vast, circular, walls lined with floating inscriptions rotating slowly in the air.
Velarna sat behind a dark obsidian desk.
"Sit."
He obeyed.
"You have recovered completely?"
"Yes, ma'am."
She narrowed her eyes slightly.
"Interesting."
Avdhoot remained silent.
"I can no longer sense the fractured instability in your mana," she continued. "Instead, I sense pure circulation. Refined."
Her gaze sharpened.
"You are approaching Level Two Flame."
His heart skipped.
"I… don't know how, ma'am. When I woke up, it was simply like this."
He kept his expression calm.
Inside, his thoughts raced.
Krishna Yadav… Who are you?
Velarna studied him for several seconds.
Then she leaned back.
"Very well."
She changed the subject smoothly.
"There is a magic competition approaching."
Avdhoot straightened.
"You will lead the Brave Lions."
His eyes widened slightly.
"Ma'am?"
"You have demonstrated resilience, adaptability, and command presence under pressure."
She continued:
"You will coordinate with three other first-year leaders — one each from Ember Fangs, Frost Serpents, and Moon Owls."
"Each house will nominate a leader."
"The competition details will be announced today."
He nodded slowly.
"Who are we competing against?"
Velarna smiled faintly.
"There are four major magical academies across the continent. Ours is one."
Avdhoot's brows lifted.
"There are others?"
"Yes."
She listed calmly:
• Aetherion Spire Academy – masters of advanced elemental synthesis.
• Valkyrr Sol Institute – specialists in battle magic and reinforcement.
• Noctyra Veil Sanctum – inscriptional and illusion dominance.
She watched his reaction carefully.
"Interested in transferring?"
He quickly shook his head.
"No, ma'am. Just curiosity."
A faint smile touched her lips.
"Curiosity is healthy."
He stood.
"Then I'll take my leave."
She nodded.
The door closed behind him.
The room fell silent.
Velarna spoke softly.
"Irawen Solas."
Air distorted.
A tall figure formed from thin silver mist.
Sharp features.
Eyes like cold starlight.
"I am here."
"Keep an eye on Avdhoot," she said quietly.
Irawen tilted his head.
"You suspect something?"
"The inscription patterns in Wildwood Valley were too advanced to be random."
Her fingers tapped the desk lightly.
"They were sound-barrier arrays."
"Someone hid that beast deliberately."
Irawen's expression hardened.
"And you believe the target was the boy."
"Yes."
He vanished into thin air.
Velarna leaned back slowly.
"Who are you becoming, Avdhoot…"
Later that morning.
Combined class — Brave Lions and Moon Owls.
Professor Isha Kapoor stood at the front, chalk floating beside her.
"Today," she began, "we will discuss layered inscriptions."
Veer leaned toward Avdhoot.
"This is where my brain melts."
Isha tapped the board.
An inscription circle appeared mid-air.
"Inscriptions are not drawings. They are logic structures."
She divided the circle into sections.
"Every inscription has three core components:
1. Anchor Node – where mana stabilizes.
2. Function Pathway – defines what the inscription does.
3. Trigger Condition – determines when it activates."
She turned to the class.
"If one of these fails?"
A Moon Owl student replied, "The inscription collapses."
"Correct."
She expanded the diagram.
"Layered inscriptions allow multiple effects to coexist."
She drew a secondary ring around the first.
"For example: a sound barrier layered with a detection grid."
Avdhoot's eyes sharpened at that.
Sound barrier.
Wildwood Valley.
He remained silent.
A Brave Lion student raised his hand.
"Ma'am, how do we prevent mana overload in layered patterns?"
"By spacing anchor nodes properly," she replied. "And balancing elemental polarity."
She assigned practical work.
"Create a basic two-layer inscription. Anchor plus minor illumination trigger."
Students began sketching.
Veer's circle wobbled.
"Why is mine oval?"
"Because you lack patience," Avdhoot muttered.
Across the room—
A calm voice spoke.
"Ma'am. I've completed it."
Professor Kapoor turned.
Manaswini Desai stood composed.
Her inscription hovered perfectly symmetrical — illumination activating smoothly.
"Excellent," Kapoor nodded. "Clean anchor structure. Balanced polarity."
Veer whispered, "She's terrifying."
Avdhoot glanced at her.
"Who is she?"
"Manaswini Desai," Veer whispered. "Top of Moon Owls. Inscription genius. Basic and intermediate patterns are easy for her."
Manaswini adjusted her glasses slightly, unaware she was being observed.
Avdhoot watched quietly.
Interesting.
Near the end of class, Professor Kapoor raised her hand.
"One important announcement."
The room quieted instantly.
"The inter-academy competition is officially confirmed."
Murmurs spread.
She continued:
"The event is called the Celestial Convergence Trials."
Silence.
"This is not merely combat."
"It is elemental control, inscription mastery, team synchronization, and adaptive strategy."
She looked directly at the four house sections.
"Each house will nominate one first-year leader."
"Training begins immediately."
Veer leaned over.
"Well. That escalated."
Avdhoot exhaled slowly.
The world was getting bigger.
And someone, somewhere…
Had already made a move.
[End of Chapter 23]