CHAPTER 2: The Gilded Burden of the Valerius Bloodline
The sun hung high over the spires of Aethelgard Academy, casting long, sharp shadows across the cobblestone walkways. The architecture was a testament to the post-war era—soaring arches of white marble and reinforced glass, designed to withstand the very magical outbursts the students were sent there to master.
"Wow," breathed Aisha, her emerald-green hair catching the light as she leaned closer to the ancient, leather-bound volume in her friend's hands. Her eyes were wide, reflecting the vivid illustrations of celestial fire and frozen armies. "I mean, I've heard the bedtime stories, but reading the actual chronicles... they must have been really strong."
The girl holding the book didn't look up immediately. Her hair, a vibrant, defiant shade of crimson that seemed to shimmer like cooling lava, fell over her shoulders in a messy braid. Her name was **Lyra Valerius**, and she walked with the unconscious grace of someone born to rule, even if she currently looked like she hadn't slept in three days.
"Strength isn't the word for it," Lyra murmured, her finger tracing the gold-leaf depiction of the Archer in Yellow. "It was total sovereignty. They didn't just fight the war; they rewrote the rules of the world and then threw the pen away. I hope I can be like them someday. Not just a mage, but a force that the world can't ignore."
Aisha stopped dead in her tracks, nearly tripping a passing freshman. They were now deep within the school compound, surrounded by the morning rush of students. All wore the red trimmed blazer of nobility, while long sleeve shirt which was common to all, Black leggings for Boys and Skirt for girls. all who gained administration into the school is either nobility or heirs To Power.
Aisha turned to her friend, her expression shifting into something uncharacteristically solemn. "Don't talk like that, Lyra. You're not just some student with big dreams."
Lyra finally looked up, her violet eyes clouded with a mixture of exhaustion and irritation. "Here we go again."
"You are **Lyra Valerius**," Aisha said, her voice dropping into a respectful, almost warning tone. "The sole heir to the **House of Valerius**. Your family is the cornerstone of the entire kingdom of Oriane. They are the Prime Bloodline, the ones who funded the reconstruction of the cities and the ones who hold the seats of the High Council. You don't need to 'hope' to be a force, Lyra. You already are one by birthright."
Lyra rolled her eyes, a gesture that felt far too human for someone of her standing. "Would you stop reminding me? It's bad enough the professors act like I'm made of glass. I just want to be me, Aisha. Not a 'Prime Bloodline' mascot."
"Easy for you to say," Aisha countered with a lopsided grin. "My family doesn't even rank in the top ten influential houses. We're basically background characters in your biography. But listen... I believe in you. Truly. I think you'll get there—wherever 'there' is—and you might even surpass the Grandmasters."
Lyra softened, giving her friend a rare, genuine smile. "Okay, okay. Thank you, Aisha. I appreciate the vote of confidence, even if it comes from a girl who hasn't opened a textbook since the winter solstice."
Suddenly, Lyra's expression sharpened. A thought flickered behind her eyes, bright and frantic. She began flipping through the book with renewed intensity, her thumb catching on the parchment as she scanned the cryptic Latin notations in the margins.
"What is it?" Aisha asked, sensing the sudden shift in atmospheric pressure that always seemed to happen when Lyra got focused. "You've got that 'I'm about to blow something up' look on your face."
"Remember our lecture from three weeks ago?" Lyra asked, her eyes darting across the text. "The one on the High Arcana and the ancient lineages?"
Aisha blinked, her emerald hair swaying. "Uh... sorry. I don't really remember. Was that before or after the mid-term gala?"
Lyra turned her head to look at her, her gaze flat and unimpressed. "What?" Aisha asked, putting her hands up defensively.
"Didn't you say you've been studying for the Preliminaries?" Lyra asked. "Aisha, we have the combat-theory exams in four days."
Aisha raised a hand to scratch the back of her head, letting out a nervous, high-pitched laugh. "Hey, it's not my fault your brain is basically a magical hard drive. It's like your head can carry half the entire library's collection. I'm a kinetic learner! I need to move, not read!"
Lyra sighed, turning back to the book. "Three weeks ago, we studied the **Eleven Grands**. The founders of modern magical theory."
"Ooh!" Aisha snapped her fingers, her memory finally sparking. "The First Eleven! The sorcerers who first reached the Celestial Level of Grandmaster. Right, right. I remember that part because the statues in the courtyard have such cool capes."
"Seems like you studied a *little*," Lyra noted with a dry chuckle.
"That's only because it's the one topic in this entire gods-forsaken curriculum that isn't boring enough to induce a coma," Aisha replied, falling into step beside her.
"Then listen to this," Lyra said, her voice dropping to a whisper as she quoted the text. "The Book of the Falling Light describes the Five in detail. The one in blue—the fencer? He matches the descriptions of the **Ancient Ice Sovereign**. The one in red? That's clearly a precursor to the **Blaze Sorcerer** lineage. And the one in yellow... she has to be the **Silver Bow**, the one who allegedly could curve an arrow around a mountain."
Aisha was nodding slowly, caught up in Lyra's fervor. "And the one in black? The guy with the horns?"
"The Dark magic user ," Lyra said firmly. "The texts say he was a 'Void-Walker,' a demon-kin who traded his humanity for absolute destruction. It fits the demon-like appearance and the heartless combat style."
"Okay, your assumptions are going pretty far out there," Aisha said, looking genuinely impressed, "but it actually makes sense. They were like the blueprints for the Grandmasters we have now."
"But," Lyra said, her brow furrowing, "I just can't seem to figure out who the last one is. The one in white. The leader. The 'God of Mischief.'"
She stopped in the middle of the plaza, staring at a blank space in the book where an illustration seemed to have been torn out or never drawn at all. "The records say he was the most heartless, the most powerful, and yet... there's no trace of his magic style in any of the Eleven Grands. It's like his power didn't pass down. It just... stopped."
"Can't we just figure that mystery out later?" Aisha groaned, tugging on Lyra's sleeve. "The bell for Advanced Elementalism is going to ring, and if we're late again, Professor Thorne will turn us into newts. Or worse—he'll give us extra homework."
"I'm just curious," Lyra muttered, closing the book with a heavy *thud*. "History doesn't just 'stop' like that. There's a missing link."
"Whatever you say, Professor Valerius," Aisha teased. She moved ahead of Lyra, turning around to face her and beginning to walk backwards with practiced ease. "So, what's the plan for after school? We should go down to the lower district. I heard they're opening a new tea shop that serves those glowing mana-pastries."
Lyra didn't look up from the cover of the book. "I'm going to stay in the archives. I think I can crack this. And I need to train my output; my father says my flame is still too volatile."
"Come on, Lyra! You need time off! You're going to burn yourself out before you even reach your eighteenth birthday," Aisha pleaded, still walking backwards. "I was thinking we could invite some of the guys from the Knight-Division and—"
Aisha's words were cut short by a dull *thump*. Her heels caught on an uneven stone, but she didn't hit the ground because she had slammed directly into a solid, warm chest.
"Oof!" Aisha stumbled, her balance failing her as she sat down hard on the marble.
"Oh! Miss, I'm really sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going!"
The voice was young, calm and unfamiliar. Lyra finally looked up from her book, her violet eyes narrowing. Standing below a young guy, a fellow student dressed in the same uniform she was in looking smart and he stretched his hand towards her and giving her a gentle and warm smile, that made her heart skip a beat.