Heir of the Lost Wish

Before him stood the Academy of Ether, an imposing fortress. Its tall towers, carved from the purest stone, stretched toward the sky like blades seeking to pierce the heavens. Every wall, every detail breathed prestige.

Around Lucian, a crowd of students flowed into the grounds. Some exchanged formal greetings, while others walked with assured steps, accustomed to the place. The bustling atmosphere contrasted with Lucian's inner calm as he observed the surroundings with a curious yet measured gaze.

He wasted no time. With a determined step, he headed toward the auditorium, following the stream of students.

Lucian entered the auditorium, a vast hall where several rows of students were already seated. On a raised platform stood the professors and academy staff. Each professor seemed like a seasoned soldier, their mere presence imposing a natural respect.

He took a seat among the others, and barely settled, the director's voice echoed in the room, commanding and confident.

Alistair Vael stood at the center of the platform. He was a man in his prime, probably in his fifties, though his appearance betrayed only a thirty-year-old. He had fiery hair and a sharp gaze, a testament to a life spent on the battlefield. His exploits had earned him the feared title of *Scarlet Blade*, and he had left his mark in the annals of warrior history. Like the rest of the staff, he was a fighter before being a teacher. Lucian, who had scoured almost every book in his Uncle Al's library, had learned much about the Scarlet Blade, his victories, and how his name became synonymous with power.

He spoke in a firm and direct tone:

"The Academy of Ether's goal is to train the future warriors of this kingdom. Here, you will learn to develop your Nexus and master your awakening abilities. But theory will be of no use without field experience."

He paused briefly, allowing his words to sink into the students' minds before continuing:

"After your initial training, you will be sent on missions to confront creatures of the darkness. These won't be mere exercises, but real confrontations where your survival will depend on your skill and determination. You will choose the zone where you will be sent, but know that each choice carries its risks."

Lucian listened attentively, absorbing every word. He knew that this academy was different from others, but this announcement confirmed just how much it focused on forming soldiers first. A heavy silence filled the room after these words, some students exchanging worried glances, others clenching their fists with excitement.

The director concluded in a grave tone:

"If you are here, it's because you have the potential to make history. But only your courage will determine how far you will go."

Lucian quickly understood, with his sharp mind, that Alistair's hints hadn't gone unnoticed by everyone. A handful of students, too, had realized that, once their Nexus was formed and their awakening abilities mastered, they would have to choose the zone in which they would face creatures of darkness. This meant that the quickest among them would have the opportunity to decide their fate: either they could choose to continue their training in a more peaceful environment or set out to write their own legend.

After that, Alistair Vael went over the academy's rules and the details of the teaching methods. Lucian, like the others, absorbed every detail.

The sun had already set, giving way to a calm, gentle night. Lucian, somewhat dazed from the day that had just passed, climbed the dormitory stairs with a tired gait. When he entered his room, he collapsed onto his bed, exhausted by all the new information and emotions. The comfort of the mattress enveloped him immediately, and his thoughts soon dissolved into a confused stream.

The memories of the meeting blended with fragments of his past, his life in the outskirts, but his mind focused mostly on the image of the statue, that strange detail he couldn't fully understand. He tried to think for a moment, but fatigue overcame him, and his eyelids closed involuntarily.

He slid into sleep, cradled by the peace of the night.

In the darkness of his dream, a mysterious scene unfolded.

He found himself in a grand throne room, vast and majestic, a place as imposing as it was unreal.

The throne room was shrouded in shadow, the air thick with silence. Only a beam of light pierced the darkness, illuminating a bewildering scene. A man, clad in a vermilion cloak, slowly collapsed to the ground, and a woman with deep blue hair, as dark as the night sky, leaped forward to catch him. Her long hair cascaded to the floor, forming an indigo sea around them.

Lucian couldn't make out the details of the scene, but he felt an intense tension. The man, exhausted, seemed to be consumed by an invisible force, slowly engulfed by the darkness surrounding him. He lay, his head resting on the soft knees of the woman, while his bloodied hands weakly touched her pale face. A final tremor, and his hands slipped, falling lifelessly to the ground.

Words escaped his lips, but Lucian couldn't hear them, as if the very air refused to carry them. The woman, infinitely gentle, placed a light kiss on his forehead before raising her head and gazing at the man in the vermilion cloak, still lying in an eerie eternal slumber.

The dream suddenly stopped. Lucian woke up with a start, a sharp headache pounding at his temples. The daylight streamed through the curtains, signaling the start of a new day.

Lucian quickly prepared and headed to school, the dream from the previous night still troubling him.

*What was that?*

He shook his head, deciding to focus on his first day of classes.

The day passed swiftly. There were no actual classes, but instead sessions with fixed schedules, and about a thousand students heading to the amphitheaters. Everyone seemed to be around his age, here to form their Nexus.

The first class was on survival in hostile terrain, followed by one on Nexus formation methods. Though he already knew the basics, there were three main ways to form your Nexus: meditation, pain, and emotional trauma. The latter two were rare, especially the last. But the Academy of Ether mixed the first two methods to form our cores as quickly as possible.

In the afternoon, classes focused on combat. Here, pain reached its peak, with no protection, only the sharpness of the weapons available. There were often serious fractures, but among the staff, some were equipped with rare healing awakening abilities. There were more than a dozen training rooms, each holding two hundred people, meaning the resources used were colossal.

At the end of the day, Lucian returned to the dormitory, where most students were heading to begin their meditation session. This was where one had to concentrate, to feel the energy within oneself.

The professors had explained that every human possessed a fragment of the Nexus within them, but this fragment was broken, fragmented into several pieces. Until this core was repaired, it would be impossible to concentrate the essence of soul, the vital energy essential for awakening and strengthening one's powers.

The goal of meditation was to focus inward, to perceive the void at the center of one's being and weave the scattered pieces of this fragment. It was a task of patience and precision, like reconstructing a fragile artifact, piece by piece. The idea was to close the gap, seal the void that separated these fragments, so as to rebuild a solid core capable of containing the essence of soul and allowing the student to awaken their power.

Lucian sat on his bed, eyes closed, trying to visualize this difficult task. He focused on this void, this fracture that was both a limit and a gateway to an inner strength. It was strange, almost unnatural, but he knew that if he succeeded in understanding this process, he would take a great step toward mastering his power.

A week had passed, and the students were starting to adjust to their new environment. Groups were forming slowly, but Lucian, not being very social, hadn't found any friends yet.

For now, he preferred to focus on his training. He stood facing a rather popular student, Albert, a member of a highly respected family of knights in the city.

Albert held his sword with fierce determination, his eyes shining with pride and bravery. He launched himself at the silver-haired stranger, who, calm and measured, dodged with almost supernatural grace.

The swords clashed, but Lucian merely parried, careful not to let his opponent take the initiative. With every move, he analyzed his opponent, seeking to understand the subtleties of his fighting style.

Albert struck hard, each blow bearing the mark of rigorous knightly training. Lucian, though not as aggressive, knew how to defend himself effectively. The exchange lasted a few moments until Albert decided to opt for a bolder attack.

He launched a powerful vertical strike, aiming to disarm Lucian. But Lucian, with astonishing speed, blocked the strike while letting go of one hand on the blade. Seizing the opening, he delivered a masterful punch to Albert's face.

Albert recoiled slightly, a thin trail of blood running from his nose. He widened his eyes, stunned, before exclaiming indignantly:

"Do you have no sense of chivalry?! How dare you strike with a punch in a sword duel?!"

But before he could finish his sentence, Lucian had already closed the distance between them. With a swift and precise movement, he delivered a vertical kick that sent Albert crashing to the ground.

The young knight toppled backward, landing on his backside, stunned.

Before he could react, Lucian's blade was already at his throat.

The professor, alerted by Albert's outbursts, approached and asked authoritatively:

"What's going on here?"

Albert, still sitting on the ground, hastily explained in an indignant, almost childish tone, how Lucian had dared strike with a punch in the middle of a sword duel.

The professor raised an eyebrow before replying firmly:

"In a fight to the death, any blow is allowed. You should know that."

Albert fell silent instantly, gritting his teeth.

Lucian, observing him in silence, finally cracked a slight smile. Without a word, he offered his hand.

"You fought well, Albert," he said sincerely. "I felt the result of your training in every one of your strikes."

Albert, seeing the elegance in Lucian's response, rejected his hand in shame and stood up. Lucian wasn't surprised, he had expected this.

Suddenly, a voice came from behind him:

"Hey, that was incredible!"

Turning around, Lucian's eyes widened slightly.