Ryan, listen well," the old hag said, her voice low, crackling like dry parchment. "Nightveil isn't just a word. It's a title—one of great prestige and danger. I don't know if your mother has told you, but it's not time yet for you to understand everything. All I'll say is this: keep it a secret. Never speak it aloud."
I blinked. "So... what does that mean for me?"
She stepped closer, her eyes like fading stars, and placed a hand on my shoulder. "From this day forward, you'll be known as Ryan Elean."
"Elean...?" I echoed, confused. That name... it reminded me of someone.
My mind jumped instantly to her. Luci Elean. That arrogant elf girl I'd seen a few times during my training glimpses. My jaw tightened.
"Wait... why do I have to share the same title as that elf girl? What is this?!"
But my mind wasn't thinking about pride. It was thinking about her. How the hell was she going to react?
The Next Day – Training Grounds
"WHATTTTTTTTTTTTTTT?!"
Luci's shriek echoed across the marble-floored arena.
She pointed her slender finger at me, disbelief flooding her sharp emerald eyes. "Why does he have the Elean title?! Did you come here to steal from me, you little worm?!"
I blinked.
(I am the same age as you, you pointy-eared hurricane...)
But instead of voicing that, I just whispered awkwardly, "That's... good and all. But aren't we the same age?"
"How are you even comparing yourself to me?" she snapped, flipping her hair. "I am loyal. That's what matters."
"That's enough," the old hag finally interjected, rubbing her temples.
She sighed. "I don't know when Luci will finally grow up. But that boy... despite being her age, he's handling this with more maturity. That's exactly why I've decided to make you both partners."
Luci gasped. I choked.
"What?!"
"Let's begin," the old hag declared, ignoring our protests.
She began with the basics. And by basics, I mean the same stuff I'd already read in books. Kingdom histories, trait theory, ancient caste structures.
Two weeks of theory. She said it would help us "understand the world." I nearly lost my mind.
But what shocked me wasn't the repetition. It was her. Luci.
She listened. Carefully. Quietly. Taking notes. Like she actually cared.
(Maybe she's not all bark after all.)
Still, I couldn't wait for those two weeks to be over.
Two Weeks Later
The old hag stood before us with her gnarled staff. "Time to begin your real training."
I perked up. Finally. Aura?
She shook her head. "Not yet. First, we develop instinct and mind. Then, use the mind to trace the vein connected to your heart."
I frowned. Vein?
I sat cross-legged and closed my eyes, focusing inward. I didn't know how, but something inside me guided me. I found it. A glowing thread, pulsing from my mind to my chest.
But there were two.
I opened my eyes, confused. "Uh... Hag? I found the vein... but there's two."
Her eyes widened in disbelief. "You found it... already? In seconds?"
She dropped her staff. Luci stared at me like I'd just punched the sun.
"How did you do that?" she asked, for once polite.
I shrugged, shyly. Did I do something good...?
"Only high-caste nobles—kings and queens—can locate their vein this fast," the old hag muttered. "And two veins...? That's unheard of."
She stared at me like she was seeing something hidden.
Time passed. We trained more. My instincts sharpened. My mind cleared. I could track the flow of energy easily. Luci, too, eventually found her vein.
Months blurred by. Half a year slipped through our fingers like grains of sand.
One afternoon, the old hag called us over.
"You've both done better than expected," she said with a rare smile. "There's little more I can teach you here. So I'll tell you the next truths."
We sat up straighter.
"First," she began, "your aura color depends on how perfectly your vein connects from mind to heart. It reflects your essence."
I nodded slowly.
"Second, when you turn thirteen to fifteen, children are sent to academies. I'll recommend you to my old friend, Miss Layan. She runs the top academy on the human continent—Zenon."
Luci gasped. I felt my heart skip.
Zenon Academy... I'd read about it. Every major force in this world had ties to that place.
"Take Luci with you when the time comes," the hag added.
Luci crossed her arms. "What?! I don't need him. I can go alone."
I looked at the sky, pretending not to care. Guess we're stuck again, huh?
"What do we do until then?" I asked.
"Enjoy it," she said. "These next 4-5 years will be your last chance to live freely. Zenon lasts three grueling years. Use your time well."
I nodded. Time to hone my techniques.
Then I asked the question that never left me. "Old hag... what about the Nightveil?"
She leaned in, whispered in my ear. "You'll know... when the time comes. Don't ask your mother. For her sake."
I swallowed the lump in my throat.
Then she added casually, "Oh, and I forgot to teach you the next stages."
I blinked. "There's more after aura?"
"Of course. Once you master your aura—which may take you up to two years—you'll enter your second stage: Partnering with your Will."
I frowned. "What's that mean?"
"Your inner thoughts—your truth—will take shape as a beast. You must align with it. That beast is your Heir."
I stared in silence.
"And beyond that," she said, walking away, "is something even more difficult. But we'll speak of that later. For now... rest."
I lay in my room that night, staring at the wooden ceiling, thoughts swirling.
Not about Luci. Not about Zenon.
Just one thing kept ringing in my head—
Nightveil.
What did it mean?
And why... did it feel like it didn't belong to me, but to someone much more dangerous?
But I'll find out. Even if I have to tear open the sky to see what's hidden behind it.