The moonlight slanted in through the barred dorm window, casting pale shadows across the cracked stone walls of Dorm 9. Everyone else was asleep—Dex snoring softly in the bunk across from Lyle, the flickering orb above finally dimmed to a dull orange glow.
But Lyle was awake.
The book lay open in front of him on the blanket, pages glowing faintly with that same ghostly gold light. The runes shifted across the parchment as if alive, and the system interface pulsed in the corner of his mind like a second consciousness.
> [Wizard System Active]
Skill Tree: Spellcrafting - Unlocked
Beginner Rune Slots: 1
Available Arcane Threads: 3
Recommended Spellcraft Type: Projectile | Tier 1
Do you wish to create your first spell? [Y/N]
He didn't hesitate.
Y.
A surge of warmth radiated through his fingertips as the book's pages burned away the blank lines, replacing them with spell diagrams, glyph formulas, and mana convergence circles.
> "So this is how real wizards did it... They didn't just use spells. They built them."
He studied the core structure: an Arcane Bolt.
Not fire. Not lightning. A compressed shard of pure magic, shaped by intent and launched through willpower.
He visualized the energy in his palm—just like before in the testing room.
Now it responded more easily. The air shimmered as the power coiled around his hand.
"Focus. Pull from within. Compress… release…"
A faint hum rose from the bed as a glowing blue bolt hovered above his palm, jagged at the edges like broken glass.
Lyle's eyes widened.
It was unstable. Raw. But real.
> "System… refine it."
> [Analyzing...]
[New Spell Created: Arcane Bolt v1.0]
Damage: 23
Cost: 12 Mana
Accuracy: 62%
Effect: Minor Magic Disruption on Impact
> [Skill Acquired: Mana Control - Basic]
A grin tugged at his lips.
He'd just crafted his first original spell—and the system rewarded him with real stat gains.
> Not just following a book. I'm writing the book now.
But then… the light from the book dimmed suddenly. A line of red text appeared at the bottom of the page.
> WARNING: Unauthorized arcane resonance detected nearby.
Lyle froze.
He slammed the book shut and stuffed it under his mattress.
A moment later—the dorm door creaked open.
A shadow stepped inside. Tall. Slender. Silver hair glinting faintly under the moonlight.
It was Ari.
Lyle sat up slowly.
She said nothing for a long moment, just stood there, her gaze fixed on him.
"I saw what you did today," she finally said.
His blood ran cold.
"I don't know what you're talking about," he replied evenly.
Ari stepped closer, stopping just at the edge of his bed.
"You're not Null. That much is obvious. But more than that… you're not like the others. That rune—the one that shattered the testing crystal—it was ancient. Forgotten magic."
Lyle said nothing.
She lowered her voice.
"My family specializes in magical research. I've seen that symbol once. In a ruin no one talks about. A ruin where no one came back alive."
That caught him off guard.
"Why are you telling me this?" he asked.
She hesitated.
"Because I think you're in danger. And so am I."
Lyle raised an eyebrow.
"From what?"
She looked toward the door, then back to him.
"From whatever this academy is hiding."
Then she turned and left, just as silently as she came.
Lyle stared at the closed door for a long while before slowly pulling the book back out.
The system was quiet now.
But the runes on the page shimmered again—this time forming words he hadn't seen before.
> You are not alone, heir of Arcai. But neither are your enemies.