Kael left the Pit with a strange, heavy silence ringing in his ears. The climb back up the stone stairs felt different this time. He wasn't just a wounded boy escaping a dark basement; he was someone who had finally seen a glimpse of a different world. Grael's words about the "silence" and the "cage of mana" were still echoing in his mind. He looked at the glowing crystals embedded in the hallway walls, and for the first time, they didn't look like symbols of progress. They looked like bars.
He reached his dormitory room as the sun began to set on that first evening, casting long, orange shadows across the Academy grounds. Every movement of his torso still reminded him of the beast's impact, but the pain was no longer just a burden. It was a reminder that he was still alive to feel it.
When he pushed open the door to his room, he expected the usual indifferent silence. He shared his space with two other students, Leo and Silas. Until now, they had lived like strangers in the same box. Leo was a talkative boy with a Rank D affinity for Earth magic, often seen practicing floating pebbles. Silas was his opposite, a quiet, observant student who specialized in fine Water manipulation. To them, Kael had always been the "temporary" roommate, the mana-less kid who would inevitably be expelled before the first month was over.
"You're back," Leo said, looking up from his desk. He didn't turn back to his books immediately. "We haven't seen you since the healers took you away. Honestly, Kael, the whole Academy is talking about what you did in the forest."
Silas, who was lying on his bed reading a scroll, lowered his parchment and nodded. "They're calling it a miracle. Or a massive error in the beast's behavior. How did you do it? How did you stand there without a shield?"
Kael sat on the edge of his bed, surprised by their tone. There was no mockery, only a genuine, almost hungry curiosity. "I didn't have a choice," he replied simply. "Mina Everlight was in danger."
The conversation lasted for hours that night. For the first time, Kael spoke about the fear, the coldness of the forest, and the feeling of the beast's mana pressing against him. Leo and Silas, in turn, spoke about their own pressures. They shared the fear of failing the next rank exam and the weight of their families' expectations. As the night grew deep, the walls between them began to thin. They weren't just ranks and potentials anymore; they were just three teenagers trying to survive the Academy.
"You should sleep," Silas said eventually, noticing Kael's fatigue. "Whatever you're planning to do tomorrow, you'll need your strength."
When Kael finally closed his eyes, his mind was calm. He fell into a deep, dreamless sleep, only to be jolted awake by the first grey light of dawn. His body screamed as he forced himself out of bed. His ribs felt tight, and his muscles were cold. But the thought of Grael waiting in the dark below was stronger than the desire to sleep. He dressed quietly, avoiding the creaking floorboards, and slipped out of the room to face his first true training session.
Hours later, the sun had finally climbed over the horizon. Kael dragged himself back to the dormitory, his legs feeling like two pillars of lead. When he pushed the door open, the room was waking up. Leo was sitting on the edge of his bed, yawning loudly and rubbing his messy hair, while Silas was meticulously adjusting the collar of his uniform in front of a small mirror.
They both stopped when they saw him. Kael was drenched in sweat, his skin covered in a fine layer of grey dust from the Pit, and his breathing was still ragged.
"Kael? Where on earth have you been at this hour?" Leo asked, his eyes wide. "You look like you've been fighting a mountain."
Kael leaned against the doorframe, trying to steady his shaking hands. "The Pit," he rasped. "I met Instructor Grael. He's taking me under his wing."
Silas turned away from the mirror, a look of genuine surprise on his face. "Grael? The physical instructor? People say he's a relic of the past. They say his methods are... primitive."
Kael walked slowly toward his trunk, every muscle protestesting the movement. "He told me that mana is just a song, and that most people forget the silence behind it. He thinks that since the magic rejected me, I have to make my body harder than the spells themselves. I have to train twice a day now. Every morning at dawn, every evening at dusk."
Leo let out a low whistle, stepping off his bed to get a closer look at Kael. "Twice a day? Without any mending charms to help you recover? That's insane, Kael. But... it's also incredible. No one in this wing has that kind of discipline."
"It's the only way I can stay here," Kael replied. He looked at his roommates and realized their expressions had shifted again. The curiosity had turned into a budding respect. They didn't see a victim anymore; they saw a warrior in the making.
Leo reached out and gave Kael a cautious pat on the shoulder. "Well, if you're going to be a monster of iron, you'd better start by not smelling like a damp cave. Go on, get in the shower. We'll wait for you."
Kael managed a small, tired smile. "Thanks, Leo."
The hot water in the communal showers felt like a blessing. As the steam filled the room, Kael leaned his head against the cold tile, letting the heat soak into his aching shoulders. He watched the grey dust of the Pit swirl down the drain, taking his old fears with it. He was still mana-less, and his body was broken, but for the first time, he felt a strange sense of belonging. He wasn't just a zero in a room; he was part of a trio.
When he stepped out, dressed in a fresh uniform, Leo and Silas were waiting by the door. They looked at him, then at each other, and nodded.
"Come on," Silas said, grabbing his books. "We have Theory of Elemental Flow in ten minutes. If we hurry, we can grab a seat at the back where the professors won't notice you nodding off."
As the three of them walked down the grand, mana-lit hallways together, Kael felt the weight of the morning's iron in his bones. He was exhausted, but he walked with his head held high. He was no longer a ghost haunting the Academy; he was a ripple beginning to move in a well that everyone thought was dry.