Aisha quietly entered her room and closed the door behind her.
The familiar silence wrapped around her like a blanket.
She walked over to the small wooden locker beside the wall and carefully opened it. Inside, neatly arranged on the upper shelf, were several old books. Her fingers moved past them without hesitation.
From the very center, she pulled out the golden book.
Even after all this time, its faint glow hadn't faded.
Aisha carried it to the bed and sat down, her legs tucked beneath her. For a moment, she simply stared at the cover, her heart beating softly. Then she opened it.
Flip.
The pages turned on their own.
In the past two years, only five pages had ever revealed words to her. The rest remained blank silent, waiting.
Aisha read the familiar text again, her expression serious.
"These pages say that a System exists… a force that controls the world itself."
Her fingers tightened slightly around the book.
"But this System wasn't created by a god," she whispered. "People worship it as one."
Her eyes lowered.
"The empire follows this 'god.' The nobles, the royals… even the academy."
She paused. "But my village never did."
She slowly closed the book.
"Until now, I thought this book had no power," Aisha murmured. "It doesn't grant skills. It doesn't raise stats."
She hugged the golden book against her chest.
"But now I understand."
This book doesn't give power…
It gives truth.
"It holds secrets," she whispered. "Secrets about this world's real nature."
Aisha lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling, the golden book resting beside her.
Outside, the castle remained peaceful.
But within her small room…
A greater story was quietly beginning to unfold.
A few days later…
Aisha walked beside the prince, her steps light but her thoughts restless.
"Your Highness," she asked cautiously, "where are we going? We've already left the castle… and you didn't bring any soldiers with you."
She looked at him again and frowned. "And why do you look like that?"
The prince was dressed plainly, his noble aura hidden beneath simple clothes. His hair was tied differently, his presence subdued almost unrecognizable.
He suddenly stopped.
Before Aisha could react, he stepped close and gently covered her mouth with his hand.
"Quiet," he whispered. "You talk too much."
Her eyes widened.
"Just follow me," he continued calmly. "You'll understand once we arrive."
He removed his hand and turned forward again. "This appearance is so no one recognizes me when I move outside."
Aisha nodded quickly and followed him without another word.
They walked deeper and deeper until the stone paths disappeared and towering trees surrounded them.
The forest swallowed them whole.
After several minutes, they reached a cave hidden behind thick vines.
The prince stepped inside first. "It's dark," Aisha murmured, hesitating.
With a flick of his fingers, a fireball bloomed into existence, floating gently in the air and casting warm light around them.
They moved forward slowly.
Then
Light.
Sunlight suddenly poured in from ahead.
Aisha gasped.
The cave opened into a vast hidden world.
An open sky stretched above them, bright and clear. The ground was wide and lush, covered with colorful flowers swaying gently in the breeze. In the distance, a clear lake shimmered, animals gathered peacefully at its edge to drink.
Rabbits ran freely across the grass. Birds rested on stones. Not a trace of danger could be felt.
Aisha stood frozen in awe.
The prince looked back at her and spoke quietly. "This is my secret place."
She turned to him in shock.
"No one knows about this place," he continued. "There are no monsters here. No humans either. Only harmless animals. Anything dangerous has already been removed."
He faced forward again. "I brought you here today because this will be our training ground."
Aisha's eyes sparkled as she took in the scenery again. "But… if we use magic here, won't everything be destroyed?"
The prince lifted his hand and pointed toward the far end of the field.
"There," he said.
An empty stretch of land lay ahead no grass, no trees, no animals. Just bare earth, as if it had been intentionally cleared.
"That area is safe," he explained. "We'll set up a barrier before training. Nothing outside it will be harmed."
Aisha clenched her fists, excitement and nervousness mixing in her chest.
This place… This training…
She realized it then.
This wasn't just practice.
This was the beginning of something far greater.
The prince stepped forward and raised his hand.
"Let's begin," he said calmly. "I'll set up the barrier first."
He was about to move toward the empty field when he paused.
Something felt off.
He glanced back.
Aisha was still standing where she was, staring ahead at the open land. Her eyes were unfocused, as if she hadn't heard a single word he said. The breeze brushed past her hair, but she didn't react.
…She's not listening.
The prince turned and walked back toward her.
Stopping right in front of her, he waved his hand once before her face.
"Aisha."
No response.
He waved again, a little closer this time. "Aisha. What are you thinking about?"
She blinked suddenly, as if waking from a dream.
"Ah ! Y-Your Highness?" she said, startled.
He crossed his arms slightly, looking down at her. "I called you," he said. "You didn't answer."
Aisha lowered her gaze, gripping the hem of her uniform. "…I'm sorry," she murmured.
The prince studied her expression for a moment, then spoke in a quieter tone.
"You looked like you were somewhere else," he said. "That kind of distraction can get you hurt during training."
His eyes softened just a little. "If something is bothering you, say it."
Aisha hesitated.
Her thoughts were still tangled about the hidden mana, the secret book, the past she never spoke of. But she couldn't bring herself to say any of it.
She shook her head gently. "It's nothing… really."
The prince didn't look fully convinced, but he nodded once.
"…Alright," he said. "Then focus."
He turned back toward the empty land and raised his hand again.
"From now on," he added, "when we train here, you leave everything else behind."
Aisha straightened her posture.
"Yes, Your Highness."
As the prince began forming the barrier, the air around them slowly shifted
And Aisha felt it.
This training wouldn't be simple.
And once it started, there would be no turning back.