Morning arrived far too quickly.
Rei woke before the sun had properly risen.
His body strongly disagreed with that decision.
Every muscle ached from the previous day’s endurance trial, the sparring matches, and the punishment laps that followed. Even sitting up on the dormitory bed felt like unnecessary effort.
Still, Rei swung his legs down and stood.
Across the room, Shin was still asleep.
Completely asleep.
Face half-buried in his pillow, breathing slow and peaceful like someone who had absolutely no responsibilities waiting for him.
Rei watched him for a moment.
Then spoke.
“Shin.”
No response.
Rei stepped closer.
“Shin.”
Shin groaned quietly and rolled onto his other side.
Rei sighed.
Then grabbed the edge of the bed frame and shook it once.
The entire frame rattled.
Shin shot upright immediately.
“—What?!”
He blinked wildly around the room before focusing on Rei.
“…What happened?”
Rei pointed at the clock.
Shin followed his gaze.
His eyes widened instantly.
“…We’re late.”
Rei nodded.
Shin fell out of bed.
Not climbed.
Fell.
Several painful movements later the two of them were rushing down the academy corridors, still sore from the previous day.
Running hurt.
A lot.
Shin winced with almost every step.
“Why,” he muttered between breaths, “does everything hurt?”
“Training,” Rei replied.
They reached the classroom door.
Shin pushed it open.
Inside, two students were already seated.
Valen Drayke.
Elira Voss.
Both of them were sitting perfectly straight.
Too straight.
There was a noticeable tension in the room.
Professor Hale stood at the front of the classroom.
He glanced briefly at Shin and Rei.
“Sit.”
His tone was calm.
Almost too calm.
Shin immediately dropped into the nearest chair, trying not to show how much his legs hurt.
Rei sat beside him.
The room was quiet.
Very quiet.
Elira looked nervous.
Valen’s posture remained composed, but even he seemed unusually stiff.
Shin leaned slightly toward Rei.
“…Why does this feel like a trap?”
Rei glanced around the room.
Two seats were empty.
“Where are Cassian and Mira?” he asked.
Valen answered.
“I attempted to wake Cassian.”
He paused.
“That effort was unsuccessful.”
Elira raised her hand slightly.
“I… tried waking Mira too.”
Her voice was quiet.
“She didn’t wake up either.”
Rei nodded.
At the front of the room, Hale slowly turned toward them.
His expression was not angry.
Which was worse.
“I expected more from this batch,” he said calmly.
The students straightened slightly.
“The combat performance you displayed yesterday was not poor.”
His gaze moved across the room.
“In fact, compared to several previous groups, it was quite promising.”
He paused.
“But potential without discipline is meaningless.”
No one spoke.
Hale’s eyes settled briefly on the two empty chairs.
“Cassian Virel.”
“Mira Solenn.”
His patience seemed to thin slightly.
“They are absent.”
He looked at the four students.
“Retrieve them.”
All four stood immediately.
“Quickly,” Hale added.
“Before I decide that the entire group requires another punishment.”
Valen and Elira moved first.
The memory of thirty laps was still painfully fresh.
They ran out of the classroom almost instantly.
Shin groaned as he stood.
“My legs hate this academy.”
Rei was already moving toward the door.
They followed.
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The hallway echoed with hurried footsteps.
Valen was technically running.
But his body clearly disagreed with the concept.
His muscles were stiff and sore, turning his stride into something between a run and a painful shuffle.
Elira wasn’t much better.
She moved forward like a determined but very tired ghost.
Still, both of them pushed ahead.
Punishment laps were powerful motivation.
As they turned the next corridor, a group of academy students passed by.
Elira barely noticed.
She kept running.
Valen noticed immediately.
And slowed.
Almost instinctively, his posture straightened.
His stride became composed.
Measured.
A noble heir did not sprint through hallways like a panicked initiate.
The passing students noticed him.
Some whispered.
A few quietly laughed after passing.
Valen ignored them.
Behind him, Shin and Rei caught up.
Shin stared at him for a moment.
“…Run.”
Valen didn’t answer.
Rei added calmly,
“Unless your reputation matters more than your body.”
Valen hesitated.
Just slightly.
Shin stepped closer.
Then lightly tapped Valen on the back.
Valen flinched.
Badly.
A strange half-choked noise escaped him.
Shin blinked.
Then burst out laughing.
Rei’s mouth curved slightly as well.
The two of them immediately ran past him.
Valen stood frozen for a moment.
Embarrassment slowly reaching critical levels.
Then he groaned and ran after them.
They eventually found the missing pair.
Elira returned first.
Mira followed behind her.
Still half asleep.
Hair slightly messy.
Eyes barely open.
She looked like someone who had been physically dragged out of bed.
Behind them came Shin and Valen.
Dragging Cassian between them.
Cassian looked deeply offended by reality.
They entered the classroom.
Rei walked in last.
Closing the door quietly behind them.
Cassian was dropped into his chair.
He glared at everyone.
Then looked at Hale.
“…Good morning.”
The classroom fell silent.
Hale observed the group for a long moment.
His expression remained perfectly calm.
Which somehow made the room feel even colder.
“Sit,” he said.
No one argued.
And somewhere in the back of the room, Shin quietly muttered,
“We’re definitely running again today.”
He wasn’t wrong.
Valen had already returned to his usual composed posture.
Rei sat quietly.
Watching.
Hale exhaled slowly.
Then he tapped the table lightly.
Not loudly.
Just enough.
“Try not to sleep through the lecture today.”
Six backs straightened immediately.
Shin blinked hard.
Mira rubbed her eyes.
Cassian looked like he was reconsidering every decision that led him to this academy.
Hale turned and wrote several words across the board.
**Authority Structure of the Regions**
Shin squinted at the writing.
“…This doesn’t sound like magic.”
Hale spoke without turning.
“You believe you are here to learn magic.”
He placed the chalk down.
“That assumption is only half correct.”
The room quieted.
“The High Academy does not exist simply to produce competent mages.”
He began pacing slowly.
“It exists to produce individuals capable of operating within the power structure that governs this world.”
Cassian’s posture improved slightly.
Valen listened carefully.
Hale continued.
“The world you live in is divided into four regions.”
He raised one finger.
“Each region is governed by a god.”
Elira’s pen immediately started moving across her notes.
“But gods rarely involve themselves in the daily administration of human civilization.”
Another finger.
“Instead, they appoint representatives.”
Valen nodded faintly.
Hale noticed.
“You are already familiar with the concept, Drayke.”
Valen spoke calmly.
“Yes, Professor.”
Hale continued walking.
“These representatives manage the practical matters of governance.”
He gestured slightly.
“Military command.”
“Academy oversight.”
“Trade regulation.”
“Monster defense.”
Mira frowned slightly.
“So… the gods rule the regions, but humans run them?”
“Correct.”
Hale paused.
“Divine authority.”
“Human administration.”
Shin leaned back slightly.
“That sounds… complicated.”
“It is.”
Hale’s gaze moved across the class.
“And the Divine Mark system is the foundation that allows it to function.”
Now the room was fully attentive.
“Marks are not merely magical tools.”
“They determine military roles.”
“They determine social standing.”
“They determine who can rise within the governing structure.”
Cassian’s expression became slightly smug.
Hale noticed that too.
“Certain elemental affinities are historically associated with particular roles.”
He gestured again.
“Earth users frequently serve in defensive and structural command.”
“Fire users dominate aggressive combat divisions.”
“Wind and lightning are often utilized for mobility and rapid battlefield response.”
Mira raised a hand slightly.
“And water?”
Hale looked at her.
“Water possesses exceptional adaptability.”
“It is often underestimated.”
Mira smiled slightly.
Hale turned back toward the board.
“The academy exists to identify individuals capable of operating at the highest level within this structure.”
His gaze moved across the room.
“Military leaders.”
“Elite adventurers.”
“And occasionally…”
He paused slightly.
“…future representatives.”
That line landed differently.
Even Cassian straightened slightly.
Rei spoke.
“If representatives govern the regions…”
The room turned toward him.
“…why does the academy answer to divine envoys instead of regional administration?”
Hale stopped walking.
For a moment the room was completely silent.
The professor studied Rei carefully.
“That,” Hale said slowly, “is a more complicated matter.”
Rei didn’t respond.
Hale turned slightly.
“The academy exists under divine oversight because its graduates influence the balance of power between regions.”
He picked up the chalk again.
“Control of high-level mages is not something the gods delegate lightly.”
Shin rubbed his eyes.
“So basically…”
He gestured vaguely.
“We’re being trained to become very dangerous employees.”
A faint hint of amusement crossed Hale’s face.
“That is one way to phrase it.”
Elira raised her hand carefully.
“Professor…”
“Yes?”
“…what happens to someone who doesn’t fit the Mark structure?”
The question hung in the air.
The professor folded his arms.
“In theory,” he said calmly, “such a person would struggle to find a defined role within the existing system.”
Cassian leaned back slightly.
“In theory.”
Rei didn’t react.
Hale continued.
“But anomalies are rare.”
His eyes rested briefly on Rei.
“Extremely rare.”
He turned back toward the board.
“Without the Mark system,” Hale said calmly, “civilization would collapse.”
No one challenged the statement.
To them it sounded obvious.
Necessary.
Stable.
Only one student in the room didn’t write that line down.
Rei simply watched the chalk move across the board.
Thinking.
And at the front of the classroom, Professor Hale noticed that too.
He said nothing.
But his curiosity grew.
The classroom was quiet.
Six exhausted students stared at the board, trying their best to stay awake after the lecture.
Hale turned toward them.
“That will be enough theory for today.”
No one reacted immediately.
The words took a moment to register.
Then Shin blinked.
“…Enough?”
Hale nodded once.
“You may leave.”
Silence filled the room.
Mira looked at Elira.
Elira looked at Valen.
Shin slowly sat up straighter.
Cassian frowned.
“…Leave?”
Hale did not elaborate.
“You are dismissed.”
For several seconds no one moved.
Then Cassian spoke.
“Professor.”
Hale looked at him.
“…Did I hear you correctly?”
That question hung in the air.
Shin closed his eyes.
Rei quietly looked at the ceiling.
Valen rubbed his temple.
Hale studied Cassian for a moment.
Then he nodded thoughtfully.
“You raise a fair point.”
Cassian allowed himself a small smile.
“Excellent.”
Hale gestured toward the door.
“Ten laps.”
Cassian’s smile vanished instantly.
“Immediately.”
No one argued.
They stood.
Very quickly.
Several minutes later the six students were once again circling the academy training field.
Their bodies still carried the damage from the previous day.
Shin’s stride looked uneven.
Elira moved like a determined ghost.
Mira muttered quiet complaints every few steps.
Valen tried to maintain some dignity while clearly regretting every life choice that had brought him here.
Cassian ran in bitter silence.
Rei moved steadily beside them.
Professor Hale watched from the sidelines.
Hands folded behind his back.
After two laps Shin groaned.
“…I knew it.”
Mira pointed weakly at Cassian.
“This is your fault.”
Cassian did not respond.
He was busy suffering.
Hale spoke calmly as they passed him again.
“Tomorrow, your training will take place outside the academy.”
That caught their attention.
Several heads turned as they continued running.
“The academy has arranged an observational visit to one of the border defense zones.”
Shin slowed slightly.
“Border…?”
Hale continued.
“You will observe military command structures.”
“Regional representatives.”
“Senior adventurers.”
Valen’s eyes sharpened slightly.
“And,” Hale finished,
“monsters.”
That word landed differently.
Even Mira stopped complaining.
Elira looked uneasy.
Shin’s expression shifted from exhaustion to curiosity.
Cassian straightened slightly despite the running.
Rei said nothing.
Hale continued calmly.
“You will not be participating in combat.”
“That decision will depend on your performance tomorrow.”
The students passed him again.
Cassian managed to speak between breaths.
“…So we’re… running today… so we can watch monsters tomorrow?”
Hale nodded.
“Correct.”
Mira groaned.
Shin shook his head.
Valen exhaled slowly.
Rei kept running.
Behind them, Professor Hale watched quietly.
Tomorrow would be interesting.
Very interesting.
The tenth lap ended without ceremony.
Cassian crossed the line first.
Mostly because he had been slightly ahead when the suffering began.
The moment his foot touched the edge of the training track, he stopped running.
His legs clearly disagreed with that decision.
He stumbled once.
Then dropped onto the nearest bench.
Valen arrived seconds later and sat down heavily beside him, breathing slowly through his nose.
Shin collapsed onto the bench across from them.
Mira didn’t even bother aiming properly.
She simply fell backward onto the wooden seat with a groan.
Elira sat carefully but immediately leaned forward, resting her forehead in her hands.
Rei was the last to stop running.
He walked over and sat down normally.
The difference between sitting and collapsing was noticeable.
For a moment the training field was quiet except for the sound of six exhausted students trying to breathe again.
Professor Hale observed them for a few seconds.
Then he turned toward the academy building.
“Rest well.”
The students looked up.
“The border is large.”
He paused slightly.
“You will need the energy.”
With that, he left the field.
His footsteps faded into the distance.
Silence returned.
For several seconds no one spoke.
Then Mira groaned.
“I hate this academy.”
Shin leaned forward slightly.
“…We’re going to see actual monsters.”
Valen nodded slowly.
“And soldiers.”
Cassian rubbed his shoulder.
“And representatives.”
Elira looked uneasy.
“…The border sounds dangerous.”
Shin shrugged.
“That’s the point.”
Cassian leaned back against the bench.
“If they let us fight anything tomorrow, I’m not wasting the opportunity.”
Mira pointed weakly at him.
“You can fight.”
“I’ll supervise.”
Rei said nothing.
He simply watched the training field.
Thinking.
After a few minutes the group slowly stood.
Muscles still protesting every movement.
Shin stretched carefully.
“Food?”
Mira immediately nodded.
“Food.”
Valen straightened his uniform slightly.
Cassian rolled his shoulders.
Elira followed them quietly.
Rei walked beside the group as they left the training grounds.
Tomorrow they would see the border.
And for the first time since entering the academy, their training would touch the real world beyond its walls.
None of them realized yet how much that would change things.
