“So, the three little brats return. I’m impressed; I thought you’d be too scared to actually show up to your first lesson,” Zander said, his hands smugly resting against his hips as the trio walked into the timber-floor storeroom at the back of the school that Zander used as a makeshift dojo.

  “You talk too much, mop-head,” Ellie growled.

  “Who you calling mop-head?” Zander bundled a fist and shook it at her.

  “Are you going to be our instructor?” Arix asked.

  “Of course I am. Who else would it be? Do I need to remind you that I’m a three-time underage regional champion?”

  “No, please don’t,” Ellie groaned.

  “Alright, where do you want us?” Kal interrupted. As entertaining as their little spat was, he wanted to get down to training.

  “Just there is fine,” Zander said, pointing at a line that ran down the middle of the room and crossing his arms.

  “Okay, now what?” Kal said, stepping onto the line.

  Glaring at Zander, Ellie followed, with Arix a step behind.

  “Each of you take one of the wooden training swords, and we’ll get started on some practice stances.”

  There wasn’t much to their first fencing lesson. Mostly, they just felt the different stances and practiced some basic lunges and parries. Zander explained that it would take a while, and Kal was glued to his every word. The other two, however, were less interested. They were far more eager to get back to magic training with Kal than swinging around wooden swords.

  “Did Kal tell you what he told me?” Arix said, excitedly pulling on his brown leather bag straps as they walked through town.

  “No, what did Kal tell you?” Ellie said, eyeing Kal.

  “He's gonna keep teaching me until I awaken my core.”

  “Don't you think you should like, rest a bit? You only got out of bed the other day. Tell him, Kal. He needs to take it easy.”

  Kal eyed Arix’s mana core. Unlike Ellie’s, it was still dormant. However, if any permanent damage was caused, it wasn't visible.

  So, awakening her core did increase her mana potential a little.

  “So, Ellie, I never got around to asking you what your core says?”

  “Hey, don’t skirt my question! But now that you mention it,” Ellie glanced inward. “It says divine. I guess that’s my affinity, then.”

  Well, that’s handy. Perhaps the universe is trying to tell me something.

  “And how are you feeling, Arix?”

  “Me? I'm as fit as I've ever been, look,” he said, jumping and skipping ahead of them and then turning to flex until his face turned red. “See?”

  “Okay, stop, we get it.”

  “So, you two both want to continue your training this evening? It’s getting late, don’t you think?” Kal said.

  They had already spent an hour fencing with Zander after school, and the setting sun's crimson streaks crept through the pointed tips of Ebernshire’s skyline.

  “I know I do,” Arix said. “How else am I supposed to catch up to you?’

  “And you?”

  “Well, if you two are, there’s no way I’m missing out,” Ellie said.

  “Alright, alright, looks like we’re training.”

  ***

  Light filtered through the window blinds, casting across their backs as Kal raised a hand to demonstrate for Arix and Ellie in his bedroom.

  “Okay, first of all, try concentrating your mana in the palm of your hand. Don’t worry about what you’re trying to form just yet. You’ve got so little mana it won’t matter anyway; you’ll have drained your core well before you can form anything with it in your hand anyway.”

  Eliie wouldn’t be able to do much with a single point of mana. Kal knew how hard it was to hold onto your mana as you drew it out. The reality was this was essentially just a glorified meditation session.

  Even though normal cores couldn’t unlock Bloodline Traits as he could, Kal knew that they could strengthen their available mana in between reaching new stages because of his reading.

  Arix’s left eye peeked open.

  “Hey, you!” Kal said, pointing at Arix. “Get back to meditation. “You’re supposed to be finding your core, remember?”

  “B-but,” Arix stammered. “I want to use magic like you two.”

  “Then focus on your own journey. Letting yourself get distracted by what we’re doing will guarantee you stay where you are.”

  “Fine,” Arix huffed and closed his eyes. “I’ll meditate.”

  Despite their complaints, the two kids stubbornly persisted, surprising Kal. He highly doubted that he would have had the patience to continue trying time and time again, sitting in his bedroom, meditating for hours. But they did. Kal was once again reminded that he was lucky to have gone through this with the wisdom of an adult. Then again, this world didn’t have video games and social media.

  Another week of training…

  “Ugh, school sucks,” Ellie groaned. “Since when did they give homework on Aurinday? My brother said he didn’t get any when he became a lead classmate. This is so unfair.”

  “Are you sure your brother even remembers what he did yesterday, let alone what homework he got? I remember that classless brute. Isn’t he shoveling coal these days?”

  “Who even invited you, Zander?” Ellie glared across at the teen as he brushed his shirt down and fixed his cuffs.

  “You scruffians should be thanking me. Just being around my aura will help elevate you,” Zander said, pausing to look Ellie up and down. “However, I doubt it can help your—absent decorum.”

  “Watch your tongue, mop-head!”

  “My tongue? I don’t think you even understood what I said.”

  “I–uh.”

  “By replying to him, you’re only feeding into him, Ellie,” Kal said as they walked.

  “But he–”

  “Doesn’t matter.”

  “Thank you, Kal,” Zander said, narrowing his gaze on Ellie. “At least some people around here understand good manners.”

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  “I wasn’t siding with you. Now, could the both of you just quit it?”

  “You just said I had absent decorum, whatever that means.”

  “Eh, I say a lot of things,” Zander shrugged. “Get over it, peasant girl.”

  “Who you calling peasant,” Ellie snapped.

  “You, little girl. Or had you forgotten that my father is a knight to the baron of Ebenshire? That makes me a noble and a landed gentry. You should be thankful I even talk to you, peasant girl. Let alone allow you to join my fencing club.”

  “You better hold me back, Kal.”

  “Calm down, Ellie,” Arix said. “We’re all friends here, remember?”

  “Friends? Like heck I’m friends with him.”

  “Alright, it’s settled,” Kal dusted his hands. “So, were you and Arix coming back to mine?”

  “Settled? What’s settled? Nothing is settled!” Ellie snapped.

  “Yes, yes, yes. I am,” Arix’s hand shot up.

  “Yeah, me too,” Ellie hissed through her teeth as she glared at Zander.

  “So, the two little brats are going to Kal’s house? What’s the occasion?”

  “We always do it,” Arix nodded.

  “We—the key part of that sentence,” Ellie said, pointing to the three of them.

  “Hey, what about me?” Zander said. “Can’t I come?”

  “You want to?” Kal raised a brow.

  “Shhh, ignore him,” Ellie hissed.

  “You actually want to hang out with us?” Arix said.

  “I dunno, maybe. I mean, you little brats made it sound fun. What do you get up to, anyway?”

  “Magic,” Arix said.

  “Arix!” Ellie said. “Why’d you go and tell him that? It’s a secret. Did that little pea brain of yours forget?”

  “It is? Oh yeah, right. I just thought that after last time…”

  “Nothing changed!”

  “It’s fine, Ellie. News has already begun spreading across town that I can use magic.”

  “Hey, the Jakari boy,” a couple of old men said, pointing at Kal as they turned down a narrow street. “Heard ye know a thing or two about the arcane. Tis it true?”

  “Yeah,” Kal grimaced.

  “Like ye pops. Truly amazing. Little ole Ebenshire has another mage.”

  “Gonna tell the old ball and chain. She’ll get a right kick out of this.”

  “She’s still kicking? I thought she passed a year or two back?”

  “You old fool, we played cards just last week. Don’t ye remember a thing?”

  The two old men began to argue as the group continued down the street.

  “So it’s true,” Zander nodded. “I had heard rumors that you knew magic. But it was that firehead from school who was always picking his nose. I didn’t exactly believe him. And you know, it’s hard to believe.”

  “Why? Why is it hard to believe, Zander?” Ellie rolled her eyes.

  “Don’t make spell it out, brat.”

  “Yes, it’s true,” Kal said. “But if you come, you’ve got to keep what you see between us, okay?”

  “But everyone knows?” Zander crooked his head.

  “Yeah, I know. But I want to keep the details vague, if possible.”

  “Ah, I see. Gotcha. Your secret’s safe with me, Little Kal,” Zander said, elbowing Kal’s side. “You know I wouldn’t let my students down.”

  “Wait, he’s not actually going to hang out with us, is he? Don’t you have friends your own age?”

  “Of course I do,” Zander huffed. “But they don’t know magic. And you know—I’ve never actually seen it before,” he added, lowering his voice to a whisper.

  “It’s fine, Ellie. Just focus on your training,” Kal said. “Blocking out distractions is an important part of becoming a mage.”

  “Fine.”

  “Great, let’s go. Wait, which way are we going?” Zander said, pausing mid-step.

  “Just follow me,” Kal said, leading them through a tight alley between townhouses before winding through grassy slopes and taking the cobbled bridge across the stream.

  ***

  “Wow, you’ve made quite a few friends now,” Daedrik said, opening the door for Kal, who led the little posse inside.

  “Yeah, same as usual.”

  “Kal, remember what we’ve spoken about. We don’t want any more little accidents.”

  “Don’t worry, I’m aware.”

  “Just be careful. Hey, aren’t you the Silvershield kid?”

  “Yes, sir,” Zander said, shooting a hand toward Daedrik.

  “Your parents know you’re here, right?” Daedrik said as he shook the boy’s hand.

  “No, not exactly. But I often train late. They probably won’t even notice I’m gone.”

  “Be extra careful, Kal. We’ve got a special guest,” Daedrik winked.

  Daedrik might have been the most famous person in town by some standards, but he was just a professor. The Silvershields were nobility, even if they did sit at the bottom rung. He had been surprised by how easily Arix’s parents forgave him, but that was likely because their kid still wanted to learn magic. If Arix managed to awaken his core, that would be a significant step up in society for his family. But that wouldn’t be the same for the Silvershields, who were already nobility. And Daedrik doubted Zander’s family would be as forgiving if something happened to him while he was with Kal.

  “You three, remember. Magic isn’t a toy. Anything Kal teaches you, you have to treat it with respect and caution. The last thing I want to do is get in the way of studious endeavors; I am a professor, after all. But I also don’t want to be apologizing to your parents again. Understood?”

  “Yes, sir,” the Arix and Ellie nodded.

  “Not a worry, Mr. Jakari,” Zander smiled. “A Silvershield knows better than to play around with what he doesn’t understand.”

  “Alright, go on,” Daedrik stepped aside. “Remember what I said,” he echoed down the hall as they disappeared up the stairs toward Kal’s room.

  “What a strange collection of kids,” Daedrik murmured beneath his breath.

  ***

  “Okay, Arix, close your eyes and focus on feeling your mana as I’ve instructed. I’ll provide additional instructions after going over Ellie’s lesson.”

  “Okay,” Arix said, crossing his legs and sitting in a meditative pose on Kal’s bed.

  “Feeling the mana?” Zander raised a suspicious brow. “As if little twerps like these two can feel mana.”

  “I can!” Ellie’s nostrils flared.

  “Sure, sure,” Zander smirked. “You’re not going to be able to hide behind Kal’s achievements forever.”

  “Tell him, Kal.”

  “Ellie’s telling the truth. She awoke her core and has a decent amount of mana potential. A lot more than anyone else I’ve seen in this town.”

  “As if. How do you even know that?” Zander said.

  “I can sense it. It’s part of being a mage.”

  “Not possible. Check mine again,” Zander thumbed his chest. “You must’ve got us mixed up or something. There’s no way I’m losing to a twerp like her.”

  “Umm,” Kal narrowed his gaze on Zander. “Nope. Your mana potential is actually the weakest. Like almost nonexistent.”

  “Hey, no way. You’re obviously doing it wrong,” Zander ruffed and crossed his arms. “I guess this is what I get for hanging out with little kids. I should’ve known better.”

  “Still don’t believe me? Just take a look at this,” Ellie said, extending an open-palmed hand. A dim light flared in her palm for a second and immediately dimmed.

  “What was that?” Zander pointed and chuckled. “A little baby flash of light?”

  “It’s hard, mister,” Ellie growled. “I’d like to see you try it.”

  “Yeah, I’m not into all that magic hoo-ha. I’ll leave that nonsense to you three twerps. You see me? I’m about that knight life,” Zander smugly boasted.

  “Are you sure you’re not just scared?” Ellie teased. “Worried about being outdone by a little girl?”

  “Not everyone needs to be a mage, Ellie,” Kal said.

  Sush it, Ellie. The last thing I need is yet another student. This is already eating up too much of my time.

  “Thanks, Kal,” Zander wrapped an arm around Kal’s shoulder. “These immature little kids don’t understand life like you and me.”

  “You—understand life?” Ellie laughed. “Yeah, right. Good one,” she added, wiping a tear from her eye.

  “Oh, you gone and done it, little girl. I’m gonna go so hard on you next fencing lesson.”

  “Bring it on, mop-head!”

  “I think I feel something,” Arix whispered.

  “Shhh,” Kal hissed, raising a hand to silence the two.

  A crease formed between Arix’s brow as he concentrated, and a bead of sweat ran down his forehead.

  “Take it easy, you’re still recovering. No need to push yourself,” Kal said, inching closer.

  “I-it’s,” Arix gritted his teeth, and a line of blood streamed from his nose.

  “Arix!” Kal lunged toward the kid and took his shoulders. “Are you okay?”

  “It’s hot. Dark. I hear laughing.”

  That’s… that sounds familiar.

  “What in the realms is going on?” Zander’s teeth chattered, and he stumbled backward.

  “Is he okay, Kal?” Ellie shouted.

  “Can you hear me, Arix?”

  Arix’s eyes flung open, filled with an abyssal black the swallowed light. But Kal didn’t look away, staring straight into the demonic orbs.

  What is this?

  He could see through the eyes, down into Arix’s core. It wasn’t like the usual snooping he could do thanks to awakening his core; this was like a direct passage into Arix.

  A martial core… but what’s that?

  Kal’s brow perked. It was as if something wrapped its presence around Arix’s core.

  In the eyes of Ellie and Zander, Kal stood perfectly still, holding Arix’s shoulders. But in his, Kal reached down, plunging his arm through Arix’s blackened eyes.

  Grabbing hold of the corruption, Kal pulled, channeling his mana into his stats and empowering his body. His mana drained in seconds, but as the final points ticked away, the presence’s grip weakened, and he snapped it away from Arix’s core.

  Gasping, Kal shook from his trance-like state and stumbled backward. Grimacing as he grasped at his forehead, Kal blinked several times and then watched as the blackness faded from Arix’s eyes.

  For a second, Arix sat upright, eyes clear again, and then fell backward, fainting on the bed.

  “Arix?” Kal shouted and jumped onto the bed beside him. “Are you there?”

  “Kal?” Arix weakly murmured.

  “Oh, by the good graces,” Kal exhaled.

  “I feel great,” he murmured and gradually pulled himself up. “What happened? It’s like I feel lighter and sharper than before.”

  Kal blinked and focused on Arix’s core.

  I can see his core type… what the hell happened?

  “I think I did it,” Arix continued. “I awoke my core.”

  Exorcist? What does that mean?

  Kal rubbed at his temples. If Arix had been possessed, why hadn’t Daedrik noticed? Weren’t mages meant to be able to detect and hunt fiends?

  What is going on?

  Kal’s thoughts flashed back and forth, struggling with the idea that maybe this world didn’t understand or control its little demon problem as well as he had thought it did.