LION HEART

  As the students returned to the academy, Ethan was wiping some dirt off his clothes when he heard a voice behind him.

  “Hey…”

  He turned to see Selene Moonshadow, the quiet but formidable student from House Cancer. Her silver hair, slightly tousled from battle, shimmered under the evening sky. She stood there, shifting slightly on her feet, her usually calm and unreadable face showing something different—gratitude.

  “I never got to thank you properly,” she said, meeting his eyes. “Back there, when that beast almost had me… If you hadn’t stepped in, I—”

  “It’s nothing,” Ethan interrupted, rubbing the back of his neck. “Anyone would’ve done the same.”

  Selene scoffed lightly, shaking her head. “No, they wouldn’t have.” Her lips curled into a rare, small smile. “You know, for someone who’s supposedly just an ‘alchemist,’ you’re not bad in a fight.”

  Ethan chuckled. “I try.”

  That was the moment. The smile. The effortless warmth between them.

  Not far away, Lysandra Vaelith had been watching from the steps of the Virgo dormitory, arms crossed. The way Selene smiled at Ethan—so relaxed, so natural—made something in Lysandra’s chest tighten. It was irrational, childish even, but it annoyed her.

  Without a word, she turned and walked away, lifting her chin slightly, pretending it didn’t bother her in the slightest.

  -NEXT DAY

  The Academy of Stars was unlike any other place in the kingdom. The halls and courtyards often bustled with activity as students from different houses crossed paths, exchanging glances—sometimes in rivalry, sometimes in admiration.

  ?House Aries – The Warriors’ Forge

  In the training grounds of House Aries, a group of students stood in a circle, clad in combat attire. Their instructor, Master Helmar, a battle-hardened man with scars lining his arms, paced before them.

  “Strength is everything!” he barked. “Again!”

  At his command, Darius and Gareth Ironwood stepped into the ring, fists igniting with fiery red energy. Aries students excelled in physical combat, their auras enhancing their speed, endurance, and brute force. The two clashed, their fists meeting with bursts of power, the ground cracking beneath them.

  “Too slow, Ironwood!” Darius taunted as he dodged a punch. “You hit like a Taurus farmer!”

  Gareth growled and adjusted his stance, aiming a sweeping kick enhanced by Aries energy. Their teacher grunted approvingly.

  “Better. But if you hesitate, you lose. Again!”

  ?House Cancer – The Tides of Power

  In the underground water chamber, House Cancer students trained under Mistress Virelle, a woman whose mere presence commanded respect. The chamber walls glowed with blue energy, reflecting the rippling pools that surrounded the students.

  Selene stood among them, her focus sharp as she manipulated the water around her. Cancer students wielded water like an extension of their own will, shifting its form, hardening it into shields, or launching it like spears.

  “Control is the key,” Mistress Virelle said, watching as one student struggled to maintain a water construct. “The ocean does not waver. It bends, it adapts, but it does not falter. Learn from it.”

  Selene’s eyes narrowed as she raised her hands, shaping the water into a serpent-like form. With a flick of her wrist, it shot forward, weaving through the air like a living creature before solidifying into an ice spear.

  Mistress Virelle nodded in approval.

  ?House Aquarius – The Innovators’ Haven

  In one of the Academy’s tallest towers, the students of House Aquarius were deep in a lesson on energy manipulation. Their teacher, Professor Aldrin, levitated above them, his presence as enigmatic as their studies.

  “Aquarius is not just about intellect—it is about vision,” he said, gesturing to the floating orbs of energy before the students.

  Liora Ravenscroft, one of the top students, hovered slightly above the ground, her fingers weaving through streams of glowing light. Aquarius students specialized in manipulating raw energy, shaping it into intricate constructs, barriers, and even advanced enchantments.

  “Show me something new,” Aldrin challenged.

  Liora smirked, bringing her hands together. A spiral of crackling energy formed between her palms, expanding outward before taking the shape of a mechanical bird that flapped its wings and soared around the room. The other students gasped.

  Aldrin chuckled. “Now that is the spirit of Aquarius.”

  ?Back to House Virgo

  Meanwhile, in House Virgo’s classroom, a change had settled among the students. The same group that once looked down on Ethan with indifference or skepticism now viewed him with newfound respect.

  Orion, always cheerful, nudged Ethan. “I swear, you’re some kind of magician. You made us look good out there!”

  Callan chuckled. “You should have seen the nobles’ faces when we actually placed second. I thought their heads were going to explode.”

  Even some of the nobles in House Virgo who previously ignored Ethan now acknowledged his presence with slight nods or murmured greetings.

  But no one was acting stranger than Lysandra Vaelith.

  She had been watching Ethan all morning, lingering nearby but never quite speaking to him. Finally, when their instructor left them to practice their alchemy exercises, she made her move.

  “You know,” she said, flicking her silver-blonde hair over her shoulder, “I suppose for a commoner, you did… adequately during the trial.”

  Orion raised an eyebrow. “That’s the weirdest compliment I’ve ever heard.”

  Ethan, clueless to her intent, simply nodded. “Uh, thanks?”

  Lysandra scoffed, folding her arms. “I wasn’t complimenting you—I was merely stating a fact.” She hesitated before adding, “But… if you continue to improve, perhaps House Virgo won’t be such an embarrassment anymore.”

  Callan stifled a laugh. Orion whispered to Ethan, “I think she just tried to be nice… and failed.”

  Lysandra turned red, glaring at Orion before storming off, leaving Ethan completely bewildered.

  ?LIBRARY

  The morning sun filtered through the grand arched windows of the Virgo classroom, casting long streaks of light across the stone walls. Students sat at their desks, still buzzing with the aftershock of the previous day’s challenge. The air felt different—warmer, more welcoming, as the Virgo students had started viewing Ethan in a new light.

  At the front of the class stood Professor Alden Greybourne, an older man with piercing green eyes and long silver hair tied neatly behind him. His robes bore the sigil of House Virgo, embroidered with celestial patterns signifying knowledge. Unlike some of the other professors, he did not believe in spoon-feeding information.

  Today, his lesson was simple.

  “The strength of House Virgo does not come from raw power, nor from brute force,” Professor Greybourne said, his voice measured and calm. “Our mastery lies in understanding—shaping the world not as it is, but as it could be.”

  The students listened in silence, absorbing his words.

  “For centuries, we have trained alchemists, inventors, enchanters, and scholars. But you cannot follow the path of Virgo without first finding your own direction. And so, today, I will not lecture you.”

  He paused, scanning the room.

  “You will go to the Grand Library. You will seek out knowledge that speaks to you. You will find your own path.”

  Murmurs rippled through the classroom.

  “We get to pick what we study?” Orion whispered to Ethan, clearly intrigued.

  “Seems like it,” Ethan replied, already feeling a strange pull toward the idea.

  “This is not simply a free period,” Professor Greybourne continued. “This is the beginning of your journey. Those who remain stagnant in their studies will never achieve greatness.

  The Academy’s Grand Library was unlike any other place Ethan had seen. Towering shelves lined the vast hall, stretching so high that enchanted floating platforms were needed to reach the uppermost levels. The domed ceiling was adorned with constellations that shimmered faintly, mirroring the actual night sky above. The moment Ethan and his friends stepped inside, they could feel the weight of knowledge pressing down on them—a place filled with the wisdom of generations past.

  Students from all houses naturally gravitated toward their respective sections:

  ? The Aries students made their way toward the Battle Tactics & Combat Techniquessection.

  ? The Aquarius students disappeared into the Arcane Theory & Innovation wing, eager to find books on new discoveries.

  ? The Scorpio students moved toward the Forbidden Histories & Stealth Arts area, seeking knowledge hidden from the general public.

  ? Each house had its own designated archive, a collection of tomes passed down for generations.

  Ethan, Orion, and Callan wandered toward the Virgo section, where meticulously organized bookshelves gleamed under soft, green-tinted lanterns. Unlike the other houses, Virgo’s collection wasn’t about brute force or raw elemental magic—it was about crafting, alchemy, enchantments, and the science of mastery.

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  Choosing Their Books

  Each of them scanned the shelves, drawn to different subjects based on their interests:

  ? Orion picked up a book on Transmutation & State Manipulation, eager to refine his ability to alter matter.

  ? Callan selected a tome on Ancient Alchemical Symbols, intrigued by the language used in old enchantments.

  ? Ethan, always drawn to things beyond the ordinary, grabbed two books—one on The Language of Alchemy and another on Advanced Enchantment Theory.

  They took their selections to a quiet reading area, settling down at a wooden table illuminated by floating orbs of light.

  As Ethan turned the pages of his book, a faint whisper reached his ears. It was distant, like echoes trapped in time.

  His fingers twitched. He glanced around, noticing a secluded aisle, half-hidden behind towering bookshelves. The whispers were coming from there.

  He stood up instinctively, drawn toward the sound.

  “Ethan?” Orion called after him. “Where are you going?”

  “I… I just heard something,” he muttered.

  His friends followed, curiosity evident in their eyes.

  They entered the dimly lit section, where dust motes danced in the air, untouched for what felt like centuries. Here, the books were older, their spines cracked and faded with time.

  And then—he saw it.

  One book stood out from the rest, sitting alone on the shelf as if untouched for years. Unlike the others, it glowed faintly—a soft, golden hue pulsing beneath the dust. It looked ancient, bound in deep blue leather with no title on its cover.

  Ethan reached out, fingers hesitating just before touching it.

  “Do you guys see this?” he asked.

  Orion and Callan exchanged looks.

  “See what?” Callan frowned.

  “The glowing book,” Ethan clarified, pointing at it.

  Orion squinted. “Dude, it’s just… an old book. Are you feeling okay?”

  Ethan’s heartbeat quickened. They couldn’t see it.

  His fingers brushed the cover. The glow pulsed, almost as if reacting to his touch. With a deep breath, he pulled it from the shelf and turned back to his friends.

  “You’re seriously telling me you don’t see anything strange about this?”

  Callan shrugged. “It’s a book, Ethan. We’re in a library. I don’t see the problem.”

  A chill ran down Ethan’s spine. Something wasn’t right.

  Swallowing his unease, he carried the book back to their table and set it down. His friends barely spared it a glance before returning to their own reading, but Ethan couldn’t look away.

  Slowly, he flipped it open.

  The first few pages were… empty. Completely blank.

  Then—the letters began to move.

  They shifted across the pages like living things, rearranging themselves, forming symbols and words that only Ethan could see.

  His breath caught in his throat.

  Ethan’s fingers traced the shifting symbols on the page, his breath caught in his throat. The golden glow was faint, but unmistakable—the Leo aura pulsed within the moving letters.

  No one else could see it. Not Orion, not Callan.

  Which meant… this book was connected to him.

  Keeping his expression neutral, Ethan shut the book and tucked it under his arm. He didn’t want to attract any more attention than necessary. If this truly was a book linked to the forbidden Leo sign, he couldn’t risk opening it here—not where other students might notice something strange.

  “I think I’ll take this with me,” he muttered.

  Callan raised an eyebrow. “Are we even allowed to borrow books from here?”

  “Guess I’ll find out,” Ethan replied, already making his way toward the front desk.

  The library steward, an older man with thin spectacles and an absentminded look, barely glanced up from his records as Ethan approached.

  “I’d like to check this out for study,” Ethan said casually, placing the book on the counter.

  The steward adjusted his glasses and hummed. “Not a problem. Just return it within two days, or you’ll lose borrowing privileges.”

  Ethan let out a quiet breath of relief. He had half-expected some kind of restriction, but this was easier than he thought.

  But then—the steward’s gaze lingered on the book.

  His brows furrowed slightly as he ran his fingers over the cover.

  “Strange… there’s no title.” He opened the book, flipping through the pages. His frown deepened. “And no writer?”

  Ethan tensed. He had seen the letters inside, shifting like living things. But now, before the steward’s eyes… the pages were completely blank.

  The old man sighed and shook his head. “This isn’t a book at all—more like an old notebook. Likely forgotten ages ago.”

  He closed it and slid it back toward Ethan.

  “No author, no title… If no one’s claimed it by now, you might as well keep it.”

  Ethan hesitated. “Are you sure?”

  “Books have records,” the steward said, waving a hand dismissively. “Notebooks don’t. If you found it in the archive, it means it was abandoned. Do with it as you wish.”

  Ethan picked up the book, suppressing the rush of adrenaline in his chest. He had just walked away with something that shouldn’t exist.

  Whatever was inside this book… it was meant for him.

  Ethan walked back to his dorm with the ancient notebook clutched tightly in his hands, his mind racing. His heart pounded—not with fear, but with excitement. Something inside him already knewthis book was important. It belonged to him, or rather, to someone like him.

  He passed through the academy halls, dimly lit by the enchanted lanterns that flickered as students quietly moved to their dormitories. He barely noticed Orion calling out from behind, already lost in his thoughts. He needed to be alone with this book.

  The moment he reached his room, he locked the door, dropped onto his bed, and flipped open the notebook.

  The letters on the page shifted like living energy, forming words only to scatter again before he could properly read them.

  “Damn… I can’t read it like this.”

  Ethan grabbed a quill and parchment from his desk. Carefully, he copied the words as they moved, struggling to keep up as they danced across the page. His hand moved quickly, jotting down the letters before they could slip away.

  The process was frustrating—the words didn’t stay still, as if they were testing him.

  After what felt like an eternity, he sat back and stared at what he had written.

  His eyes widened.

  “A lion’s heart is the source of his power.

  Focusing aura around his heart, the lion discovers bravery.

  With the aura flowing in his veins, the lion starts seeing the world with different eyes.”

  Ethan’s breath hitched.

  This wasn’t just any old notebook. This was knowledge that had been erased from history. A lost teaching of the Leo sign.

  He placed his hand over his chest, feeling the steady rhythm of his heart.

  “Focus your aura around your heart…?”

  Experimenting, he closed his eyes and reached inward, directing the Virgo aura he had been training to flow toward his chest. Nothing.

  But then, a flicker of gold ignited deep within him.

  A pulse.

  A warmth spread through his body, different from the controlled, logical energy of Virgo. This was something wilder, stronger, primal.

  When he opened his eyes, for a brief second, the room looked different—as if he could see deeper than before, like the world itself was revealing things hidden in plain sight.

  And then—a knock at the door.

  “Ethan?”

  He recognized Orion’s voice, snapping him out of his trance. The golden flicker inside him faded, and the world returned to normal.

  He looked down at the notebook. The words had vanished once more.

  This was just the beginning.

  Someone had left this book for a reason. And Ethan intended to find out why.

  The academy was quiet under the night sky. Silver moonlight bathed the stone pathways, and a cool breeze rustled the leaves of the ancient trees surrounding the dormitories.

  Ethan stepped outside, his mind still restless from the discovery in the notebook. Orion had fallen asleep hours ago, but Ethan couldn’t. The words he had translated wouldn’t leave his mind.

  “A lion’s heart is the source of his power… Focusing aura around his heart, the lion discovers bravery… With the aura flowing in his veins, the lion starts seeing the world with different eyes.”

  What did it mean—“seeing the world differently”?

  He needed to test it again.

  Finding a secluded stone isle near the academy’s courtyard, he sat down, placing the notebook beside him. The night was silent, the stars above twinkling like distant memories.

  Taking a deep breath, Ethan focused his aura.

  This time, he didn’t try to force it through logic like he did with his Virgo power. Instead, he let it flow naturally, centering it around his chest.

  His heartbeat slowed.

  The world around him grew quiet, stretched, distorted—then suddenly sharpened.

  And then—his vision changed.

  Everything around him shifted. The stone beneath his hands, the air, the trees—they all had writing engraved into them. Strange, glowing symbols flowed across every object, like ancient inscriptions embedded into reality itself.

  Ethan’s breath caught. He recognized the symbols.

  They were the same ancient alchemy writings his mentor had taught him.

  “This is… the world’s code?”

  His mentor had once told him that alchemy was the language of transformation, a way to rewrite the natural order of things. But now… he wasn’t just reading alchemy texts in a book.

  He was seeing it written in the very fabric of the world.

  A nearby tree shimmered with green runes, marking its growth cycle and its connection to the earth’s energy.

  The stone beneath him bore golden sigils, signifying its density and mineral composition.

  Even the air itself was woven with invisible lines, each thread representing motion, weight, and energy.

  This wasn’t just a new way of seeing—it was understanding.

  Virgo had given him mastery over knowledge and crafting, but Leo was showing him the truth of the world itself.

  Suddenly—his vision flickered. The energy became unstable, like an overdrawn circuit. His chest tightened, his pulse raced too fast—

  And then, with a sudden snap, the power collapsed.

  The golden glow vanished, and the world returned to normal.

  Ethan gasped, his hand clutching his chest. His body was drained, as if he had used up more energy than he realized.

  “I… I barely lasted a minute,” he muttered, wiping sweat from his brow.

  Even so—he had done it.

  For the first time, he had awakened something beyond just his Virgo abilities.

  But what he had seen raised more questions than answers.

  Was this how the ancient alchemists once saw the world?

  Was this a power Leo users once wielded?

  And more importantly—if this was the power that was erased from history…

  What else had been hidden from the world?

  Ethan’s fingers tightened around the notebook.

  “I need to learn more.”

  As he stood up to return to his dorm, a shadow watched him from a distance—hidden behind the trees, observing.

  Ethan was unaware. But someone had seen what he had just done.

  ? NEXT DAY

  The morning sun streamed through the academy’s large arched windows, casting golden light across the Virgo classroom. The low hum of students murmuring and flipping through books filled the air as they prepared for the day’s lesson.

  On Ethan seat was a piece of paper.

  Ethan’s hands tightened around the slip of paper. The words were simple, but they carried the weight of a storm.

  “I know your secret. Meet me at the library after school.”

  His mind raced.

  “Does someone know?”

  For the rest of the day, he couldn’t focus. His thoughts swirled with paranoia—was his true identity exposed? Did someone see his Leo power?

  His eyes flicked around the classroom, searching for a sign, a knowing glance, a smirk—anything that could hint at the sender of the note. But everyone looked the same. Callan and Orion were chatting about the next alchemy lesson, Lysandra was scribbling in her notebook while stealing occasional glances in his direction, and the rest of the class was focused on their own studies.

  “Who was it?”

  His friends noticed his distraction.

  “Ethan, you okay?” Orion asked, nudging him.

  “Yeah,” Ethan muttered, “just didn’t get much sleep.”

  He hated lying to his friends, but until he knew the truth, he had to be cautious.

  After class, Ethan made an excuse to Callan and Orion about going to see the healer. He didn’t want them following.

  He made his way to the library, the note burning in his pocket like a warning.

  The Grand Library was mostly empty at this hour, save for a few students scattered in different sections. The massive shelves loomed over him, casting long shadows under the soft glow of enchanted lanterns.

  That’s when he heard the voice.

  “I see you found my message.”

  Ethan turned toward the speaker.

  Standing by one of the bookshelves was a reserved, quiet-looking student from House Virgo. A commoner—someone who always kept to himself, rarely interacting with others. Ethan recognized him from class but had never spoken to him before.

  “You’re… uh, Auren, right?” Ethan asked, recalling his name.

  The student nodded hesitantly. He wasn’t noble, nor particularly strong. Most of the time, Auren kept his head down, barely noticed by anyone.

  “I’ve seen you at night,” Auren admitted, shifting slightly, as if unsure how much to say. “I like to go out alone, watch the landscape, feel the quiet. My family thinks it’s strange, but I enjoy it. I thought I was the only one…”

  Ethan’s heart pounded.

  “Did you see anything else?” he asked carefully.

  Auren shook his head. “Just you, sitting alone. I was surprised—I’ve never seen anyone else out that late.”

  Relief washed over Ethan like a tidal wave.

  Auren didn’t see the glow of his Leo power.

  No one else could perceive it when he activated his heart’s aura.

  This meant… his secret was still safe.

  But Ethan wasn’t just going to take chances. He needed to test this theory further.

  Smirking slightly, he looked at Auren.

  “Want to meet up tonight? If you like the peace, I wouldn’t mind some company.”

  Auren looked surprised but eventually nodded.

  “Sure… I’d like that.”

  With that, Ethan turned and left, feeling both relieved and intrigued.

  Tonight, he would test his power again—and this time, he’d be sure.

  ?NIGHT COMES

  The academy grounds lay still beneath the silver glow of the moon, the soft whisper of the wind carrying through the night. Ethan had waited until Orion fell into deep sleep before slipping out of the dorms, moving swiftly through the quiet pathways until he arrived at the same secluded isle from the night before.

  But this time—he wasn’t alone.

  Auren was already there, sitting cross-legged on the grass, arms resting on his knees as he gazed toward the academy walls. He barely reacted as Ethan approached, only offering a small smirk.

  “I thought you weren’t coming.”

  Ethan let out a breath and sat down beside him. “Had to wait for my roommate to pass out first.”

  Auren nodded. The two sat in comfortable silence, the landscape stretching before them in peaceful stillness.

  Ethan hesitated, then activated his power.

  A warmth spread through his chest. He focused his aura, allowing it to flow toward his heart, just as the ancient notebook had described.

  His heartbeat slowed.

  The world around him changed.

  The air grew thick with golden inscriptions, ancient symbols weaving through everything—etched into the trees, the earth, the very fabric of existence.

  And yet—Auren did not react.

  Ethan sat there, his Leo aura radiating around his heart, yet Auren remained completely unaware, still staring at the landscape as if nothing had changed.

  “He can’t see it.”

  Ethan was certain now. The power that ran through his heart—it was invisible to others.

  It was his secret alone.

  Relief settled in his chest, but as he exhaled, his gaze drifted to Auren.

  And his breath caught.

  Auren was covered in writing.

  Glowing lines of alchemy symbols ran across his skin, woven into his very being like an ancient script burned into reality itself. The symbols pulsed faintly, shifting ever so slightly, like living words that refused to be understood.

  Ethan’s pulse quickened.

  “What… are you?”

  Auren, oblivious to Ethan’s discovery, remained still, lost in his own thoughts—completely unaware that Ethan was seeing something impossible.