The corridors of Eldergrove buzzed with their usual morning chaos—scrolls flapping, magical familiars scampering between boots, and students casually showing off as they conjured breakfast snacks from thin air. Brent drifted through the current, his eyes scanning faces, his mind racing.
A simple challenge, he thought. Help someone. No violence. Just do something good.
But this was Eldergrove—where everyone either wanted to be a battle mage, a storm-summoner, or a celebrity spell-slinger. "Help" usually meant "cover for me while I cheat on a potion test."
His stomach twisted. He'd never really been… needed before. Not for anything that mattered.
The system interface blinked into view again.
[Trial of the Kindled Spark – Time Remaining: 9 hours, 42 minutes]
Brent sighed and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Yeah, no pressure."
He was rounding the corner toward the south courtyard when he heard the laughter. Loud. Cruel. Familiar.
He stopped.
Kallin.
Brent's jaw clenched as he peeked around the edge of the corridor. There they were—Kallin and his usual entourage of spell-happy hyenas, all surrounding a younger student. The kid looked barely ten, clutching a satchel twice his size, eyes wide with panic.
"Come on, little puff," Kallin grinned, electricity dancing lazily across his knuckles. "If you want to carry real spellbooks, you gotta be able to hold your ground."
He yanked the satchel away with a flick of magic, sending it flying into a mud puddle near the courtyard fountain. The boy lunged after it but slipped and hit the ground with a thud.
Brent's fists clenched.
"Do not fight."
The voice of the Flamebound Core whispered like a breeze in his mind.
"There are many forms of strength."
He took a breath.
"No fists," he muttered. "No sparks. Just… be the light."
Brent stepped out from the corner.
"Hey, Kallin!" he called, his voice steadier than he felt. "Bullying first-years now? That's a bold strategy for someone who got flicked across the training yard yesterday."
Kallin turned, narrowing his eyes. "Oh, look. It's Saint Sparkless."
Brent forced a smile. "If I'm a saint, that makes you what? A devil with an ego problem?"
Laughter trickled through the surrounding students. Kallin's smirk faltered just a touch.
"Leave the kid alone," Brent said, walking calmly toward the boy and crouching beside him. "You're not proving anything, except that your magic's stronger than your self-esteem."
Kallin's face darkened, but he didn't move. Brent gently picked up the mud-soaked satchel and helped the boy to his feet.
"You okay?" he asked softly.
The kid nodded, wiping his nose on his sleeve.
Brent turned back to Kallin and his gang. "Try aiming your power at something that'll actually fight back. Like finals."
Then he walked away, guiding the younger student beside him, heart hammering.
He expected lightning in his back. A spell. A shout. Something.
But nothing came.
And then—ding.
A golden chime echoed in his mind.
[Quest Complete!]
Trial of the Kindled Spark – SUCCESS
Reward Unlocked: Radiant Thread (Lv. 1)
A gentle filament of healing light. Heals minor wounds. Usable once per day.
Flame Resonance: 21%
Brent stopped at the next corridor, heart still pounding.
"You... really did that?" the boy asked, looking up at him with wide eyes.
Brent smiled and handed him the satchel. "Yeah. Weird, right?"
Then, from inside—low and glowing—came the system's voice again.
"Challenge completed. Light grows stronger when shared, Brent Alder. But this was only the first spark."
And Brent knew, without question, that harder trials were coming.
But for the first time… he wasn't afraid of the dark.