Rylan tossed and turned in his bed, unable to rest. His dreams had unsettled him, and even though he had drifted into sleep earlier, he found himself awake again in the early morning hours. Eventually, exhaustion overtook him.
"Wakey wakey, Rylan!"
Rylan stirred at the sound of Blaze's voice, rubbing his eyes just in time to be greeted by a blinding beam of sunlight through the window.
"Huh… is it morning already?" he asked groggily.
"Yup! And we've only got thirty minutes to get to class—so get ready, quickly!" Blaze called out as he walked out of the room.
Panicked, Rylan jumped out of bed and hurried to get dressed. When he glanced at the time, he realized he had only fifteen minutes left—and the academy was a solid forty-five minutes away by foot. He bolted out of the dorm, sprinting with every ounce of strength.
But something strange happened.
With each step, Rylan's pace increased. It wasn't normal speed—it was almost as if the wind was pushing him forward, his body growing lighter and faster. He reached the academy in under ten minutes.
Blaze's jaw dropped. "How did you get here so fast?"
Rylan shook his head. "I don't know. I just… ran. It felt like my body was moving on its own."
"Whatever it was, that's insane. Come on, let's meet up with the others."
The two made their way toward their friends. James, Rant, Frost, Riley, Joy, and Grace greeted them with cheerful hellos. Not long after, a loud announcement echoed through the air.
"ALL FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS MUST IMMEDIATELY ASSEMBLE AT THE STADIUM."
"The stadium?" Rylan asked, confused.
Rant replied in an exaggerated voice, "Maybe it's the one behind the academy, bruh."
Blaze chuckled. "What's with the voice?"
Rylan laughed. "Yeah, you didn't sound like that earlier."
Rant grinned. "Just messing with you guys."
"Well, let's not waste time," Rylan said. "Let's go before we're late!"
They rushed to the stadium, which was already filled with students. A tall man with white hair stood behind a podium.
"Good morning, students," he began. "My name is Mr. William, but you can call me Mr. Will. I specialize in magic and summoning and will be your instructor for both disciplines. This year, you'll learn to create and modify spells, summon and bond with magical creatures, and even learn to read and write in Draconic."
A murmur of excitement spread through the crowd.
"Let's begin with a summoning exercise," Mr. Will continued. "Chant the phrase: 'Summon of mine, may the gods bless me with you,' draw a star in your blood, and call upon your creature of fate."
"Alright, let's do this!" Rylan said enthusiastically.
Students began chanting and performing the ritual. One by one, creatures appeared—elegant birds, powerful beasts, and mystic spirits. When Rylan summoned his creature, his tiny Fuzzle popped out of a glowing portal and landed in his arms with a happy squeak.
Most of the class burst into laughter.
"A Fuzzle?!" someone shouted.
Only Blaze and Riley remained supportive.
"It's actually kind of cute," Riley said.
"Hey, don't judge a book by its cover," Blaze added.
The lesson continued with basic spells. The final spell was meant to test the students' aura: a simple levitation and crush spell.
"Raise your hand and chant in Draconic. Focus your energy," Mr. Will instructed.
Students lined up, each showing 1–2 aura signatures. But when Rylan stepped forward, something unimaginable happened.
He raised his hand and chanted.
Suddenly, his hand glowed with purple energy, morphing into dragon-like claws. His pupils shifted, becoming reptilian. Chains of magic burst from the ground, wrapping around the rock before him. With a single motion, he clenched his fist—the rock cracked in half, revealing two ethereal dragon spirits, one Eastern, one Western.
Gasps filled the stadium. Three distinct auras radiated from Rylan: purple around his claws, blue in his eye and spell, and a shifting black-and-white aura enveloping his body.
Mr. Will went pale.
He remembered something—an ancient tale from his youth—but dared not speak it aloud. He immediately called for an emergency staff meeting.
An hour later, the academy issued a surprising announcement:
"A re-evaluation exam will be held today due to ranking discrepancies."
Rylan was the first called.
Inside the evaluation room, he placed his hand on an orb connected to powerful arcane machines. It shimmered blue, then purple… then a dark black, which shifted to a radiant white.
The examiner was silent for a moment before speaking.
"Congratulations. Your new rank under our system is… A1+."
Rylan beamed with joy. He sprinted out to meet his friends.
"Guys, guys! I got a huge rank upgrade!"
Blaze leaned forward. "What is it?!"
"A1+!"
His friends erupted with cheers. Grace and Riley praised him, while the others stared in disbelief.
Soon, everyone received their results: Blaze, Riley, and Frost earned A1+, while James, Rant, Grace, and Joy received A1.
To celebrate, they decided to throw a small party at a nearby mall before returning to their dorms.
Later that night, Rylan and Blaze sat on their beds, chatting.
"How do you feel about your rank?" Rylan asked.
Blaze smiled. "Great. I jumped two levels. But I don't need to ask you—I know you're over the moon."
"You read my mind," Rylan said. "I'm just glad I can keep growing."
"Well, if I let you talk, you'll go on all night. So good night."
Rylan laughed. "You never change. Good night, bro."
As he drifted off to sleep, a strange sense of anticipation filled him. Something deeper was stirring inside.
Something ancient.
And far away, in a forgotten corner of the world, a pair of glowing eyes opened for the first time in a thousand years.
"Awaken," a voice echoed in the dark.
"For the boy has begun to remember."