Chapter 9 – The Arcane Council's Gaze
The Arcane Academy's grand hall was unlike anything Kael had seen before. Silver chandeliers floated midair, enchanted flames dancing along their curves. The walls, embedded with shifting murals of famous magical battles, whispered softly to those who walked by—tales of triumph and ruin from long-dead sorcerers.
Kael adjusted his collar nervously.
He stood at the center of the main stage, alongside Juno, Elith, and Lyra. Their names had spread across the Academy like wildfire after the simulated forest trial. Not only had they completed it with the fastest time, but Kael's use of Blink had already stirred rumors among the upper years.
I didn't expect this attention so soon…
The students filled the curved seating tiers of the Hall, murmuring among themselves. The other teams looked between Kael's squad and the large, velvet-curtained section above—reserved for instructors and high-ranking guests.
Whispers rose as the curtain parted.
Seven robed figures stepped forward—members of the Arcane Council, the highest governing body of the Academy. They rarely appeared in student affairs.
Kael's gaze locked with the one in the center—Archmagus Velian. Her silver eyes were sharp, ancient. Despite her age, she radiated energy like a storm held barely in check.
She raised a hand.
Silence fell like a dropped curtain.
"Team 9. You have drawn our attention."
Her voice echoed not through the hall but inside their minds, deep and clear.
"Kael of Dunveril. You used 'Blink' in a manner we have not recorded since its classification as a Tier-1 Utility spell. Object transfer. Multi-blink precision. Combat application."
A pause.
"Who taught you this?"
Kael hesitated, then answered honestly. "No one. I just… experimented."
A few gasps echoed.
One of the Council mages—a stern man with gold trim—leaned forward. "This child is either reckless or brilliant."
Velian gave him a look. "Perhaps both."
Then she turned back to Kael. "You've done well to surpass expectations. But be warned—power draws attention. And not all of it… is friendly."
With that cryptic warning, she stepped back, the other council members following. The curtains closed again.
Later that day, the team sat under the academy's moonlit garden pavilion. It was quiet, peaceful—a strange contrast to the storm of whispers still raging inside the halls.
Juno sprawled on the grass. "Did anyone else feel like we were just stared at by seven magical demigods?"
"I couldn't even breathe," Lyra muttered, clutching her knees.
Kael exhaled, leaning back on the bench. "They won't look our way again… unless we give them reason to."
Elith, leaning against a nearby pillar, finally spoke. "And you will."
Kael glanced at her. "You think so?"
She nodded. "That's what scares them."
There was a pause, broken only by the wind rustling the leaves.
"…So what now?" Lyra asked softly.
Kael stood, brushing dust from his trousers. "Now we train harder. If we want to survive in a world that fears what it doesn't understand—we grow stronger."
His voice wasn't loud. But it was steady. And the others listened.
The following weeks were a blur of intensity.
Kael's days were split between classes, magic theory, spellcraft mechanics, and private practice. The Academy provided guidance—but Kael had begun building his own path.
He kept his Blink training secret, working late into the night. His notebook was filled with sketches of spatial geometry, blink vectors, and force transference.
He discovered new things:
Blink Pressure: If he blinked into an object's space, it created an outward force—a spatial push. It was exhausting, but could be weaponized.
Anchor Tagging: If he tagged an object and blinked repeatedly around it, he could reposition it with high control. It opened new combat possibilities.
He began imagining combat scenarios, drawing out angles and predicting enemy movement. Where others saw a single 3-meter hop, Kael saw strategy.
One afternoon, during Tactical Spell Applications, Instructor Vairn called Kael to the front.
"Demonstrate a practical application of your spell in a dueling context."
Kael nodded, stepping into the sparring circle.
His opponent was a second-year student—bulky, armored with mana-shielding glyphs, and wielding a flame axe. A crowd gathered. Most assumed it would be a one-sided fight.
The bell rang.
Kael blinked left.
Then right.
His opponent swung wide, reacting too late.
Kael tossed a stone into the air—blinked—and the stone dropped behind the opponent.
He blinked again.
BOOM—he triggered a minor force burst as he appeared behind the student, sending him tumbling forward.
Gasps from the watching students.
Kael didn't press forward. He blinked around him again—six angles, rapid—but kept his distance.
The older student was confused, sweating.
Kael raised one hand.
"Yield," he said simply.
The boy looked around, out of breath, cornered by nothing.
He raised his hands.
"Instructor—I yield!"
More gasps. Then silence.
Then a roar of whispers.
Kael walked off the stage, hiding his fatigue.
That night, as he sat alone on the dorm rooftop, Kael stared at the sky.
Stars shimmered over the spires.
"I'm getting better," he whispered.
Behind him, Juno appeared, balancing two mugs of steaming tea. "Better? Dude, you just made a second-year cry."
Kael chuckled and took the mug.
"Also," Juno said, sitting beside him, "you've got a fan club now. A third-year girl tried to ask you for 'blinking lessons.'"
Kael nearly choked.
"And," Juno continued, smirking, "rumor is the Princess watched your duel from the upper balcony."
That made Kael pause.
"…Selene?"
Juno grinned. "Yeah. She didn't say anything. Just stared the whole time."
Kael sipped his tea, trying not to think too much of it.
Meanwhile, in the Royal Tower
Princess Selene Ardentis sat by the window, a book forgotten in her lap.
Her eyes were locked on the dueling field far below.
Kael's performance had been nothing like she expected from a "Blink" user.
Her hand curled slightly.
"…He's interesting," she murmured.
One afternoon, during Tactical Spellcraft, Professor Helven assigned mock duels between students to test practical spell applications under pressure.
Kael was paired against a third-year student named Miren, a lightning magic user with a sharp tongue and a sharper wand.
"Don't blink out on me," Miren smirked as they stepped into the dueling arena.
Kael offered a tight smile. "Wouldn't dream of it."
The match began with an explosive crack—Miren unleashed a barrage of lightning bolts, arcing fast and erratic. The air snapped with heat and magic.
Kael blinked to the left—three meters.
Then blinked backward—three more.
Miren closed the distance, hand crackling with condensed lightning.
Kael timed his next blink with razor precision, appearing just behind Miren, tapping her shoulder with two fingers.
The entire class blinked in shock.
Professor Helven raised a brow. "Point. Kael."
Miren spun around, irritated. "How did you—"
"I knew you'd step forward. You always chase," Kael replied, calm. "So I moved before you did."
Juno, watching from the sidelines, let out a loud cheer. "That's my boy!"
Lyra clapped, smiling quietly to herself. Elith gave a slow, respectful nod.
Even the third-years murmured among themselves.
Later that evening, Kael sat at his desk, flipping through a thick tome on ancient spell structures. His notes lay scattered around him—formulas, test logs, blink angles.
A knock tapped at his door.
It creaked open.
Lyra stepped inside, carrying a book of her own. "You didn't come to dinner."
"I was experimenting." Kael offered a sheepish look. "Didn't realize the time."
She handed him a roll of bread and a small fruit. "So I brought some."
Kael took it, surprised. "Thanks."
She sat across from him, watching his diagrams with mild curiosity. "You really think Blink can become powerful?"
Kael's eyes lit up. "Not just powerful—limitless. But only if I keep pushing it."
Lyra hesitated. "Isn't that… dangerous?"
"Everything is," Kael replied. "But I can't wait around for strength. I have to earn it. My way."
Something in his tone made Lyra's heart skip, though she said nothing. She just smiled faintly and said, "Then let's earn it together."
Kael blinked—not his spell, but surprised.
For a moment, he just stared at her.
Then smiled back.
"Yeah. Together."
Far across the Academy, behind closed doors and heavy stone walls, the Arcane Council gathered once more.
Archmagus Velian stood before a floating sigil—a viewing crystal replaying Kael's duel in silent detail.
The others watched in silence.
"He's beginning to shape Blink into something new," said one.
"Something dangerous," muttered another.
Velian narrowed her silver eyes. "Something the world has forgotten."
They all fell silent.
She turned away from the sigil, her voice cold and curious.
"Let's see how far the boy can go… before the world notices."
End of Chapter 9