Time passed.And with it, something shifted in Vex.It wasn't sudden.It was an invisible carving, day by day.
The sessions with Aric had reshaped him into another version of himself. His once-clumsy body now had form.His breathing, once rushed, now followed the rhythm of his exercises.And his sword no longer felt like a foreign object.It was an extension of his will.
In class, his focus had changed. He no longer looked from below. He listened, reasoned, asked questions.And even if he still felt far from the top, at least… he no longer felt off the map.
And then, there was the cafeteria.No exams. No lectures.Just Kaen, with his sharp silences;Elois, with his dramatic monologues;and Vex… who now laughed with them.Truly laughed.
The days passed like wind-blown leaves.And now, the midterm exams were only a few days away.The whole campus breathed a quiet tension.A calm before the decisions.
— Bah! Let whatever must come, come, said Elois as they left class, tossing his cape dramatically behind him. I have a spear, a bracelet, and at least three memorable quotes ready for any defeat.
— Make sure one of them includes the word "embarrassing," Kaen murmured without turning.
— Ah, Kaen! Where would we be without your frosty affection?
Vex smiled, but said nothing.
— Training now? Kaen asked, glancing at the sky turning violet.
— In a bit. I need to do something first.
They both looked at him but didn't ask.
Vex climbed alone to Wing Three.The corridor was quiet.He entered his room. Closed the door.And sat down to write.
He pulled out a fine parchment.The pen slipped at first, but then his hand moved as if writing from within.
Mom…I don't know how to explain it, but I feel like I'm changing. I don't know if it's for the better, or just into something else.I miss your soup, the way you scold me when I forget to chop onions, and your hugs that smelled like damp earth and fresh bread.I'm still nothing.But I'm on the path.And I swear… the next time you see me, I'll be someone who makes you smile like when you sold the season's first harvest.Happy birthday, Mom.It's the 17th of Velquior. I didn't forget.
He switched sheets.His handwriting trembled a bit.
Jeremy…I haven't become a hero yet.But this school is everything we dreamed of.Magic, weapons, enemies… and yeah, even girls who look at me like I'm some kind of bug.Sometimes I'm scared.Sometimes I feel strong.Sometimes I remember you saying you'd be the best farmer in the world.And then I remind myself—I don't get to give up.Take care of the fields for me.I'll take care of my blade.
Vex sealed both letters.He left them in the magical delivery box—the one meant for slow, but safe, mail that reached the outer villages.
When he closed the lid, something in his chest loosened.He stepped out.
The two moons had already begun to rise.Serya, the white.Thalos, the red.And from the tallest tower in Olympo… preparations had begun.The spiral of magical light climbing upward was the signal that the Dual Moon Ceremony was near.An ancient tradition marking the shift of cycle…and the exams that followed.
But that night, to Vex, it wasn't a ceremony.Nor an event.It was a sign.A silent promise.That he would never again look back with fear.
He tucked the letter carefully into the sealed compartment of his bracelet.Then, stepped out quietly.
Kaen and Elois were already waiting at the entrance of Block Terna.
— Ready? Kaen asked, barely turning his head.
— More than ever, Vex replied.
They trained for hours.Swordwork. Coordination. Energy control.Mistakes. Corrections. Sweat.
And when exhaustion hit them all the same, when no strength remained for another slash or thrust…They stood there, breathing in unison.
— After these exams… said Elois, voice unusually serious,we won't just be "the Terna boys."
— No, Kaen added.We'll be Umbra.Not by rank.But by shadow and will.
Vex looked up, his rune glowing faintly in his palm.
— Together.
They all nodded.And the wind, as if it understood, carried the phrase away…to return one day,when the time came to fulfill it.