CHAPTER 264: BACK TO GEAR (4)

The boy flushed. "Sorry, habit. My father’s in the city guard."

"Relax," Merlin said, voice calm. "You don’t need formality here."

"Right." The boy nodded quickly. "I’m Kieran Vale. Elemental affinity: wind."

Beside him, a tall girl with braided auburn hair lifted a hand in a half-wave. "Mira Halden. Enchanter path. Don’t mind him; he still salutes his breakfast."

Kieran muttered, "It’s called discipline."

"It’s called weird," Mira shot back, rolling her eyes.

Merlin’s lips twitched faintly.

The third student, shorter, with round glasses and ink smudges on his fingertips, stepped forward hesitantly. "Um, I’m Theo Murren. I... work with mana formations. I’m not good with combat, but I can draw runes fast."

Nathan grinned. "A runesmith? Nice. You’ll fit right in. Merlin here practically bleeds over glyphs."

Theo’s eyes widened. "Wait—you’re the Merlin Everhart?"

Merlin tilted his head. "That depends. Who’s asking?"

"Everyone," Mira said. "You’re the one who broke the training records last semester, right?"

"That was...."

"Uh-huh." She didn’t look convinced.

The last student hadn’t spoken yet, a quiet elf girl, silver hair cropped short, her gaze steady but cautious. She wore her uniform neatly, her crest polished to a shine.

Merlin glanced toward her. "And you?"

She hesitated. "Lyra Tenval. Spirit affinity. First from my clan to attend this academy."

There was something careful in the way she said it, like the words carried more weight than they appeared to.

Merlin nodded once. "Welcome to Starpower."

Lyra blinked, maybe expecting more. When nothing followed, she gave a small nod in return.

Nathan clapped his hands together. "Alright, recruits! Orientation time. Dorm assignments are down that hall, cafeteria’s open all morning, and if you get lost, follow someone who looks like they know what they’re doing."

"That last part includes me," Elara said from behind him, stepping closer, "and not Nathan."

"Hey."

"Hey," she echoed dryly.

The first-years looked between them, half-confused, half-amused.

Merlin shook his head lightly. "Let’s get you settled."

Over the next hour, the courtyard slowly emptied. The nervous energy shifted into excitement as students found their dorms, met roommates, and began trading questions about classes and affinities.

Merlin walked Kieran and Theo to the east wing, where the mana labs were visible through glass walls. Theo couldn’t stop staring.

"They really let students use these?" he asked, nearly tripping over his own bag.

"With supervision," Merlin said. "And common sense."

Nathan snorted. "So... not with you."

"Keep talking, and I’ll demonstrate why the records broke last semester."

Theo’s jaw dropped a little, unsure if Merlin was joking.

He wasn’t entirely sure either.

By midday, the courtyard was quiet again. Orientation over. The bells had chimed thrice, signaling lunch.

Merlin found himself on the balcony overlooking the training fields, the same spot he used to come to when he wanted silence. Below, first-years were sparring in small groups, bursts of color and motion painting the air.

Elara approached, steps soft against the stone.

"You handled them well," she said.

"They handled themselves."

"You gave Kieran advice on mana stabilization."

"He would’ve collapsed otherwise."

She looked at him sidelong. "You’re not as detached as you think you are."

He glanced at her. "You keeping track?"

"I notice things."

"You always do."

A faint breeze caught her hair, pulling strands across her cheek. She didn’t move to fix it. "There’s a new term meeting tonight. The Headmistress is announcing some kind of ’Inter-Year Exhibition.’ Supposed to be mandatory."

Merlin raised a brow. "Exhibition?"

"Probably another way to make students fight each other for prestige."

He smirked faintly. "Sounds about right for this place."

She nodded, gaze still on the fields below. "You’ll join, won’t you?"

He didn’t answer right away. The sight of the younger students, all drive, all promise, all unaware of what real conflict felt like, stirred something quiet in him.

"Maybe," he said finally. "If it’s worth it."

"It will be."

"You sound sure."

"I usually am."

Silence settled between them, comfortable as always.

By the time evening fell, the academy was alive with the glow of crystal lanterns. The dorm halls hummed softly with energy; mana wards activated for the night cycle.

Merlin sat at his desk, flipping through the orientation packet. Most of it was formalities, schedules, rule updates, announcements.

But one thing stood out near the end.

NOTICE:

Students holding over a 70% combat aptitude and faculty recommendation will be automatically placed on the candidate list for the Inter-Year Exhibition.

He closed the packet slowly, eyes narrowing slightly.

He already knew his name would be there.

He just didn’t know who had written the recommendation.

Down in the courtyard, laughter echoed, first-years settling in, older students bragging about the coming term. The noise faded in and out, distant yet warm.

Merlin leaned back in his chair, staring out the window toward the glowing spires of the academy towers.

The world felt like it was holding its breath again, the same way it always did before something changed.

He exhaled slowly.

"Guess the quiet never lasts long."

The crystal chandeliers above the Grand Auditorium shimmered faintly with contained mana. Rows of students filled the seats below, hundreds of them, uniformed, talking in low voices that rose and fell like a tide.

It had been months since Merlin last sat here. The air still smelled faintly of polish and parchment, the distant hum of enchantments running through the walls.

The banners hanging high bore the academy’s crest, silver wings intertwined with a starburst, newly embroidered for the start of the year.

Nathan leaned toward Merlin, whispering, "Feels weird being back here after the break, huh?"

Merlin’s eyes were fixed on the stage. "Feels the same."

"Really? You’ve got, like, three hundred first-years looking up to you now."

"That’s not new."

Elara sat on Merlin’s other side, arms crossed, expression as composed as ever. "He’s pretending not to notice," she murmured. "He always does."

Nathan grinned. "So humble. So terrifying."

Merlin didn’t respond, but his lips twitched faintly.

At the front of the hall, the murmurs began to fade as lights dimmed, leaving the stage bathed in soft blue luminance. A single figure walked out from the shadows, tall, graceful, and unmistakably powerful.

Headmistress Morgana.

Her presence wasn’t loud, yet it filled the room effortlessly, the kind of authority that didn’t demand attention but commanded it. Her long hair fell like liquid night, her uniform subtly different from the faculty’s, marked by deep violet trims and a faint sigil pulsing across the chest.

The air itself seemed to still as she stopped center stage.

"Welcome back," Morgana said, her voice steady and resonant, neither warm nor cold, simply undeniable. "To our returning students, congratulations on surviving your first year. To our new students... welcome to Starpower Academy, where survival is your first lesson."