The Shadow of Great Names

The next morning, Kiro woke up with a mix of excitement and apprehension. The previous day had been a turning point. He was no longer the anonymous boy who failed at every spell. Something had changed, not only within him but around him. He could feel it in the air, in the glances, in the heavy silences.

Professor Karro had summoned him once again, this time to the headmaster’s office.

When Kiro entered, he found the headmaster, a woman with a straight posture and piercing gaze, already seated with a pile of files in front of her. Beside her, Karro stood with his arms crossed, his expression grave.

“Kiro Yamasai,” she said in a professional, almost cold tone. “We have discussed your situation. Your potential exceeds what our institution is equipped to handle. We have therefore made a decision.”

She opened a file and slid a stamped document toward him.

“You have been accepted to the Imperial Academy of Magic at Aetherhall. It is one of the most prestigious magical institutions in the country. There, you will find an environment suited to... your new level.”

Kiro felt his throat tighten. Aetherhall. Even in the hallways of his current academy, the name circulated like a legend. It was a place reserved for prodigies, heirs of great magical lineages, geniuses. He, Kiro, the mediocre student of yesterday, was about to join their ranks.

“When do I leave?” he asked, his voice slightly trembling.

“Tomorrow. Magical transport is scheduled for dawn. Prepare your things.”

Kiro nodded slowly, not fully realizing what this meant. As he left the office, the world seemed both too large and too small. Too large for the path that lay ahead of him, too small to contain the power growing within him.

That evening, as he packed his bag, Radis's voice quietly reappeared in his mind.

“You’ve crossed a threshold. But this is just the beginning, Kiro. At Aetherhall, things will be different. You will no longer be a clumsy student... but you will be watched.”

Kiro sat on his bed, hands resting on his knees.

“You mean they’re going to test me? Trap me?”

“Not necessarily… but they will observe you. There, magic is not just a tool. It is an inheritance, a political force, a social power. And you, you are an anomaly. They will try to understand you. Perhaps even control you.”

Kiro felt his heart tighten. He still didn’t fully understand all of this. He just wanted to learn, to grow stronger… not get involved in power games.

“You’ll be there with me, right?”

“Always.”

The next day, the magical portal was activated in the academy’s back courtyard. A few professors were present. Very few students had been informed. Kiro’s transfer had to remain discreet—at least for now.

The portal opened with a bluish glow, swirling like a mirror of water suspended between two columns of runic steel. Kiro took one last glance behind him, his bag over his shoulder, and then stepped forward.

The sensation was strange. He didn’t have time to understand what he was passing through, just a flash of light, a pressure on his chest, and then...

...he found himself standing on a large circular platform, atop a lush hill. In front of him stretched Aetherhall.

It was... immense.

Obsidian glass towers, domes crackling with magical lightning, floating bridges between buildings, and students in uniforms everywhere—some walking, others levitating in the air, and some even meditating atop suspended pillars.

A man in black uniform approached immediately. He wore a coat adorned with a golden crest featuring an open eye surrounded by ancient runes.

“Kiro Yamasai?” he asked.

Kiro nodded.

“I am Master Elroden, your guide. Welcome to Aetherhall. Here, we don’t believe in grades… we believe in merit. You will be tested starting today.”

Without waiting for a response, he turned on his heel.

Kiro followed him, feeling his legs shake a little. The tone was set. Here, he would have to fight for his place.

But as he entered the grand hall of the academy, Radis’s voice murmured softly in his mind.

“Show them who you are. But don’t forget: sometimes, true power hides, waits... then strikes at just the right moment.”

Kiro looked up at the immense arches of the welcome hall. He was here. The place where his life would truly change. The place where Radis the Legendary would be reborn in the shadow of a teenager... and perhaps, conquer this world once again.

End of Chapter 4