Chapter 3 — Academy of blades and stars

The Klorade Academy was a city built upon the art of battle that welcomed the broken and the gifted alike. Within these walls the magic of the world was divided into layers consisting of Support and Basic followed by Holy and Advanced and finally Supreme and Heavenly. Most people could only dream of ever touching the last two tiers.
Arin's magic capacity was unlike any the instructors had ever seen before. Where others collapsed from mana exhaustion he remained standing and demanded more training. He eventually made four friends including a reckless boy named Sharo who had lightning in his veins and a grin that could outshine the sun. They trained together through the day and into the night.
It was during one of these reckless nights that an elf named Eldrin the Wandering Sage appeared. He sensed the potential within Arin and offered to teach him the true depths of magic. Eight years later Arin stood at the academy gates once more as an adventurer rather than a child because his journey had only just begun.
Five years had passed since Eldrin vanished into the explosion that shook the northern forest. It had been five years since Arin and Sharo and Hanase and Neblaheim had sworn they would grow strong enough to reach him. Now for the first time since that day their carriage rolled toward the massive stone gates of Klorade which was the famed city of blades and adventurers. They planned to register for higher-rank quests and were ready to test the fruits of their long training.
The road brought them something unexpected instead of a simple journey. As they approached a quiet valley the smell of ash hit them first. The once-lively village at its base was now nothing more than scattered ruins with homes collapsed and crops burned while the air remained thick with silent grief.
Arin dismounted slowly and suggested that they should pray. The group knelt in front of the remnants of the village well with their hands folded and their heads bowed. The wind felt heavy as it carried the voices of the dead. When they finally stood and prepared to leave Shoruka suddenly stiffened. His eyes widened as he recognized the aura and noted the presence nearby. Branches rustled in the distance as footsteps approached them calmly.