Theo's POV
When I opened my eyes—
The first thing I felt was pain.
Not sharp.
Not overwhelming.
But deep.
Like it had settled into my body.
Every movement reminded me of it.
Every breath carried it.
"…You're awake."
I turned my head slightly.
The white ceiling came into focus first.
Then the room.
Clean.
Quiet.
The academy infirmary.
"…Yeah," I muttered.
My voice felt dry.
Unfamiliar.
Like I hadn't used it in a while.
"…You've been out for hours."
That voice—
I recognized it.
Kairo.
I shifted my gaze.
He was sitting nearby.
Leaning forward slightly.
Watching me.
"…How bad?" I asked.
He exhaled.
"…Bad enough."
That told me everything I needed to know.
I tried to sit up.
The moment I did—
A dull pressure spread through my chest.
Not pain.
Something else.
Familiar.
For a split second—
That same sensation returned.
A pull.
Deep.
Quiet.
I froze.
"…Theo?" Kairo said.
"…I'm fine."
I forced the feeling down.
Ignored it.
Like before.
Now wasn't the time.
I adjusted slightly, sitting upright.
"…What happened after?" I asked.
"…You collapsed," he said.
"…After that thing hit you."
Fragments of memory surfaced again.
The attack.
The impact.
That moment.
"…And the monster?" I asked.
"…We killed it."
I nodded.
Good.
At least it wasn't a complete loss.
"…You caused an opening," Kairo added.
"…If you didn't stall it, we would've taken more damage."
I didn't respond.
Because that wasn't what mattered.
What mattered was—
What happened to me.
"…Theo."
His tone shifted slightly.
"…There's something else."
I looked at him.
"…What?"
"…When you were unconscious…"
He hesitated.
Which was unusual.
Kairo didn't hesitate often.
"…What?" I repeated.
"…There was a surge."
My expression didn't change.
But my focus sharpened.
"…What kind of surge?"
"…Mana."
A pause.
"…Big enough that half the academy felt it."
That—
Didn't make sense.
"…That's not possible," I said.
"…That's what everyone's saying."
I frowned slightly.
Because he was right.
That shouldn't be possible.
Not for someone like me.
Not at my level.
"…It only lasted a couple seconds," he continued.
"…But people said it felt…"
He stopped.
"…Felt what?"
"…Heavy."
A pause.
"…Some said it was suffocating."
My chest tightened slightly again.
That word—
Heavy.
It matched.
Too well.
"…They think it came from the gate?" I asked.
"…Some do."
"…Others aren't sure."
"…Teachers?"
"…They're investigating."
Of course they were.
Something like that—
They couldn't ignore it.
"…No one thinks it was me, right?" I asked.
Kairo shook his head.
"…No."
"…There's no way they'd connect that to you."
Good.
That made things simpler.
Because I didn't have an explanation.
Not one I could give.
Not one that made sense.
A knock interrupted the moment.
Before either of us could respond—
The door opened.
A man stepped inside.
Tall.
Calm.
Presence controlled.
Instructor Bran.
"…You're awake," he said.
"…Yes, sir."
His gaze stayed on me.
Sharp.
Observing.
Like he was looking for something.
"…How do you feel?" he asked.
"…I can move."
Not a lie.
But not the full truth either.
That pressure—
That pull—
I didn't mention it.
I couldn't.
Not when I didn't understand it myself.
"…Good," he said.
He stepped closer.
"…Then we'll keep this brief."
Kairo straightened slightly beside me.
"…What you experienced inside the gate," Bran continued,
"…is something every raider must understand."
His tone shifted.
Teaching mode.
"…Magic comes from a core."
I stilled slightly.
Not visibly.
But internally—
My focus locked in.
"…Every mage is born with one," he continued.
"…A single center where mana is stored, refined, and controlled."
A core.
I already knew the basics.
But the way he said it—
Felt more serious than usual.
"…Your core defines your magic," he said.
"…Its element. Its capacity. Its limits."
Limits.
That word lingered.
"…Water. Fire. Wind. Earth."
"…Even healing or reinforcement."
He paused briefly.
"…All of it begins with a core."
The room felt quieter.
More focused.
"…As you grow stronger," he continued,
"…your core develops."
"…It becomes more efficient."
"…More stable."
That made sense.
Growth wasn't just about techniques.
It was about the source.
"…But one thing does not change."
His gaze sharpened slightly.
"…You only have one."
A pause.
"…One core defines a mage."
The words settled heavily in the room.
Clear.
Absolute.
"…There have been theories," he added,
"…but no confirmed cases…"
A brief silence.
"…of anyone possessing more than one."
My chest tightened.
Just slightly.
Not enough to show.
But enough to feel.
That same pull—
Faint.
Quiet.
There.
I didn't react.
Didn't move.
Didn't speak.
Because if what he was saying was true—
Then what I felt—
Didn't make sense.
At all.
"…Trying to interfere with your core," Bran continued,
"…or force unnatural growth0…"
"…can lead to collapse."
Collapse.
"…Or worse."
The warning was clear.
Direct.
I nodded slowly.
"…Understood."
Even though—
There was something he didn't know.
Something I didn't understand.
Something I wasn't ready to face.
"…Good," he said.
His gaze lingered on me for a moment longer.
Like he was trying to read something beneath the surface.
Then—
He turned.
"…Rest."
"…You'll be evaluated again soon."
And with that—
He left.
The room fell silent again.
Kairo exhaled quietly.
"…That felt targeted," he muttered.
"…It wasn't," I said.
But even as I said it—
I wasn't completely sure.
Because something about that explanation—
Felt too precise.
Too close.
I leaned back slightly.
Eyes closing for a moment.
Not to sleep.
Just to think.
A core.
One core.
That's what he said.
That's what everyone believed.
And yet—
That presence was still there.
Quiet.
Unmoving.
But real.
I could ignore it.
Pretend it didn't exist.
Focus on what I knew.
What I could control.
But deep down—
I understood something.
This wasn't normal.
This wasn't something I could avoid forever.
And when the time came—
When I was forced to face it—
I wouldn't have the luxury of ignorance.
My eyes opened slowly.
The ceiling came back into view.
Calm.
Still.
Unchanging.
Unlike everything else.
"…One core…" I muttered quietly.
The words didn't feel as certain anymore.
Because whether the world accepted it or not—
Something inside me had already broken that rule.
And the longer I ignored it—
The more dangerous it would become.