Noel burst out of the study, his heart pounding, his breath uneven. He plunged into the hallway, running as though his very life depended on it, leaving behind a room full of stunned silence.
The servants, the healer, even the magician—none of them could believe what they had just witnessed.
Noel Vallis, the most disciplined among his peers, even by noble standards, had fled like a child.
Tears burned his eyes, blurring his vision as he stumbled forward, tripping over his own feet. But he didn't stop. He couldn't.
By the time he reached his pathetic little hideout—a secluded corner in the backyard, hidden from prying eyes—his chest heaved, and his legs threatened to give out.
With a choked breath, he grabbed a rock and hurled it at the koi pond, desperate to vent his frustration.
But instead of the expected splash....
The water surged unnaturally, as if answering a silent command. The koi scattered in panic as a massive wave—impossibly large for such a small pond—rose into the air, twisting toward his outstretched hand.
For a single, breathless moment, the shimmering crest hovered above him, suspended by an invisible force. Then—
It crashed down.
Cold water drenched him from head to toe, leaving him gasping, frozen in place. The pond settled, rippling softly as if nothing had happened.
Noel stood there, dripping, shivering—his mind racing.
That wasn't normal.
As the realization struck him, his lips curled into a grin—then a laugh burst from his chest, raw and unrestrained.
He laughed, and laughed, the sound echoing through the empty backyard. It wasn't just amusement—it was relief, wild and overwhelming.
Tears welled in his eyes, not from sorrow this time, but from sheer, breathless exhilaration.
He had magic.
He wasn't broken.
He wasn't a failure.
But as the laughter faded, his breath hitching from exhaustion, the weight of the truth settled over him.
He had power. Magic answered him.
And yet…
He could never prove it.
Not to Duke Vallis.
Not to the magician.
Not to the family council.
Because the crystal had stayed dark.
His fingers curled into trembling fists.
A mage whose magic couldn't be seen—what did that make him?