Night had settled deeply over the academy by the time Damon stepped out from Lunaria’s laboratory, the quiet stretching across the grounds in a calm, almost reflective stillness as the moonlight traced pale paths along the corridors and walkways.

He let out a slow yawn as he walked, his body finally acknowledging the length of the day, though his mind remained far from tired, still turning over everything he had just confirmed.

The issue of feasibility is at least solved... he thought, his gaze drifting ahead as his pace remained steady, I can actually make the products now...

The realization carried weight.

Not excitement alone—But structure.

Next comes the manufacturing unit... production setup... then market fit... creating awareness for something that doesn’t even exist in this world yet... establishing a flow...

His steps slowed slightly as the scale of it settled more clearly.

...It’s too much work for one person.

A faint frown formed as another thought surfaced.

And money...

His expression hardened just a fraction.

I do have more than enough of it... but it’s all from the duchy... none of it is truly mine...

The thought lingered making him uncomfortable.

If I’m building something of my own... then the foundation has to be mine as well... I don’t want anything tying it back to the Valecrest name...

By the time he reached the dormitory building, his pace had slowed further, his thoughts weighing each step as he moved inside and began climbing the stairs, the quiet echo of his footsteps accompanying him.

"If only I could find an investor..." he muttered under his breath.

And then—His steps stopped midway.

His eyes widened slightly as a low laugh escaped him.

"...How could I forget that...?"

Something clicked within his mind.

Cleanly and decisively.

With renewed clarity, he resumed walking, his pace now more purposeful as he reached the third floor and stepped out into the corridor, arriving at his room without delay. He opened the door and entered, the familiar space greeting him as Sahira immediately straightened from where she stood, her presence attentive as always.

"Welcome back, young master," she said softly.

Damon gave a small nod in response, his expression calm once more as he moved inside, setting aside his thoughts for the moment as he changed out of his academy uniform.

The routine that followed came naturally, the two of them moving into the kitchen where they prepared the evening meal together, the quiet coordination between them carrying a rhythm that needed no words.

Damon found himself observing her again, though this time not with curiosity, but with a quiet awareness, his thoughts briefly brushing against earlier confirmations before settling again.

They ate together in relative silence, the atmosphere calm, almost domestic in a way that contrasted sharply with the complexity of everything else unfolding beyond those walls. Once finished, the night drew them toward rest, and as they returned to the room, the weight of the day finally began to settle.

Damon lay back, his gaze drifting toward the ceiling as the faint excitement he had been holding onto all evening resurfaced, slipping out in a quiet murmur, almost childlike in its honesty.

"...I can’t wait for tomorrow..."

And with that—

His thoughts slowed as his body relaxed and he drifted into sleep.

***

Darkness came first.

Not the absence of light, but a vast, silent expanse where nothing held form and yet everything seemed to exist just beyond reach, as Damon stood within it, his awareness sharpened in a way that felt detached from his body, as though he had stepped into a space where only perception mattered. Then, slowly—

Faint glimmers appeared.

At first, they were scattered, barely noticeable, like distant sparks floating in an endless void, but as his focus deepened, they began to multiply, drifting closer, taking shape as countless particles of varying colors, each one carrying a subtle glow of its own, some soft and fluid like mist, others sharp and vibrant like fragments of light suspended in motion.

A voice echoed through the space, calm and measured, resonating directly within his mind.

"Good... you all must be familiarized with sensing the mana particles by now..."

Damon did not move at first, his gaze fixed on the phenomenon unfolding before him as the particles grew denser, surrounding him in a slow, swirling current, brushing past him without resistance, as though inviting acknowledgment rather than demanding it.

He raised his hand slightly, not to grasp them, but to feel them, his awareness tracing their movement as each color seemed to carry its own presence, its own subtle weight within the flow.

"...Now, what you have to do is guide those mana particles inside your body," the voice continued, steady and instructive, "and with their help... try sensing your nadis..."

Damon inhaled.

Not physically—But with intent as yhe particles responded, drawn inward.

Pulled toward him as though answering that silent command, slipping into him in streams of faint light, yet the moment they entered, many of them dispersed, dissolving into nothing before he could truly grasp them.

His brows tightened.

...They’re slipping...

He tried again.

More deliberate this time.

Pulling more—

Holding tighter—

And losing more in the process.

"Do not try to force the mana particles..." the voice echoed again, its tone unchanged yet carrying a subtle weight of correction, "otherwise they will be lost... just go with the flow... be the air... not the container..."

Damon exhaled slowly as he adjusted.

He stopped trying to control.

Stopped trying to dominate the process.

Instead, he let the particles come.

Let them pass through him—

Around him—

Until gradually, a few began to remain, settling faintly within his awareness, no longer scattering immediately, lingering just enough for him to notice the difference.

...This... is different...

He focused carefully.

Tracing that faint presence within himself, as though searching for something deeper, something hidden beneath the surface, and just as he began to feel a subtle shift—something aligning, something responding—

His eyes snapped open.

The classroom rushed back all at once, the controlled silence of that inner space replaced by the overlapping voices of students around him, their excitement filling the air as the experience broke.

"That was incredible...!"

"There were so many mana particles...!"

"Just absorbing a bit felt like my strength increased already...!"

"Did you feel that flow? It was insane!"

"Tch!"

Damon clicked his tongue faintly, the abrupt shift jarring his focus as he leaned back slightly, his expression tightening with mild irritation.

At the center of the room, Elowen stood with her usual composed presence, her soft smile resting on her lips as she observed the reactions, her blue hair tied neatly into a side ponytail that fell over one shoulder as she spoke in a calm, reassuring tone.

"It is already very difficult to sense your nadis," she said gently, her gaze sweeping across the room, "some are unable to do so for months... this was only your first attempt, so do not worry..."

Many students nodded at her words, their excitement settling into a more grounded understanding as they absorbed the explanation.

And then—

Her eyes opened fully.

The shift was immediate as the atmosphere changed.

A subtle pressure filled the room as the mana around them began to stir, swirling faintly in response to a presence, the air itself seeming to grow heavier, more defined as every murmur died down instantly, every gaze snapping toward the front—

Including Damon’s.

The air within the classroom shifted as the mana that had been faintly lingering began to gather with sudden clarity, spiraling toward a single point at the front, where a figure sat at the center of it all, unmoving yet undeniably present.

The currents of energy swirled around him in visible streams, coiling and weaving as though drawn by an unseen force, his sky-blue hair lifting gently in the flow while his eyes remained closed, his expression calm, focused, untouched by the attention now fixed entirely upon him.

The room had fallen silent completely.

Every student watched, their earlier excitement replaced by a quiet awe as the phenomenon unfolded before them, the density of the mana around him growing for a brief moment longer before—

It vanished abruptly.

The swirling currents dissipated as though they had never been there, leaving only stillness behind as Lucian slowly opened his eyes, his gaze settling forward just in time to find Elowen standing directly before him.

"You sensed the location of your nadi?" she asked, her voice gentle yet precise, carrying a quiet weight.

Lucian gave a faint nod in response, his composure unchanged, though there was a subtle steadiness in his presence that had not been there before.

For a brief moment, something unreadable flickered across Elowen’s face, her expression holding just long enough to suggest that his progress had exceeded expectation, before her usual smile returned as though nothing had shifted at all.

The silence broke.

Murmurs spread quickly through the room, voices overlapping as students turned toward one another, their attention now fully centered on Lucian.

"He already found it...?"

"That fast...?"

"Isn’t that supposed to take weeks...?"

"I knew he was different, but this..."

The admiration, surprise, and disbelief mixed freely, filling the space once more.

Then—

A voice came from beside Damon.

Low and irritated.

"Hmph... what’s so great ’bout it? Just watch... I’ll be reachin’ the next stage earlier than ’im..."

The heavy, rolled beastman tone carried clear confidence as Damon turned his head slightly, his gaze falling onto Khaira, whose horns flickered faintly with restrained intensity as she stared ahead.

Damon shook his head faintly, a quiet thought passing through his mind.

A protagonist, indeed...

At the front, Elowen stepped forward once more, reclaiming the center of the room as her presence settled the atmosphere again, her gentle smile returning as she addressed the class.

"Do not feel demotivated," she said calmly, her voice carrying an ease that softened the earlier tension, "each of you has a different constitution, and if you are unable to achieve it on your first attempt, it does not mean you are lacking..."

Her gaze shifted briefly toward Lucian.

"Good job, Student Lucian."

With that, the session came to a close.

The shift was immediate as chairs scraped lightly against the floor, students standing and moving, their conversations reigniting as many gathered around Lucian, curiosity pulling them closer as they began asking questions, their voices overlapping in eagerness.

"What did it feel like?"

"Was it obvious once you sensed it?"

"Did you follow the flow or guide it?"

Damon observed it briefly.

Then turned.

...It’s time for my session with Miss Elowen.

He began walking toward the exit, his steps unhurried, his focus already shifting ahead, but as he passed through the dispersing crowd, his gaze caught a familiar figure standing a short distance away.

Serena.

He didn’t stop.

As he passed, his voice came out low and steady without turning or looking towards her.

"I hope you have made your decision... my patience is thin."

And without waiting for any response—

He walked on leaving her behind.