CHAPTER 163: NEW SKILL, NEW ATTACK

A pulse of heat shot through his skull. Jae clenched his teeth as a wave of searing light cut across his vision.

For a moment, everything blurred into fire, walls, floor, even his own hands, until the blaze settled and the world returned sharper than before.

He blinked, focusing first on the bear’s body. Above its massive form, faint script shimmered into existence.

[Flame Bear | Rank: High Beast | Magic: Fire | Status: Deceased]

Jae let out a slow exhale. "So that’s what I was really up against," he muttered, a crooked smirk tugging at his mouth. The thing had been on par with elites. No wonder each strike had felt like hammering stone.

He turned slightly, eyes locking on Yuna. His vision shifted again without effort.

[Name: Yuna Ardel | Magic: Wind | Rank: Intermediate Mage | Potential: High]

Her aura glowed faintly around her body, subtle streams of green flowing like wind currents. Jae’s smirk deepened. "Intermediate, huh? You hide it well."

Yuna tilted her head, watching his expression. "What are you staring at me for?

"Nothing," he said quickly, though the grin didn’t fade. He raked a hand through his hair, still adjusting to the flood of new information.

xxx

Later that day the sun had long dipped beneath the horizon, leaving the world painted in muted blues and faint silver. Jae sat by the window of his room, half lost in thought, when a soft knock broke the calm.

The door opened before he could answer. Yuna stepped inside, her golden hair catching what little firelight lingered. She carried herself with the same effortless poise she always had, but her smile curved playfully as if she were bringing gossip rather than grim tidings.

"The academy was attacked this afternoon," she said, her voice almost lilting, like she was commenting on the weather. Her eyes lingered on him, searching for his reaction.

Jae leaned back in his chair, watching her instead of the news itself. "You’re awfully cheerful for someone breaking bad news," he muttered, lips twitching into a smirk.

Her grin widened. "You always look too serious when you’re thinking. I thought I’d balance it out."

Still, the words sank into him. He let his gaze drift past her for a moment, replaying the facts in his head. An attack on the academy wasn’t new, but the timing... and the persistence. He rubbed a hand through his blond hair, half-exasperated, half-deep in thought.

At first it might have seemed like he was the target of the attacks at the academy, but now they he wasn’t at the academy and it was attacked once more, it sent a clear message.

He wasn’t the target, the academy itself.... Or someone else... was.

Jae rubbed his chin. This meant he would be allowed to return to the academy now.

"You’re doing it again," Yuna teased, folding her arms beneath her chest as she leaned against the bedpost. "That brooding, overthinking stare. Very dramatic, but not very fun."

Jae looked up at her, red eyes narrowing faintly. "And what would you have me do? Laugh about it?"

"Maybe smirk," she said softly. "You’re better at that than anyone I know."

His grin came unbidden, sharp and amused. "Careful. Keep flattering me and I might think you enjoy my company."

Yuna tilted her head, her pout almost theatrical. "Might?"

Jae smiled, not saying anything.

Eventually, her tone shifted, though lightly. "I’ll be heading back with Sun later. He insisted." She rolled her eyes faintly.

"Of course he did," Jae replied, pushing himself to his feet. He didn’t bother hiding the amusement in his tone.

A knock at the doorframe signaled the arrival of a servant, informing him that a carriage stood ready. Jae nodded, collecting his things with deliberate calm.

Yuna lingered a moment longer, giving him a small, almost mischievous wave as she slipped out

By the time Jae descended the steps to the courtyard, the night air was cool against his skin.

The carriage gleamed faintly in torchlight, horses shifting restlessly. Near it stood Sun, posture rigid, dark eyes fixed on Jae with a glare that needed no words.

Jae met that gaze with his trademark smirk before climbing into the carriage, the silent exchange hanging heavy in the night air.

Jae returned to the academy grounds just as evening light softened the sky. The sight before him looked deceptively familiar. The wide stone paths, the trimmed hedges, and the tall spires in the distance all stood unchanged.

Laughter floated from one corner where a group of students passed by in clusters, gossiping freely. Another group rushed toward the training fields, their voices spirited, clashing over sparring matches that had no doubt gone too far.

It almost felt as if nothing had happened in his absence. The academy had the same hum of activity he had grown used to, the same vibrant rhythm of students eager to impress.

No one here looked weighed down by fear. If one didn’t know about the attack earlier, they could walk in and believe the place had been untouched by conflict. Jae paused at the gate for a brief moment, letting that realization sink in.

The first to spot him were Elise and Tirel. Elise nearly tripped over her own feet in her rush, hurrying down the path with both hands clutching at her robe.

Her expression brimmed with relief, her eyes shining almost too brightly as if his return confirmed something she had feared might not happen.

"Jae!" she called, breathless by the time she reached him. "You’re back, you’re really back. I thought, well, I didn’t know what to think. They didn’t treat you badly, did they? You weren’t threatened? You didn’t run into trouble?"

Her words tumbled out one over the other, a nervous cascade she couldn’t stop. Her small hands fidgeted at her sleeves as if she might wring the worry out of them.

Tirel arrived a few seconds later, but unlike Elise, she strolled casually, her posture loose, her smirk firmly in place.

Where Elise’s concern wrapped around Jae like a blanket, Tirel’s presence was more like a flicker of firelight, playful, warm, and unpredictable.