"So… he's awakened, huh."
A figure with long black hair stood within an endless void. Darkness stretched in every direction, yet it did not touch him—as if something unseen repelled it.
His eyes, deep and unfathomable, flickered faintly.
"Will you finally achieve your goal?" he murmured.
For a brief moment, the space around him distorted—like pressure building in invisible currents.
He turned his head slightly, as though sensing a distant ripple.
"■■■■ ■■■ ■ will ■■ free…?"
◆◆◆◆◆────
The boy stared at his reflection in silence.
White hair, streaked faintly with black.
Pale, empty eyes—like those of a blind man.
And yet…
He could see.
Not just the room.
Not just himself.
Something else.
Faint, shimmering particles drifted through the air—like dust illuminated by light, except they pulsed softly, alive in a way he couldn't explain.
Without thinking, he reached out.
The moment his fingers brushed them—
They scattered.
"…What was that?"
A strange sensation lingered in his chest. Warm. Subtle. Like something responding to him.
"…I still can't remember who I am."
He exhaled slowly and stepped out of the bathroom, dropping onto the bed. When he had first awakened, his body had been wrapped in bandages—but beneath them, there hadn't been a single wound.
Not even a scar.
"…Whoever healed me… wasn't normal."
There had been no pain.
No weakness.
Only a strange fullness—like something inside him had been restored, not just his body.
His stomach growled.
"…Guess that doesn't include hunger."
He stood and began searching the room. Everything about it felt excessive—polished wood, ornate designs, faint traces of something lingering in the air…
He paused.
That same sensation again.
The faint particles—no, not particles—
Energy.
It gathered more densely around certain objects.
"…So it's not just me."
Before he could think further—
Footsteps.
Voices.
His body tensed instantly.
Not fear.
Instinct.
Something within him sharpened, his awareness stretching outward. He couldn't explain it, but he could feel them approaching—two presences, distinct in a way he didn't understand.
One calm and steady.
The other… turbulent.
He glanced around quickly, grabbing the nearest object—a book—and positioning himself.
The door clicked.
Unlocked.
"I told you, I can take care of myse—"
The girl froze.
"…Caelum?"
The boy beside her turned, eyes widening.
"You're awake!" she rushed forward, arms open.
Caelum moved before thinking.
The book cut through the air—
Fast.
Too fast for someone "normal."
She tilted her head slightly.
The book missed.
Effortless.
She stepped back, confusion flashing across her face.
"…What are you doing?"
Caelum didn't lower the book.
His eyes narrowed.
Now that they were closer…
He could feel it more clearly.
Something radiating from them.
Not visible—but present.
Like heat without temperature.
Pressure without weight.
"Who are you… and where am I?" he asked coldly.
◆◆◆◆◆────
"So… you've lost your memories?"
The blonde boy spoke, his tone measured. His emerald eyes studied Caelum carefully—almost analytically.
"My name is Aerisil."
"…Yes. How many times do I have to repeat that?" Caelum replied flatly.
Behind him—
A soft thud.
Selene had fallen to her knees.
Her shoulders trembled.
"…You really don't remember…" she whispered.
Caelum's gaze shifted briefly toward her.
There it was again.
That strange sensation.
Her presence—it was unstable. Fluctuating. Like waves crashing against each other.
Aerisil looked away, guilt surfacing in his expression.
"They say you were protecting Selene," he said.
"Protecting her?" Caelum frowned. "From what?"
Selene stood slowly, wiping her tears.
"…A demon."
The moment she said it—
The air felt heavier.
Not physically.
But something in Caelum reacted.
A faint pulse echoed in his chest.
"A demon?" he repeated. "What's that?"
Silence.
Aerisil and Selene exchanged a look.
"…You don't even remember that?" Aerisil muttered.
He exhaled slowly before continuing.
"In simple terms… demons are beings that manipulate mana—like we do—but in a far more destructive and unstable way."
Caelum's eyes flickered slightly.
"Mana…" he repeated.
"…So that's what this is."
Without thinking, he raised his hand again, staring at the faint energy drifting around his fingers.
This time—
It didn't scatter immediately.
It lingered.
Reacting.
Aerisil's eyes widened slightly.
"…You can already perceive it?"
Selene looked up, stunned.
"That's… not something beginners can do…"
Caelum ignored them, focusing.
The faint particles slowly gathered toward his hand.
Unstable.
But real.
"…Feels natural," he muttered.
Aerisil's expression hardened—not in hostility, but realization.
"…Then your memory loss didn't take everything."
He paused.
"…Your instincts are still intact."
Caelum clenched his hand.
The particles dispersed again.
"…Instincts, huh."
He looked back at them.
"…Then start explaining."
Aerisil nodded.
"…Alright. First, you need to understand two things—mana… and aura."
For a brief moment—
The air shifted again.
This time, Caelum noticed.
Two different forces.
One flowing outward.
One rooted deep within.
And somehow—
He felt connected to both.