Chapter 16 – Echoes of Strategy
The next day, Kael stood before an enormous chalkboard in the Academy's Strategy Hall, flanked by a mix of first- and second-year students. The classroom resembled more of a war chamber than a lecture space, with maps, diagrams, and magical constructs floating midair.
Professor Merral, a sharp-tongued tactician with one glass eye and an endless coat of scrolls, paced before them.
"Magic alone does not make a magician," he barked. "Strategy, foresight, adaptation—those win battles. Today, you'll face your greatest opponent: yourself."
Kael sat up straighter. He liked this part. Magic was powerful—but knowing when, where, and how to use it? That was everything.
Merral tapped the board with his cane. "You're each to construct a counter-strategy against your own skillset. Think like your enemy. Then dismantle your own power."
Around the room, confused muttering. But Kael's mind was already racing.
How would someone beat Blink?
Later, in the dim quiet of the study wing, Kael scribbled notes furiously across a scroll:
Weaknesses of Blink:
— Predictable angles
— Straight-line limitation
— Echo pattern visible to trained opponents
— High mana drain in chained use
— Requires line of sight for safe exit
He leaned back, staring at the list. No matter how fast he moved, Blink was linear. If someone knew where he'd reappear—or worse, forced him into a direction—they could trap him.
Kael sighed. "I need more than movement."
He tapped the quill on his lip. What if he masked the echoes? Or layered decoys? Maybe split his movement in a curved pattern—using terrain?
Then he blinked. Literally.
Not a spell—an idea.
What if I didn't just Blink away? What if I Blinked… through?
That evening, the training room was empty save for Kael, Elith, and a series of conjured wooden pillars lined in uneven formation. The air shimmered with mana as Kael stood ready.
"You want me to help?" Elith asked, arms crossed, her wind magic flickering around her fingertips.
"Yeah," Kael said. "I'm testing a maneuver. You throw wind slices when I move. Random angles. No pattern."
She nodded silently. "Ready."
Kael took a breath, visualizing the pillars as enemy terrain. His previous Blinks had always been in straight lines—clear direction, clear escape. But in the real world, nothing stayed still.
"Go!"
Elith's wind blades launched toward him in bursts—sharp, fast, and unpredictable.
Kael Blinked—1.5 meters left.
Then again—2.7 forward.
The next came sideways—dodging midair by using a low ledge.
Then came the third Blink.
He didn't move away—he moved through the terrain, reappearing just behind the last post while releasing a light flash to blind any follower.
Elith paused.
Kael stood panting, sweat glistening on his brow. "Did that… look like a blur to you?"
Elith raised a brow. "It looked like you phased. Like smoke."
Kael's eyes lit up. "Perfect."
The next morning, Kael entered the lecture hall late and breathless. Juno waved him over to a seat in the back row, chewing on a roll of bread.
"You've been disappearing a lot lately," Juno said with his usual grin. "Training or secret missions?"
Kael collapsed into his chair. "Training. I'm working on Blink patterns. Trying to curve the path, or break line expectations."
Juno blinked. "You're what now?"
Kael scribbled on a piece of parchment, drawing a figure with arrows going in looping patterns between obstacles. "What if Blink wasn't just a teleport? What if I could treat it like smoke, or a feint? Confuse them long enough to land a strike?"
Juno chewed slower. "That's either genius or suicidal. I support it either way."
Kael grinned. "Thanks."
Before their conversation could go further, the door slammed open.
Lyra entered.
And she didn't look happy.
"Kael," she said, walking straight toward him. "Why didn't you tell me you were pushing your Blink range?"
Kael straightened, caught off guard. "I… I wasn't sure it would work yet."
Lyra sat beside him, her red eyes sharp. "Don't hide things like that. If we're going to be in the same team, I need to know what you're capable of."
Juno raised his brows. "Team? Since when?"
Lyra ignored him, her gaze fixed on Kael.
He nodded slowly. "You're right. Sorry."
Her look softened. Just a little. "Good."
That afternoon, Professor Veyra summoned Kael to her office. Her room was lined with glowing runes, pinned scrolls, and maps of the outer districts beyond the city's walls.
"You've made noise, Kael," she said, eyes narrowing. "Instructors have taken notice."
Kael tilted his head. "Is that bad?"
"It means they expect more." She handed him a sealed scroll. "Advanced placement trials. Next week. You'll be tested against second-year cadets. No mercy."
Kael took the scroll, heart pounding. "I'll be ready."
As he turned to leave, Veyra added, "Most don't qualify until next term. Don't fail and make me look foolish."
He grinned. "I'll try not to."
Far across the academy grounds, in the high spires of the royal wing, Princess Selene sat alone in the library. The sun filtered through the stained-glass windows, painting her silver tunic in hues of blue and gold.
Her fingers flipped through an ancient text on legacy magics—but her thoughts wandered.
Kael.
His name came up again and again. In duels. In strategy class. Even among the nobles.
She remembered the way he moved—how precise, how deliberate. He wasn't strong. Not yet. But he was becoming… something.
Something dangerous.
She closed the book slowly, her blue eyes narrowing.
And for the first time in days, she felt the sting of something unfamiliar.
Jealousy.
End of Chapter 16