Several years have passed…
Time eroded everything. But shadows—do not age, do not fade. They merely await the moment to rise again.
Now, a twelve‑year‑old boy sits in the luxurious carriage of House Altherion.
White hair falls neatly beside the glass window. His purple eyes stare indifferent at the world outside. His hand presses against the glass, as if measuring how dull this world has become while he was absent.
Kazuki Altherion.
The second son of the Altherion family. Ah, just another stage name. The real one is the shadow… the main actor preparing to return to the stage.
Today, Kazuki wears the Magia Veritas Academy uniform: a standard black robe with dark blue accents, immaculate and flawless. Beside him stands a black case. A simple object, but within… it might hold secrets capable of reshaping the world. Or maybe just underwear. Who knows?
The carriage rolls over cobblestone roads. Trees pass by. A bright sky. The world looks normal. Too normal. Irritatingly so.
Kazuki rests his chin on his hand, exhaling slowly.
"At last, the time has come… that place…"
"Magia Veritas Academy."
The gathering place for young nobility, offspring of powerful mages, and budding adventurers. The place where the elite of the magical world are forged.
The perfect stage… to rebuild the shadow that has long vanished from the world's theater.
He glances at his black case.
"Everything is ready."
"Stage Two of the plan: Infiltrate the educational system and dominate from within…"
That thought appears out of nowhere—dramatic, over the top… and completely serious, inside his mind.
Outside, the grand gate of the academy begins to appear. Magnificent. Towering. Flanked by crystal spires reaching skyward. A few students enter—faces full of excitement… or fear.
Kazuki only smiles faintly. A thin curve—no friendly warmth, but the smile of someone strategizing to disrupt the world's chessboard.
"All the pieces have gathered." "It's time for the shadow to reclaim the main stage."
The carriage stops.
A noble servant opens the door and bows deeply.
Kazuki disembarks calmly. His steps light but laden with presence. Fellow students who accidentally catch a glimpse feel a chill brush their spines.
Without a word, Kazuki retrieves his case and strides through the gates of Magia Veritas Academy.
He doesn't look at the building. He's staring at the future. Or rather… the future he intends to script himself.
---
Inside the Registration Hall
Echoes of footsteps fill the marble-clad corridors. The grand hall is etched with magic-lined crystal. New students queue nervously, formal wear pressed, documents of lineage in hand, noble crests worn like armor.
Except for one boy—distinctly different.
Kazuki Altherion. Walking alone. Calm. No entourage. No status flaunting. As if… he were invisible.
At the registration desk, he places his enrollment form with one hand, expression composed.
The registrar blinks in surprise.
"Name… Kazuki Altherion? Are you…?"
Kazuki nods once, interrupting without sound. His gaze says it all: "Don't bother me with these boring formalities."
After checking the records, the registrar stiffens.
"Ah, of course! You're from House Altherion. We've reserved a place for you in the Aurelius Dormitory—elite noble quarters.…"
But Kazuki raises his hand, cutting him off.
"I choose Ignis Minor Dormitory."
A hush falls over the room.
The registrar freezes. Speechless.
"I'm sorry, Master Kazuki. That dorm is for lower‑rank nobles. It's cramped, has few staff, and its reputation is…"
"I know," Kazuki replies quietly, without emotion.
"That's exactly it… where an extra belongs," he murmurs to himself—but no one else hears.
No one responds.
At last, unable to argue, the registrar reluctantly records the change.
Kazuki exits the hall with light steps.
Many eyes watch him. Whisper. Stare. But he cares for none.
---
Outer Grounds
Smoke curls from the surrounding kitchens. Blooming flowers sway in the breeze. Students chatter in the courtyard.
But Kazuki heads east, away from the grandeur.
He doesn't mind. Shadows are never noticed.
---
Inside Ignis Minor Dorm – Evening
The dorm stands quietly in the academy's eastern wing—isolated, simple, barely maintained. No sparkling crystal carvings. No enchanted gardens. Just a two‑story wooden building with iron gates.
Kazuki arrives at a plain door.
He studies it like a hero approaching prison gates… and he feels at ease.
"This place… fits."
"No one will pay attention to shadows. Perfect."
He opens the door—the wood groans. A cool, dusty scent fills the air.
Kazuki enters.
In the narrow room stands a cracked wall, a thin mattress in the corner, a creaking wooden window. No luxury. No comfort.
Yet here, where hope dies and ambition is forgotten, Kazuki smirks beneath the moonlight entering that cracked window.
His hand touches his chest. His heart beats quietly… yet something more echoes within the dark.
"A minor noble… a worthless background… a student without talent…"
"That's the role I chose."
He steps forward to the center. One light stride, as if the world is his stage, and he the lead actor of a dark drama yet to be performed.
He speaks in a low, cold voice—full of absurd conviction:
"Tomorrow… I'll begin my new role."
"Becoming the worthless extra… the 'figuran' with no potential… mocked and forgotten by all."
Kazuki stops. He meets his reflection in the broken windowpane. His eyes begin to glow. Purple. Deep. Burning like a demon laughing within shadows.
Then he smiles, faintly and wildly.
"But when night falls…"
"You'll all know… right?"
"That's when I step… into the darkness."
Night wind drifts through the window.
Ancient curtains sway slowly, whispering in the tongue of the underworld.
Kazuki turns his back. His academic robe flutters.
With one deliberate stride… he vanishes into his own room's shadow.
The chapter ends. But the game has only just begun.