The day of departure arrived beneath a sky washed in pale gold, clouds drifting lazily across the horizon. The Silver estate buzzed with quiet activity. Servants hurried to and from the courtyard, loading the last crates of supplies, inspecting the wheels of the carriage, and ensuring every saddle and strap was reinforced for the long journey ahead.
Celeste stood at the edge of the central stone path, her cloak drawn close, the breeze tugging gently at the hem. Her sword hung at her side, polished and secure, and her expression was unreadable, serene, but inwardly turbulent. The moment she had prepared for her entire life had arrived, and yet it felt both monumental and strangely quiet.
She turned as footsteps approached.
Father.
He wore his ceremonial military coat, the dark fabric adorned with silver clasps. A commander’s presence rested in his gait, but his eyes, when they met hers, were softened by something older. Something paternal.
“You have everything?”
“Yes, Father.”
He nodded once, stepping forward. In his hands, he held a long, cloth-wrapped bundle. "This blade isn’t for practice. It’s real. Forged with steel and tempered lightning essence. I had it made after your first duel."
Celeste took it, unwrapping the bundle carefully.
A slender, curved sword with a darkened hilt, smooth and unadorned save for a silver line etched along the spine. As she touched it, her mana responded; lightning licked faintly along the metal, singing a soft hum only she could hear.
“It’s yours now," father said. "And only yours."
“Thank you,” she whispered.
She handed over her practice blade that hung at her side to her father, then fastened the new one.
Mother approached next, holding a small silver ring with a blue gem inset in its core.
“For focus," she said. “And a reminder. It’s keyed to your mana signature and tied to our communication array. You can send a message to us through it if needed. But more than that, it will keep you grounded.”
Celeste slid the ring onto her right hand. "I’ll treasure it."
Onyx came barreling down the steps with a pack half his size, tripping and catching himself just in time.
“I packed your favorite dried fruit!” he blurted. “And two journals. And a pen. And a second pen in case the first one explodes. Do pens explode?”
Celeste raised an eyebrow.
He grinned sheepishly. "Just be safe, okay?”
“I will.”
Luke stood at the foot of the carriage, arms crossed. “I’ve already reviewed the expected route. Bandit activity is low this season, but don’t assume safety. Stay alert.”
“I always do,” Celeste said, then added, “You’ll be in charge of Onyx’s training while I’m gone.”
Luke smirked. “I assumed as much.”
With one final embrace from her mother, and a firm clap on the shoulder from father, Celeste stepped into the carriage. As the door closed, she drew in a slow breath, steadying her thoughts.
The wheels turned.
The estate gates opened.
And the road to Knight’s Crucible stretched ahead, unfolding like a storm waiting to be mastered.
—
The carriage rolled through the foothills of Thalorion, past towering pines and narrow ridge lines carved by centuries of wind and water. Celeste sat by the window, watching the trees blur past in rhythmic cadence, her mind turning quietly.
She was not alone. Two estate guards accompanied her on horseback, riding ahead and behind. Both had served the Silver family for years. Loyal. Disciplined. They knew better than to fill the silence with chatter.
Inside the carriage, a small leather-bound case lay beside her. It held the journals she planned to fill, and a sealed letter marked with her family’s crest, meant to be delivered to the headmaster of Knight’s Crucible upon her arrival.
She opened one journal and began writing.
|Day One. Departure from Silver Barony. Weather: clear. Morale: focused. Objectives: remain observant. Note any terrain shifts or ambush points. Practice mana reinforcement mid-ride.|
She closed it, placed it gently back into the case, and then leaned her head against the carriage wall.
The rhythmic rattle of the wheels was almost soothing.
Hours passed.
When they stopped for the night at a fortified way station used by military patrols, Celeste stepped out and trained in the clearing behind the outpost. Her blade whispered through the air, laced with controlled sparks. Her mana flowed evenly, without strain. Her form was flawless.
The guards watched from a distance, not interfering.
The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
By morning, she had already completed two meditation cycles, reinforced her casting channels, and mapped the next ten miles of terrain in her mind.
She was moving forward, not as a child, but as a weapon sharpening itself.
And the academy would soon know her name.
—
Midway through their journey, on the fifth day, the path narrowed through a rocky gorge, flanked on either side by steep cliffs and overhanging trees. It was a natural chokepoint, an ideal place for an ambush. Celeste had marked it on her map the night before.
She felt the shift in the air before it happened.
A whistle. The sudden screech of something metal snapping. The front guard’s horse neighed and reared as a spike trap erupted from the dirt. Simultaneously, shadows moved from the trees above, figures masked in brown and gray, armed with crude blades and crossbows.
"Bandits," the rear guard hissed, already dismounting. "Five on the ridge. Three flanking left."
Celeste stepped out of the carriage before he could offer to defend her. "Stand back. Let me handle this."
He hesitated. "My lady—"
"This is what I trained for."
The bandits rushed from both sides, thinking their numbers would overwhelm the young noble.
They were wrong.
Celeste surged forward, mana flaring. Her blade flashed from its sheath in a crack of light, Sword Draw igniting the narrow path. The first bandit didn’t even see the arc of her strike before he collapsed, weapon split clean from his grip.
[Status Alert: Bandit (Fighter, Lv. 3) defeated. +12 EXP]
A second lunged, she ducked, rolled, and countered with a snap of lightning bursting from her palm. Lightning Cloak surged to life around her, casting sparks as two more attackers screamed and staggered backward, paralyzed by the charge.
[Status Alert: Bandit (Rogue, Lv. 2) defeated. +10 EXP]
[Status Alert: Bandit (Fighter, Lv. 2) defeated. +10 EXP]
One raised a crossbow.
“Chain Lightning.”
Her spell jumped from his chest to the next two targets, snapping with brutal precision. They fell twitching.
[Status Alert: Bandit (Archer, Lv. 3) defeated. +12 EXP]
[Status Alert: Bandit (Rogue, Lv. 2) defeated. +10 EXP]
The rear guard lowered his sword slowly. "Gods..."
Celeste exhaled, rotating her shoulder once as the last two bandits turned to flee. She didn’t give chase. She didn’t need to.
[Status Alert: Bandit (Fighter, Lv. 4) defeated. +14 EXP]
She turned to the guards, voice calm. "Clear the bodies and secure the path. We’ll move on in ten."
The lead guard stared at her for a moment longer, then bowed. "Yes, Lady Silver."
Celeste returned to the carriage without another word. Her heart beat steadily. No thrill. No fear.
She decided to check on her status after all those exp notifications.
Status Window
Name: Celeste Silver
Class: Mage
Title: —
Level: 1
EXP: 78 / 100
HP: ∞ / ∞
MP: 220 / 220
Stats:
CON: ∞
STR: 15
DEX: 16
INT: 18
WIS: 18
LCK: 9
Available Stat Points: 0
Active Skills:
Passive Skills:
Celeste let out a quiet breath.
"Seventy-eight experience in one fight," she murmured. "So I’m nearly there. Another engagement like that... and I’ll level."
After a silent moment, she opened her journal.
|Day Five. Ambush at ridge pass. Nine enemies. Outcome: decisive victory. No injuries. Mana efficiency: optimal. Further refinement suggested for lightning discharge timing.|
—
That night, they made camp at the edge of a shallow riverbank where fireflies danced in the cool air and the sound of running water soothed the silence. Celeste helped start the fire with a controlled stream of lightning-enhanced mana, then sat with the guards as they cooked a modest meal of dried meats, root vegetables, and travel bread.
"We’ve guarded a dozen nobles,” the younger of the two said, stirring the pot. “But none of them ever fought like you did today.”
Celeste remained quiet for a moment, staring into the flames.
“I didn’t fight to impress you,” she said. “I fought because I wanted to test out the results of my training.”
The older guard chuckled. “That’s what makes it impressive.”
They ate in relative silence after that, the guards content to share watch duty while Celeste retreated to the shadows and practiced her spell layering beneath the stars. She weaved Chain Lightning through the air without striking, controlling the crackling current with precise hand movements. Then she combined Lightning Cloak with bursts of short-range movement, pushing her mana control to the edge of efficiency.
By midnight, sweat dripped from her brow despite the cool wind.
Still she trained.
The next morning, the party crossed into the final stretch of forested foothills. With the distant peaks of the academy range finally visible in the horizon, anticipation grew.
Celeste reviewed her map again and again. She practiced mental mana shaping during the ride. She rechecked her supplies, double-knotted every strap, and calculated exactly how long until their arrival based on the sun’s trajectory.
Two days later, they crested a final ridge.
There, sprawled before her, was Knight’s Crucible.
Stone towers rose along a half-moon ridge, their tops crowned with banners of deep indigo and silver. The academy grounds extended across multiple plateaus, divided by sharp inclines and walkways woven with bridges. Students in uniform trained in visible formations on lower courts. Beyond that, a series of elevated halls glimmered with arcane wards and defensive enchantments.
A fortress of discipline.
A crucible of strength.
And her next battlefield.
The carriage descended into the path leading toward the outer gate.
Celeste didn’t blink. She didn’t flinch.
She simply reached into her satchel, withdrew the sealed letter from her family, and braced for whatever trials awaited within those towering gates.
