Chapter 18 — The Professor and the Dream
---
Kael Grenfort:
I am Zegfort Hamel. First-rank professor at the Abkhazia Magic Academy. And this… must be your son.
He pointed at me and looked at Sedric.
I looked at him. Tall, small horns on his forehead, and his eyes — ancient, seeing everything, knowing everything. In an instant, I felt naked, defenseless before him.
Professor. At the Abkhazia Academy. First-rank.
These words swirled in my mind. Abkhazia — the empire's largest port city, its economic heart. The academy there… the most prestigious, the most powerful, training the strongest mages. And this man — a first-rank professor at that academy.
How powerful must he be?
"Well, hello. Long time no see, old man," Sedric said.
Zegfort's eyes flashed. The mana around him trembled for an instant — as if the entire desert took a single breath.
"Hey, don't call me that! Call me that again — and I'll rip your head off."
His tone was joking, but with a hint of menace. Yet I saw seriousness in his eyes. He was joking — but at the same time, it felt like he truly meant it.
I stepped forward. My hands trembled slightly — from fear or excitement, I didn't know.
"Hello. My name is Kael Grenfort," I said. My voice came out steady — I surprised myself.
He looked at me. Nodded. "Good boy. Takes after his father. A bit smaller, but…"
And at that moment —
My vision began to darken.
At first slightly — as if a cloud had passed before the sun. Then stronger — colors faded, Sedric's face blurred, Zegfort's eyes seemed to melt away.
No… I can't see.
What?
Am I falling?
No, it can't be!
Everything was going so well! We'd just started talking!
I tried to grab onto something — anything, someone's hand, the air itself. My hands swung, grasping nothing. My legs — as if they no longer obeyed me, they buckled, weakened, gave way beneath me.
What's happening?
Why?
Why now?
Thoughts raced through my mind. Not fear — no, not fear. Excitement? No. Surprise? Yes. Surprise and a little… resentment.
I hadn't finished talking yet.
I hadn't found answers to my questions yet.
I hadn't…
My eyes began to close. The world around me — sand, sky, people — everything started spinning. I felt like I was falling toward the ground — slowly, heavily, inevitably.
I'm falling.
Everything was going so well…
Why?
And then — nothing.
---
Sedric Grenfort:
I caught Kael in my arms. He was light — too light. His face was pale, his lips colorless, his breathing shallow.
My heart raced so fast I thought it might burst from my chest.
No. No, it can't be.
"Kael! Kael, can you hear me?!" I said. He didn't answer. Didn't move.
I placed my hand on his forehead. Not hot, not cold. His mana core — it was still beating, but weak, sluggish, as if fading.
"What happened to him?!" I shouted at Zegfort.
He stood silent. For a moment — didn't move. Then he walked over, knelt beside Kael. Placed his hand on Kael's forehead. Closed his eyes.
I waited. Held my breath. Held my heart.
A few seconds passed — they felt like hours.
"His mana reserves are exhausted," Zegfort said slowly. "He's still a young child, after all."
"Exhausted? How? He didn't do anything!"
"Didn't do anything?" Zegfort looked at me. "He flew into your battlefield. He withstood the Death Worm's pressure. He gave orders to the remaining mages. And he did all of this… as a child whose mana core hasn't even fully formed."
I fell silent.
He's right. He did all of that. And I…
"He's still young," I said quietly. "Seven years old."
"I know," said Zegfort. "That's why he's a genius."
---
Zegfort Hamel:
I stood before Sedric and looked at him.
"Your son is a genius. When you graduated from the academy, you were at one-star Gold-rank. Now you're at three stars. And nearly a century has passed since you graduated."
"Hey, don't make me sound that old, old man," he said.
"I'm not an old man. I'm your teacher, actually. A little respect wouldn't hurt."
"Ha, you?" Sedric looked at me in surprise.
"Well. After all these years, it seems you still haven't gained any sense, boy."
"Okay, okay, fine. Stop lecturing," he said, waving his hand.
I laughed. Sedric had always been like this — no respect even for his own teacher. But that's why I liked him.
"Well, fine. You know best. Yes… I heard you were cast out of your family. About seven years ago."
Sedric's face changed. Hardened. Something in his eyes flickered and died.
"You don't need to know about that."
I looked at him. He was hiding something — that was clear. But I didn't press.
"Well, well. Whatever it is — probably some family conflict. As long as you don't say it was because of love. Ahahahahaha!"
I laughed out loud. Sedric's face hardened even more.
"You don't need to know. If you knew, you'd mock me for the rest of my life."
"Fine, I'll stop. You have your reasons."
I looked at Kael again. I could feel his mana core — weak, but… strange.
"Your son is a genius. Yes, his mana capacity…"
"I know," Sedric said. "Unbelievable. With a core of that level, ending up in this state just from basic flight magic…"
"I'm not a teacher for nothing — you know I understand many things. What do you think?" he asked.
I thought for a moment.
"Hmm… all things considered, everything is fine. He just needs to learn to use it more efficiently. He wastes too much mana. His mana control… your son could perfect it within a year."
Sedric sighed.
"Yes, by the way… what were you doing here anyway?" he asked.
"Well, in short… I was hunting that Death Worm. I did hunt it. I wanted to make it a pet — more like a small companion, something like that. But somehow it broke free from the enslavement curse I placed on it and escaped. In short, the caravan suffered great damage. I think over thirty carriages were affected. Almost no deaths among the merchants — that's good. Now I'll have to compensate for everything myself."
Sedric looked at me. First surprise appeared on his face, then anger.
"Ah, I see. So this whole mess was because of your stupid pet project?"
He grabbed me by the collar.
"Hey, little one, calm down!" I said in a serious tone. "I said I'd pay for everything, didn't I?"
He took a deep breath. Hufffffff… uffffffff…
"Fine, do as you please. But if you ever pull something like this in front of me again — be ready for the consequences, you old man… teacher."
"Okay, okay, hothead. Teacher-student relationships aren't supposed to be like this."
"Fine. What are you doing here yourself?"
"Hmm… I'm transporting my goods with the caravan," Sedric said.
"That's it? Nothing else? Then why did you bring that kid on such a dangerous journey?"
"I'm taking him to school."
"Yes, good. I would have done the same. Well…"
---
Nyxen — God of Catastrophe:
A dark hut. On a stone throne sat a man. His eyes — cold, emotionless, infinite. The mana around him was so powerful that the air grew heavy, breathing became difficult.
God of Catastrophe.
Nyxen.
He had waited for centuries. And now — power was rising again.
A voice came from outside.
"Master… an envoy has arrived from the enemy side. He requests an audience. What shall I do?"
"Let him in," he said coldly.
Two men entered. They wore priestly robes — appearing to be between fifty-five and sixty years old. Their hands trembled slightly, but they tried to compose themselves.
"Greetings, honored God of Catastrophe, Nyxen. I have come with an offer."
"Speak," he said, his gaze cold.
The envoys' bodies trembled slightly. They felt fear — here, before this man, their power meant nothing.
"Well then, if you please. Goddess Gilda has extended an invitation to you. She proposes an exchange — one Heaven's Guardian, in return for prisoners taken by our side over the centuries."
"The offer is not bad."
The envoy was speaking — but he couldn't finish his sentence.
Suddenly — his head separated from his body and hovered in the air.
"Ahhh! Ahhhhh!" the second envoy screamed. He fell to the ground, clutching his head, trembling.
The first envoy's head rolled and came to rest beside him.
The eyes — still open. The mouth — still moving. But the body — had fallen.
"Well, well, well…" Nyxen said slowly, savoring each word. "A deal with me? A treaty? An exchange? What beautiful words."
He rose from his seat. Tall, his shadow long.
"Have you forgotten who I am?"
The envoy fell at his feet. "No, my lord! Please, spare my life!"
"Why are you doing this? They say envoys cannot be killed!" he shouted.
"Don't raise your voice at me," Nyxen said coldly. "Whoever holds the power does whatever they want. Do you understand, ant?"
The envoy began to cry. "I understand… I understand…"
"Very well. To make it short — deliver my message to that pathetic wretch, your so-called 'goddess,' that servant of Heaven. If she wants the Guardian, or if she wants to speak with me — let her come here herself. Without sending ants."
He stepped forward. The envoy scrambled backward.
"Now — get out of my sight."
The envoy got up and fled, his screams still echoing in the distance.
Nyxen watched him go. Then spoke to those around him.
"Clean this up."
And he left the hut.
---
Kael Grenfort:
Huffff…
Uffff…
Hufffffff…
Uffffffff…
My eyes opened.
The ceiling — wooden, dark, unfamiliar. Around me — a tent? Small, cramped, with shelves of medicine on one side.
Where am I?
What happened?
My head ached. Heavy. Every thought came with difficulty.
A dream… I had a dream.
A strange dream.
I've never had a dream like that before.
Who was in it? A man. Sitting on a stone throne. Cold. Powerful. Terrifying.
God of Catastrophe…
The name echoed in my mind. How did I know it?
Is it connected to how I ended up here?
What's happening to me?
I took a deep breath. Again. Again.
"Hey, hey… are you feeling alright, kid?"
A voice. Someone was sitting beside me — I hadn't noticed.
A woman. In a white coat. A medicine bottle in her hand. A gentle but serious smile on her face.
A healer.
"Yes… I just had a bad dream," I said. My voice came out hoarse, weak. "Water… is there any?"
She nodded. Handed me a glass of water.
I drank. The water — lukewarm, but pleasant. It went down my throat, spreading relief through my body.
"Where is my father?" I asked.
"Outside. He's talking with that… tall, scary man."
Zegfort.
"Okay," I said. "Thank you."
I closed my eyes. Breathed. Remembered the dream again — cold gazes, a flying head, a weeping envoy.
It was a dream. Just a dream.
But… why did it feel so real?
My eyes opened and closed. Fatigue — heavy, deep, pressing down on my entire body.
Later… I'll think about it later.
For now… I need to rest.
My eyes closed. The rustle of the tent, the howling of the wind, someone's voice in the distance — all blended together, pulling me back to sleep.
But this time — no dreams.
---