The teacher was deep in thought.
He clearly remembered the final moment of the duel. Adrian's movements had suddenly slowed—especially the last lunge. It was as if time itself had hesitated.
And Harry had reacted perfectly.
Now the teacher was staring at Harry from across the hallway.
After the match, both students had been sent to the medical room. Their injuries weren't serious—just exhaustion and soreness from the intense duel.
About an hour later, Harry stepped out of the medical room.
Suddenly, the teacher approached him.
His face carried a troubled expression, but he quickly hid it behind a polite smile.
"Harry," he said calmly, "come with me for a moment."
Harry felt nervous. It wasn't every day that a teacher—especially one invited from outside the school—personally asked to speak with him.
The teacher noticed Harry's uneasy expression.
"Relax," he said in a gentle tone. "I just want to ask a few questions about your duel experience."
They began walking through the quiet corridor.
"What exactly did you feel during the final moments of the fight?" the teacher asked.
Harry thought for a moment before answering.
"I almost fainted near the end," he said honestly. "My chest hurt, my vision got dark… but when Adrian attacked, it felt like his movement suddenly became slower."
The teacher's eyes sharpened slightly.
"Slower?" he repeated.
Harry nodded.
"Yes. I don't know how to explain it. It was like everything else disappeared, and I could only see the rapier coming toward me."
The teacher remained silent for a few seconds.
Then he asked another question.
"Tell me about your Aetherbound test."
Harry blinked in confusion but answered anyway.
"I just stood in front of the mirror during the test. My mind drifted for a moment… I don't really know how."
At that moment, the teacher stopped walking.
He slowly turned to face Harry.
"That part is normal," he said thoughtfully. "When someone awakens as an Aetherbound, their mind often drifts briefly."
He paused.
"After that, they usually see a color reflected in the mirror. That color represents their elemental affinity."
Harry's expression changed.
"I… didn't see any color."
The teacher frowned slightly.
"What did you see?"
Harry hesitated.
"It was just… black."
"Nothing else. Just darkness."
For the first time, the teacher looked genuinely surprised.
Harry then asked quietly,
"Is there a way to take the test again?"
The teacher sighed softly.
"Inside the academy? No."
Then his expression softened.
"But outside the school… it might be possible."
He reached into his pocket and handed Harry a small card.
"My name is Professor Kael Ardent," he said with a faint smile. "If you want to investigate this further, contact me."
Harry looked down at the card.
Before he could say anything else, the teacher turned to leave.
"I must go now," Kael said. "But perhaps we will meet again, Harry."
And with that, he walked away down the corridor.
But Kael Ardent's mind was far from calm.
At first, he suspected Harry might have somehow cheated during the duel. But there was no proof.
Then he considered the possibility that Harry was secretly an Aetherbound.
But Harry's test result didn't support that theory.
Yet after hearing Harry describe the mirror test, Kael reached a strange conclusion.
Maybe Harry's fragment had not fully evolved yet.
If that were true…
Harry could be something far rarer.
Kael wanted to investigate further, but as a visiting instructor his authority inside the academy was limited.
For now, he could only hope Harry would contact him in the future.
Back inside the training room, Harry stood alone.
He held the small card in his hand, staring at the name printed on it.
His mind was filled with questions.
Am I… Aetherbound?