The new semester had started, and despite the passing days, Kenneth’s relationship with Joash remained distant. He's probably worried it’ll fail, Kenneth thought as he made his way through the academy’s hallways. The lingering uncertainty between them weighed on his mind, but before he could dwell on it further, his path was suddenly blocked.

Raiden and Ilgar stood in front of him, their expression already smug with arrogance. Raiden’s signature smirk widened as he crossed his arms, clearly ready to start trouble.

“Well, look who it is,” Raiden sneered, crossing his arms. “The so-called Fireon successor. Lost on your way to the Theory Division?”

Kenneth stayed calm, meeting Raiden’s gaze without reacting. It was always like this with Raiden—his words filled with arrogance, but there was something different today. A sharper tone, an edge of bitterness.

“You don’t really belong here, do you?” Ilgar, one of Raiden’s friends and an ice Wizard, added with a mocking chuckle. “Let’s be honest, do you even know where you came from?”

Kenneth’s eyebrow twitched slightly, but he kept his expression neutral. They haven’t figured it out yet. They didn’t know he came from the mortal world. To them, he was still an enigma, someone who had suddenly appeared and taken the title of Fireon’s successor.

Raiden stepped closer, his smirk widening. “It’s funny, though,” he said, dragging out the words. “At Rika's birthday party, I saw the Crown Prince talking to you. The prince himself, giving attention to someone like you. Must be nice to get all that attention for doing… absolutely nothing.”

Kenneth’s jaw tightened, but he kept his composure. So this is about jealousy. Raiden had always craved more recognition and power. Seeing Kenneth, a newcomer, catch the Crown Prince’s eye must have hit a nerve.

“Didn’t think much of it at first,” Raiden continued, his eyes narrowing, “but it doesn’t make sense. Why would the prince waste his time with you?”

Kenneth met Raiden’s gaze steadily. “Maybe you should ask him.”

Raiden’s smirk faltered for a moment, jealousy flickering in his eyes. Ilgar and the others exchanged uneasy looks. The fact that Kenneth had been acknowledged by the Crown Prince, even briefly, seemed to unnerve them more than they wanted to admit.

“You think that matters?” Ilgar scoffed, trying to regain control of the conversation. “The Crown Prince meets all kinds of people. Doesn’t mean there’s anything special about you.”

Kenneth remained calm, his voice steady. “I didn’t ask for special treatment. I’m here, just like you.”

Raiden’s eyes flashed with anger, though he covered it with another smug grin. “Don’t get too comfortable, Fireon. Titles don’t mean anything if you can’t live up to them.”

Kenneth felt a spark of heat rise within him, but he refused to be baited. He wasn’t going to give Raiden the satisfaction of a confrontation. He met Raiden’s gaze with a steady, unflinching look. “I’ll live up to it,” he said simply, his voice firm.

Raiden’s smirk faded, the challenge hanging in the air between them. Silence stretched for a moment, thick with tension.

Before Raiden could respond, the bell rang, signaling the start of the next class. With a final glare, Raiden and Ilgar turned and walked away, their laughter echoing through the hallway.

＊＊＊

Raiden and Ilgar walked down the hallway, Raiden still fuming after his confrontation with Kenneth. His fists clenched at the thought of the newcomer getting under his skin. As they made their way through their room, Raiden was so lost in his thoughts that he accidentally bumped into someone—Joash.

Joash stumbled slightly, offering a quick apology before moving past them without much notice. Raiden, frozen for a moment, turned to watch Joash leave, recognition flashing in his eyes. Joash—the Commoner from the Theory Division. He remembered seeing him at Rika's birthday, standing with Kenneth and the Crown Prince.

As Joash disappeared around the corner, Raiden muttered under his breath, “What was that Commoner doing at Rika’s birthday?”

The thought gnawed at him. Why would a Commoner be invited to a gathering of the main families? Something didn’t add up.

Stolen novel; please report.

Ilgar leaned in, lowering his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “But that’s not the strangest part. I overheard something at the party… Turns out Joash might actually be the real successor of Fireon.”

Raiden’s eyes widened slightly, the weight of the revelation sinking in. “That Commoner?” he scoffed. “You’re telling me he’s the true successor?”

Ilgar nodded, a smug look crossing his face. “That’s what I heard. If word gets out, it’ll cause serious trouble. Everyone thinks Kenneth is the successor, but imagine what would happen if people found out the real heir is someone from the Theory Division.”

Raiden’s expression darkened. “So Kenneth’s not even the true heir?” He scoffed again, his tone dripping with disdain. “If Joash is the successor and he’s been lying low this whole time… that could be a scandal.”

Ilgar’s eyes gleamed with malicious intent. “Exactly. But no one knows—yet. We could use this. If we expose the truth, it’ll ruin both of them. Kenneth’s rise as Fireon’s successor would crumble, and Joash… well, no one will accept a Commoner as the heir.”

Raiden’s lips curled into a sinister smile as the plan formed in his mind. “We’ll watch them closely. If Joash really is the true successor, we’ll make sure no one ever sees him that way. The Fireon family will stay buried—without any successor, real or fake.”

Ilgar nodded in agreement, the wicked glint in his eyes mirroring Raiden’s own.

＊＊＊

It was late afternoon, and Kenneth stood in front of the Tree of Life, feeding it his magic as the light of the day faded. With most students having already gone home, the academy grounds were peaceful, the quiet allowing him to focus. After draining his magic into the tree, he sat on the grass beneath its towering branches, gazing up. The tree had become his sanctuary, a place where he could feel at peace amidst all the chaos. There was a certain comfort in its presence, as if it understood him.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps approaching from behind. Kenneth turned, half-expecting to see the figure from his dreams—the First Emperor. But as he focused, he realized it wasn’t the Emperor but his descendant, Crown Prince Ivan.

Kenneth quickly stood and bowed. “Your Highness,” he greeted respectfully.

He nodded in acknowledgment before Kenneth added, “What brings you here?”

“I heard the tree was affected by Nether magic,” Ivan replied, his voice steady. “I wanted to check on it. It seems to be back to normal.”

Silence settled between them as they both stared at the tree, its branches reaching high into the sky.

“Thank you for saving this tree,” Ivan said after a moment, his tone sincere. “I’m sure the First Emperor would be pleased to see it thriving again.”

Kenneth felt a shiver run through him at the mention of the First Emperor. Standing in front of the Crown Prince, with the image of the Emperor from his dream still fresh in his mind, Kenneth couldn’t help but feel as if he were speaking to the Emperor himself.

“May I feed the tree?” Ivan asked, breaking Kenneth’s thoughts.

“As long as it’s magic from the Elemental Guardians, you can feed it,” Kenneth replied.

Ivan stepped forward, raising his hand to cast a water spell. Streams of water spiraled gracefully from his fingers, nourishing the tree. Kenneth watched in quiet awe. He had heard that the Crown Prince was Rika’s cousin, connected to the Meridian family through the Empress, Water Guardian's eldest sister. It made sense that he wielded Water Magic, though it struck Kenneth that, unlike the First Emperor, he hadn’t inherited Aether Magic.

As the water merged with the tree’s energy, Ivan spoke again, his voice carrying a more thoughtful tone. “About Joash…”

Kenneth’s brow furrowed. Why was the Crown Prince bringing up Joash now?

“He awakened his magic when we were still young,” Ivan continued. “Even before Rika and Ash. In fact, he was the first successor introduced to me. It’s a shame about what happened to the Fireon family.”

Kenneth remained silent, unsure of where this conversation was leading.

“I still believe Joash will become my Fireon Guardian,” Ivan said, his voice filled with a quiet certainty.

Kenneth felt a weight settle in his chest. He had always known that Joash, not him, was the true successor to Fireon's Ultimate Fire. Hearing the Crown Prince say it aloud only confirmed his suspicions. “I hope so too, Your Highness,” Kenneth replied, his voice steady. “I don’t plan to become the Fireon Guardian.”

Ivan smiled faintly, his eyes filled with a sense of approval. “I’m glad to hear that. From the moment I saw you, I could sense that your magic wasn’t meant for the Ultimate Fire.”

Kenneth frowned, caught off guard by the Crown Prince’s words. “What do you mean by that?” he asked, genuinely puzzled.

Ivan gave a faint smile, his eyes studying Kenneth thoughtfully. “You know,” he said, “the moment I saw your magic, I had a strange feeling. It didn’t seem like fire alone.”

Kenneth frowned. “What do you mean?”

Ivan’s gaze shifted, turning distant as though he was sifting through an old memory. “When I saw it, something stirred in me—like remembering something I’d lost. It’s hard to explain… but your magic felt oddly familiar.”

Kenneth felt his heartbeat quicken. My magic, familiar to him? “But… I only have fire magic,” he said slowly, trying to make sense of the Crown Prince’s words.

Ivan moved closer to the Tree of Life, resting a hand on its bark. “When I was young, there was a power within me, something I can hardly remember now. Since then, I’ve felt like a part of me was missing. And when I saw your magic, just for a moment, I thought I’d found it again.”

Kenneth stared at him, processing the words. Fire magic was the only thing I’d awakened, wasn’t it? But something about what Ivan said hinted at a different, deeper possibility.

After a pause, the Crown Prince looked at him once more, as if weighing whether to say more, but he simply nodded. “I should be going.” With that, he turned and walked away, leaving Kenneth alone under the shadow of the tree, questions lingering.

Kenneth took a steadying breath, staring at the ancient tree. What did he mean, familiar? And what was this missing part Ivan spoke of?

Was his magic truly just fire… or something more he had yet to uncover?