Chapter 163: The Echo of Who I Was
Chapter 163: The Echo of Who I Was
The corridor was quiet after Saraphina disappeared behind the door of Room Two.
Andras stood there for a moment, then turned and walked toward his own residence. The distance between the two rooms was short. Only a few moments later he reached Room Three and opened the door.
The familiar silence greeted him.
His residence was exactly as he had left it. A spacious bedroom occupied one side, while a study area stood near the large windows overlooking the academy gardens. A small dining area and preparation space occupied the opposite side. There was no Lyra waiting inside.
He closed the door behind him and removed his coat.
The day had been unusually long. Not because of the theater, Seris, or even what had happened between him and Saraphina. There was simply more on his mind than usual.
Andras sat on the edge of his bed, closed his eyes, and began his usual meditation. Mana slowly circulated through his body, moving through his mana circuits in a steady rhythm. He remained completely still.
Minutes passed.
Then his consciousness gradually faded.
---
Andras opened his eyes.
He was standing inside a familiar room.
A small desk. Two chairs. A bookshelf against the wall. Soft light coming through the window. A quiet atmosphere.
His gaze moved across the room. He recognized it immediately.
The therapy room from his previous life.
Andras remained still, watching the scene unfold.
Across from him sat Alex—eighteen years old, black hair, dark eyes. The same face Andras had once seen in the mirror every day. Alex sat casually in the chair, one leg crossed over the other. Jane sat across from him with her notebook resting on her lap.
Jane looked at Alex calmly.
"You’re unusually quiet today."
Alex glanced at her. "I don’t have anything to say."
Jane smiled faintly. "That’s interesting."
"Why?"
"Because most people who say they have nothing to say usually have quite a lot on their minds."
Alex shrugged. "Maybe I’m different."
"I’ve noticed."
Jane looked down at her notebook. She didn’t immediately write anything. Instead, she studied him for several seconds.
Alex noticed. "You keep looking at me."
"I’m observing you."
"Isn’t that what therapists do?"
"Partly." She paused. "Although with you, it’s difficult to tell whether I’m observing you or you’re observing me."
Alex’s expression didn’t change. "I’m always observing."
"I know."
Jane leaned back slightly. "You pay attention to everything."
Alex looked at her. "Is that a problem?"
"No."
"Then?"
"It’s simply something I’ve noticed."
Alex remained silent.
Andras watched from the side of the room. He knew this was only a dream. Yet everything felt strangely real—the expressions, the voices, even the silence between their words.
Jane eventually spoke again.
"I’ve been thinking about you."
Alex raised an eyebrow. "That sounds concerning."
A small smile appeared on Jane’s face. "Not in the way you’re thinking."
"I’m not thinking anything."
"That’s another thing I’ve noticed." She closed her notebook. "You don’t react to things the way most people do."
Alex stared at her. "People react differently."
"Yes." Jane nodded. "But most people still react."
Alex said nothing.
Jane continued. "You seem to understand emotions." Alex’s eyes narrowed slightly. "But you don’t seem to experience them in the same way."
The room became quiet. Andras remained motionless.
Alex leaned back in his chair. "Is that your diagnosis?"
"No." Jane shook her head. "I’m still trying to understand you."
"Then you’re wasting your time."
"Perhaps." She smiled. "But I’m curious."
Alex looked toward the window. For several seconds he said nothing. Then his gaze returned to Jane.
"Why did you become a therapist?"
Jane blinked. The question seemed to catch her off guard. She stared at Alex for a moment before closing her notebook.
"From what I know, I’m your therapist. Not you my therapist. So this is a personal question that I wouldn’t like to answer."
Alex looked at her. There was no frustration in his expression. No disappointment. He simply nodded.
"Okay."
That was it. No argument. No attempt to push further.
Jane seemed slightly surprised by how easily he accepted the answer. She smiled faintly.
"You’re not going to ask again?"
"No."
"Why?"
"You already answered."
Jane studied him. "You really are strange."
"I’ve been told."
She gave a quiet laugh. Then her expression gradually became more serious.
"Alex."
"Hm?"
"I think I’ve figured out something."
Alex looked at her. "What’s that?"
Jane rested her hands on the notebook. "I think your biggest problem isn’t that you don’t understand other people."
Alex remained silent.
"It’s that you’re too aware of yourself."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
Jane continued. "You know exactly how you think. You know how different you are. And you spend a lot of time watching yourself from the outside. You analyze your own reactions. You know which emotions you’re supposed to feel, even when you don’t feel them."
Alex’s expression remained calm.
Jane’s voice softened. "And I think you’re more aware of what you are than most people could ever be."
Silence.
Alex looked at her for several seconds. Then he asked,
"Is that a problem?"
Jane didn’t answer immediately. "I don’t know." She smiled faintly. "But I think it’s something you should understand."
Alex leaned back. He didn’t argue. He didn’t agree either. He simply stared at her.
Jane slowly opened her notebook again. "That’s enough for today."
Alex stood. "Okay."
He turned toward the door. Before leaving, he stopped.
"Jane."
She looked up. "What?"
Alex hesitated for a moment. Then—
"Nothing."
He opened the door and walked out.
Andras remained where he was, watching. The room gradually became darker. Jane disappeared. The walls faded. Alex disappeared with them. Everything dissolved into darkness.
---
Andras opened his eyes.
The familiar ceiling of Room Three came into view. For several seconds he remained still. His expression was calm.
Another dream about Alex. Another fragment of his previous life.
He sat up slowly. His gaze drifted toward the window. The sun had already begun to rise over Ambrose Academy.
Andras thought about the dream for a moment. Jane had been the same as he remembered—calm, observant, careful with her words. He didn’t dwell on it.
He stood from the bed and prepared for the day, then left his residence.
The residential district was already becoming active. Students moved along the paths toward the academy buildings. Some talked about their upcoming classes. Others discussed training. Andras ignored most of it and made his way toward the Spell Casting classroom.
When he entered, several students were already seated. A few familiar faces turned toward him. Saraphina was already there. Their eyes met. Neither mentioned the previous afternoon. There was still some awkwardness between them, but neither seemed uncomfortable enough to address it.
Andras took his usual seat.
A short while later, Professor Elowen entered. The classroom gradually fell silent. She placed several books on the desk before turning toward the students.
"Today, we’ll move beyond the basic structures you’ve already learned."
She turned toward the blackboard.
"Most of you have now reached the point where understanding a First Circle spell is no longer enough."
Her chalk moved across the board.
**Second Circle spell**
"Second Circle spells are not simply stronger versions of First Circle spells." She underlined the words. "Their structures are more complex. Their mana requirements are greater. Their activation is less forgiving."
Andras listened carefully.
Elowen continued explaining the differences between the two circles. First Circle spells generally required a relatively simple structure. Second Circle spells contained additional pathways and more complicated mana circulation. A single mistake could destabilize the entire formation.
After explaining the theory, Elowen demonstrated the structure of a Second Circle spell. A complex magic circle appeared before her. Several students immediately focused on it.
Andras studied every line. The structure was considerably more complicated than the First Circle spell he had spent so long learning. Yet it wasn’t beyond his comprehension. He already understood the fundamentals. He simply needed to reproduce them.
"Now," Elowen said, "try constructing the basic formation."
The students began. Magic circles appeared throughout the classroom. Some formed quickly. Others collapsed almost immediately.
Andras gathered his mana. He didn’t rush. He remembered the countless failures he had experienced while learning his first spell—the unstable pathways, the collapsing structures, the failed activations. He had learned something from every one of them.
Mana gathered around his fingers. The outer circle appeared. Then the second layer. Andras carefully guided the mana through each pathway. The structure trembled. He adjusted the flow. The instability disappeared.
His eyes narrowed as he carefully adjusted the mana flow.
The remaining pathways formed one after another. The magic circle slowly stabilized. A faint glow appeared at its center. Andras maintained the structure. He didn’t attempt to force more mana into it. He simply allowed the formation to complete naturally.
The final connection locked into place. The Second Circle spell stabilized.
Andras looked at it quietly. He had done it.
Professor Elowen’s gaze shifted toward him. She noticed the completed formation. A faint expression of approval appeared on her face.
"Good."
Andras dispersed the spell. It wasn’t a spectacular achievement. There was no explosion. No applause. But it was important. He had taken another step forward—from struggling to cast a First Circle spell to successfully constructing a Second Circle spell.
The lesson continued for some time. Elowen explained several common mistakes in Second Circle formations and demonstrated how excessive mana could be just as dangerous as insufficient mana. Andras paid close attention. Knowledge was never wasted.
Eventually the lesson ended.
His next lesson was Weapon Mastery.
Professor Kaelen Draven soon arrived and began the class. Andras listened to the lecture, participated when necessary, and observed the techniques being demonstrated. After some time, the lesson finally ended.
Andras returned to his residence after lunch and began meditation.
The academy gradually became quieter. One by one, the magical lamps along the paths began illuminating the grounds. Students disappeared into their residences. Professors returned to their offices. The vast academy slowly settled beneath the darkness.
And somewhere beyond its walls, someone was watching.
---
A figure stood on a distant rooftop.
The academy stretched across the land below. Its enormous towers rose into the night sky. Countless magical lamps illuminated the paths between buildings. From this distance, the figure could see only fragments of movement—students, guards, professors, servants.
But that was enough.
The figure’s gaze remained fixed on the academy. A faint smile appeared.
"So..."
The voice was quiet.
"This is where the Hero is."
The figure continued staring at the academy for several seconds. Then the smile disappeared. There was no need to rush. The mission had only just begun.
The figure stepped backward. Darkness swallowed their form.
And then they were gone.