The practice arena was a marvel of magical engineering—a massive dome of crystalline barriers designed to contain even the most volatile spells. Today, it would host the first-year evaluation matches.
"Participants, take your positions," Professor Helena announced. "First match: Aria Blackwood versus Sophia Ravenscroft."
Aldrich leaned against a pillar, Marcus at his side, scribbling down every detail. "Watch closely," he murmured. "This is where their carefully crafted masks begin to crack."
Ice erupted from Aria's hands, forming jagged spears that hung in the air like frozen lightning. In response, Sophia drew a seven-pointed star in the air with her finger, each point igniting with holy fire. Their eyes locked across the arena—natural talent versus divine blessing.
"Begin!"
The clash was spectacular. Aria's ice, rather than melting under Sophia's holy flames, absorbed them, creating prismatic explosions that lit up the arena. Each girl moved with practiced grace, their powers reflecting years of rigid training.
"Boring," Aldrich drawled, loud enough to carry. "They're both fighting like well-trained pets—all technique, no innovation."
Aria's next ice spear veered off course, nearly impaling Lucas, who had been watching with unusual intensity. "Care to demonstrate your superior skills then, Vale?" she snapped.
"Actually," he smiled, "I would."
Professor Helena's eyes narrowed. "That's not on the schedule—"
"I challenge Aldrich Vale," came the voices of three students in unison. Aria, Lucas, and Sophia all stepped forward, igniting a ripple of excitement through the crowd. Three of the strongest first-years against the infamous Vale prodigy?
"Accepted," Aldrich said before Helena could object. "All at once, of course. Anything else would be... inefficient."
He stepped into the arena, empty-handed, while his opponents readied their weapons and spells. Lucas's fingers crackled with lightning, Aria donned crystalline armor made of ice, and Sophia's holy symbols glowed with power.
"Marcus," Aldrich called. "Mind lending me some of your ordinary magic? Just a touch."
Marcus hesitated but eventually extended his hand, forming a small globe of basic light magic—the kind any commoner could conjure. The nobles snickered.
Aldrich touched the globe with one finger. The moment he did, the entire arena went dark.
When the light returned a second later, all three of his opponents lay on the ground, their magical defenses shattered. Aldrich stood untouched, still wearing his bored expression.
"How—" Lucas coughed, trying to push himself up.
"Simple. I used Marcus's ordinary magic as a base and rewrote its fundamental structure using noble magical theory. Turns out when you combine them correctly, blood-based enhancements become rather... irrelevant." His smile turned sharp. "Your families have been doing magic wrong for generations."
The implications hit like a thunderbolt. If a commoner's magic could be enhanced to this level, the entire noble power structure...
"Lies!" Aria spat, ice crackling around her fists. "The Blackwood-Vale rivalry goes back centuries. Our bloodlines—"
"Are a crutch," Aldrich cut her off. "One that's made you all embarrassingly dependent." He turned to leave, then paused. "Oh, and sister dear? You can come out now."
Rosalind emerged from the shadows near the arena entrance, her face pale. As Student Council President, she'd no doubt come to witness her beloved step-brother's humiliation. Instead, she had witnessed him casually upend their society's foundations.
"The House heads will hear about this," she whispered.
"Good." Aldrich's eyes gleamed. "Let them come. I have so many more interesting theories to test."
Later, in the academy's gardens, Sophia confronted him. Her usual serene mask had cracked, revealing genuine concern. "Whatever darkness has taken hold of you, let me help. The Church—"
"Has been suppressing actual magical innovation for centuries to maintain power," he finished, his tone dismissive. "Your holy magic is just highly refined light manipulation. Nothing divine about it."
"Whatever happened during that fever—" Sophia started.
"Oh, spare me the amateur psychology," Aldrich interjected with a wave of his hand. "Next, you'll tell me I just need a hug and some quality family time."
"You used to care—"
"No, I used to be better at pretending to care. There's a difference." His smile turned predatory. "Though watching you all scramble to 'fix' me has been mildly entertaining. Points for persistence, if not for intelligence."
Movement in the bushes caught his attention. Marcus emerged, looking sheepish. "Sorry, I was just... taking notes on the match."
"Good." Aldrich turned away from Sophia. "You'll need them. Tomorrow we start dismantling this entire system, piece by piece."
As they walked away, Marcus whispered, "They really did care about you, didn't they? The old you?"
"Probably." Aldrich's voice held no emotion. "But that makes them ideal test subjects. Love, after all, makes people beautifully irrational."
Behind them, Sophia watched with tears in her eyes, while in the upper windows, Aria gripped a frozen windowsill until it cracked. Lucas lounged in a nearby tree, his lazy smile replaced with a thoughtful expression. Rosalind clutched a report that would send the noble houses into chaos.
The game was set. The pieces were moving. And at the center of it all, a devil played with hearts like they were toys, watching his perfect world burn with golden eyes that held nothing but cold amusement.