The days at the academy blurred together for Aeris as he poured himself into his studies. The halls of the Magic Engineering building were filled with fascinating concepts and ideas, all of which he eagerly absorbed. From advanced arcane theories to cutting-edge technological designs, Aeris found himself in a state of perpetual learning. His mind, once focused solely on creating and tinkering, was now expanding into new realms of knowledge—so much so that he often lost track of time, only to be brought back to reality by the ringing of the class bell.
But despite the promise of learning, something felt off. A subtle tension hung in the air, as though every glance from his peers was laced with judgment, a judgment he couldn't escape. It didn't take long for Aeris to realize that word of his rejection by mana had spread throughout the academy. The whispers in the hallways, the glances that turned away when he walked by—he could feel it. They didn't say anything to his face, but it was clear that they all knew.
Mana, the very lifeblood of magic, had rejected him, and that made him different. An anomaly. An outsider.
He had always been different, of course—an orphan found in the wilderness, raised by an old man who had been little more than a ghost of a mentor. But this... this felt different. This rejection, this invisible wall between him and the others, was something far more profound.
And it wasn't just the students. Professors, too, seemed to avoid him, their gazes polite but distant. There were no offers to help, no encouraging words, just the cold, neutral acknowledgment that he was there. That he was part of the academy, but not really. Not in the way they were.
Zord, ever the loyal friend, stuck by his side without hesitation. The big guy had never once faltered, despite the whispers and sidelong glances from their peers. He was the only one who could be counted on to lighten Aeris's mood, to offer a reassuring smile or a playful shove when things got too heavy.
"Don't mind them," Zord would say, clapping Aeris on the back with enough force to nearly knock him over. "Let them talk. They don't know what they're missing. You're gonna blow their minds when you show 'em what you can do."
Aeris appreciated the sentiment, but the weight of his isolation remained. Zord's words, though comforting, couldn't quite ease the gnawing ache inside him. He wasn't just rejected by mana—he was rejected by the world that revolved around it.
The one person who didn't make him feel like an outsider was Sophia.
Sophia, a second-year student, was already well-versed in the ways of the academy. She was a fixture in the Magic Engineering building, often seen working on her own projects or guiding first-year students like Aeris. Her knowledge of the blend between magic and technology was unparalleled, and her skill in navigating the political landscape of the academy was just as impressive. She was a natural leader, respected by her peers, and yet, she treated Aeris with a kindness that no one else seemed willing to offer.
"Don't let them get to you," Sophia would say whenever she caught Aeris lost in thought, his brow furrowed as he tried to focus on a particularly difficult piece of theory. "They don't know you. They don't know what you're capable of."
Aeris would give a half-hearted smile in return, but her words—her unwavering belief in his potential—were like a balm on his wounded spirit. Sophia seemed to see him for who he truly was, not for the rejection that weighed him down or the rumors that followed him like a shadow.
Still, it wasn't enough to make the loneliness go away. During breaks, he would find himself sitting at the edges of the student lounge, watching groups of students chat and laugh together, their conversations filled with magic and joy. They were part of a world that he could never fully touch, and the longer he spent in their presence, the more alienated he felt.
Zord, though always a source of lighthearted banter, had his own life to lead. He had joined the Arcane Knights class, which, while it had brought him new friends and opportunities, also kept him occupied. He'd stop by occasionally, offering a quick word of encouragement or a goofy grin, but it was clear that his path was beginning to diverge from Aeris's.
Sophia, on the other hand, remained a constant. After classes, they would often find themselves working together in the workshop, discussing the finer points of magic engineering. While others steered clear of him, Sophia was always there, her sharp mind matching his own in a way that made her a perfect partner for his projects.
One evening, after a particularly grueling class, Aeris found himself staring at his reflection in a polished metal surface. The glow of magical energy from the academy's walls cast strange shadows on his face, making him appear even more lost than he felt. His heart ached with the weight of being different, of standing on the outside, forever separated from the rest of the students by something he couldn't control.
"Why can't I just be like them?" he muttered to himself, his voice barely a whisper.
Sophia's voice interrupted his thoughts. "Because you're not supposed to be like them."
Aeris turned to find her standing in the doorway of the workshop, her arms crossed, her expression thoughtful.
"What do you mean?" Aeris asked, his voice tinged with frustration.
Sophia stepped into the room, her gaze never leaving his. "You don't need to be like them, Aeris. You've got something they'll never have."
Aeris frowned, confusion crossing his features. "And what's that?"
"A dream," she said, a soft smile playing on her lips. "They're all stuck in the same cycle, focused on their magic and their studies. But you... you've got the drive to change the world. You're not bound by what they know or what they believe. You're creating something new. And that's what will set you apart."
Aeris looked down at his hands, clenching them into fists. "But... What if that's not enough? What if I'm not enough?"
Sophia placed a hand on his shoulder, her touch firm but gentle. "You are enough. You've got a mind that can create, and a heart that's strong enough to keep going. That's all that matters."
For the first time in days, Aeris felt a spark of hope flicker within him. He wasn't alone, not entirely. With Sophia by his side, with Zord's encouragement, and with the knowledge that he had something unique to offer, perhaps he could carve out his place in this world after all.
In the quiet of the workshop, as the evening sun cast a warm glow over their workbench, an idea began to form in Aeris's mind. He had always been fascinated by the way mages could summon and shape mana into physical forms. Yet, despite his lack of direct connection to mana, he knew he could find a way to replicate this process.
What if, instead of relying on mana to flow freely through his body, he could create a device to channel it, to contain and control it?
It wasn't the traditional method. Mages could cast spells with ease, forming mana bullets in an instant with nothing more than their hands and will. But for Aeris, that was impossible. Mana wouldn't obey him, not like it did for others. But what if he could build something that could act as the intermediary? Something mechanical, yet imbued with the power of magic?
The design began to take shape in his mind. He sketched the outlines of a rifle—a sleek, elegant weapon, capable of housing mana bullets. These bullets would be engineered, crafted, not summoned by hand, but loaded into the rifle like any other projectile. A weapon that could fire raw mana without needing the user to command it.
He worked tirelessly, sketching out blueprints and making calculations, testing designs for how the rifle would hold and direct mana with precision. It took days of trial and error, but the pieces began to fall into place. A device that could hold mana in a concentrated form, turning it into a bullet that could be fired with deadly accuracy. A rifle that could function without relying on the caster's magic, but instead harnessing the power of magic engineering.
When he finally put together the first prototype—a rifle capable of loading and firing mana bullets—he felt a sense of accomplishment, unlike anything he had experienced before. It wasn't perfect, but it was a start. The design was unlike anything the academy had seen, a blend of magic and technology that didn't rely on raw talent or the whims of mana.
Aeris stood back and admired his creation. A weapon that could bridge the gap between his limitations and the world of magic. And in that moment, the weight of rejection seemed to lift, if only for a moment.
"The world may reject me. Mana may reject me. But my dream, my heart, they won't."
He whispered the words, almost as if to convince himself, but the more he spoke them, the more certain he became. His chest swelled with a fierce sense of determination, one that he had hidden beneath the layers of self-doubt for so long. This—this was his creation. This was his future. And no one, no force, could take that from him.
"They thought I would crumble, that I'd fade into the background, just another failed experiment in a world that doesn't care for me. But they were wrong. They don't get to decide my worth. I decide that. This isn't just a rifle. It's the manifestation of everything I've always wanted to be. Not bound by limitations, not beholden to some ancient force that doesn't even recognize me. I'm creating my own path, my own way of doing things. My heart won't let me give up. It's always been this way, even when I couldn't see it myself."
His voice steadied, rising with conviction.
"I don't need mana to define me. I don't need the approval of the academy, or the praise of my peers. What I need is to believe in myself, in my vision. This rifle, this device—it's a bridge. A bridge between what I am and what I can become. I am not just some broken piece that doesn't fit into the grand puzzle. I am the one who will shape the pieces. I am the one who will show them what happens when you refuse to be defined by rejection."
Aeris clenched his fists, the fire inside him burning brighter than ever before. The loneliness, the isolation, the doubt—he could feel it all fading into the background as he spoke.
"I won't be rejected by my dreams. I won't be rejected by my heart. Even if the world turns its back on me, I will keep moving forward. I will keep creating, keep building, until they all see what I can do. They won't be able to ignore me. My dream is my truth, and that truth will never leave me. It will always guide me, even if I'm the only one who believes in it. It's my dream—and it won't reject me. Not now. Not ever."
With one final look at his creation, Aeris felt a surge of energy course through him. The weight of rejection had always felt suffocating, but now, standing in front of the rifle, he realized that rejection could no longer control him.
His dream, his heart—they were his, and nothing would ever take that away. Not even the world itself.
"I'll make them see. I'll prove that even the most broken pieces can change the world."
And with that resolve, Aeris's path became clearer than ever. The world had rejected him, but he had just begun to show it what he was truly capable of.