The academy courtyard buzzed with pre-midterm energy, a chaotic swirl of students weaving through stone pathways under the crisp morning sun. Posters fluttered on noticeboards, their bold runes catching the light, proclaiming a tournament open to all. Darius paused, his blue wind-motif robes swaying as a breeze tugged at them. The prize was a special wand, but he shrugged, uninterested. Wands were rare in this world, more ornament than necessity. Most mages here channeled mana through their bodies, not tools. His hand brushed the Reflection Wand tucked at his side, its sleek surface a trophy from a fight he'd won against a cocky third-year. It had its uses, bending spells back at foes, but it limited as much as it enhanced. Why bother with another?

"Hey, Darius, you signing up?" Kael's voice cut through the chatter, his stone-motif robes dusty from morning drills. His grin was wide, eyes glinting with excitement. "Could be fun to crush some competition."

Darius snorted, glancing at the poster. "Pass. I've got enough to focus on with alchemy."

Kael laughed, nudging Mara, who rolled her eyes. "He's scared he'll lose," she teased, her own robes mirroring Kael's.

"Hardly," Darius shot back, but his attention drifted. Lucien stood nearby, silent, glasses catching the sun as he scanned a poster, his notes already scribbling themselves in a floating ledger. Typical. Always observing, always planning. The courtyard thrummed, students clustering around the boards, some whispering about the prize, others laughing off the challenge. Darius turned away, his mind on Lyra's last lesson, the crystalline lattice's flaws still stinging. Genetic alchemy demanded precision, not flashy wands. He didn't need one.

Still, something nagged. He stepped closer to the poster, its runes sharp and inviting. The words "God Wand" hit him like a shockwave, freezing him in place. His breath caught, the courtyard's noise fading to a dull roar. A God Wand? Here? He read again, heart pounding. The tournament was one he'd written, a fleeting arc in his old story, designed to hand Lucien a cheat-like artifact, a power to dwarf all others. He'd nearly forgotten it, lost in the whirlwind of his new life, the changes he'd already made to this world. But there it was, in bold runes, a prize that could shift everything.

God Wands weren't just tools. They were relics, imbued with ancient energy, scattered across this world in hidden vaults, accessible only to those who met their arcane requirements. In his story, they were the Visionaries of the wand world, cheats that bypassed years of grueling training. Visionaries earned god-like power through sweat and mastery, but a God Wand user? They wielded it instantly, bending reality with a flick. He'd written them as plot devices, dumb in hindsight, but they worked in his story's logic. For the academy to offer one was insane, a flaw in the world he'd crafted, yet here it was, staring him down.

His thoughts raced. If Lucien won, he'd soar to an untouchable level, his Eye of God sensitivity amplified by a wand that could reshape battles, maybe even fate itself. Darius's vow—to stop "that" event, the dark future he'd scripted but couldn't fully recall—felt heavier. The system pulsed faintly, a silent nudge, urging him to act. The courtyard's energy surged around him, students' voices a chaotic hum, but his focus narrowed. He'd taken the Reflection Wand from a foe; he could take this one too. His growth in genetic alchemy, the precision he'd honed, the mindfulness that tamed his wind instincts—it all led here. He couldn't let Lucien claim that power.

Kael's voice broke through. "Changed your mind yet, wind boy?"

Darius glanced at him, then back at the poster, his jaw tightening. "Maybe."

Lucien's gaze flicked toward him, sharp and unreadable, his ledger snapping shut. The tension between them crackled, unspoken but heavy. Darius's guilt over Lucien's sensitivity, a burden he'd written, flickered but didn't deter him. This was bigger than guilt. This was about control, about rewriting the story before "that" event could unfold. The courtyard's buzz felt distant now, the posters' runes glowing like a challenge. He'd fight, not for glory, but to keep the balance, to ensure his vow held strong.

Darius turned from the courtyard, his boots clicking against the stone path as he moved toward the dorms. The morning sun cast long shadows, the academy's spires looming against a crisp blue sky. His blue wind-motif robes fluttered, a breeze swirling around him, urging him forward. He needed to find Kai and Aiden, his roommates, to share the news and get them on board. The tournament's prize—a God Wand—was too massive to ignore, and he wanted their energy, their chaos, in this fight. The air felt charged, the academy's hum alive with pre-midterm fervor, but his focus was razor-sharp, the system's faint pulse a quiet nudge pushing him on.

He reached an open plaza, the wind tugging harder at his robes. Why walk when he could fly? He smirked, channeling his wind affinity, a gust coiling around him. With a push, he launched upward, the ground falling away as he soared over the academy's rooftops. The air roared in his ears, his robes snapping like a flag, the spires blurring past. He aimed for the dorm's upper window, their usual shortcut, and angled sharply, the wind propelling him forward. The window loomed, its glass panes glinting. He twisted mid-air, slamming his shoulder against it, pushing it inward with a loud crash. The frame rattled, papers and quills flying off tables inside, scattering across the floor like startled birds.

"What the—!" Kai's voice boomed, his earth-motif robes dusty as he dropped into a stance, a stone shield forming in his hands.

Aiden was faster, a light sword already blazing in his grip, his light-motif robes glowing as he spun toward the window. "Who's attacking?!"

Darius landed in a crouch, wind swirling around him, papers settling in a chaotic heap. "Relax, it's me!"

Kai lowered his shield, glaring. "You idiot! You nearly got skewered!"

Aiden's sword fizzled out, his grin breaking through. "Damn, Darius, you scared the shit outta us! Look at this mess!"

Darius stood, brushing off his robes, laughing. "Sorry, got carried away. Urgent news, though."

Kai kicked a fallen quill, still grumbling. "Better be worth wrecking our room, wind boy."

The dorm was a cozy mess, lit by a flickering mana lamp, its glow dancing across stone walls. Kai's bed was piled with training gear, while Aiden's desk overflowed with glowing runes. The air smelled of ink and earth, a faint hum of mana lingering from their morning practice. Darius leaned against the wall, catching his breath, the thrill of flight still buzzing in his veins.

"Spill it," Aiden said, flopping onto his chair, his light robes shimmering. "What's so urgent you had to crash in like a storm?"

Darius's eyes gleamed. "Tournament. Pre-midterm. The prize is a God Wand."

Kai froze, his stone shield dissolving. "No way. You're pulling our leg."

"Not joking," Darius said, his voice steady. "Saw it on the poster. Open to everyone."

Aiden leaned forward, eyes wide. "A God Wand? Like, ancient-relic, reality-bending God Wand? You serious?"

"Dead serious," Darius said. "It's real, and it's up for grabs."

Kai laughed, disbelieving, tossing a stone from his pocket. "That's nuts. Those things are, what, Visionary-level power? Hidden in vaults nobody finds? And the academy's just giving one away?"

Darius nodded, his jaw tight. "Yeah, it's crazy, but it's happening."

Aiden whistled, his runes pulsing. "That's wild. I'm in. Imagine what I could do with that kind of power."

Kai smirked, crossing his arms. "You'd probably blind yourself with it, light boy. But fine, I'm in too. Time to show what we've learned these last two months."

Darius grinned, their excitement infectious. "Good. We're doing this together."

He moved to the window, the broken frame creaking, the courtyard visible below, still buzzing with students. The God Wand's stakes weighed on him, the tournament a chance to rewrite his story's course. His vow to stop "that" event burned, its shadow looming without shape, pushing him to act. Elara's relentless drive flashed in his mind, a spark urging him to match her, but his own ambition was enough. His guilt over Lucien's sensitivity lingered, a quiet pang, their rivalry a constant prod, but he pushed it aside. The system's pulse was there, subtle, sharpening his focus, his months of genetic alchemy training—those near-perfect prisms and lattices—giving him confidence. His Reflection Wand, taken from a former first-year in a sparring match, was a proven edge, its ability to deflect spells a quiet ace.

"You think we can win?" Aiden asked, his light sword flickering back to life, playful now.

"We have to," Darius said, his voice low. "I'm not losing to anyone."

Kai chuckled, tossing his stone again. "Big talk. Let's see you back it up."

They headed out, the dorm door slamming behind them, the academy's halls alive with students rushing to sign up. Darius led the way, his steps firm, the registration table ahead, a crowded mess of quills and glowing ink. Kael's voice boomed nearby, joking about crushing the competition, while Mara laughed, Lira hovering nervously. Lucien's silent intensity cut through the chaos, his presence a rival spark, but Darius didn't flinch. He grabbed a quill, signing his name, the ink flaring briefly, the act cementing his resolve. Kai and Aiden signed next, their banter loud, the class's bond clear in their shared excitement.

Darius stepped back, the courtyard's energy surging, the posters' runes glowing like a dare. His resolve burned, anticipation high for the tournament, his focus unwavering. The academy hummed with suspense, the God Wand's promise looming large. He wouldn't lose to anyone, not after all the work he'd put in these last three months.

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