[: 3rd POV :]

Inside the royal courtyard, a sleek mana-powered carriage, awaited, pulsing faintly with the azure glow of crystallized mana veins embedded into its frame.

The vehicle hummed softly like a living heart, wrapped in layered enchantments.

As Daniel stepped in beside his mother, Melira, she immediately wrapped her arms around him.

"Mother, again?" Daniel chuckled, already half-smothered.

Melira smiled warmly but didn't let go.

"What? Is a mother not allowed to hug her only son before she sends him away to a place filled with mischievous nobles and daughters of dukes?"

Last few moments?" Daniel raised a brow.

"Mother, you make it sound like I'm going to war."

"You are!" she said dramatically, pretending to wipe an invisible tear.

"A war of books, exams, and rival students!"

Daniel chuckled again, shaking his head.

"You're making it sound far more terrifying than slaying monsters."

Melira smirked.

"Well, I've met some of those professors before. Believe me, they can be more terrifying than monsters." She said as she embraced him once more.

Daniel sighed dramatically.

"I think I'll die before I even reach the Academy, not from danger, but from suffocation."

Melira pretended to gasp.

"My son dares accuse his mother of attempted murder?"

"I mean, technically, if I die, it's from love."

That earned him a small laugh.

"Clever boy," she said, flicking his forehead lightly.

The two of them shared soft laughter as the carriage began to move, gliding through the streets of the imperial capital.

Outside, the scenery shifted, towering spires, floating platforms, and vast bridges carved from white marble.

Citizens bowed as they passed, whispering in awe.

"That's the Prince of Saviour."

"The Hero who destroyed the Zero Organization!"

Daniel could hear them faintly but paid little attention.

The world outside had always seemed distant to him, almost unreal.

But now, seeing the admiration and reverence in their eyes, it stirred something unfamiliar inside his heart.

Melira, however, noticed the distant look in her son's eyes.

"You're thinking again, aren't you?" she asked softly.

Daniel blinked.

"...Maybe. It's still strange, being called a prince."

"You are one," she said, brushing a few strands of his silver hair behind his ear.

"And it's about time the world remembers it."

Before Daniel could reply, the carriage slowed.

Outside the window, the view changed, and his breath caught.

The Apex Academy stood at the horizon like a colossal fortress carved into the heavens.

Its outer walls shimmered with intricate runic formations, thousands of glyphs glowing faintly in the daylight.

The towers were forged from Celestite and Draconium, while enormous crystalline barriers enveloped the entire campus like domes of translucent energy.

Daniel's jaw slackened.

"It's… majestic," he muttered.

Even Melira smiled proudly.

"It should be. It was built by the first ancestors themselves."

At the gates stood rows of statues, ancient heroes immortalized in stone.

Daniel's gaze lingered on one statue in particular, a woman with flowing hair holding a staff wreathed in stars.

"Diana Valenhardt…" he murmured. "Our ancestor."

Melira nodded.

"She founded this academy to unite all races, to nurture potential beyond bloodlines. Even now, her will lingers here."

As the carriage halted, a figure approached the gates, a tall woman with long emerald-green hair flowing freely, her emerald eyes glimmering with calm radiance.

Her presence was soft, yet every step carried the weight of command.

"Your Majesty, welcome," she greeted, bowing slightly.

Melira's lips curved faintly. "Mika. It's been a while."

Daniel blinked.

'This is the Dean?'

Even from a distance, Mika's beauty was disarming.

The proportions of her body, the size of her breast and her curves could make a man abandoned his oath.

Her aura flowed like nature itself, gentle, nurturing, but laced with an untamed wildness.

"Sigh, Mika," Melira said, shaking her head, "if not for the academy's legacy, I would never send my son away so soon."

Mika chuckled softly.

"And if not for your trust, I would never have the honor of teaching the 'Prince of Saviour.'" Mika declared and as she gazed at Daniel, she smiled widely.

"So, you're the prince who's become my lucky charm?"

Mika smiled at Daniel, and that smile could have stopped time itself.

Daniel blinked. "Lucky charm?"

But at that same time, he was frowning inside his mind.

After all, the gaze that the Dean had towards him was weird.

It was anything but weird.

Mika's lips curved into a teasing smirk.

"Oh, did I say that out loud?"

Melira sighed with a knowing look.

"She's been calling you that since before she even met you."

Daniel blinked again.

"Should I be… worried?"

Mika laughed softly, covering her mouth.

"No, no. It's just a saying of mine. You needn't take it seriously."

Daniel, however, could tell she wasn't entirely honest.

There was something behind her words, something old and secretive.

Still, he decided not to press further.

Mika stepped closer, her eyes gleaming with curiosity.

"You've grown differently from what I expected, Prince Daniel."

Daniel shrugged. "I get that a lot."

"I bet you do," she grinned.

Melira pinched Daniel's arm. "Don't go flirting with the Dean."

Daniel laughed. "Mother! I wasn't—"

Mika giggled.

"Oh Melira, you're as protective as ever. It's adorable."

They all shared a light chuckle, easing the tension that had been lingering since they arrived.

Then, Melira's smile began to fade.

She turned to her son, brushing his cheek softly.

"From here on, I can't accompany you any further, my love. You'll have to go on your own."

Daniel's eyes softened.

"I'll be fine, Mother. You've already done more than enough."

"I know… but it still hurts," she whispered. "I missed sixteen years of your life. Even now, I feel like I'm losing you again."

Daniel grasped her hand and smiled.

"You're not losing me. You're just… letting me walk on my own this time."

Melira's lips trembled.

"You sound just like your father when he left 'that' day."

Daniel smiled silently.

"Don't worry mother and I'll be fine"

That broke her composure. Melira hugged him tightly again, tears slipping from her eyes.

"My brave boy…"

After a moment, she released him and nodded to Mika.

"Please take care of him."

"You have my word," Mika said sincerely.

Melira turned to Daniel, her fingers brushing his cheek.

"Remember, my son, no matter what happens… you are never alone."

"I know, Mother," Daniel said with a faint smile. "You'll probably send spies to watch me anyway."

Her lips curved mischievously. "I would never—"

"Maiya's already waving from the roof," Daniel interrupted.

Melira blinked. "Ah… traitor."

The two laughed softly before she finally hugged him one last time. "Be strong, my son."

"I will, Mother."

As Daniel and Mika began walking into the academy's inner grounds, Melira and Maiya watched them go.

Melira's tears fell silently, and Maiya placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"He's grown into a fine young man, Your Majesty," Maiya said softly.

"I know," Melira whispered, watching Daniel's figure grow smaller in the distance. "And that's what makes it hurt even more."

Inside the academy, Mika led Daniel through vast courtyards filled with floating gardens, shimmering mana streams, and arenas large enough to host dragons.

Students sparred in the distance, while professors hovered midair using levitation spells.

"Welcome to Apex Academy," Mika said proudly.

"The cradle of power and knowledge."

Daniel whistled softly.

"Looks more like a kingdom."

"In many ways, it is."

"That's the Arena where students could challenge one another to test their might" Mika introduced.

"That's the Aracane tower where one could study the knowledge of magic and comprehend spells" She explained.

"That's the the workshop department where one could learn how to Smith and create their own equipments or even artefacts"

They passed a giant crystal fountain that pulsed with multicolored mana. Mika explained,

"That's the Core of Convergence. It gathers mana from the entire world and maintains equilibrium between elemental forces."

Daniel squinted. "So if I throw a rock at it—"

"Half the world might explode," she replied flatly.

Daniel blinked. "Duly noted."

Her lips twitched.

"You remind me of your mother when she was a student here. Always asking dangerous questions."

"Oh? My mother was like that?" Daniel questioned in interested tone.

"Of course" Mika smiled faintly. "She nearly blew up the alchemy lab once."

"...That explains a lot," Daniel murmured.

As they continued walking, Daniel couldn't shake a strange feeling. Mika's steps slowed slightly, her hands trembling as she clutched her staff.

"Finally…" she whispered under her breath, barely audible.

Daniel's instincts flared.

He subtly gathered void energy within his core, readying himself.

"For how long have I waited for this moment," Mika said softly, turning toward him. Her emerald eyes glimmered with an emotion he couldn't read, something between awe, joy, and longing.

"Mika?" Daniel asked cautiously.

She smiled faintly, her voice trembling.

Her calming eyes had changed and instead of calling herself nature, right now she became a disaster herself.

After all, the gaze she had for Daniel wasn't something an ordinary person.

It was an unhealthy obsession.

"I've been waiting for you to come...my lucky charm prince" Mika declared.

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