Boisterous laughter echoed through Johan’s chambers.

“Hah! You’re even more monstrous than I thought you’d be, Emil,” the kid laughed, his mouth wide open. “To think you’d form a mana circuit in less than a day… how did you even do that?”

Emil pressed his lips into a thin line and had no answer for Johan. Last night, he had gotten uncharacteristically mad at the world and then in the next second, he felt power coursing through his veins. It caused him intense pain and it felt as if every cell in his body was being forcibly changed. He didn’t remember how long the agony had lasted because he had crawled back inside of the shed and passed out.

When he woke up, everything was different.

It was as if his senses had all improved by tenfold. He was even acutely aware of every fiber touching his skin. And when he closed his eyes, he was able to see a multi-colored, fog-like substance that was drifting through the air. It didn’t take him long to realize that it was anima when he recalled Johan’s explanation.

But, from what Johan had briefly told him, gaining a mana circuit didn’t change much within one’s body. The only thing that could change was that they’d be able to control the invisible force of anime. But Emil was able to see it.

Even now, when he looked at Johan, he could faintly see grey strings of light that coursed through his body. The more he focused, the clearer the strands became. And if he willed it enough, the sight completely disappeared.

It had not taken him too long to control it. It came more naturally to him than breathing, oddly enough.

Emil held out his palm and slowly, the dimly colored anima in the room gathered into a spinning sphere. Johan could not see it, but he sensed that something had changed and his eyes focused on Emil’s palm.

“Amazing!” he claimed, feeling that a decent amount of anima was being manipulated by Emil. “How do you do that? You’re able to control it so well already.”

“I just want it to.”

Johan blinked. “Huh?”

“I want it to come to me so it does,” Emil stated. He spread out his fingers and watched the anima slowly dissipate into the air. “I don’t understand it either.”

“Woah…”

Johan opened his mouth to say something else, but suddenly, an urgent knock was heard at the door.

The two of them darted to their feet and Johan cast a quick spell that sent the books flying underneath his bed.

“Young Master!”

“What do you want, Mary?”

“Your father requests an audience with you. The Night Sage has arrived and your presence is needed.”

Johan’s eyes went as wide as saucers. “He’s here now? He wasn’t supposed to arrive for another two days!” He stomped his foot angrily. “Come on, Emil.”

Confused, the boy nodded his head and followed his master out of the bedroom. Mary was leading them and he was forced to nearly run in order to keep up with their rapid pace. Emil puffed out a hot breath of air as he tried not to trip over his own feet as he moved.

The head’s office was located across the courtyard in the opposite wing from Johan’s, and the distance that they needed to cross was not short… but, because of their rush, they arrived there relatively fast.

Emil couldn’t help but conspicuously rub his burning calves with his foot as Mary knocked on the doors to the office. Why were they in such a rush? Who was this Sage of the Night? Moon Sage? Something like that… Emil scratched the back of his neck, feeling troubled.

As long as he didn’t have to be involved, he was fine with it.

Suddenly, the door swung wide open revealing the inside of the office. Currently, there were two men inside.

One was seated at the desk. His entire being radiated with ferocious energy. Even from his sitting position, one could tell how tall he was. And while his body was not absurdly thick with muscle, he was still built. His huge hands which were folded on the desk seemed to able to tear a beast in half. Without doubt, this man was Alexander Damgaard, and Johan’s father. He had the same green eyes as his sons but his lacked the gentleness that both of them had.

Emil felt that hard, warlike gaze wash over him and almost took a step back. That was Johan’s father? He seemed more like a bull than a human. He carried all the same attractive features of his offspring, but he made them seem barbaric and warlike.

Alexander’s appearance greatly juxtaposed the other man in the room. Appearing to be in his thirties, a lanky, scholarly looking man stood with his arms crossed behind his back. His face was rather ordinary and he wore of thin-rimmed glasses. His lips were pulled into an unreadable smirk as he gazed at Johan. Then, his black-eyed stare shifted to Emil. No one noticed, but his expression shifted into one of mild surprise before correcting itself.

Emil felt his eyes lingering and raised his own to meet with the man’s. Instantly, he felt as if this person had the ability to pluck his soul from his body. The hairs on his neck began to rise. With a thick swallow, he forced himself to look down at the ground.

Was that the… Night Sage? Emil tried to guess what this title meant. Obviously, his status was important if he was allowed a direct audience with someone like Alexander Damgaard.

“Johan,” Alexander said in a quiet yet powerful voice. “Enter.”

“Yes, Father.”

Because Emil was busy admiring the floor tiles, he did not see Johan glance back at him with an almost pleading intent.

In the next second, the office dorms slammed shut.