Deep into the night, Nova lay on the bed. The room was silent save for Lopez's steady breathing; Kale and Rey had been taken to the infirmary and would be spending the night there.

'If what Lopaz said is true, and it really takes three years to become a knight, then how long will it take me to conquer the other two kingdoms?' Nova wondered. 'I'm willing to spend every moment training until I master Aura, after all, I still have eight years before my agreement with Erevan comes due but I don't even know how much is the time difference in this portal compared to Earth. I need to master Aura as fast as possible and get out of here. I can't slack off.'

Nova's thoughts soon circled back to the real issue at hand.

Time.

Or rather, the lack of it.

He closed his eyes and took a slow, deep breath. The tension eased from his chest as he calmed his mind, clearing away the clutter of urgency and doubt. In that stillness, one word surfaced.

'Desire.'

//////////////

The bell rang across the camp, and his eyes slowly opened as sunlight streamed through the window.

"You coming to the canteen with me?" Lopaz asked, already halfway through changing his clothes.

'He really doesn't give up.' Nova sighed. 'Might as well get some info out of him.'

"I'm heading there. If you're that desperate, you can tag along."

As if he'd just been granted what he wished for, Lopaz beamed. "I'll come! I'll come!"

////////////

The canteen buzzed with chatter as the two sat across from each other, trays between them.

"You still haven't told me who your instructor is," Lopaz said between bites.

Nova barely looked up. "What difference does it make whether you know or not?"

"It makes a huge difference!" Lopaz leaned in, gesturing with his fork. "The better your instructor, the better your chances. They might give you special guidance, even introduce you to someone high up in the army. Once that happens? Smooth sailing. Better treatment, faster promotions, your whole career changes."

By the end of his speech, Lopaz had stopped eating entirely, lost in the fantasy of such a future.

Nova raised an eyebrow. "Aren't knights already respected?"

He could understand how someone without Mana might be looked down on. But in his mind, a knight who could wield Aura should be treated with respect.

"It depends," Lopaz said, then continued, "Anyone can become a knight once they go through training and reach the first stage of Aura, Awakening. To the general public, a knight is a knight. They won't notice the difference. But to fellow knights or mages? Someone stuck at Awakening is barely more than a regular person."

'First stage, Awakening...' Nova committed the term to memory. "And after that?" he asked.

Can he ask like a normal person, just once? Lopaz sighed and shook his head slightly. "Only those who reach the second stage, Flow, are seen as equals to low-tier mages with no background. Even then, some mage apprentices will still look down on them…"

His voice trailed off. A bitter smile tugged at his lips, but he said nothing more.

When the silence dragged on, Nova glanced over. 'For him to stop so suddenly…'

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"Something wrong?" he asked quietly.

"No, no, no," Lopaz said quickly, waving a hand in dismissal. Forcing a smile, he added, "I was just gathering my thoughts. Wanted to explain it properly."

Nova gave a small nod and returned to his meal.

Clearing his throat, Lopaz continued, "As I was saying, mages only start to respect knights once they reach the third stage, Manifestation."

Nova raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Just one stage makes that much of a difference?"

"Absolutely. The jump from Flow to Manifestation is massive, not just in power, but in status. It's the point where knights start being taken seriously. Even if you go beyond that, say to the fourth stage, the change in how they treat you isn't nearly as dramatic. They might give you a bit more respect, but there's a limit to how much someone can respect you."

He paused, then leaned in slightly.

"There's a reason for that."

Lopaz paused, hoping Nova would take the bait and ask. But the silence dragged on. With a quiet sigh of resignation, he continued.

"When a knight reaches the third stage they gain the ability to expel Aura outside their body." His voice picked up, excitement seeping in. "That's what truly sets them apart. Unlike second-stage knights who are limited to close combat, third-stage knights can strike from range. They become lethal from a distance."

"Even mages think twice before crossing someone like that. That's when they start giving knights the respect they deserve."

Nova's eyes narrowed.

'To think a soldier has to slave away for years just to become a knight… and even then, it's not enough. Only by reaching the third stage, only by mastering a power they had to earn, do they get recognized by a mage born with Mana, born with privilege.' Nova internally sighed.

'Now it makes sense. Until Manifestation, knights are dismissed. But once they can wield Aura at range, once they can kill without ever closing the gap, everything changes. It always comes down to power.'

His heart skipped a beat. The world around him faded as he turned inward, thoughts rising to the surface.

'Power?'

'Why did that word make my heart jump?'

Chasing the sensation, he repeated the word in his mind but the feeling slipped further away, like trying to grasp smoke.

After a few minutes, he let out a quiet sigh. 'It's not "power"… but it's something close.'

"Nova?"

He opened his eyes. Lopaz was looking at him, concern etched on his face.

"Hmm? What is it?"

"You okay? You totally zoned out for a minute there."

Nova offered a faint smile. "I'm fine. Just thinking about how much a knight has to train… just to stand on equal ground with a mage."

"Exactly! Once we hit the third stage, those pampered mage brats will have no choice but to bow their heads!" Lopaz laughed like he was already there.

"Try reaching it before you start celebrating," Nova said dryly.

Lopaz's eye twitched. "How dare you shatter a man's dreams!"

Nova chuckled, then stood and looked him dead in the eye. "If the dream's that good… imagine how much better it'd feel as reality."

With that, he turned and walked away, leaving Lopaz blinking at his retreating back.

"Reality…?"

/////////////

"There you are, Page," Instructor Morai said as Nova approached.

Nova gave a respectful nod in greeting.

"Have you taken time to reflect on your desire?" the instructor asked.

"Yes," Nova replied. "There was a word I felt a strong connection to… but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't hold on to the feeling."

Morai nodded thoughtfully. "That's common when you're beginning to understand yourself. What you found may not be your true desire but it's close. It could be a tool you'll need to reach it, or simply a concept tied to it in some way. The important thing is to discover the connection. That's your task now."

His voice was calm but resolute.

Is it luck… or is he a genius? Morai was genuinely surprised that Nova had already grasped a concept so close to his true desire. But outwardly, his expression remained unreadable.

'Whatever it is, the list is too damn long. Almost everything requires power in some form. Am I expected to go through every single thing one can achieve with it?' A dull ache formed behind Nova's eyes at the thought of parsing through the endless possibilities tied to power.

"You'll experience my Aura once more," Morai spoke up. "After that, your training today will be limited to the spear. There's no need to rush this. Pushing too hard will only fool you into thinking you've found your desire only for that that path to be the wrong one, leading you nowhere. You'll never reach Aura chasing a lie."

The instructor's words pulled Nova out of his spiraling doubts. He slightly tilted his head down. "Understood. Thank you, Instructor."

"Good. I'm glad you do," Morai replied. With that, he let Nova feel the surge of Aura once more before turning to oversee the others.

'I was sure I'd find more clues today,' Nova thought as he walked toward the spear rack. 'But even after experiencing Aura again, nothing stood out.'

Grabbing a spear, he began his training, the steady rhythm of his movements interrupted only by the faint buzz of notifications echoing in his mind.

[Spear Thrust proficiency increased]

[Spear Sweep proficiency increased]

[Spear Lunge proficiency increased]

Not even an hour later, he stopped, breath ragged and uneven. 'I can't focus. Training now is useless and will only backfire.'

He put the spear back on the rack and started walking away, his mind stuck on a single word, repeating like a broken record.

'Power… power… power…'

Then, just steps from his room, he froze and muttered.

"Power?!"

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