Supreme Hunter of Beautiful Souls

The sun shone gently over the rooftops of Azalith Academy, casting golden beams through the corridors and windows of the old buildings. It was a morning like any other — or so it seemed. The distant sound of chatter and footsteps echoed through the halls as students hurried off to their classes.

Kael leaned lazily against a stone column, arms crossed and gaze lost somewhere on the horizon. Beside him, Amelia chattered cheerfully about the previous transmutation spell class.

"…and did you see what that kid in the second row tried to do? He tried turning a feather into a fox! Ended up creating a bunch of glittery dust and sneezing it right into the professor's face! I nearly died laughing!" Amelia laughed heartily, tugging Kael's arm as he gave a typical half-smile.

"You've got an impressive memory for disasters," he commented calmly, his eyes still drowsy.

"Of course I do! Someone's gotta remember the golden moments."

They walked side by side, descending the stone staircase toward the Arcanists' Pavilion, where their next class — Magical Artifacts — was scheduled. It was an elective both had chosen to take that week. The subject sparked Amelia's curiosity, and Kael… well, he was mostly going because the alternative was a dry magical history class taught by a professor who spoke slower than time itself.

Halfway there, they spotted a distinctive figure: silver hair dancing lightly in the breeze, emerald green eyes, and a presence that radiated nobility.

"Sylphie," Kael murmured, not slowing his step.

Amelia waved enthusiastically. "Hi, princess!"

Sylphie turned, and when she saw them, her face lit up with a gentle smile — though her gaze lingered on Kael a second longer than casual.

"Good morning. You two heading to the Artifacts class as well?" she asked, her voice sweet as music.

"Yes," Kael answered simply.

"Perfect," she said, falling in step beside him naturally, leaving Amelia to the right and Kael in the center. "I heard we'll have a new professor today. A specialist from another region. Might be interesting."

"As long as he doesn't make us draw runes for three hours straight, I'm in," Amelia joked.

Sylphie giggled softly, and the three continued down the hallway toward the large classroom where the lesson would take place. The Enchanted Items Hall was brighter than most rooms at the Academy. Glass shelves displayed curious artifacts: floating rings, orbs that spun on their own, blades that shimmered without touching sunlight. The scent was a mix of old parchment, polished metal — and magic. Lots of magic.

The trio took seats at a bench near the back, with enough space for Kael to sit between the two girls. He seemed at ease, his eyes casually scanning the shelves, while Amelia was already whispering excitedly to Sylphie about which items they might get to see.

Then the door opened, and in stepped a man of average height, short graying hair, and a deep blue cloak. He walked with confidence, carrying a small wooden case that he placed on the front table with a soft thud.

"Good morning, class," he said, his voice deep and clear. "My name is Professor Varek. I've come from the High Institute of Veyrus to share knowledge about Enchanted Artifacts. Over the next few weeks, we'll study everything — from minor relics to legendary items. If you have talent and patience, you might even craft one yourselves."

A soft murmur of excitement rippled through the room. Creating artifacts was a rare and highly sought-after skill.

"Today," the professor continued, opening the case with care, "we'll begin with something simple, yet essential: magical identification and the classification of enchantment properties."

He pulled out a curious object — a silver necklace with a droplet-shaped pendant. Inside the pendant, a silvery liquid moved slowly, like mercury.

"This is a Lacrima Primalis. It may look ordinary, but it contains tracking properties, emotional memory, and… a light psychic defense. I want you to observe the artifact, note your impressions, and using the identification spells you learned last year, try to uncover at least two of its properties. Groups of three are allowed."

The class quickly formed into groups. Kael, Amelia, and Sylphie didn't even need to move — they were already together. Amelia pulled out her wand almost instantly.

"Alright, let's do this. Sylphie, wanna start with Revelare?"

"Of course." Sylphie closed her eyes for a moment, gathering magic in her hands with practiced grace. She whispered the incantation, and her eyes glowed with a faint bluish hue as she looked at the necklace.

"The object records strong emotional traces from its user… love, sorrow, anger. It… stores memories based on emotion."

"That's amazing," said Amelia, jotting notes down quickly.

Kael took the necklace gently and focused, his eyes narrowing slightly. He didn't use spells like the others — he preferred to feel the energy through direct contact. After a few seconds, he spoke:

"It's also attuned to a type of defense… it reacts to hostile intent with an automatic psychic barrier. Weak, but enough to block mental suggestions or confusion enchantments."

Sylphie glanced at him sideways, clearly impressed. "You have a talent for this…"

"Just practice," he replied, handing the necklace back with care.

The lesson continued smoothly. Professor Varek moved around the room, correcting small mistakes here and there, but overall seemed satisfied with the class's performance. He explained the enchanting process, the limitations of smaller objects, and how to detect forgeries — a skill worth its weight in gold, literally.

At the end of class, the professor closed his case and said with a smile, "Next time, I'll bring more dangerous items. Don't be late."

The students began to disperse, pleased with the productive morning. Amelia stretched, laughing. "Finally, a class that doesn't put me to sleep."

Sylphie tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, sneaking a glance at Kael. "I liked it too…"

The soft chime of the magical bell echoed gently through the corridor, signaling the end of class.

Students rose from their benches, gathering their enchanted materials and exchanging lively comments about the lesson. Professor Varek had already retreated to his quarters, and the growing chatter of the hallway began to fill the artifact hall as groups and pairs started to leave.

Kael, Amelia, and Sylphie walked together toward the door, where the hallway split into different wings of the Academy.

"That was a good class," said Amelia, twirling her wand between her fingers. "Finally a professor who knows what he's doing. I think I'm gonna like this."

Sylphie smiled. "Me too. Artifacts are fascinating… There's a certain poetry in objects that carry both magic and history. As if each one holds a sleeping soul."

Kael listened in silence, his expression calm but attentive.

When they reached the fork in the corridor, Sylphie stopped. "Well… I'm heading to the library. Need to finish a report for my Elven Cour— I mean, Interracial Relations class."

"I'm heading to the dorm," Amelia said, stretching again. "If I don't lie down for a bit, I'll pass out in the afternoon session."

"See you later, then," said Sylphie, waving softly with her fingers.

"Later," Kael replied, watching her turn away, her long silver hair swaying behind her like a curtain of light.

It was then that Kael looked to the side and spoke in a low voice:

"Amelia, go on ahead. I need to take care of something."

She stared at him for a second, raising an eyebrow. "Take care of…?"

Kael didn't answer. He just held that same steady, calm gaze. But there was something in his eyes — something Amelia didn't often see. She hesitated for a moment, then shrugged.

"Alright. But if you're getting into trouble, call me."

"It's not trouble," he said, giving a faint half-smile. "Just… a conversation."

Amelia chuckled and walked off, muttering something like, "Ugh, you two..." before disappearing down the left corridor.

Kael turned calmly and began walking in the opposite direction, following after Sylphie. His steps were unhurried but sure. As always.

Kael trailed Sylphie at a safe distance, moving like a living shadow through the ancient stone corridors of Azalith Academy. His footsteps made no sound, and his aura was so well-contained that even a skilled tracker would have trouble sensing him.

His eyes remained fixed on her — on the silver hair flowing softly as she walked — but his senses stayed sharp, scanning everything around them. Not out of paranoia. Instinct. Because of what Eva had told him.

"Protect her, Kael. At any cost."

And Eva never spoke in vain.

Sylphie walked distractedly, clearly lost in her own thoughts, probably imagining ancient magical theories, or — Kael couldn't help the thought — maybe planning how to confess to him, in that awkwardly adorable way of hers.

But then he felt it.

Two presences.

Faint… but rotten. Intentions hidden beneath a thin veil of normalcy. Twisted auras, like something inside them had been… corrupted.

Kael stopped, pressing himself behind a stone pillar as Sylphie turned toward the east wing — one of the least frequented areas of the Academy at that time of day.

That's when he saw them.

Two boys. Academy uniforms. One blond with narrow, squinting eyes, and the other taller, dark-haired with a restless, twitchy gaze. They walked lightly… but it wasn't coincidence. It wasn't chance.

They were following Sylphie.

Kael felt the rage bloom silently within him, like coals heating at the pit of his stomach. The blond whispered something to the other, and they laughed — but the sound carried no humor. It was empty. Dry.

He recognized them. Vaguely. Ordinary students. Nothing remarkable in class. But now… their bodies held a wrong kind of tension, like they were driven by a hunger that didn't belong to normal humans.

"So that's it…" Kael thought, golden eyes narrowing. "Eva was right."

Sylphie turned another corner, now completely alone. And the two followed, pretending not to.

The corridor was isolated, lined with shut doors and windows covered by ancient tapestries. The perfect blind spot.

Kael moved.

He crossed the wall's shadow like he was part of it, his magic flowing silently. His presence was no louder than a whisper in the air — invisible to anyone without a predator's instincts.

Then he heard the voices.

"Princess Sylphie," the blond said, with a tone that tried too hard to sound polite.

She stopped and turned, her large, gentle eyes widening slightly at the sight of them. Not in fear — not yet — but in surprise.

"Ah… hello? Do you need something?"

"Actually…" the other one began, stepping forward slowly. "You're coming with us."

He exhaled something strange into the air — a subtle shift in atmosphere, like the room itself recoiled.