Six weeks into the term, Edge had settled into the rhythms of Academy life. Each day began before dawn with Physical Conditioning, followed by a rotation of theoretical and practical classes. Evenings were devoted to study, practice, and occasional moments of camaraderie with his fellow initiates—except Caius, who maintained his distance.
Edge's progress had been steady if uneven. In Manifestation, he continued to excel, now able to maintain his energy sword for several minutes without wavering. In elemental manipulation, however, he struggled. While other students could reliably produce their affinity element—Caius's flames, Min's air currents—Edge's attempts resulted in unfocused bursts of silver-white energy that occasionally carried traces of various elements but mastered none.
"A jack of all trades, master of none," Magister Veren had commented after a particularly frustrating lesson. "Your mana resists conventional channeling. We must find another approach."
The opportunity came during Individual Study on the sixth Seventhday of term—the one day when classes were shortened to allow personal research. Edge had been using this time to practice with Ravencrest's focusing disk, but progress had plateaued. After an hour of fruitless attempts to manifest anything beyond variations of bladed weapons, he decided a change of scenery might help.
The Great Library occupied a domed building near the center of the Academy grounds. Unlike the House towers, the Library was neutral territory, open to all students regardless of affiliation. Edge had visited only once before for a History assignment, overwhelmed by the sheer volume of books contained within.
The Library's interior was more vast than seemed possible from outside, a common feature of Academy architecture. Circular in design, it rose seven levels high, with each level containing bookshelves that stretched from floor to ceiling. The central space remained open, creating a vertiginous view directly up to a domed ceiling enchanted to display the night sky regardless of the actual time of day.
Floating platforms served as elevators between levels, activated by placing one's hand on a glowing sigil and stating the desired floor. Glowing orbs of light drifted through the stacks, illuminating the countless tomes, scrolls, and artifacts that comprised the Academy's collection.
"Can I help you find something?" The voice came from behind Edge as he stood gazing upward. He turned to find an elderly woman in gray robes watching him with bright, alert eyes.
"I'm researching manifestation magic," Edge explained. "Particularly unusual cases that don't follow standard elemental affinities."
The woman's eyebrows rose slightly. "Ah, you must be the Regius boy. Drakescale's unexpected prodigy."
Edge's surprise must have shown on his face, for she chuckled softly.
"Little happens at the Academy that Librarian Moira doesn't hear about," she said. "Especially when it involves rare magical disciplines." She gestured for him to follow. "Come. The general texts on manifestation are on the third level, but I suspect you need something more specific."
They stepped onto a platform that smoothly ascended once Moira placed her hand on its control sigil. Unlike the student platforms, she didn't need to voice a destination.
"Unusual magical signatures have been documented throughout Imperial history," Moira explained as they rose. "Most commonly associated with bloodline convergence or environmental anomalies."
"Bloodline convergence?" Edge asked.
"When distinct magical lineages intermingle after generations of separation. The resulting offspring occasionally manifest hybrid abilities or entirely new expressions." She gave him a sidelong glance. "Is your family history well documented?"
Edge shook his head. "We're farmers. Commoners as far back as anyone remembers."
"Hmm. Records among common folk are notoriously incomplete. The Empire only began systematic documentation of magical manifestation among the lower classes within the last century."
The platform stopped at the fifth level, and Moira led Edge through stacks containing older, more weathered tomes than those on the main floors. The air here smelled of aged parchment and the faint metallic tang of preservation enchantments.
"Here we are," she said, stopping before a section labeled 'Anomalous Manifestations.' "These texts document cases that defied conventional classification. Rather specific interest for a first-year student."
"I've been having difficulty with standard elemental channeling," Edge admitted. "My magic seems to... resist it."
"Resistance often indicates compatibility with alternative paths," Moira said cryptically. She pulled a slim volume bound in midnight blue leather from the shelf. "Begin with Archmage Varion's Treatise on Divergent Mana Signatures. When you finish, if you have questions—and you will—ask for me at the central desk."
With that, she departed, leaving Edge alone among the ancient texts. He found a secluded reading alcove and opened Varion's treatise. The language was dense and academic, requiring multiple readings of some passages, but the content proved fascinating.
Archmage Varion had documented dozens of cases where mages exhibited abilities that transcended standard elemental classifications. Many involved manifestation in some form, but with unique properties tied to the individual's nature. One case particularly caught Edge's attention:
Subject 27: Male, age 22, commoner background. Discovered during military recruitment when he manifested weapons of pure energy during combat assessment. Initial testing revealed no dominant elemental affinity, yet subject could produce constructs of exceptional density and durability. Further investigation identified a unique mana signature containing traces of all seven primary elements but dominated by a previously unclassified resonance pattern.
This signature bears remarkable similarity to historical accounts of the legendary Astral Blades—seven weapons said to have been forged from "star metal" during the pre-Imperial era. Ancient texts describe these weapons as capable of "cutting between worlds" and "binding that which cannot be bound."
Subject's bloodline investigation proved inconclusive due to limited genealogical records. Further study terminated when subject perished during experimental procedure attempting to stabilize his mana core.
Edge read the passage three times, an unsettling sense of recognition growing with each reading. The description of Subject 27's abilities matched his own experiences too closely to be coincidence. And the mention of the Astral Blades triggered a memory of his dream—seven swords that combined into one.
He was so absorbed that he didn't notice he had company until a shadow fell across the page.
"Light reading?" Lyra Ironheart asked, her copper hair gleaming in the magical illumination.
Edge closed the book reflexively. "Research."
Lyra's eyes narrowed slightly at his defensive reaction. "Relax, Regius. I'm not spying for Caius."
"I didn't say you were."
"You didn't have to." She seated herself across from him without invitation. "Your face is expressive. Terrible quality for a Drakescale student."
Edge regarded her curiously. In six weeks, Lyra had remained a puzzle. She performed admirably in all classes but volunteered little about herself. Unlike the others who had gradually formed a loose fellowship, she maintained a careful distance, observing more than participating.
"What brings you to the Library on free afternoon?" he asked.
"Same as you. Research." She placed her own book on the table—Advanced Metallurgical Transmutation. "My affinity makes metal manipulation natural, but the finer aspects require study."
Edge nodded. Lyra's ability to shape and control metal had made her a stand-out in Practical Applications. "You're already ahead of most second-years in transmutation."
"Not good enough," she replied with unexpected intensity. Then, seeming to catch herself, she added more casually, "Family expectations."
"Your family's in metallurgy?"
"Something like that." Her tone made it clear the subject was closed. She nodded toward his book. "Varion's Treatise is restricted reading for first-years. How did you get access?"
"The Librarian suggested it," Edge said, deciding honesty was simpler than evasion. "I've been trying to understand why my magic doesn't follow normal elemental patterns."
Lyra studied him with renewed interest. "I've noticed. Your manifestation is unusual—not just rare, but structurally different from standard magical theory." Her fingers tapped thoughtfully on her book. "Have you found answers?"
Edge hesitated, uncertain how much to share. Lyra had never been hostile like Caius, but neither had she been particularly friendly.
"Possibly," he hedged. "It mentions cases with multiple affinity traces that don't conform to traditional categories."
"Convergent mana patterns," Lyra said with a nod. "Theoretical, mostly. Few documented cases, fewer successful outcomes." She leaned forward slightly. "Most burn out their mana core trying to channel incompatible elements simultaneously."
The casual delivery of this dire prognosis sent a chill through Edge. "Burn out?"
"Magical burnout. Permanent damage to one's ability to channel mana. In severe cases, death." She eyed him speculatively. "But you haven't experienced pain during channeling, have you? Just resistance?"
"How did you know?"
"Observation. Your frustration in elemental classes is obvious, but not accompanied by the physical signs of mana rejection." She shrugged. "Meaning your core isn't incompatible with multiple elements; it simply hasn't been properly accessed."
Edge was startled by her insight. "You've given this some thought."
"You're an anomaly. Anomalies interest me." Her expression remained neutral, but something in her eyes suggested more than academic curiosity. "The focusing disk Ravencrest gave you—it's helping?"
"How do you know about that?"
A hint of a smile. "As I said. Observation."
Their conversation was interrupted by a chime that echoed through the Library. A one-hour warning before evening meal. Lyra gathered her book and stood.
"A suggestion," she said, looking down at Varion's treatise. "The fifth chapter mentions complementary focusing methods for divergent mana patterns. You might find it useful." She turned to leave, then added, "And Regius? Be careful who you discuss your research with. Some knowledge attracts unwanted attention at the Academy."
With that cryptic warning, she departed, leaving Edge to wonder about her sudden interest in his magical development. He spent the remaining hour reading the chapter she'd suggested, finding several exercises designed to help mages with multiple affinities achieve better control.
As he prepared to leave, Moira appeared so suddenly that Edge wondered if librarians had their own form of teleportation magic.
"Found what you needed?" she asked.
"I think so, yes. Thank you."
She nodded, her bright eyes assessing him. "One more text before you go." From within her robes, she produced a small, ancient-looking scroll case. "This isn't officially part of the collection. My personal research, you might say."
Edge accepted the case carefully. "What is it?"
"Fragmentary account of the Astral Blades," she said, confirming she had either overheard his reading or somehow knew exactly what had caught his interest. "Predates the Empire. Most historians dismiss it as legend, but..." She tapped the case. "Legends often contain kernels of truth."
"Why give this to me?" Edge asked, suspicion edging into his voice.
Moira's expression softened. "Because you remind me of someone I knew long ago. Someone with similar questions." She gestured to the case. "Copy what you wish, return it within three days. And speak of it to no one."
That evening in his quarters, Edge examined the scroll with careful hands. The parchment was unlike any he'd seen before—thinner than standard material but somehow stronger, with a subtle iridescence that caught the light. The script was in ancient Imperial, which Edge could read only haltingly thanks to History lessons.
He managed to translate portions, piecing together a fragmented narrative:
...seven blades forged from the heart of a fallen star... each imbued with the essence of a primal element... wielded by seven champions to seal the Void Breach when the boundary between worlds grew thin...
...scattered after the Binding, for no mortal could safely bear more than one... corrupts the unworthy... calls to those with compatible essence...
...prophecy speaks of an Ascendant Blade that will form when the seven are reunited... either to save the world or unmake it entirely...
The final passage sent an inexplicable shiver through Edge, resonating with his dream in a way that couldn't be coincidence:
When darkness rises between the worlds, the Star Forged will call to its inheritor. The Ascendant must choose: to bind or to break, to preserve or to transform. Seven becoming one, the Veil shall be his to mend or to tear asunder.
Edge carefully rolled the scroll and returned it to its case, his mind racing. The legendary weapons described matched the seven swords from his dream. The "unclassified resonance pattern" mentioned in Varion's treatise could well be connected to these Astral Blades.
But what did it mean for him? Was his unusual magic somehow linked to these ancient weapons? And why would such knowledge need to be kept secret, as both Lyra and Moira had warned?
As he prepared for sleep, Edge placed Ravencrest's focusing disk beside his bed. Following one of the exercises from Varion's treatise, he concentrated on channeling his energy into the disk while visualizing not a weapon, but a simple sphere of light.
The disk's runes activated, glowing softly in the darkness of his room. Above it formed a perfect orb of silver-white light, smaller than an apple but stable, casting soft illumination across his quarters. Unlike his previous manifestations, this one remained steady without conscious effort, floating serenely above the disk.
Edge watched, fascinated, as threads of color began to appear within the sphere—red, blue, green, yellow, purple, white, and black—swirling in complex patterns before settling into a structured arrangement like a miniature solar system, with the silver-white core at the center.