"I shouldn't have let her come to the board."

  "But Master, she wanted to do it herself... it's not your fault."

  The voices were muffled and trembling, as if heard through a thick wall.

  Maria was semi-conscious, but she didn't open her eyes. It was an old instinct: Always assess the situation before the enemy knows you're awake.

  Her body felt heavy, but not the painful heaviness of passing out. A strange sensation, like warm water flowing through her drained body. Something external, powerful, and controlled was pulling her back from the edge of the abyss.

  This isn't my energy...

  Maria suddenly took a deep breath, as if she had just surfaced from underwater.

  GAAASP!

  Her eyes flew open, and she sat up halfway. Her hand unconsciously went to her waist (where her daggers weren't).

  "Calm down! Easy!"

  A firm hand grabbed her shoulder and pinned her to the bed.

  Maria blinked to clear her vision.

  Master Albert was above her. He was slightly pale, and sweat beaded on his forehead. His hand was still over Maria's heart, and a green flow was flowing from his fingers into Maria's chest.

  "Don't move, girl. I'm still performing the 'infusion'. If I stop, your heart will stop again."

  Maria froze. She looked at the glowing flow.

  "My heart...?"

  "Maria!"

  Sarah, whose face was wet with tears and who was huddled in the corner of the room with puffy eyes, jumped forward.

  "She's alive! Thank God... Master, will she be okay?"

  Albert sent the last pulse of mana and removed his hand. He took a deep breath and slumped into the chair, as if he had set down a heavy load.

  "Yeah... she's back."

  Albert took off his fogged-up glasses and wiped them with the hem of his robe; he stared at Maria with a tone that was a mix of anger and admiration.

  "Congratulations, Miss Maria. You have officially broken the record for the 'stupidest method of suicide' in Academy history."

  Maria, whose heartbeat had now calmed down, said quietly:

  "I just made a fireball..."

  "Your capacity is a drop, but you tried to unleash a flood!"

  Albert raised his voice slightly.

  "You suffered 'Complete Mana Depletion'. Your body went into shock. Do you know what would have happened if I hadn't been there and quickly given you my own mana?"

  Albert snapped his fingers in front of Maria's face. Maria closed her eyes for a moment.

  Snap.

  "Like a candle running out, your light would have gone out. Your brain would have become a dark, empty room. You would be alive, but there'd be nobody left inside."

  "I don't know if you're aware or not, but let me be blunt: with this insignificant mana capacity you have, using magic is basically suicide for you."

  Maria, the dizziness of unconsciousness having cleared from her head, pulled herself up and leaned against the headboard. She was faced with a bitter and inevitable reality.

  If I can't use magic, I have no chance against people like Damian. Judo techniques, daggers, and Aura only work up to a point.

  "Master Albert... does that mean there is no way? Can't I increase my capacity? Train?"

  Albert sighed and pulled his chair closer.

  "Look, Maria, mana capacity is like a person's 'height'. It's something you're born with. Usually, nobles have high capacity and commoners... well, less."

  He pushed up his glasses.

  "Of course, there is a rule that says: 'The more mana is consumed, the wider the channels become and the capacity grows slightly.' Just like muscle building. But your problem is that your capacity is so low that you can't even train! You pass out with one practice session. How do you want to build muscle when you can't lift the weight?"

  A heavy silence filled the room. Despair settled over her like a weight.

  Suddenly, Sarah, who had remained silent, said hesitantly:

  "Well... can't she use 'Magical Equipment'?"

  Maria turned her head. A glimmer of hope shone in her eyes.

  "Master? is Sarah right?"

  Albert pondered for a moment. He scratched his chin.

  "The answer is both yes and no."

  "What does that mean?"

  "You see, most magic crystals used in equipment you see on the market act as 'catalysts'. Their job is to optimize mana consumption and make mental shaping easier for complex and detailed spells. But they don't produce mana. The main fuel still has to come from your own body."

  Albert pointed to Sarah's gold bracelet.

  "Of course, there is a second type: 'Storage' devices. Crystals that can store mana. But there is a problem with 'density'. Mana is volatile. It can't be kept condensed inside a crystal."

  Albert gestured to the room's space with his hand.

  "Let me give you an example so you understand. If you wanted to store a volume of mana equal to my body's capacity, you'd need a crystal the size of this entire room! Small equipment (like rings or bracelets) can only hold a small amount of mana. Maybe enough to light a lamp, but to fight a knight? No."

  Maria calculated in her mind.

  So it's not a miracle... but it's better than nothing. If I can have an emergency reserve, maybe I can use the 'Mana Edge' Aura technique I learned more often in critical moments without passing out.

  She remembered last night. The bracelet Sarah had brought.

  Maria turned her head to ask Sarah, but the words dried up in her mouth.

  The image of Sarah's tearful eyes and her own cold voice echoed in her ear: "I don't need charity."

  Sweat of shame beaded on her forehead. How could she ask for help now, after that behavior?

  Sarah saw Maria's hesitation. The girl was smarter and kinder than to hold a grudge.

  She took Maria's cold hands in hers and squeezed them.

  "With my country's magical equipment, at least you can use magic a few times. That bracelet..."

  Sarah smiled, a smile that this time, for Maria, didn't have the color of "betrayal," but the color of "forgiveness."

  "It's still in the room. We'll go back and I'll give it to you. I'll fill it with mana for you every night myself. We're roommates, aren't we?"

  Maria looked into Sarah's brown eyes.

  The defensive wall around her heart didn't crumble, but a brick had come loose.

  I pushed her away, humiliated her, but she still took my hand. Maybe... maybe not everyone is like Lucy and Catherine.

  Maria lowered her head so Sarah wouldn't see the glint of tears in her eyes.

  "Thank you... Sarah."

  Albert smiled and stood up.

  "Well, looks like the problem is solved. The danger is gone, but rest well tonight."

  He went toward the door, but paused before exiting:

  "By the way, Maria... if you really want to find a way to overcome your mana weakness, I suggest you pay a visit to the old section of the library. Alchemy and Magic Physics... these are things nobles ignore, but they might be the key to your lock."

  Maria raised her head.

  "The library?"

  "Yes. Knowledge is the weapon of those who lack brute strength."

  Albert nodded and left.

  Maria looked at Sarah.

  "Will you help me up? Let's go try that bracelet."

  ***

  The first weeks of the Academy didn't pass like lightning; rather, they were slow and painful, like dragging a body over jagged rocks.

  Maria's schedule had become a repetitive and grueling cycle: waking up early before Sarah, exhausting classes where she was ignored, physical training that stretched her childish muscles to the tearing point, and long nights awake in the library to find a crack in the high wall of mana weakness.

  The hot summer gave way to autumn. The green leaves of the ancient trees on the Academy grounds turned gold and red one by one, scattering across the white cobblestones like drops of blood with every gust of cold autumn wind. The rustling of leaves under students' feet replaced the sound of birds.

  Maria hugged heavy books on "Mana Flow Theory" and pulled up the collar of her uniform coat to protect herself from the biting wind. Her path went by the Memorial Garden; the quietest spot in the Academy.

  There, a long wall of black granite existed, stretching like a dark scar amidst the beauty of the garden. On the stone, thousands of names were delicately engraved. The names of those who, in past centuries, had sacrificed their lives to defend the Kingdom of Alverin.

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  Maria slowed her steps.

  Someone was there.

  A boy with silver hair that shone like metal in the sunset light.

  Damian Von Taurus.

  He stood alone. Unlike usual, where a ring of henchmen and disciples surrounded him, he was now in absolute silence.

  Damian had taken off his black leather glove. He ran his index finger slowly and respectfully over one of the engraved names. As if trying to brushing the dust of time from the name of that unknown soldier would shine again.

  His movement was not out of grief, nor out of pity; it was a cold, precise, and... an acknowledging gesture.

  The sound of his whisper, carried on the wind, reached Maria's ears:

  "A necessary cost."

  Maria stood in the shadow of a willow tree and watched him.

  This sentence... this logic... was familiar yet alien to Maria.

  She answered in her mind: You say cost is necessary... I say cost means people. It means mothers, it means friends, it means lives that won't return. Our difference isn't in the numbers… it's in what we count as valuable.

  Suddenly, Damian's hand movement stopped. Without turning his head, he put his glove back on.

  "Is hiding behind trees your habit? Or do you just enjoy watching me?"

  Maria stepped out of the shadow. Her face was expressionless as always.

  "The path to the library is through here. I didn't intend to disturb your... spiritual solitude."

  Damian turned slowly. His emerald eyes flashed in the twilight. A crooked, uninterpretable smile settled on his lips.

  "Disturb? No. Spiritual solitude belongs to the monks of Solareth, Maria. I was just... calculating."

  Damian turned back and walked slowly toward Maria. Dry leaves crushed under his polished boots, but he walked as if he didn't want to break the silence of the fallen.

  His gaze was heavy; not like Brook's mocking look, nor like Arthur's kind look. His look was like a jeweler judging the worth of gold.

  "Did you read the names on the stone?"

  "A few of them."

  "Most of them were nobles. Strong, wealthy, talented. But now they are just a bunch of lines on stone."

  Damian adjusted his cufflink and continued in a cold tone:

  "Everyone thinks 'becoming a hero' is the ultimate goal. But this wall tells me that heroes are just the ones who died sooner so the rest could live."

  He fixed his sharp gaze on Maria's eyes.

  "You don't look like someone seeking heroics and medals. Your eyes... are like the eyes of someone who knows the end of these epic stories."

  Maria felt Damian was getting too close to the truth. She kept her guard up and held her books tighter.

  "I'm just seeking my duty. Not heroism."

  Damian sneered.

  "'Duty'... is a dangerous word. Especially when you're next to someone like Arthur Valerion."

  Maria frowned.

  "What do you mean?"

  Damian took a step closer, his shadow falling over Maria. His tone shifted from philosophical to warning:

  "Arthur is like that sun on our flag; warm and bright, and everyone loves him. But remember, Maria... get too close to the sun, and you burn."

  Damian nodded toward the wall behind him.

  "Edward sent you here to be a new piece in the game. But on the chessboard, 'pawns' are the first ones sacrificed so the 'King' can survive. Try not to have your name written on this wall."

  Maria stared straight into his emerald eyes. She swallowed her fear and answered with a firm voice:

  "Maybe I am a pawn. But if a pawn reaches the end of the line, it becomes a Queen."

  Damian's smile deepened. A glint of admiration mixed with rivalry shone in his eyes.

  "Then you have a long road ahead, little soldier. A very long road."

  Damian finished his sentence and, without waiting for an answer, passed by Maria. His long coat swayed in the wind.

  Maria stood and watched him recede along the path covered with autumn leaves.

  A cold wind blew and messed up her hair.

  Damian's presence weighed on her; heavier than the stone statues and more pressuring than the disdainful looks of others. He was an enemy who "understood." And that was the most dangerous kind of enemy.

  Maria let out her held breath.

  You're right, Damian... I have a long road ahead...

  She hugged her books tight and set off toward the library building, her only sanctuary in this strange world.

  ***

  Maria entered the library with a troubled mind. The smell of parchment and the dust of centuries-old knowledge was the only thing that could calm the storm in her mind.

  The library was massive; thousands of shelves rising to the domed ceiling. But Maria didn't go to the general section. She went toward the darker corners, the "Fundamental Theories" section.

  She opened the thick book "Advanced Mana Theory".

  Hours passed.

  The more she read, the deeper her frown became. All the books said one thing: "Mana capacity is congenital and unchangeable."

  Thud!

  Maria closed the book angrily. The sound of closing the book echoed in the silence of the library.

  Damn this system. Is my destiny to remain weak?

  She remembered Damian's words: "Weakness is the only unforgivable sin."

  Maria stood up and went to the "Natural Sciences and Magic Alchemy" shelves. A place no one went to because nobles considered it beneath them.

  If Magic doesn't work... I have to go to Science. If I can't produce mana, I have to learn how to steal, divert, or neutralize others' mana.

  She picked up a few books on the properties of plants, magical equipment, and the physical properties of crystals.

  This is the start. My path goes through here.

  ***

  It was past midnight when she returned to the dormitory.

  She opened the door quietly so as not to wake Sarah. But the small night lamp by Sarah's bed was on.

  Sarah was awake. Sitting on her bed in her pink pajamas, reading a book, but her eyes constantly shifted to the clock.

  Upon seeing Maria, her eyes lit up.

  "You came? I was worried you got lost!"

  Maria put the books on her desk. Exhaustion weighed heavily on her body.

  "I didn't get lost. I was just studying."

  Sarah asked cautiously:

  "Did you eat dinner? I hid a meat sandwich for you. I knew you'd forget to eat."

  She pointed to the plate on the table.

  Maria looked at the sandwich. Her stomach grumbled.

  She couldn't deny it; Sarah, with all her talkativeness, was kind.

  "Thank you."

  Sarah smiled, happy that Maria hadn't rejected her. Then she held up her own gold bracelet.

  "By the way... give me your bracelet. We forgot to charge it last night. I promised to fill it every night."

  Maria paused.

  This bracelet was a symbol of her weakness. A symbol that she needed help. Her pride resisted.

  But she remembered the failure in magic class. She remembered Brook's contemptuous look.

  She rolled up her sleeve and held out her wrist.

  "Okay."

  Sarah excitedly wrapped her hands around Maria's wrist.

  "Don't worry, it'll be over soon."

  Sarah's eyes closed. A gentle green light radiated from her hands and transferred to Maria's gold bracelet. The five gems on the bracelet lit up one by one.

  Maria felt the warmth of Sarah's mana on her skin. A warmth different from her own mana.

  Trusting is hard... but maybe it's necessary for survival.

  "Done!"

  Sarah pulled her hands back. She was panting slightly (transferring mana was tiring), but a smile was spread across her face.

  "Now you have a full reserve. You won't run short in class tomorrow."

  Maria looked at the glowing bracelet.

  "Why are you doing this, Sarah? I didn't treat you well."

  Sarah shrugged and turned off the lamp to sleep.

  "Because my mom always said: 'Friends are like puzzle pieces. They don't need to be the same shape to fit together.' Goodnight, Maria."

  Maria stared at the ceiling in the dark. The bracelet felt heavy on her wrist, but the warmth of the mana inside gave her strength.

  Puzzle pieces...

  Maybe you're right, Sarah. But in my puzzle, for now, you are just a 'power source.' I protect you because I need you. This is a deal, not friendship.

  This was the lie she told herself to soothe her conscience. Because deep down in her heart, she really missed that sandwich and that smile.

  She picked up the sandwich. The meat tasted cold, but to her, it tasted of hope.

  ***

  At noon, when the dining hall turned into a battlefield of clattering cutlery and curious or stinging whispers, Maria would escape.

  She had found a sanctuary: a secluded, isolated courtyard behind an old building where no one had set foot for years. High walls and wild ivy hid it from prying eyes.

  Maria sat on the grass, biting into her sandwich and reading the thick book "Contemporary Wars of Alverin".

  Silence and peace were the only things she wanted.

  Rustle...

  The sound of a dry branch breaking came from the thorny bushes on the left.

  Maria closed the book in a fraction of a second and drew her dagger.

  Not wind. Footsteps. Heavier than a squirrel, lighter than a human.

  She narrowed her eyes.

  The bushes moved, and a shadow crawled out from the darkness of the foliage.

  A small creature, maybe the size of an adult cat.

  Its body was as black as a starless night; but its anatomy... was strange. It had long ears like a wild cat, and strangest of all were its three slender, whip-like tails that twitched nervously in the air.

  Maria frowned.

  Three tails? I don't know any animal in this world with such anatomy. Could it be...?

  She remembered Master Simon's vague words saying that creatures of the Western Lands violated the laws of nature.

  A magical monster? Here? In the middle of the Academy? If the guards or masters find out, they'll slaughter it.

  Seeing Maria, the black creature flattened its ears. It arched its back and showed its white, sharp fangs.

  Grrrr...

  Its growl was weak and trembling, not threatening.

  Maria adjusted the dagger in her hand and took a stance. She didn't know what abilities this creature had. Poison? Speed? Magic?

  She waited for an attack.

  But instead of pouncing, the creature stumbled. Its legs gave out, and with a short whimper, it fell onto its side.

  Maria approached cautiously.

  The grass beneath the creature's black body changed color to blood red.

  There was a deep wound on its flank, as if cut by a sword or wind magic. The bleeding was severe.

  Maria raised the dagger. Her bodyguard instinct said: Unknown threat. Eliminate it.

  She aimed the tip of the dagger at the creature's neck.

  At that same moment, the creature opened its eyes and looked at Maria.

  Large, ruby-colored eyes.

  Its look wasn't wild; it was full of fear, pain, and pleading.

  Maria's hand froze in the air.

  Suddenly, time stood still for Maria. An image from her previous life flashed in her mind:

  The empty apartment... nights returning tired from work... and Kuro-chan looking at her with his large yellow eyes. The only being waiting for her. The only one who didn't betray.

  A heavy lump blocked her throat. The image of Kuro-chan merged with the image of this wounded, lonely creature.

  Damn it... I can't.

  She sheathed the dagger and knelt.

  "Don't be scared, little one... I won't hurt you."

  She reached out her hand to see the wound.

  With its last strength, the creature turned its head and clamped its teeth onto Maria's hand.

  "Ouch!"

  Its sharp teeth scratched Maria's skin, but the creature's jaw was so weak it couldn't tear the flesh.

  Maria didn't pull her hand back. She let the creature bite to calm down. With her other hand, she gently stroked its head. Its fur, unlike Kuro-chan's, was rough and cold, like touching darkness.

  "Shhh... calm down. I'm not an enemy. I'm alone like you."

  When the creature's jaw loosened, Maria put her hand on the wound.

  The bleeding is severe. I have to stop it.

  She remembered Master Albert's class: "Healing Theory".

  But she didn't have enough mana for it. Even with the bracelet, she could only use a simple spell like a fireball once and her Aura technique (Mana Edge) five times.

  Think, Maria... I don't need complete tissue regeneration. I just need to clot the blood.

  She touched the gold bracelet Sarah had given her. She felt a weak flow of mana.

  Thank you, Sarah.

  She drew the mana stored in the bracelet and focused it on stopping the blood.

  Hope it works.

  A faint light shone.

  The creature whimpered and shivered, but the bleeding slowly stopped.

  Maria wiped the sweat from her forehead. She took her clean, pressed handkerchief from her pocket and bound the wound tightly with the skill of a soldier.

  "Done. You'll survive."

  Then she brought her half-eaten sandwich forward. She separated pieces of meat and held them in front of the creature's mouth.

  The monster cub sniffed. Hunger overcame its fear, and it started eating voraciously.

  Maria sat and watched. For the first time in this world, she felt that being useful didn't always mean fighting.

  When the food was finished, the creature gained a little strength. It stood on its legs and stared at Maria. It wagged its tail.

  Maria stood up and said in a serious, but sad tone:

  "Go."

  The creature stood still.

  Maria stomped her foot on the ground.

  "I said go! Don't stay here. If others see you, they'll kill you. Go to your mom and dad... if they haven't left you alone too."

  The monster cub seemed to understand her words. It took a deep look at Maria, as if wanting to memorize her face. Then it turned and disappeared like a silent shadow among the bushes.

  Maria looked at the empty spot. She touched her hand where the creature's teeth marks remained.

  Goodbye, little shadow. Try to survive in this cruel world.

  I have to go to the library. I have to find out what you are... before others find you.