Eunice’s voice wasn’t loud, yet I could feel the confidence radiating from it.

Pausing before our respective doors, she glanced my way after opening hers.

“Rest first. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

I froze for a moment before nodding. “Okay.”

The face I once knew now felt utterly foreign—no longer mine, but housing a soul I couldn’t fathom.

Outside the corridor window, twilight deepened. Starlight and moonlight bled faintly through the glass. Night had fallen. The boy in black vanished behind his closing door.

I stared at that spot a while longer before slowly returning to my room. Moonstone’s soft glow filled the space. Sitting at the rosewood round table, I propped my cheek on my palm. Silence reigned, yet my heart refused to settle.

*Wasn’t she just an ordinary Radiant Glory? But… before this body swap, I was only human too.*

Slumped over the wooden desk in my bedroom, I couldn’t make sense of it.

*Has Eunice regained her power? How?*

The pre-swap Eunice had been strong. I’d never known how to wield her strength. This body—*my* body now—was just an ordinary girl’s.

*I’m still far too weak.*

I wasn’t powerless, though. My mind held all the knowledge needed to become a Mage. That was my last lifeline.

Becoming a Mage meant facing grave risks, but I could no longer stomach this helplessness.

I couldn’t keep relying on Eunice. I wanted to help her when real danger came—not be dead weight.

Finally, I could start learning magic. Before, staying with Violet had blocked that path. I’d only been able to memorize theories.

Now, with my own room, the chance had arrived.

I stood, checked the door lock twice—opening, closing, locking from inside—before drawing thick curtains over the large window, shutting out the hazy night.

This was Violet’s home, but safety wasn’t guaranteed. Caution was essential when practicing magic.

Back at the table, I calmed my thoughts and recalled the magical knowledge stored in my mind.

Mages ranked across seven tiers, but beginners started below them all—as Magic Apprentices.

Apprentices could cast unofficial spells. Only by independently casting a Tier-1 spell could one become a Formal Mage.

Magic wasn’t easy. Today’s goal was simple: sense the ambient magic elements. Theory was all I had; I’d never even *seen* an element.

If I succeeded, I’d aim for Apprentice status. Records claimed sensing elements took hundreds of attempts for most. Only prodigies succeeded on the first try—maybe one in thousands.

I had little confidence, but I’d try my hardest. One month to become an Apprentice—that was my estimate. Reality would likely be harsher.

Shaking my head inwardly, I closed my eyes, cleared my mind, and followed the method to sense the world’s elements.

One minute passed before true meditation settled in.

*Wait… what’s this?*

I jolted my eyes open, breaking focus.

*Did I just see… a kaleidoscope of lights?*

My heart hammered faster. *No way. On my first try, I actually* saw *magic elements?*

*Sensing* meant detecting their presence—I’d *seen* them. Wasn’t that a Formal Mage’s ability?

I squeezed my eyes shut, steadied my breath, and dove back into meditation.

There they were.

In the darkness, vibrant lights flared—swirling, refracting, merging into a boundless starry river like the cosmos itself.

*Impossible!*

I’d succeeded instantly, witnessing this breathtaking spectacle despite never touching magic before.

*A miracle?*

The sight awed me, yet my meditation held steady. Most mages trained for years to avoid mental turbulence during trance. But I not only maintained focus—I could drop in and out at will.

*How?*

*Am I… not ordinary at all?*

Fear crept in. This unknown, this abnormality terrified me.

Shock mounted. First-meditation element sight meant prodigy status.

My breath hitched—not from physical strain, but from the sheer weight of the impossible. That sea of light pressed down on my chest.

*My mental strength is too weak,* I realized. Eunice had warned me about this in the Levitating Tower’s warped transit field. I could *see* the elements but not *bear* them.

My spirit was as frail as my body—utterly, painfully average.

I snapped out of meditation. Reality rushed back with ragged gasps. Fatigue flooded every limb.

The vision of elemental radiance still burned behind my eyelids.

*Power. Real power. Right there. I will grasp it.*

Dizziness crashed over me. I staggered to my feet.

*Too much. This is my limit.*

How had I managed that depth of trance? Was I some once-in-a-generation genius? Absurd. I was ordinary—so ordinary I’d been invisible in my old world.

*Why?*

Confusion deepened the dizziness. My mind frayed. Rest was non-negotiable now—both body and remaining sanity demanded it.

Consciousness slipped away as the room blurred. I fled into sleep, severing all ties to reality.