Path of the Unmentioned: The Missing Piece
Chapter 188: Back at the Academy [4]

Chapter 188: Back at the Academy [4]

The classroom air smelled faintly of marker ink and old books.

Sunlight streamed through the tall windows. Casting warm golden stripes across the wooden floor.

Mana-powered whiteboards lined the front wall, glowing softly with a faint blue hum. Diagrams and flowcharts hovered just above their surface.

Kyle slumped into his usual seat at the back of the room. The old wooden chair let out a low creak as he dropped into it.

To his left. Luna sat upright, spinning a strand of her silver-white hair between her fingers.

Her sharp, focused eyes moved quickly across the textbook in front of her. Like she was daring the pages to challenge her. She didn’t even look up when Kyle sat down.

To his right. Reo leaned back dangerously far in his chair, balancing on just two legs. His arms were crossed behind his head.

"Thank god you’re back," Luna muttered without looking away from her book. Her voice was low, dry, and laced with annoyance.

"It was so boring here without you. Just stuck with him."

She jerked her chin in Reo’s direction.

Reo let his chair slam back down with a loud thud and gasped like she had just insulted royalty.

"Excuse me? I’m a delight."

A few heads turned their way.

At the front of the room. Professor Carter didn’t even bother hiding his irritation.

He was a lean man with sharp features, neatly combed black hair, and a beard trimmed to perfection. His dark eyes locked onto them like a hawk spotting prey.

"If you three are quite finished," he said dryly, "we do have actual lessons to begin."

Kyle held back a laugh and sat up straighter. He knew better than to push it.

Professor Carter adjusted his thin-rimmed glasses and turned toward the board.

His hand moved quickly, writing out the topic in precise, angular strokes:

Advanced Mana Circulation: Stability Under Stress

Kyle stared at the words and groaned silently.

’Great. More theory.’

He had already been falling behind before the whole Black Gate mess. After that? He was practically drowning.

He opened his notebook and tapped the edge of his pen against the page, trying to focus.

The scribbled notes before midterms looked like gibberish now.

Luna nudged his arm. "You look like you are about to burn the desk with your thoughts."

Kyle sighed. "Just thinking about how much I’ve missed."

Reo gave a snort. "Relax, genius. You’ll catch up in, like. Two days. Probably."

Before Kyle could respond. Professor Carter spoke again.

"Since Mr. Valemont has decided to grace us with his presence," he said, still facing the board,

"Perhaps he would like to explain the difference between controlled and unstable mana circulation?"

Kyle blinked.

’Oh, come on.’

He could feel the whole room turning to look at him. Some students whispered. A few smirked.

Kyle took a slow breath through his nose.

"Controlled circulation is when your mana flow stays steady," he said, his tone calm.

"Like a river that doesn’t overflow. Unstable is when it’s all over the place. Like a flood. It goes wild, and you can’t keep up."

Professor Carter turned, raising one eyebrow. "And why is that important?"

Kyle fought the urge to roll his eyes. "Because if you don’t control it. You either pass out or explode. Or both."

A few chuckles scattered through the room. Someone near the window actually laughed out loud.

Carter’s mouth twitched. Not quite a smile, but close.

"A crude," he said, "but accurate summary."

He turned back to the board and began drawing a new diagram. "Now. If we apply this to real combat situations..."

Kyle half-listened, trying to follow as Carter sketched out a complicated mana circuit diagram.

He wrote down a few lines in his notebook but didn’t really register them. His mind drifted.

Back to the hospital.

Back to Vesper’s strange words.

Back to Eleanora, who had asked to meet him after class.

’Is she going to talk about the hospital? Or the power I used in the dungeon? Or maybe... all of it?’

A sharp kick to his shin brought him back to the present.

"Hey!" Kyle hissed.

Luna gave him a pointed look, her expression flat. "Stop spacing out. You’re already behind."

Reo leaned over with a smirk. "Yeah, Snow Prince. Pay attention."

Kyle just sighed and ignored them both.

He straightened up, tapped his pen once, and forced his attention back to the front.

———

The cafeteria hummed with the usual midday chaos, trays clattering.

Kyle, Reo, and Luna had taken their usual table near the back.

It was close enough to feel the sun but far enough to avoid the loudest parts of the crowd.

Kyle poked at his stew. Watching the chunks of meat and soft vegetables float in the thick, brown broth.

It smelled good, but his appetite wasn’t quite there yet.

Across from him. Reo was already on his third bowl, eating like he hadn’t had food in a week.

"Slow down," Luna said without looking up, her spoon stirring her tea. "You’re going to choke, and I’m not helping you."

Reo grinned, bits of bread stuck to the corner of his mouth. "Don’t worry."

Kyle wasn’t really paying attention. His eyes wandered around the room, sliding over familiar faces and loud voices.

Then a soft voice cut through the noise.

"Wow, you look like a completely different person."

Kyle turned his head.

Mira Ferrow stood next to their table. Her red hair was pulled back into a loose braid, and small freckles dotted her nose and cheeks.

She held her lunch tray with both hands. Her hazel eyes fixed on him with surprise. A light blush was rising up her neck.

Luna raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Oh, this should be fun."

Reo sat up straighter. His mouth still half-full. "Mira! Long time no see!"

Mira gave a shy smile and nodded slightly. "H-Hi, Reo. Luna."

Her eyes moved back to Kyle. "Um... can I sit here?"

Kyle nodded and nudged out the empty chair beside him. "Sure."

Mira gave a small, thankful smile and sat down carefully.

Her tray held a modest portion of stew, a slice of bread, and a cup of tea. She placed everything neatly in front of her and folded her hands in her lap.

For a few seconds, no one said anything. The background noise of the cafeteria filled the silence between them.

Then Kyle spoke. "How’s Lila’s treatment going?"

Mira’s face brightened. "It’s going really well. There’s been a lot of progress. She’s getting stronger." Her voice was soft but hopeful.

"The healers think that if it keeps going like this. She might be able to leave the hospital in a year."

Kyle nodded slowly. "That’s great."

Reo leaned forward, resting his chin on his palm. "Yeah, seriously. Last time we visited. She could barely sit up on her own."

Mira’s smile turned fond. "She misses you, Kyle. She keeps asking when the ’prince’ is coming back."

Luna nearly choked on her tea. "Prince?"

Kyle glared at her. "Don’t."

Reo burst out laughing.

Mira waved her hands quickly, her face turning red. "I-It’s just what she calls him! Because he helped us. That’s all."

Luna wiped her mouth, still grinning. "Mm-hm. Sure. We believe you."

Kyle sighed and rubbed his forehead.

Mira gave a nervous little giggle, then went quiet again. She picked up her cup but didn’t drink.

Her fingers curled around the warm porcelain. Then she looked at him carefully.

"Are you... okay now, Kyle? Are you healthy?"

The question landed like a stone.

Reo and Luna both looked at him. The teasing vanished from their faces. They were waiting, just like Mira.

Kyle stared at his stew again. The steam curled and faded into the air.

"Yeah," he said after a moment. "I’m fine."

Mira didn’t say anything at first. But she kept watching him, her eyes gentle but sharp. Like she didn’t believe him. Still, she didn’t push.

"You should eat more."

Kyle blinked in surprise. Then gave a small huff of a laugh. "You sound like Aurelia."

Mira flushed again. "I-I didn’t mean it like—!"

Luna cut in, shaking her head. "Don’t tease her, idiot."

Reo nodded. "Yeah. She’s way too nice for you."

Kyle ignored them. "Thanks, Mira."

She smiled again, small and shy.

———