Warm blood coursed through his veins with a hastened heartbeat! Life rushed into his lungs! Roa coughed and at the same time gasped for a breath of air. Along with a splitting headache, ‘Have I turned into a shade!?’ was the first scary thought that came into mind.

“Unbelievable! Why did the mana crystal break!? You—Was it because of you?” At the sign of someone’s surprise, Roa opened his eyes once more. What first caught his attention was what was in front of him. 

His right hand was placed on top of a transparent crystal resting on a table. And underneath his palm, a clear split was visible on the crystal. 

Behind the table sat a man with thick facial hair, wearing a formal looking outfit. He was the one that shouted.

‘Where am I? Wasn’t I… Didn’t I die?’ Roa’s eyes darted across the room, struggling to steady his focus. Seeing his flustered state, the man across the table misunderstood him.

“Haa... Don’t fret, young man. We’ll redo the test. That mana crystal might’ve just been defective.”

‘Mana crystal?’ A few other people appeared as soon as the man spoke and brought a case containing another of the same transparent crystal. However, this one was different, as it was without the clear split, and was emanating a mysterious white glow. Eyeing it, Roa was familiar with its use.

A mana crystal of its size and shape was the type only ever used to test one’s aptitude with mana. He had come across this particular crystal once in his life. It was quite a memorable event in fact, since it was on the day that he had first been branded with his limitations.

Sure enough, the man instructed him to place his hands once more on the mana crystal.

Roa raised his right arm on instinct, but abruptly held it back midway. His headache had eased but now there was an unbearable itch burning on his left shoulder. Roa’s eyes widened as he noticed… the arm still attached to his left side.

‘Son of a—What’s this? Are my eyes deceiving me?’ Doubtful, Roa repeatedly formed a fist with the hand connected to the arm.

“Applicant Roa Fariche. Stop dawdling! Are you going to take the test or not?” the man across him tapped impatiently on the table.

Instigated, Roa stepped forward and placed his right hand on top of the mana crystal. This time, the crystal’s white glow became stained with a red tinge. The man across the table sighed with clear disappointment. 

“Haa… I knew it. Roa Fariche, preliminary assessment: red tier spirit. You may now proceed towards the secondary assessment.”

Red tier—the most discouraging two words to hear from an aptitude test. The student, Roa, did not frown, however, as he was busy forming a rough conjecture: 

Did he somehow return to his first day at Luveris Academy? Was it a regression of the mind? A momentary trip back in time? —A ‘trip’ from eating glowing blue mushrooms?

Roa quickly found the answer when he left the room and headed towards a nearby fountain. Nostalgia seeped through every one of his senses as he walked past the familiar surroundings. Eventually he reached the fountain where his gaze landed on the clear surface of its waters. He could not believe it. 

Roa slammed his face into the water before raising his head back and having another look. What was reflected? —No longer the sullen and haggard old face littered with small scars. Gone were the many traces of his ten odd years within the Spirit Domain. 

He raised his hand and touched a stubble free chin. He tousled his slick and neatly cut hair, pinched his soft cheeks and felt the pain that naturally came along with it.

“Dumb kid,” Roa chuckled. To the prim and immature face of the young man yet to face the world, he smiled and said, “No room for regret when you pass through death’s door.”

One foot through the door, he was still shackled by numerous chains of remorse. Apparently given a new lease on life, Roa smacked his cheeks, squeezing out a determined grin.

“When the time comes, I’ll even dance through that thing smiling like an idiot!!”