After the training session, Adrian asked Altia for help—he wanted to inscribe the runes on the artifact Elana had requested.
Before leaving the gym, he turned to Allen and said, "Tomorrow, at five. et here."
The raven-haired boy blinked, a little surprised by the sudden command, but he didn’t question it.
"Understood, Professor."
Not long after, Adrian, Altia, and Elana made their way to his workshop, located not far from the gymnasium.
"Woah... It’s huge inside," Altia murmured in awe as she stepped in for the first ti.
Adrian was the only one on campus granted a personal workshop. Naturally, that made it a subject of curiosity among the students. From the outside, it looked small and unassuming. But the inside was another story—spacious, well-lit, filled with carefully organized tools and magical equipnt.
As they entered, Adrian glanced at Elana. Just as he’d guessed, the silver-haired girl was silently looking around, eyes quietly taking everything in. She didn’t say a word, but he could tell what she was thinking.
He let out a soft sigh. "Let’s finish the work quickly so you two can get so rest," he said.
They had just completed a three-hour training session on top of their regular six-hour-long classes. It was only natural their bodies—and minds—needed rest.
Altia nodded and followed Adrian’s lead as he gestured toward a stool. She sat down across from him, ready to assist.
"Alright, Elana," he began, turning toward her. "Do you have a fra ready for the Heartstone?"
Of course, he intended to use one of his Heartstones—rare crystals that could preserve rune inscriptions and stay active for a long ti. He didn’t hand them out casually, but Elana wasn’t just any student. She was special. And with the upcoming contest, she needed every advantage.
She deserved one of his finest.
"Here," Elana said, handing the artifact to him.
Adrian froze the mont he saw what she gave him.
A ring.
He stared at it for a second longer than necessary, then slowly lifted his eyes to et hers. Her face was calm and unreadable... but her eyes—those sharp, expressive eyes—told him everything.
You thought I’d let it go that easily?
Of course. He should’ve known.
Ever since news spread about his sudden engagent, Elana hadn’t brought it up, hadn’t acted out or said anything strange. For a while, he thought—maybe hoped—that things between them were still the sa.
But he had been wrong.
She did mind.
"Elana..." he said slowly, his tone softer now. "Is this really the only artifact fra you could think of?"
Elana shrugged. "It’s efficient and won’t slow down. Not to ntion, that color would look pretty on my finger. Don’t you think, Altia?"
The younger one nodded quickly. "Yes! The erald color is so pretty. Just needs a little touch from Professor Adrian, and it’ll be perfect."
Elana smiled, her gaze lingering on him. "You’re right. Just a little from the Professor."
Her smile said more than words ever could.
Adrian, anwhile, was beginning to regret ever agreeing to her request.
Rejecting her now would only make things worse. It’d look like he was reading too much into it—like he was the one making it complicated.
With a sigh, he gave in. He carefully carved out a flawless shard of Heartstone, shaping it to fit the ring’s delicate fra.
Once done, he handed it to Altia and guided her through the process of using her elental affinity to etch a basic spell.
Barely ten seconds passed, and just like that—a grade-one artifact was complete.
"Co on, try it," Adrian said, extending the ring toward Elana.
But instead of reaching out her palm, she offered the back of her hand.
As if waiting for him to slide the ring on her finger.
Adrian stared at her for a mont, face unreadable. Then, without a word, he gently placed the ring on the back of her hand.
Her smile grew, soft and satisfied. Altia blinked in surprise—her senior was giggling. That was a first.
Taking the ring herself, Elana slid it onto her ring finger. "Ah... It’s warm," she murmured, even though she hadn’t activated its magic yet.
Looking up at him, her voice softened. "I’ll treasure it, Professor. Thank you."
Adrian rested his hands on his hips, gave a quiet nod, and said, "Alright, off you go, you two. I’ve got work to do."
They didn’t linger. Altia followed Elana out of the workshop, and the older girl gently rubbed the ring against her cheek as she walked—wearing a look that could only be described as content.
Left alone, Adrian dropped into his chair and let out a long exhale.
That girl... seriously...
He decided to study for a few hours before eting Ariana for dinner.
Tonight’s focus was the fifth thread—he wasn’t diving too deep, just scratching the surface to get a feel for it. He focused on understanding its key terms, structure, and what to expect in the Chapters ahead.
But even this light reading made it clear—the fifth thread was going to be a nightmare.
Still, his curiosity burned bright, even if it ca with a growing anxiety. Ten days had already slipped by since he made the promise to master the fifth thread within six months.
And at this rate, it would take at least another twenty days before he could even begin learning its first stage properly.
Yes, he was running short on ti. But if there was one part of runesmithing where rushing was absolutely forbidden, it was this one. The fifth thread demanded precision, patience, and repeated experints. Even the smallest error could ruin the entire structure.
Ruin the subject.
No—this wasn’t sothing he could force.
He leaned back in his chair, brushing a hand through his hair.
No point overthinking. It’ll all fall into place... eventually.
"Let’s take a break," he muttered, getting up and heading toward the small counter to brew so coffee.
While the aroma began to fill the room, he decided to check on the group chat.
He scrolled through the unread ssages for a mont, then relayed out a quick ssage to Valor.
’What do you want in return for your help, by the way?’
There was no response. He wasn’t active at the mont.
There was only one person.
And she began typing right after,
Idiot: [Darling...I said sorry to her.]
Adrian humd in curiosity, "And...how did it go?"
There was a brief pause before she responded,
[She is preparing pancakes for .]
Adrian smiled warmly. As he thought, Ruby would forgive her right away.
Leaning back and sipping on the coffee, he sent another ssage,
’Spend so ti with her, and be a good girl.’
Idiot: [Mm.]
°°°°°°°°
A/N:- Thanks for reading.
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