Eternia's Requiem

Night settled quietly over the outer Sinclair estate.

The distant mountains surrounding the domain had already disappeared into darkness, leaving only the glow of scattered lanterns illuminating the stone courtyards and narrow corridors of the residence. Servants moved through the halls quietly, finishing their evening duties while whispers of the day’s events still lingered among them.

But inside one particular room, the world outside seemed irrelevant.

Eternia Sinclair sat cross-legged on the wooden floor, her silver hair falling loosely across her shoulders while a faint glow of mana surrounded her body.

The room was silent.

Completely still.

Only the soft hum of circulating mana filled the air.

After the violent backlash of ancient magic earlier that day, Eternia had spent several hours carefully stabilizing her internal mana flow. Her magic circuits were still slightly strained from forcing them to maintain the spell longer than intended, but thanks to the healing vial and her controlled breathing techniques, the worst of the damage had already passed.

Mana moved through her circuits like a flowing river.

Smooth.

Balanced.

Controlled.

Eternia slowly opened her eyes.

"...Better."

Her voice was quiet.

The stabilization process had worked.

If she had ignored the backlash, the strain could have caused permanent damage to her circuits. That was the danger of ancient magic—power beyond normal limits always demanded careful control.

But now her body had mostly recovered.

Which meant she could return to training.

Her gaze drifted toward the desk beside her bed.

Resting there was the book she had discovered inside the storage ring during the labyrinth trial.

The mysterious grimoire.

Even hours later, Eternia still felt a faint sense of disbelief every time she looked at it.

Complete Magic

Not simplified beginner versions taught in academies.

Not fragmented notes stolen from ancient ruins.

Actual spell formulas written with complete precision.

She stood slowly and walked to the desk.

Her fingers traced the worn edges of the book before she opened it again.

The pages rustled softly.

Runic diagrams filled the paper, each one representing complex mana structures far beyond the simple spells most young mages learned.

Eternia studied them carefully.

"...The structure is elegant."

She recognized the difference immediately.

Modern magic systems focused heavily on simplified casting patterns designed to be easier for average mages to learn.

But these spells were different.

They were precise.

Efficient.

Built with a deeper understanding of mana mechanics.

The more she examined them, the more excited she felt.

"If I master even one of these..."

Her eyes sharpened.

"...my strength will increase dramatically."

But she also understood the limitation.

First-tier spells required far more mana than she currently possessed.

Her circuits were excellent, but her overall mana capacity was still that of a child.

She would need to accumulate more energy before she could cast such spells reliably.

Eternia closed the book slowly.

"...Then I’ll train until I can."

Her hands folded calmly as she resumed circulating mana through her body.

But another thought crossed her mind.

Ancient magic.

The spell she had used in the labyrinth had given her incredible power—but the backlash had nearly incapacitated her afterward.

In serious battles, such a drawback could easily become fatal.

"I need a way to reduce the backlash."

Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

Artifacts.

Magical items designed to stabilize mana flow or absorb excess magical strain could drastically reduce the negative effects of ancient magic.

But such artifacts were extremely rare.

Even wealthy mages struggled to obtain them.

Eternia sighed quietly.

"...Another problem."

Before she could think further—

A loud commotion suddenly echoed from outside her room.

Voices.

Footsteps.

Whispers.

Dozens of them.

Eternia frowned slightly.

"That’s unusual."

The outer estate was normally quiet at this hour.

Curiosity quickly replaced her irritation.

She stood up and walked toward the door.

When she opened it—

She immediately saw the crowd.

Nearly a dozen maids and servants had gathered in the hallway.

Several wooden crates were stacked near the wall.

Everyone turned the moment they noticed her.

A young maid stepped forward nervously.

"My lady!"

She bowed quickly.

"I was just about to inform you."

Eternia raised an eyebrow.

"Inform me about what?"

The maid gestured toward the crates.

"These were delivered for you."

"...For me?"

Eternia stepped closer.

Her gaze shifted toward the stacked boxes.

A small envelope rested on top of one of them.

She picked it up.

The wax seal had already been broken.

The letter inside contained only a few short lines.

To Eternia Sinclair.

Consider these items a small gift.

Meet me tomorrow evening at the Palace of Eternal Solace.

—A Friend