Path of the Unmentioned: The Missing Piece

The sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon, casting a pale light across the camp.

Faint beams broke through the mist. Warming the tips of the tents and setting the iron-tipped spears around the training field aglow with a soft golden sheen.

The air was crisp and cold. But the battlefield had long since taught them to ignore discomfort.

One month had passed since they were thrown into the dungeon.

In that time, death had become a daily sight. Pain, a constant teacher. But so had growth.

Kyle stood on the cracked training ground with Serena across from him. Lightning crackled faintly between them. Humming low in the quiet morning air.

Sweat beaded on their brows, their chests rising and falling with steady breaths. This wasn't a real fight. Just a spar.

Serena narrowed her eyes and sent a quick bolt of electricity darting toward Kyle.

He reacted without thinking.

A simple movement. His hand raised, a slight twist of his wrist. And the bolt fizzled out midair.

Then his counterattack came.

A thin, sharp arc of blue lightning cut through the space between them. Serena stepped to the side, letting it pass harmlessly past her shoulder.

"Again," she said. Her tone was calm, as always. But there was a hint of challenge in her voice now.

Kyle nodded.

They exchanged spell after spell, short and sharp. Nothing flashy. No big explosions. Just precision and control.

It still surprised him how naturally they worked together.

A month ago. He wouldn't have believed he'd be sparring like this with Serena.

The same Serena who, in the novel, was cold, distant, and uninterested in anyone who couldn't match her in strength or focus.

But things had changed.

Maybe it was because Eleanora was still alive.

Serena, in the novel, had grown even colder after losing her best friend.

But now, here… she was still distant, yes. Still quiet. But she was also present. And lately. Kyle felt they had come to see each other as friends now.

He had been surprised when she asked him for help with her lightning spells.

She hadn't even met his gaze when she asked. Just stood there awkwardly at the edge of the training field and said, "Can you show me how you cast without words?"

Kyle had agreed, even though he didn't have a real answer.

Now. As another of Serena's bolts zipped through the air.

He sidestepped and let it fizzle past him before raising a hand and calling down a snap of lightning from above.

She blocked it with her glaive. The electric burst wrapping harmlessly around the metal before dispersing.

Then she frowned. "You don't use incantations. You don't pause. You don't even draw runes. How do you do it?"

Kyle lowered his arm, letting the tension ease from his fingers.

"I… don't know. It just happens. I can feel the mana paths. Where it should go. Like I have done it all before."

He didn't add that it was probably due to his blessing.

Serena studied him for a moment. Her eyes weren't angry or judgmental. Just puzzled.

"That's annoying," she muttered.

Kyle laughed under his breath. "Thanks. I try my best."

They paused their spar, letting the silence stretch between them.

There wasn't awkwardness anymore. Just quiet understanding. It was strange, and maybe even a little comforting.

Across the training field. The rest of their group was busy.

Cassian was locked in a spar with Eleanora and getting completely destroyed.

His movements were clumsy next to her fluid steps. His fire spells powerful but wasted on missed openings.

Every time he got close, Eleanora countered him with ease. Her estoc moving with frightening precision.

"Again!" Cassian shouted, brushing dirt off his face and pushing himself up.

Eleanora didn't say a word. Just readied her stance again.

Kyle couldn't help but smile. Cassian never gave up, no matter how many times he got wrecked. It was admirable, in a way.

To the side. Cedric was sparring with the two mercenaries, Rook and Lena.

Rook swung his halberd in tight arcs now, more controlled than when they first met.

Lena moved quickly. Ducking and weaving in close combat with short, rapid strikes.

Cedric was patient with them, offering quiet advice, correcting form with small nods and gestures.

He was a natural teacher. Even if he didn't realize it.

Everyone had gotten stronger.

Serena and Cassian had both reached Grade 3 Silver just last week.

Cedric had finally advanced to Grade 2 Silver. He had been stuck at peak for a while. But the constant battle had pushed him past the wall.

Kyle had also reached the peak of Grade 3 Silver.

He could feel the pressure inside his mana core now. Like water pressing against glass.

He was close to breaking through. Closer than he'd ever been before.

But it was Eleanora who surprised him the most.

Unlike Cedric. She hadn't spent days stuck at the edge of a breakthrough. She'd simply jumped, leaping straight to Grade 2 Silver without warning.

One day. She was still fighting with her usual calm. The next, her darkness spells had grown sharper, more lethal.

Her movements quicker. Her aura heavier.

Even her light magic. Which she barely used, had grown more focused.

Kyle didn't know what triggered it. Maybe it was instinct. Maybe it was something else.

But whatever it was. Eleanora was no longer just a skilled fighter. She was a force.

And he could tell. It scared some of the soldiers. The way they looked at her. Like she wasn't fully human anymore.

The battlefield had done this.

One month of war. One month of blood and chaos.

And through it all. Kyle had learned more than just how to fight.

He'd learned the mana core levels of the enemy soldiers.

The standard soldiers were mostly Bronze Grade 1 to 3. Dangerous when grouped up. But not a threat alone.

Elite knights and their captains ranged between Grade 3 and Grade 2 Silver. Fighting them one-on-one was risky. But not impossible.

But then there were the Commanders.

Commander Halric and the Red Commander.

Kyle had seen them fight. Had seen their strength first-hand.

They were beyond the others. Likely peak Grade 1 Silver. Just one step away from Gold.

And if they did reach Gold… Kyle didn't even want to think about what that meant.

He wiped a bead of sweat from his temple and turned back to Serena. Who was already preparing her stance again.

But his mind wandered.

To Cedric.

To something that had happened a few weeks ago.

——

They had just finished patrol duty. The sky was turning orange. The sun dipping low behind the hills.

The battlefield was quiet for once. No clashing steel, no shouting soldiers. Just the soft rustle of wind moving through tents and trees.

That rare moment of peace made the world feel almost normal.

Cedric had walked beside him, silent. He looked thoughtful, distracted even.

Then he spoke. "Hey. Can we talk?"

Kyle glanced over. "Sure."

"Alone," Cedric added.

That part caught Kyle off guard. But he didn't ask questions. He just nodded.

They left the edge of the camp and walked out toward a small ridge that overlooked the rest of the valley.

The dirt path was uneven under their boots, and the warm colors of the setting sun painted the rocks gold.

They stopped near a flat boulder. Just far enough from camp that no one would hear them.

Cedric turned to face him. His eyes looked steady. But there was something underneath. Hesitation.

"I want to tell you something," he said.

Kyle folded his arms. "What is it?"

Cedric didn't speak right away. Instead. He lifted his hand and closed his eyes.

A shimmer passed through the air.

Then, a burst of flame ignited above his palm.

It flickered for only a second before shifting. Light replaced the fire. Glowing like a small sun.

Then green threads of mana spun into twisting vines and leaves. That too faded, and was followed by solid earth. Forming a rough stone shape.

Finally. The space around Cedric's hand distorted. Like ripples in a pond. A flicker of something unseen. Space magic.

Five different elemental affinities.

Kyle stared.

He didn't speak.

Cedric lowered his hand and let out a small breath. He looked calmer now, but his voice was soft.

"You're the first person I have told."

Kyle finally found his voice. "Why me?"

Cedric met his eyes. There was no hesitation in his answer.

"I trust you."

That hit harder than Kyle expected.

He wasn't sure what to say to that. He never thought someone like Cedric would say something like that to him.

But Cedric meant it. Kyle could see that clearly.

Then Cedric asked, "That's what I wanted to ask. Should I start using them? On the battlefield?"

Kyle looked down at his own hands for a moment. He'd been wondering the same thing.

Wondering when he would reveal everything he could do. His own elements. His secrets.

He took a deep breath, then answered.

"No. Not yet," Kyle said. "If the enemy finds out. You'll be their priority target. They'll focus everything on killing you first."

Cedric nodded, taking the words seriously.

"Surprise is your best advantage," Kyle continued. "You'll use it. Just not now. Keep it hidden. Use it when we need it most. As a trump card."

A small smile pulled at Cedric's lips. "Alright. Then I'll keep it between us."

Kyle nodded once. And that was it. Simple. Quiet. But it meant something.

That night. The sun fully vanished behind the mountains. They stood there a while longer.

Watching the sky shift from orange to purple. No more words were needed.

Now, standing on the training field with lightning still tingling in his fingers. Kyle blinked.

The memory faded.

Across from him. Serena tilted her head, lightning humming gently along her glaive. She arched an eyebrow.

"You ready to go again, or do you want a nap?"

Kyle grinned. "You're on."

They resumed their spar, lightning dancing through the air once more.

But somewhere in the back of his mind. Kyle couldn't help but wonder. What was the dungeon planning next?

Because this place... it was never quiet for long.

———