When the name Edelfuss is mentioned, most people think of old stories.
A legendary sage, a teacher of heroes, a man whose achievements became so exaggerated over the years that separating fact from fiction is nearly impossible. Generations grew up hearing about the age he helped create, yet very few ever stopped to wonder what happened after his final battle.
As far as Edelfuss was concerned, his work was finished.
He had spent more than a century preparing disciples, guiding humanity through difficult times, and carrying responsibilities that rarely left room for anything else. By the end, there was little reason to believe the future would require his involvement any longer.
Then he learned there were still things he hadn’t understood.
Offered a chance to continue a mission he thought had already reached its conclusion, Edelfuss makes a decision that sends him back into the world once more, this time in the body of a young boy named Will Wolms.
The problem is that the world no longer resembles the one he remembers.
The students he once lectured have become historical figures. Places that were once familiar now feel strangely distant. Even events he personally witnessed are discussed as if they belong to ancient mythology rather than living memory.
For someone who spent an entire lifetime teaching others, starting over proves surprisingly frustrating.
People treat him like an ordinary child. Adults dismiss his opinions before hearing them. Tasks that once required a wave of his hand suddenly become far more complicated. More than once, Will finds himself wondering whether dealing with academy rules is somehow harder than dealing with the problems of his previous life.
Still, old habits are difficult to abandon.
At first, Will is content to focus on his new life.
There are classes to attend, people to meet, and the occasional headache that comes from having the mind of an old sage trapped inside the body of a student. That alone keeps him busy.
Still, every now and then he hears something that catches his attention. A familiar name. A story that doesn’t match his memory. A rumor connected to people who should have been long forgotten.
Most of the time he tells himself it isn’t his business.
Most of the time, that works.
