My Childhood Friend Became the Strongest Mage and Won't Let Me Go

When Kieran Greywood, a young man with almost no magical power, receives an unexpected invitation to the prestigious Cinderfall Academy of Thaumaturgy, he believes he has finally earned a place in the world of magic.But arriving at the academy means facing an impossible comparison: his childhood friend Saskia Trelawney has become the youngest Grand Mage in the history of Velathorn—and the strongest mage in the realm.Saskia could have chosen any path, yet she chooses to follow Kieran to Cinderfall, determined to remain by his side. What Kieran doesn't realize is that her fierce protectiveness hides feelings she has carried for years.Their bond soon attracts the attention of Blaise Mottram, a powerful noble mage whose family wants Saskia as part of a prestigious political alliance. When Blaise begins humiliating Kieran and questioning whether he deserves to stand beside the strongest mage in the realm, Kieran refuses to hide behind Saskia's power.Forced into a magical challenge he may not be capable of winning, Kieran must prove that strength is not always measured by the size of a spell.As rivalries intensify and ancient magical secrets begin to surface, Kieran and Saskia must discover whether their childhood bond can become something deeper—and whether fate has brought them together for a reason far greater than either of them understands.