The sun rose slower than usual that morning.
Or maybe it just felt that way.
There was tension in the air—quiet, invisible—but every student in the academy could feel it.
Something was about to happen.
The Sudden Summon
A loud horn echoed across the academy.
It had never blown before.
Kael, Mikaho, Zehr, Arden, and others rushed to the main hall, where all the instructors stood waiting in front of a glowing board.
Master Shin stepped forward. His face looked serious.
"This is no drill," he began."Last night… something was found. Something ancient. Something dangerous."
A scroll wrapped in crimson silk floated in the air above him.
It pulsed softly—almost as if it were alive.
"This scroll has chosen five names," he continued."Those selected must report to the underground chamber immediately."
The scroll opened on its own.
And the names appeared:
Kael
Mikaho
Zehr
Arden
Yue
Everyone gasped.
"Yue?" a student whispered."But she's... no one's ever seen her fight."
Kael turned. A girl with silver hair and emotionless eyes stepped forward from the crowd.
She bowed silently and walked away without saying a word.
Mikaho narrowed her eyes.
"She's… strange."
The Forbidden Chamber
The five were led underground, deeper than any of them had ever gone.
The walls were made of old black stone, with symbols glowing faintly along them.
The air smelled of rusted metal and… old blood.
They entered a huge circular room.
In the center floated a dark crystal.
The instructors closed the door behind them.
"This is your second trial," Master Shin's voice echoed from the wall."You five will enter a shared illusion—created by the island itself. Whatever you see inside, whatever you fight… will be real to you."
"Survive. Learn. And come back stronger."
The floor under their feet began to glow.
Then—darkness.
A World of Shadows
Kael opened his eyes.
He was alone.
He stood in a ruined version of the academy. Everything was silent. No birds. No wind. Only a faint humming.
Suddenly, he heard it.
A child crying.
He followed the sound into a broken hallway.
There, on the ground, was a small boy, no older than 6, holding a wooden sword.
"They left me," the boy said.
Kael stepped closer.
The boy looked up.
It was him.
A younger version of Kael.
Kael stared in shock.
The boy's eyes turned black.
"You don't belong here," it hissed."You're not meant to protect… You're meant to destroy."
The boy's shadow grew long and monstrous, turning into a beast with burning red eyes.
Kael gritted his teeth and drew his training blade.
Meanwhile: Mikaho's Illusion
Mikaho found herself in her old home.
Her father was alive, smiling at her.
"Come back, Mikaho," he said softly."We can be a family again. You don't have to fight anymore."
Tears welled in her eyes.
But she took a deep breath.
"You're not my father."
She stepped forward and hugged him tightly.
The illusion melted into ash.
Zehr's Test
Zehr stood in front of a crowd.
They all laughed at him.
"You'll never be like Kael!""Coward!"
He looked down at his sword.
Then, slowly, raised it.
"I'm not Kael," he said."I'm Zehr."
The crowd vanished.
His shadow bowed to him.
Back to Reality
All five woke up at the same time, gasping for air.
Yue had a small cut on her hand. She looked at Kael for the first time and whispered:
"You… saw it too, didn't you?"
Kael didn't answer.
But his heart was racing.
Ashen Watches
High on a cliff far from the school, Ashen watched the sky again.
He smiled.
"They're moving faster than I expected."
Beside him, a strange man stood in a black coat.
His voice was deep.
"Then it's time to prepare the gate."
Ashen didn't look at him.
"Not yet. Let them believe they're still safe. It makes the fall… more painful."
Next Episode Preview
Old wounds reopen. A friend makes a terrible choice. And the first crack in trust begins to show.