Morning sunlight streamed into Room 5A, painting soft stripes on the floor. Shane yawned, rubbing her eyes as she sat up in bed. Mira was already doing a full face routine in the mirror with sparkly clips in her hair.
"First official morning as Hoshizora girls!" Mira chirped. "Let's go shower, grab breakfast, and pretend we're in a K-drama."
Shane chuckled. "You already are."
Down the hall, the girls' shared bathroom was filled with steamy chaos. Siro was singing at full volume. Aya was using a hairdryer like it was a weapon. Yui was arguing with Reas over shampoo brands. It was a mess — a funny, sisterly kind of mess.
Shane stepped into the shower stall quietly, trying to ignore the chaos — until the lights flickered.
Then, suddenly—
BOOM!
A sharp crack echoed through the bathroom like thunder.
Water surged for a moment, then froze mid-air, hanging in droplets like time stopped. Gasps filled the room.
"What the—" Mira turned around, eyes wide.
Shane blinked, heart pounding. The water around her had stilled completely, floating… like gravity had forgotten it.
Then, just as fast—everything snapped back.
Water splashed, the lights buzzed, and steam returned to normal.
Silence.
No one spoke. Until Yui whispered, "What... was that?"
Reas narrowed her eyes. "That wasn't normal. That was... energy."
Meanwhile, in the boys' dorm, Rio's eyes shot open.
He had felt it.
A spiritual burst — sharp, uncontrolled.
Dragon senses don't lie.
He stood up without a word.
"Bathroom emergency?" Haru teased.
But Rio didn't answer. He just opened the window, letting the wind rush against his face.
"She's waking up," he murmured.
Back in the girls' dorm, Shane stood frozen by the sink, hands shaking slightly. Mira placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Are you okay?"
Shane looked into the mirror. Her own reflection looked... unfamiliar.
"Yeah," she lied. "Just... sleepy."
But inside, she knew.
Something inside her had cracked open.
And that roaring sound from the night before?
It was closer now.
To be continued…