Kio wandered into the quiet courtyard behind the dorms, her sketchbook clutched to her chest. She didn't expect to see anyone—especially not Haru, lying beneath the cherry tree with his eyes closed, arms folded behind his head.
She paused, unsure.
Then his voice broke the silence.
"You're watching me again."
Kio froze. "No, I'm not."
He cracked one eye open and smirked. "You're a terrible liar, Kio."
Flustered, she turned to leave.
But he sat up. "Wait. Stay."
She turned slowly. "Why?"
Haru's grin faded. "Because when I'm near you, I feel calm. And that's rare for me."
Kio blinked. Her heart skipped a beat.
He stood, stepping closer. "Back then, I didn't know who you were. But now... something in me knows. I keep dreaming of a girl with wind in her hands and a soft smile that could shatter cities."
Kio's fingers trembled around her sketchbook.
Before she could answer—a pulse of light exploded from the west wing of the campus.
Both of them turned sharply.
"Another awakening," Haru said, eyes serious. "It's happening faster now."
Meanwhile, in the art studio across campus…
Emi stood frozen, her paintbrush clattering to the floor.
Her chest burned—her skin lit with a pale rose-gold glow as a mark appeared just above her collarbone: the symbol of the Hummingbird.
The windows shattered outward as invisible energy burst from her, sending colors swirling around the room.
Shane, Rio, and Mira ran in—stunned by the sight.
Emi turned slowly, eyes wide and shimmering.
"I… I saw everything," she whispered. "All of us. Our past lives. The war. The sacrifice. The Moon…"
She looked straight at Shane.
"You died for us once. I won't let it happen again."
To be continued…