There was a door beneath the Academy that no one was allowed to see.
Not because it was locked — but because it forgot how to be opened.
That was where the Principal lived.
Not in an office. Not in a tower.But in a chamber suspended between timelines — a room that grew cold when you asked the wrong questions.
And now, that door remembered. Because Rei had survived the Crucible.
Aira walked with Rei through the crystal hall, tension humming under every step. The walls shimmered with reflections of people who weren't there. Teachers. Watchers. Specters of old failures.
"He's never asked to meet anyone directly," Aira whispered."Not even Caelira. Not like this."
"What does he want from me?"
"Answers," she replied. "Or maybe proof that you are one."
They stopped at a narrow arch — no lock, no handle.
It opened with a sigh. Like it had been holding its breath for centuries.
The room was small. Round. Infinite.
At its center sat a figure, cloaked in dusk-colored robes, face wrapped in silk. No eyes. No mouth. Only the faint glow of gold script flowing over the skin — as if the body was made from rewritten prophecy.
"Rei Kazuki," the Principal said — not aloud, but directly into his thoughts."You walk with a smile that was not born from joy."
Rei hesitated. "You knew what I carried?"
"I knew what might awaken when someone broke the chain of fear.The others tried to kill the Shadows. I… catalogued them."
"Because not all monsters are mistakes."
The Principal rose — not tall, but overwhelming.
"The Smiling Shadow has accepted your defiance. That means it sees… possibility."
"You have become something rare: a vessel with a tethered flame."
"But fire, even leashed, can still burn worlds."
Rei tensed. "Are you threatening me?"
The Principal tilted their head.
"I am measuring you."
Then, a new presence entered — quiet steps, the rustle of feathers.It was Caelira, watching from the edge of the veil.
"He survived the Crucible without breaking," she said."He didn't let the Shadow win."
The Principal turned their unseen face toward her.
"That is why he is dangerous."
"Not because he failed…"
"But because he succeeded, and still hears it whisper."
The Principal stepped closer to Rei.
They reached into their sleeve — and withdrew something glowing faintly.
A sigil key. Carved not from crystal, but from memory itself.
"You are being hunted, Rei Kazuki. Not by beasts. Not by men."
"But by truths that don't want to be known again."
They pressed the key into his hand.
"This leads to the Forgotten Vault beneath the Library."
"There, you will find what your Shadow was… before it learned to smile."
Rei blinked.
"Why would you give me that?"
The Principal turned away.
"Because if you are to be my gamble…""Then I will make sure you know exactly what you are costing me."