Zia's POV
(Pay attention to POV- This is from Zia's side.)
I hadn't meant to end up sitting next to them on the bus — it just happened. Arien Vale, the quiet one by the window, had that observant stillness. She didn't talk much, but every word she did say landed right on target. Then there was Tavira Dareth, fiery and unpredictable — the kind of person who could make an argument with a spoon entertaining. Favian Dareth was the sarcastic one, dry as chalk, but smart in a way he didn't bother to show off.
They were different. Unexpectedly easy to talk to. By the time we reached the hostel gates, I realized I hadn't smiled that genuinely in a long time. Back at the hostel, I made my way to Room 306. My roommates were already inside. Leina was typing loudly on her laptop, legs crossed on the lower bunk. She looked up when I entered, nodded once, then returned to her typing. No questions. Minori was curled up on the top bunk, earbuds in, humming faintly to whatever she was listening to.
We weren't strangers. Just... not close.
"Back late," Leina said after a while, not looking up.
"Yeah," I replied, tossing my bag into the corner. "It was hectic."
"Everyone's talking about it."
"I know."
That was the end of it. Comfortable silence, not the warm kind — just space we shared.
I changed quickly, brushed my teeth, and climbed into my bed. My arms felt heavier than usual, my legs achy. Maybe the rooftop stairs were catching up to me. Or maybe it was just the day. I just closed my eyes and let the weight of everything pull me under. Sleep came without resistance.
Somewhere in the middle of the night, I stirred. A strange sensation had crept into my limbs — not pain, but pressure. My hands and legs tingled at first, then slowly went numb, as if the blood had drained away without warning. My body reacted on its own — curling inward, like I was being folded, compacted into myself. Every part of me felt like it was being pressed from all directions, a slow compression I couldn't push back against. The room around me — the faint shapes of the desk, the curtain swaying near the window — started to blur. Everything looked distorted and hazy.
Then the pressure vanished. And with it, the world. In the blink of a breath, I was swallowed by total darkness. And then, images began to flicker in front of me. A woman, glowing faintly, stood in the middle of chaos. She moved quickly — pulling people from wreckage, shielding others with nothing but her presence. Around her, the crowd grew — first watching, then kneeling, their faces turned to her like she was a beacon in a storm.
They didn't just follow her.
They revered her.
And somehow, I couldn't look away.
"Like it?", A voice cut through the stillness, smooth and unhurried.
"Huh?", I blinked and turned, startled. From the edge of the vision, half-wrapped in shadow, a silhouette stood — not moving, just watching.
"I asked," the voice repeated, "did you like what she's doing?"
I hesitated. "Um... well, yeah. She's helping people. It seems like the right thing."
A pause. "And?"
"And... what?"
"How is that the right thing?"
I frowned. "I mean, she's saving lives. Keeping people safe."
The shadows rippled, but the figure did not step forward. A curve—almost like a smile—glowed faintly from where his face should have been. The entire space was engulfed in darkness, save for the one illuminated circle where visions shimmered like fragile glass.
"Salva Snowwhite. That is her name," the shadow said softly, voice curling like smoke in the void.
"She will be the embodiment of creation itself. Her power, her very presence, will speak of greatness. People will cheer her, follow her, love her."
A pause. Silence, sharp and cold.
"And you... you will be given a power whose very existence will make you hated. Feared."
"You will be the symbol of everything they dread."
"Destruction magic."
The curve deepened. Ah... it hadn't been a smile at all. It was a smirk—sharp, knowing, cruel.
"And so?" I said, folding my arms. "Why are you even acting like a consultant here? We were told our training would come from Saurus himself. I don't see why you'd need to be here... unless you're not one of them at all."
The smirk didn't fade. If anything, it became more amused—like a predator watching its prey try to bark. Things were becoming interesting. Too interesting.
"You seem awfully nonchalant," the shadow murmured, voice low and dripping with something like delight. "I wonder if you'll stay the same after watching this."
There, in the glowing sphere of light, scenes began to unfold—shattered cities, fractured skies, and her. A strange resolve stirred within me. And something darker... began to creep in. As the final image faded, silence swallowed the space.
My mind went blank. Then desperation rose. For me to live, for me to matter, things would have to change. Was I selfish?
Absolutely.
I turned toward the shadow, eyes gleaming.
"Train me. Make me powerful enough to go against her. Powerful enough to unleash my power—on the world, and on her."
A devilish grin carved across my face, and the shadow finally stepped forward.