The soft golden light of dusk filtered through the stained-glass windows of the East Dormitory as Airi returned from the restricted library, her fingers still tingling from the encounter in the Whispering Vault. The ancient spellbook she had claimed was now safely hidden inside a pocket dimension she created herself — a skill no first-year student should possess.
As she walked through the hall, she kept her head low, maintaining the persona of the quiet, timid girl she'd built from day one. But something inside her had changed. The encounter with the Warden of Seals wasn't just an awakening — it was a warning. Forces beyond this academy were watching her, and the old world was beginning to stir again.
Inside her shared dorm room, her roommate, Ishikawa Yumi, lay on her bed with a book open on her chest, snoring softly. Airi smiled slightly. Despite the Academy's stiff competition and magical strictness, Yumi was a rare source of warmth in her life — chatty, lazy, and hopeless at spells, but full of heart.
Airi gently closed the door and sat on her bed. She pulled out her daily academy notebook and flipped to a blank page. With a flick of her finger, magical ink poured across the parchment, sketching out the runes from the Whispering Vault and translating their meanings in her own secret code. As her hand moved, her mind wandered back to the phrase etched into the obsidian walls:
"The gate of oblivion opens only to the one who has died twice."
Had she truly died twice? Once in the normal world… and once in her past life as the Void Queen?
Her pen stopped moving. Her brows furrowed.
Suddenly, a low knock knock echoed from the dormitory window.
Strange. They were on the third floor.
She cautiously stood and approached, peeling back the curtain.
There was no one outside — only the darkening courtyard below.
But just as she turned away, she caught a flicker — a shadow without a source. It slithered across the hallway behind her door.
Airi's magic surged to the surface.
Without hesitation, she whispered, "Silent Step." Her feet made no sound as she moved toward the door and opened it with practiced calm.
The corridor was empty… at least, to anyone else.
But Airi saw it.
A distorted ripple in the air, a warping of light and magic. Something cloaked was watching her.
"Come out," she said softly, her voice no longer meek.
The air shimmered. A boy stepped forward — tall, silver-haired, his golden eyes glowing faintly.
"I knew it," he said with a sly smile. "You're not who you pretend to be, are you… Hoshizora Airi?"
Airi's blood ran cold.
"Who are you?" she asked, raising a hand, prepared to strike.
"Relax," he said. "I'm not here to fight. I'm from Class S."
Her eyes narrowed. Class S was an elite group of students with unique talents — handpicked by the headmistress herself. They were whispered about in the halls like legends. Monsters in human form.
"My name is Ryouma Katsuro," he said. "And like you… I'm not quite what I seem."
He flicked his hand, revealing a glowing sigil of a phoenix wrapped in chains. A rare symbol — one linked to the ancient war mages of the East.
"You're from the Phoenix Lineage," Airi whispered.
"And you're from the Void," Ryouma replied calmly. "Your awakening triggered something. There are others… old ones. They've felt your presence. They're coming."
Airi stepped back. "Why are you telling me this?"
"Because I've been searching for the reincarnation of the Void Queen my entire life. You and I… our destinies are tied. I don't know if we'll be allies or enemies yet, but either way—"
He leaned closer, voice lowering to a whisper.
"—this academy won't be safe for long."
Just then, a loud bell echoed across the campus — the Emergency Ward Bell.
A crimson light bathed the sky. Students began screaming in the distance.
Airi turned toward the window.
Over the mountains, something vast was approaching — a storm of black mist shaped like a beast.
Ryouma's expression turned grim.
"They've found you."
And just like that, everything she'd tried to hide came crashing down.