Twilight Academy was never silent—but today, it held its breath.
Class D's victory spread like wildfire. Scrolls fluttered. Names were whispered. Elders frowned. Students stared at their training partners with suspicion.
In the Grand Council Hall, the peak elders gathered beneath the jade dragon pillars. Thunder rumbled faintly overhead, though no storm had been summoned.
Elder Yan slammed his palm on the table. "A janitor taught them that?"
Another scoffed. "That wasn't cultivation—it was madness turned into method. Dangerous. Wild."
Elder Mu sipped his tea slowly. "Perhaps… that's exactly what they needed."
"But who is he?"
"Unknown," Elder Mu lied. "But perhaps we should find out."
—
In a secluded cliffside garden, Han Li sat beneath a crooked pine tree, watching the clouds churn. His broom rested nearby, disguised, but humming softly—like it too had tasted the thrill of battle.
Xun Fei limped over, his arm wrapped in bandages. "Teacher, the Council sent word. They want a demonstration next month. A formal duel against Class B."
Han Li didn't move. "And?"
"They want to observe your 'method.'"
Han Li chuckled. "They'll observe all they like. But they won't understand."
Behind them, Ling Yue stood silently. "Why do they fear us?"
Han Li looked at her. "Because they fear what doesn't bow. You didn't break when the world tried to crush you. That makes you dangerous."
Above, the wind howled strangely. A distant roar echoed from the heavens.
Han Li's gaze darkened. "And soon, they'll learn what real danger tastes like."
In the deepest part of the Forbidden Zone, cracks formed on a sealed altar. Black mist oozed from within. The Sky-Eater was no longer asleep.
It was listening.