Clover's fingers brushed the glowing orb. In an instant, Ryker's house, the snoring, the candles—all vanished. Winf, color, and light swirled around him, and then… stillness.
He blinked. Before him stretched a serene garden, golden sunlight spilling over emerald grass. Flowers swayed, butterflies danced, and a crystal stream glimmered. Aetherfang floated nearby, its silver-blue glow harmonizing with the light.
"Uh… okay definitely not home," Clover muttered, stepping carefully.
A soft shimmer caught his eye. Words appeared in the air, glowing faintly—Ryker's scroll:
> "When three swords rise, one must fall.
The Solace shall guard the heart,
The Aether shall test the mind,
The Umbra shall cleave the soul.
Only through the breaking of one
Shall the world be made whole again.
Clover's eyes widened. "Wait… what does this mean?"
Aetherfang hummed lightly, as if acknowledging the weight of the words. Clover swallowed, a mixture of awe and unease creeping in.
"This… this is serious," he whispered. His hand lingered over the orb, heart hammering.
And then, something glimmered just beyond the flowers—something he hadn't noticed before.
---
Clover's fingers brushed the glimmer. In an instant, the garden's golden light flickered, and shadows stretched unnaturally. The serene flowers wilted, the stream darkened, and distant screams echoed—sharp, panicked, human.
"What… what is this?! Clover stumbled back, heart racing. Through the shifting shadows, he glimpsed people falling, faces twisted in fear. He didn't know them. They weren't real… or were they?
A cold voice, soft yet commanding, whispered through the warped air:
"Come, child…"
Clover's chest tightened. His instincts screamed to run, but his feet felt rooted. The shadows seemed to reach for him, hungry, endless.
Then, a hand—warm, firm—touched his shoulder. "Clover."
Ryker. His voice cut through the chaos, grounding him. Clover blinked, and the darkness recoiled, shrinking back into the glowing orb. The garden's sunlight returned, gentle and golden once more.
Clover swallowed hard, shaking. "W-what… what was that?"
Ryker's eyes were steady, unreadable. "A warning. You've seen only a glimpse. That world… it is not ready for you yet. But soon… it will be."
Clover nodded, heart still hammering. The glimmer pulsed softly at his side, silent, as if holding secrets he wasn't ready to understand
Clover sat down hard, still pale. "I… I saw people dying. A voice calling me. What if—"
"Enough." Ryker's voice snapped like a whip. His eyes, sharp and unblinking, locked onto Clover. "You touched what you shouldn't have. You're reckless."
Clover flinched. "I thought you were asleep—"
"I wasn't asleep." Ryker's tone cut deep, cold as steel. "I wanted to see if you could be trusted, if you'd respect the dangers around you. Clearly… you're not ready."
The words stung worse than any blade. Clover's chest tightened, fear crawling up his spine. For the first time, the boy who joked his way through skeletons and haunted halls felt small.
"I-I didn't mean—"
Ryker stepped closer, his shadow falling over Clover. "Meanings don't matter. Choices do. And yours almost cost you."
Clover swallowed, trembling slightly. His usual sarcastic spark was gone, replaced by unease. For the first time, he was afraid—of what he'd seen, of what Ryker knew, and of what lay ahead.
Ryker finally turned away, cloak brushing the floor. "Get some rest, Clover. Tomorrow… your training begins, Clover sat frozen, Aetherfang faintly glowing at his side. His pulse still raced from the vision, from Ryker's words, from the weight pressing on his chest.
Outside, Nyx stirred in her nap, ears twitching—like she'd sensed something darker lurking beyond the house.
Clover whispered to himself, barely audible, "What… did I get dragged into?"
The candlelight flickered violently—then snuffed out
As Ryker turned away, Clover blurted, "Wait—this sword. Aetherfang. It's been glowing, following me… like it knows me. Why?"
Ryker stopped mid-step. For a moment, the only sound was Nyx shifting outside.
"…Because it does," Ryker said quietly, without turning his head. "And soon, you'll understand why."
Clover's throat tightened, but before he could press further, Ryker waved a hand dismissively. "Enough questions. Rest. Tomorrow, we see if you're worthy of carrying it."The candlelight flickered, then went out, leaving Clover staring at the faint silver-blue glow of Aetherfang in the dark
Clover glanced at the window—already dusky. "Crap. It's almost six. Clara's gonna kill me."He turned to bolt, but Ryker's voice cut through the room. "Running home like a rabbit? Pathetic. You'll never last.
Clover spun, glaring. "What, you're gonna walk me home? Carry me on your back?"
Instead of answering, Ryker unfurled a weathered scroll. Ancient symbols lit up like fireflies, swirling into the air. With a rush of wind, the magic formed into a colossal, spectral bird—its wings wide enough to shake the candles on the walls.
The beast bent low, feathers shimmering with starlight.Ryker stepped onto its back as casually as climbing stairs. He looked down at Clover, dead serious. "Get on."
Clover blinked. "...You're joking, right? That thing doesn't even have seatbelts."
"On," Ryker repeated.Grumbling, Clover climbed up, clutching a feather twice his size. The bird gave a sudden lurch skyward. Clover let out a very undignified scream.
"AAAAHHHHHHH—!"
"Stop flailing," Ryker barked. "You'll fall faster that way."
"I am gonna fall!" Clover yelled, clinging tighter. "This is not normal transportation! What happened to walking?!"
Below, the city blurred as the bird streaked across the evening sky. Nyx, lazily stretching outside the house, watched them vanish with a flick of her tail—as if amused by the whole ordeal.The bird soared high over the streets, Clover clinging for dear life. His heart nearly stopped when he dared to peek down—people below carried on like nothing was happening. They didn't even glance up.
"Wait… wait… they can't see this thing?!" Clover shouted over the wind.
Ryker stood firm, arms crossed. "Invisible to ordinary eyes."
Clover blinked, stunned. "Okay… that's… actually kinda cool. How'd you do it?"
Ryker's gaze didn't waver. "Tomorrow. Come back, and you'll find out. I'll train you before you head to school. But you'd better find a way to delay your admission to Vanguardaum Academy… or else we won't see each other again. You'll be stuck there."
Clover stiffened. "H-hey, wait a second… how do you even know about that? Are you… spying on me? Are you in my house?!"
Ryker gave the faintest smirk, but said nothing. The bird glided silently through the clouds, leaving Clover's mind spinning with more questions than answers. The invisible bird dipped lower, rooftops sliding past beneath them. Clover was just beginning to relax when Ryker suddenly turned.
"Lesson one," Ryker said flatly. "Don't get too comfortable.
Before Clover could react, Ryker shoved him clean off the bird.
"Wha—AAAAAHHHH!" Clover's scream tore through the air as he flailed like a ragdoll. "I HATE YOU, OLD MAN!"
At the last second, the bird tilted its wing, catching him and dumping him unceremoniously into a hay cart near his street. Clover popped his head up, straw in his hair, glaring furiously as Ryker soared away into the night without another word.
By the time he stumbled home, the sky was orange with dusk. Clara was sitting quietly in the living room, her hands folded on her lap. She didn't speak when Clover walked in—didn't even look up. The silence weighed heavier than any scolding.
Clover scratched the back of his neck, trying to force a smile. "I, uh… I'm home. See? Still alive. Totally fine."Clara's lip trembled. She stood, turned away, and disappeared into her room without a word.
The fake smile slipped from Clover's face. For the first time that day, his chest ached.
"…Clara…" he whispered, but the door had already closed.The house felt colder than ever.The rooftop was quiet, washed in the orange glow of a dying sun. Clover sat on the ledge, staring out at the city with a smile that didn't belong on his face. His legs dangled loosely, but his fists were tight against the stone.Akira climbed up beside him, close but not too close. She studied him for a moment before speaking. "You know… you don't have to fake it around me."Clover let out a short laugh, tilting his head back. "Fake what?"
"That stupid grin." Her voice was steady, but her eyes softened. "I know you, Clover. You pretend like nothing hurts, but it does. Clara crying, your mom worried… the way you keep acting like none of it matters."
The grin faltered. Clover swallowed, eyes fixed on the horizon. "…If I let it matter, Akira… if I show it… I'll fall apart."Silence. Then Akira reached out, resting her hand lightly on his arm. "Then fall apart. At least once. With me. I'll still be here when you do."
Clover froze, her words hitting him harder than any blade. For a second, his mask cracked—the boy beneath, tired and scared, showed in his trembling breath. "…Why do you always believe in me?"
"Because I know who you really are," she whispered. "Not the act. Not the smile. You."
Clover's throat tightened. He looked away quickly, blinking back something he didn't want her to see. He forced a crooked smile. "You're way too sappy, you know that?"
Akira laughed softly, brushing her hair back. "Yeah. Guess you'll just have to deal with it."
For a moment, the rooftop held only the sound of their breathing—two friends, closer than words could ever explain.
DONG.The sound tore through the air, low and heavy. Both turned sharply toward the clock tower in the distance. Its hands hadn't moved, yet it rang out again.The city seemed to shiver, just for an instant. Then silence.
"…That's not normal," Clover muttered, unease crawling into his voice.
Akira's eyes narrowed on the frozen tower. "No. It's not."Later, when Clover finally slipped back home, Clara's sadness still hung in the air like a shadow. He sat on his bed, trying to shake the rooftop moment from his head, but then Hum. From his pocket.
The shard pulsed. A soft, steady glow, almost like a heartbeat.Clover pulled it out slowly. His breath caught.And the world tilted.
The rooftop, the house, the city—all bled away. Fire. Screams. People dying in a place he didn't know. A battlefield, littered with shadows.And then a voice, low and ancient, slid into his mind:"Come, child of Aether… you cannot run."Clover staggered back in his own room, heart hammering, the shard burning against his palm.
The rooftop words of Akira lingered in his head—you don't have to fake it around me—but now, he wasn't sure if he could tell anyone what he had just seen.Not even her.