The bells of Aetherion Academy rang three times that morning, scattering flocks of silver-winged doves across the courtyard.
Kaelith and Lyra stood among the crowd of students called to welcome the new transfer class—fresh recruits from the capital academies. The air smelled of parchment, ozone, and spring rain.
> [System Status – Stable]
[External Surveillance – Ongoing but Muted]
[Emotional Sync – Balanced (65 %)]
Lyra fidgeted beside him. "They say one of the new students ranked first in her province."
Kaelith half-listened, his gaze sweeping the roofs where he'd hidden wards.
"Another prodigy," he murmured. "The Academy collects them like trophies."
The gates opened.
A breeze swept through—and with it, laughter bright as sunlight.
A girl stepped forward, boots clicking against marble, violet hair streaked with silver and eyes like liquid topaz. She carried no visible weapon, yet the air around her shimmered with controlled mana.
> "Name: Selene Avarielle," she announced with an effortless bow. "Specialization: Emotive Sorcery. Try not to bore me."
A ripple of whispers followed. Even the instructors raised brows at her confidence.
---
First Encounter
Lyra nudged him. "Brother… she's looking right at you."
Kaelith turned—and sure enough, Selene's gaze locked onto his silver eyes. A smile ghosted her lips; not mocking, not kind, but curious.
When the crowd dispersed, she strolled straight toward him.
"So you're the famous Kaelith Veyr. The one who broke the crimson portals."
Kaelith's expression didn't change. "Rumors travel too quickly."
She tilted her head. "Maybe. Or maybe you're just hard to ignore."
Then, with a grin: "You always look this serious, or is it a special occasion?"
Lyra snorted before she could stop herself. Kaelith simply sighed.
"I prefer quiet," he said, stepping aside.
Selene followed, undeterred. "Good. I prefer noise. Balance."
> [System Note: New Entity Analyzed – Emotive Mana Resonance Detected]
[Compatibility Potential: Unknown]
---
Between Lessons
Later that day, Kaelith found Selene sitting in the garden where he often trained. She'd rearranged his practice wards into intricate patterns shaped like petals.
"You reversed the polarity," he said flatly.
She looked up, smiling. "You're welcome. It flows better now."
He crouched beside the array, studying it. She was right—the mana currents moved more cleanly. It irritated him to admit it.
"Not bad," he muttered.
"Not bad?" she echoed, feigning offense. "That's the part where you're supposed to say thank you."
He looked at her, deadpan. "Thank you."
Selene laughed—a bright, reckless sound that made nearby mana crystals shimmer.
Lyra, watching from the balcony above, couldn't help but smile. For once, her brother didn't look carved from stone.
---
Lyra's Dream
That night, Lyra dreamed of the Heart again.
She stood in a field of black glass, stars raining like tears.
The Heart pulsed in her chest, louder than her heartbeat.
> "He is changing," whispered a voice made of wind. "And you must decide whether to follow or to anchor him."
When she awoke, her palms glowed faintly with the same light as Kaelith's Memory Seed.
She whispered into the dark, "I'll anchor him. No matter what."
---
The Watcher Returns
The next day, Kaelith found a slip of parchment on his desk—unmarked except for a single crimson rune.
When he touched it, his system flared.
> [System Alert: Observer Signature Recovered]
[Location – Near Archive Wing]
He rose instantly. "They're here."
Selene's voice came from behind him. "Then let's go see what they want."
Her smile was playful, but her eyes held calculation—she wasn't as carefree as she acted.
Lyra joined them, heart hammering. Three figures in the half-lit corridor, moving toward a secret none of them understood.
---
Small Light
Before they stepped into the shadows, Selene caught Kaelith's sleeve.
"For the record," she said softly, "I tease you because you look like someone who's forgotten how to live."
He met her gaze, silent.
She smirked. "Don't worry. I'm very persistent."
Lyra rolled her eyes but smiled all the same.
And for the first time in what felt like ages, Kaelith didn't feel entirely alone in the storm.
> [System Status: Emotional Variance Detected]
[Classification: Hope / Uncertainty]
[Observation Thread Intensifying...]