The morning sun cast a soft golden light across Eldara Academy, but the courtyard felt unusually quiet. Even the chatter of students seemed muted, as if the academy itself were holding its breath.
Lyn walked with Umbra at his side, the wolf's ears twitching at every small sound — a bird fluttering, a scroll tumbling from a student's bag, the faint hum of distant mana flowing through the academy's wards.
"Something's… different today," Lyn murmured, glancing at the spires above.Umbra's amber eyes scanned the horizon. "The winds carry warnings."
At the edge of the training grounds, a group of Class D tamers practiced routines with clumsy precision. Some glanced nervously toward Lyn and Umbra, whispering amongst themselves.
"Is that Ashveil?" one muttered."He's the one bonded to the shadow wolf, isn't he?" another replied, awe and suspicion mixing in their voices.
Arden Veyne walked past, his brow furrowed.
"You think the mark makes you special?" he muttered under his breath, loud enough for Lyn to hear."It's not the mark that matters," Lyn replied calmly, "it's what we do with it."
A soft chuckle from a classmate distracted him, and for a moment, the tension eased. Even in an academy where hierarchy mattered, small moments of humor could still pierce through the anxiety of trials.
By midday, Lyn noticed subtle irregularities in the lower vaults' mana flows. Tiny flickers of violet light danced along the stone walls, disappearing before anyone could get close.
"Umbra, do you feel that?" Lyn whispered.The wolf's ears twitched, his fur bristling. "Yes… someone is observing. Not attacking… yet."
He decided to investigate, moving toward the lower vaults cautiously. Shadows shifted unnaturally along the corridors, echoing faint whispers. Every step Lyn took felt like treading on the edge of something unseen.
Meanwhile, in the council chambers high above the academy, whispers of concern spread like wildfire.
"The disturbances are growing," Kaelen said, his hands resting on the polished table.Archmagister Veyran's gaze was sharp. "And Ashveil's mark… it is unlike anything we've seen. He is growing faster than anticipated.""Do we intervene?" another council member asked."Not yet," Veyran replied. "Let's observe. The students themselves must face what approaches. Only then will we understand the magnitude."
The council's deliberations mirrored the tension felt across the academy — the calm of the morning belied the undercurrents of danger gathering just beyond the spires.
As evening approached, a gentle wind carried a melody from the distant forest. Lyn noticed a cloaked figure watching from the treeline, eyes hidden beneath a hood. The figure lingered only briefly, then vanished, leaving behind a small pendant engraved with strange, ancient runes.
"Umbra… this symbol," Lyn said, picking it up carefully."Older than the vaults. Older than the academy," Umbra replied, his tail flicking nervously.
The distant forest seemed to pulse with energy, almost alive. Shadows moved along the edges of vision, disappearing whenever he focused. Something was approaching, something that would change the quiet rhythm of the academy.
Lyn sat beneath the willow tree near the courtyard, Umbra resting beside him. The pendant glimmered faintly in his palm.
"We've faced trials, Umbra, but this… this feels different," he murmured.Umbra nudged his hand, eyes steady. "It's a warning. We must be ready."
As the last rays of sunlight faded, the academy felt heavier, as though the walls themselves were bracing for what was coming. And somewhere, beyond sight, a pair of glowing amber eyes watched — patient, calculating, and aware of every movement.
The calm of the morning had passed. Whispers of the coming storm rustled through Eldara Academy, leaving every tamer, student, and guardian with the faintest sense of unease.