Chapter 1
There was an explosion that shook the surface of the earth.
The air around seemed to swallow itself, then vomited a blazing green hue—boiling like liquid from a world never touched by mankind.
That flame was not merely heat, but something that refused to be understood; as if it possessed its own consciousness, dancing wildly while devouring the gaze of anyone daring enough to look.
Within that greenness, the world turned into a thick fog.
Not from smoke, but from light—too dense, too heavy to be called mere radiance.
All forms lost their identities.
The trees, the soil, even the sky itself seemed to dissolve into darkness disguised as light.
From the swirl of green fire, something thin and deadly emerged.
It gleamed as though forged from metallic light dipped in the blood of stars, shooting forward so swiftly that even the air had no time to tremble.
There was no second explosion, only a faint whisper arriving too late—after the disaster had already occurred.
Five figures stood on the edge of that area, at first appearing like black shadows trapped behind a curtain of light, now slowly collapsing one by one.
The object, slender as a toothpick, pierced through their bodies mercilessly, leaving behind tiny holes almost invisible to the eye yet carrying the curse of death itself.
'Flesh froze, blood halted, and breath turned to stone in the air.'
Time felt paralyzed.
The leaves that once drifted midair stopped falling—and the sound of wind whispering between branches vanished, swallowed by another dimension.
There were no witnesses close enough to comprehend what had just occurred.
Only silence, hanging like cold mist reluctant to fade away.
On the ground, remnants of green embers still danced faintly, resembling tiny creatures seeking their next prey.
The scent of ozone mixed with burning metal filled the air, and behind that curtain of light, the world itself seemed to hold its breath—terrified that even a single motion might awaken something far more dreadful.
"Erietta, how are you holding up?"
"Relaxed, calm, and unbothered."
Another explosion shook the ground, scattering fragments into the air like a rain of glass.
The light born from the blast was so blinding that it reflected off every surface, stripping shadows of their hiding places among the ruins.
From within the encirclement of radiance, the silhouette of a young girl—Erietta Bathee—emerged in a sharp motion, her body tensed like that of a beast trained to face death.
She was not yet eighteen, but her reflexes belonged to one accustomed to dancing upon the line between life and death.
Her feet moved backward swiftly, as if the ground beneath her could erupt at any moment, and the air around her split with the sharpness of her sudden movement.
The attack came without form, without direction, as if launched from nothingness.
No gleam of steel or flare of magic could be seen.
Only the chilling sensation that slithered like poison through the air, seeking one target—Erietta Bathee.
Yet whether by instinct, luck, or something far more mysterious, the girl managed to evade it at the very instant that should have marked her end.
Her body spun, dodging the unseen strike, while dust and shards of light rained upon the ground where she had stood only seconds before.
The air trembled afterward.
The space around Erietta shifted slightly, as though the world itself was struggling to adjust to something that defied logic.
Her heartbeat raced, in rhythm with the pulse of the earth newly touched by an alien power.
There was a lingering heat on her skin—unseen, yet piercing deep into her bones—marking that the previous strike was no ordinary blow.
In the creeping silence, flashes of memory flickered within her mind—of something she had just said in response to a man's question, now echoing faintly like the remnants of a conversation that should never have existed amid this inferno.
Fortune still favored her—at least, this time.
Erietta Bathee, a name spoken softly like the rustle of leaves, yet bearing the weight of profound stillness.
Her hair was of lush green.
Not an ordinary green, but a shade that seemed as though the earth itself bowed in reverence to imitate it.
Each strand appeared alive, glimmering with natural light that flowed like dew on the edge of a morning leaf.
When she walked among the grass, the greens around her seemed to lose their confidence—as if humbled by a freshness too pure to be compared.
Beneath the twilight sky or candlelit night, that hair shimmered gently, reminiscent of a forest harboring the secrets of life and death within its quiet depths.
She was not merely a student of the Star Academy.
For she was part of a legend being written without ink.
Entering the academy at the age of fourteen, Erietta had already passed through three seasons of trials and mysteries—enduring them without words, only with a gaze that told everyone around her that the world she saw was not the same as theirs.
The academy stood grandly upon the highlands, its towers piercing through fog and its courtyards vast as a small city.
Yet among hundreds of students walking proudly in uniform, only Erietta's steps echoed—as if the stone floors recognized her even before her feet touched them.
An irony, that in a place training guardians of light, a girl with an aura as gentle as foliage became the center of unease.
There was something behind her calmness—something even the sun dared not shine upon for too long.
Her gaze was serene, but within it burned a spark of power not yet ready to be unleashed upon the world.
When she passed through the academy's central garden, the flowers seemed to turn toward her, accompanying her in a silence that could only be felt—not heard.
Yet for those attuned enough, the air around her trembled—subtly, but undeniably—signifying that something within her was waiting to be awakened.
Honestly, this was not the right time to keep talking.
"Still able to fight?"
"A few issues, but nothing serious. My arm still works, and this sword still obeys."
"Don't rely too much on strength.Here, a single careless moment can end everything."
"You think I don't know that?"
"Knowing means nothing if you forget.Look at these people—they didn't die because they were weak, but because they felt too safe."
"Alright, alright. I'll be careful.But don't expect me to let you have all the fun."
"No empty promises.Just stay alive—that's what the headmaster and this conscience demand."
Ignoring the lifeless bodies scattered across the ground, Erietta Bathee stood firm, steadying her presence amid the fading green mist.
The air still smelled of iron and scorched earth, like the remnants of prayers that failed to reach the heavens.
Her breathing was ragged—not from exhaustion, but from the chaos that had just exploded around her.
She drew a deep breath, then exhaled sharply, her rhythm heavier than usual.
Her academy dress, tattered by dust and blood, fluttered faintly in the wind—proof that life still pulsed amid a landscape surrendering to death.
In the oppressive quiet, her gaze shifted toward a man standing among the ruins.
Ilux Rediona.
The greenish glow of the lingering fire reflected across his face, revealing the strain hidden within his eyes.
Erietta stepped forward slowly, her movement echoing softly over the cracked earth.
When she stopped, her back facing him, the world once again seemed to hold its breath.
To be continued…