(After the Battle of Heaven and Flame)
---
The teleportation sigil faded.
The golden light dimmed, and the three figures reappeared on the Academy's main teleportation platform — battered, bruised, and silent.
The moment they materialized, dozens of staff and healers rushed toward them.
Students who had already returned stared in disbelief.
> "They're alive…"
"That's Sho Ardenthal, Princess Sylus, and that silver-haired girl—!"
"They… took down that thing?"
Even the barrier's residual mana trembled from what they'd endured.
---
[Academy Infirmary — Later]
Sho sat on the bed, his shirt half torn, bandaged across his side. Sylus lay in the next cot, an IV of liquid mana slowly restoring her reserves.
And near the window — Liyana stood silently, staring out at the courtyard below, her silver hair swaying in the light breeze.
She had her hand over her chest — the faint trace of her Celestial glow gone, replaced by quiet exhaustion.
Sho smiled faintly.
> "You really saved our asses back there."
Liyana turned, giving him that small, serene smile of hers.
> "You make it sound like I did all the work."
Sylus groaned from the bed.
> "You did all the work. The two of us were just the side characters."
Sho smirked.
> "Speak for yourself. I woke up in time to land the finishing blow."
> "Uh-huh," Sylus muttered, rolling her eyes. "Sure you did, hero."
Liyana giggled softly. "You two never change."
For a moment, peace lingered — a fragile calm after the storm.
---
[Meanwhile — Principal's Office]
Principal Alice Valefor sat behind her desk, legs crossed, an amused smile playing on her lips.
Professor Chroma Vallen stood beside her, arms folded, expression serious.
> "They shouldn't have been able to handle an EX+ entity," Chroma said. "That wasn't a test. That was suicide."
Alice tilted her head, her tone almost teasing.
> "And yet, they handled it beautifully."
> "At what cost?"
Alice's smile faded slightly. Her gaze turned toward the holographic projection showing the trio resting in the infirmary.
> "At the cost of awakening something… that shouldn't have been awakened."
Chroma frowned. "You mean the Celestial resonance."
Alice nodded.
> "Liyana Lufinze… she's not of this world. And that light— even the gods would recognize it."
Silence hung between them.
Then Alice's tone softened.
> "Still… she's part of this Academy now. And I intend to keep her here. For as long as possible."
Chroma sighed, rubbing his temple. "You always did like collecting dangerous things."
Alice grinned, eyes glimmering.
> "That's what makes life interesting."
---
[Later — Infirmary, Private Room]
The door opened quietly.
Alice stepped inside, her usual cheer replaced by something quieter — curiosity laced with warmth.
Liyana bowed slightly. "Principal."
Sho tried to stand, but Alice raised a hand.
> "Rest. You've earned it."
She turned to them both, her gaze sharp but kind.
> "You two caused quite the commotion. An EX+ Fallen Archon? That's not something that just shows up without reason."
Sho frowned. "So… what was that thing?"
Alice looked thoughtful. "An echo from an age long before our empires. They were called Archons — servants of the first gods. Something must have disturbed the seal that kept it trapped."
Liyana's fingers tightened slightly.
> "And you think it was because of me."
Alice smiled faintly, not denying it.
> "Perhaps. But that's not necessarily bad. The world moves when power awakens — and yours, my dear, is extraordinary."
She stepped closer, eyes glowing faintly violet.
> "Tell me… do you remember anything? Anything before the Academy?"
Liyana hesitated. Her lips parted slightly, but no words came.
A flicker — stars, war, darkness — flashed through her mind.
Then she shook her head softly. "No… not yet."
Alice nodded, satisfied. "Then rest. You'll remember when you're ready."
She turned toward Sho, her tone softening.
> "And you… Sho Ardenthal. You awakened something too, didn't you?"
Sho blinked. "I… don't know what that was. But I felt— something. Like another me."
Alice smiled knowingly.
> "Good. Then your path is starting to open."
She turned to leave, pausing at the doorway.
> "Get ready, both of you. The head council will want to see you soon. And when they do, the world will start watching."
With that, she left — the faint scent of roses lingering behind.
---
[Outside the Infirmary — Balcony]
Night fell.
Liyana stood alone under the moonlight, looking at the stars that mirrored faintly in her eyes.
Sho walked up quietly beside her, hands in his pockets.
> "Couldn't sleep either?"
She shook her head. "It's strange. Every time I close my eyes… I see fragments of something. A battlefield of stars."
Sho leaned on the railing. "Then maybe your past is calling you back."
Liyana smiled faintly, glancing at him. "Would you still stay… if I'm not human?"
Sho met her gaze without hesitation.
> "I don't care what you are. You're you. That's enough."
For a moment, the night was silent — until Sylus' voice called from inside, teasing:
> "If you two are going to flirt, at least let me sleep in peace!"
Sho and Liyana looked at each other — then laughed softly, the tension melting away.
---
[Final Scene — Principal's Balcony]
Principal Alice watched the moon from her own window, sipping tea, a subtle smile curling her lips.
> "They survived the first storm. But soon… the stars will start moving again."
Her eyes gleamed faintly — reflecting constellations that no mortal should see.
> "The game… has only just begun."
---
To Be Continued…