Something had changed.
The gentle breeze that had swept through the university only moments ago was gone. The banners hanging from the tall pillars had become completely still, as though the entire world had suddenly stopped to listen.
Then the ground trembled.
A deep, unfamiliar sound echoed across the courtyard.
Aria slowly lifted her eyes toward the sky.
A strange golden glow had begun spreading across the clouds.
"What is that?" someone whispered.
Another tremor shook the ground.
The crowd erupted into murmurs as everyone turned their eyes upward.
Then a shadow appeared above them.
It grew larger.
And larger.
Until the enormous figure finally emerged from the clouds.
A Phoenix.
Ignara.
Ignara spread her enormous wings across the sky.
With one powerful movement, she descended slightly, sending a wave of warm air rushing across the courtyard. The banners snapped violently against their poles, and several students instinctively raised their hands to shield their faces.
She didn't flap her wings like an ordinary bird.
Each movement was slow and deliberate, almost graceful.
Her crimson feathers shimmered beneath the sunlight, while the golden tips seemed to glow with a light of their own. As she moved through the sky, tiny sparks of gold drifted from her feathers and disappeared before reaching the ground.
Ignara circled above the university once.
Then twice.
Her sharp eyes travelled across the enormous gathering below.
Thousands of people stood frozen, watching her.
No one dared to speak.
The Phoenix suddenly tilted her wings and descended lower.
A powerful gust swept across the courtyard.
Students gasped as she passed over them, her enormous shadow briefly covering the entire ceremony grounds.
Ignara rose again, circling slowly above the crowd.
She was searching.
Searching for someone.
Then she stopped.
Her enormous wings stretched wide as she hovered above the courtyard.
Her golden eyes locked onto one person.
Aria.
For several seconds, neither of them moved.
Aria stared upward, unable to understand why the Phoenix was looking directly at her.
For a moment, the ancient Phoenix remained perfectly still in the air, staring directly at the girl standing behind the podium.
Aria's breath caught.
She couldn't explain it, but the moment their eyes met, a strange warmth spread through her body.
Then Ignara threw her head toward the heavens.
A deafening cry erupted from her.
"SKRRAAAAAAA!"
The sound thundered across the university grounds, shaking the air and sending a powerful wave of heat through the courtyard.
Everyone froze.
Then, almost instinctively, the entire crowd dropped to their knees.
Students.
Lecturers.
Nobles.
Even the most powerful clan representatives bowed their heads before the ancient Phoenix.
The courtyard, which had been filled with thousands of voices only moments before, became completely silent.
Aria remained standing behind the podium.
Her eyes were still locked with Ignara's.
She didn't understand why everyone had knelt.
She didn't understand why the Phoenix was staring at her.
But deep inside, she felt something she had never experienced before.
A strange connection.
Ignara lowered herself until she hovered directly above Aria.
A warm golden light surrounded them.
Aria instinctively raised a hand to shield her eyes from the brightness. She could feel a strange warmth spreading through her hair.
Then she felt something change.
A few strands of her dark hair began to shimmer.
Before her very eyes, the strands slowly transformed, their colour shifting from deep darkness into a brilliant golden hue.
The golden strands glowed beneath the sunlight, almost as though they had been touched by fire.
A gasp travelled through the crowd.
"Her hair..."
"Look at her hair!"
Aria reached up and touched the unfamiliar strands, her fingers trembling.
She stared at them in disbelief.
She had no idea what was happening.
But the reaction of everyone around her told her that this was no ordinary phenomenon.
Ignara released another powerful cry.
The sound echoed across the courtyard.
And this time, everyone understood.
The Phoenix had chosen her.
The ancient Ignara had risen from her domain for one purpose: to choose the daughter of the Ardentis Clan as the bride of the future king.
The moment the golden strands appeared in Aria's hair, the entire courtyard fell into stunned silence.
Then a loud gasp swept through the crowd.
"The mark..."
"She has been chosen."
"Impossible..."
Aria stared at the golden strands between her fingers, completely confused.
Before she could even process what had happened, movement began among the nobles.
A group of people dressed in elegant crimson and gold robes stepped forward from the far end of the courtyard.
They walked with authority, their movements coordinated and purposeful. Each wore the emblem of the Ashern Circle proudly on their robes.
At the centre of them walked an elderly man with silver hair and a commanding presence. He carried a golden staff engraved with ancient symbols.
He was the leader of the Ashern Circle.
His eyes remained fixed on Aria.
"The Phoenix has made her choice," he announced.
The words sent another wave of whispers through the crowd.
Aria's eyes widened.
"Choice...?"
She barely had time to speak before several members of the Circle approached her.
"Wait! What are you doing?" Aria asked, stepping backward.
"Miss Aria Fleur, you must come with us immediately," one of the members said.
"Come with you? Where?"
"You will receive your answers soon. But you cannot remain here."
Aria looked toward her family.
"Mother!"
Nerina had already risen from her seat, her expression filled with shock and fear.
"Aria!"
Her father tried to move toward her, but several members of the Ashern Circle stepped between them.
"Please remain calm," the leader said firmly. "The Phoenix's choice must be respected."
"But she's my daughter!" Nerina cried.
Aria's heart pounded as she looked between her family and the strange people surrounding her.
She still didn't understand what was happening.
She only knew that everything had changed within a matter of minutes.
Above them, Ignara released one final powerful cry.
Everyone looked toward the sky.
The Phoenix spread her enormous crimson-and-gold wings, sending a powerful wave of warm air across the courtyard.
Golden sparks scattered through the air as she rose higher and higher.
For one final moment, Ignara looked down at Aria.
Their eyes met.
Then the ancient Phoenix turned toward the sky and disappeared beyond the clouds.
Aria watched her leave in disbelief.
"Wait..." she whispered.
But Ignara was already gone.
Two members of the Ashern Circle gently took hold of Aria's arms.
"Please, Miss Fleur. We have to leave."
Aria looked back at her family one last time.
Her mother's eyes were filled with worry.
Her father's expression had hardened with concern.
Billy stood frozen among the students, while Selene looked just as shocked as everyone else.
Kael had stopped smiling.
His eyes followed Aria as she was led away.
"Aria!" he called.
She turned her head.
But before she could answer, the members of the Ashern Circle continued escorting her away from the ceremony grounds.
Behind them, thousands of students remained frozen in confusion.
The matriculation ceremony was forgotten.
The speech was forgotten.
Everything had changed.
Aria Fleur, a girl from the Ardentis Clan, had been chosen by Ignara.
And she was now being taken away to face a destiny she had never asked for.