The tour pressed on, winding through vaulted corridors lined with hanging banners and walls alive with shifting constellations. The air thickened with every step, as if the Academy itself held its breath.
Cynthia walked near the front of the group, her stride unshaken. She didn't whisper like the others — she simply observed, sharp eyes flicking across every detail. Kaitlyn moved a little behind, calm and composed, her hands clasped neatly as though she already knew she belonged here.
De'Oliver, of course, broke the silence. "Okay, but is it just me, or does this place feel like it's judging us? I swear one of those banners just glared at me."
A few chuckles rippled, but Jordan wasn't laughing. His gaze had strayed again, catching sight of Renfo leaning against a pillar at the edge of the corridor. Renfo's eyes met his — cool, knowing, unreadable — before the boy slipped away without a word. The secret between them sat heavy in Jordan's chest.
Professor Selora finally halted the procession before a pair of colossal doors. They towered over the students, carved from obsidian stone and veined with silver that glowed faintly like living starlight.
"Before you stand the Grand Dining Hall," Selora intoned, her staff echoing a sharp crack on the marble floor.
"Beyond these doors lies the Constellation Flames. There, your Zodian Bindings will be revealed. You are no longer children of chance, but heirs to destiny. What awaits you will shape the rest of your lives."
The first-years shifted nervously, whispers buzzing through the hall.
"Destiny?"
"Zodian Bindings?"
"What if I get stuck with the wrong one?"
Jayden's voice cut through the murmurs, dripping with arrogance. "There is no wrong one. Power is power — and I'll take whatever burns brightest."
Cynthia smirked at his tone. "Let's hope the stars don't choke on your ego."
A ripple of laughter followed. Kaitlyn, however, spoke evenly, her voice sharper than the chuckles. "Maybe don't be so quick to mock. The stars are listening."
For a heartbeat, the group fell quiet. Even Jayden's smirk wavered.
Then the doors groaned.
The carvings of the twelve constellations shimmered — Aries, Taurus, Gemini, all the way through Pisces — glowing with ethereal fire. But as the light danced, Jordan's breath caught. In the shadows of the silver etchings, half-hidden yet undeniable, he saw another symbol: a serpent coiled upon itself, waiting.
The thirteenth.
A chill swept through him.
"Did you see that?" a boy whispered.
"There's only twelve…"
"No. There's something else."
The doors creaked wider, light spilling through the widening crack like a sunrise made of fire. The brilliance washed over the first-years, blinding, overwhelming, demanding.
De'Oliver gripped Jordan's arm, voice low. "Here we go, man. Whatever's in there… it's about to change everything."
The light swallowed them whole.