It was supposed to be a quiet afternoon at Blackridge Academy. Andy was halfway through a nap under the old willow tree, while Peter sat nearby, sketching runes into his notebook and muttering about symmetry and spell efficiency.
Then they saw him.
A man in a long coat, standing just beyond the academy gates. His posture, the way he tilted his head—it was eerily familiar.
Andy sat up, heart pounding. "That… that looks like my dad."
Peter squinted. "No way. That looks like my dad."
They stared at each other.
"Wait," Andy said slowly, "are our dads… the same person?"
Peter blinked. "That would explain the shared trauma and our mutual inability to ask for help."
🧩 Into the Forest
The man turned and walked into the forest behind the academy.
Naturally, Andy and Peter followed. Because what's life without chasing mysterious figures who may or may not be your long-lost father?
They tracked him past the old training ruins and into a clearing that shimmered with residual magic. The man stopped, placed a hand on a stone pillar, and vanished.
Peter stared. "Okay. Either our dads are ghosts, spies, or part-time illusionists. Or all three."
Andy touched the pillar. A vision flashed—his father teaching him wind techniques, then fading into mist.
Peter did the same. He saw fire dances, laughter, and a final goodbye.
🧠 The Truth?
Back at the dorm, they sat in stunned silence.
"Maybe it wasn't them," Andy said. "Maybe it was a projection. A test."
Peter nodded. "Or maybe they're watching. Guiding us. Like magical helicopter parents."
Andy chuckled. "If my dad's out there, I hope he saw me win the Trials. And not the part where I tripped over my own cyclone."
Peter smirked. "If mine's watching, he probably sighed when I tried to enchant a sandwich and turned it into a sentient loaf."
They didn't get answers that day. But they got something else—a reminder that even in mystery, they weren't alone.
And somewhere, deep in the academy's archives, two files flickered back to life: Subject A: Windbound LegacySubject P: Flameborn Heir
Chapter: Echoes in the Archives
The next morning, Andy and Peter returned to the clearing, determined to uncover what they'd seen. The stone pillar still stood, humming faintly with residual magic. Peter ran his fingers across the surface, muttering a decoding spell.
A hidden compartment opened.
Inside was a scroll sealed with the same silver crest they'd seen on the envelope from the Strategic Division. Andy unrolled it carefully. The parchment shimmered, revealing two names:
Aeron Windmere – Windbound Legacy
Pyros Vellin – Flameborn Heir
Peter's breath caught. "Pyros Vellin… that's my father's name."
Andy nodded slowly. "And Aeron is mine."
The scroll continued:
"Subjects classified. Status: Missing in action. Last seen during Operation Eclipse."
Peter frowned. "Operation Eclipse? That's the mission they never talk about."
Andy's eyes narrowed. "What if they didn't vanish? What if they were sealed away—like the Shiver?"
🧭 The Clue Trail
They followed the scroll's coordinates to the academy's forbidden wing—an area sealed off since the last magical breach. Peter used a cloaking sigil to bypass the wards, and Andy summoned a wind pulse to reveal hidden runes on the walls.
Behind a false bookshelf, they found a vault door marked with both their fathers' crests.
Peter raised an eyebrow. "Either this is a trap, or we're about to uncover the biggest secret in academy history."
Andy grinned. "Let's hope it's both."
🕳️ The Vault of Echoes
Inside the vault was a chamber filled with memory crystals—each one pulsing with stored moments. Andy touched one and saw his father battling alongside Peter's, sealing a rift in time. Peter touched another and saw a message:
"If you're seeing this, we failed to return. But you must finish what we started. The Shiver wasn't the only threat."
Suddenly, the crystals dimmed. A shadow stirred in the corner.
A voice whispered, "You were never meant to find this."
Andy and Peter turned, ready to fight.
Want to continue with a battle inside the vault or a secret message from their fathers encoded in the crystals? This mystery's just heating up