The next morning, the academy sky turned violet.
A gong echoed across the halls.
Students froze. Some bowed. Others whispered.
"She's coming…"
The ground beneath Shane, Luna, Rio, and Xin rippled with silver dust as a tall woman descended the staircase at the academy's center. Her robe shimmered like a liquid galaxy, and her eyes glowed—one silver, one gold.
She was known only as Master Zeirith.
The head of Archanis Royal Academy.
And feared even by nobles.
Her voice cut the silence like wind through steel.
> "The stars have shifted. The four fallen souls must face the Trial of Origin."
Shane frowned. "We're not students here."
Zeirith smiled coldly. "You will be… if you survive."
With a flick of her fingers, the marble floor cracked open.
Light exploded beneath their feet.
They fell—again.
Trial Ground – The Mirror Vale
A wide arena stretched under a blood-red moon. Mirrors floated in midair, each reflecting versions of themselves—not just physically, but emotionally.
> Shane's mirror showed her covered in scars, alone, surrounded by a battlefield of silent voices.
Luna's mirror showed her crying under a shattered moon, her hands glowing with unreadable runes.
Rio's mirror showed him kneeling, holding someone's lifeless hand.
Xin's mirror reflected nothing at all.
A voice echoed:
> "Face your truth. Awaken your strength. Or fall."
Suddenly—
Shane's mirror shattered.
A creature formed from shadows lunged at her.
She twisted, kicked it in the chest, and summoned a surge of glowing fire from her palm. Her own eyes widened—
> "What… is this?"
Luna stepped back, breathing fast. Her thoughts screamed—until she heard the creature's mind.
> "Fear. That's all it has."
She closed her eyes.
"Sleep."
The monster fell instantly.
Rio's reflection bled, then reached out. His heart ached, but he stepped forward. A healing circle formed beneath him. His aura flared gold as the pain dissolved.
Xin stood silent. His mirror darkened. But the air around him shimmered.
He whispered a word—and the light obeyed.
> "I see everything."
Zeirith watched from above, unreadable.
Then she spoke again.
> "Enough."
The mirrors faded.
The four students stood in the center, breathless, changed.
She stepped closer.
> "You are not what you think you are."
> "You are heirs to ancient realms—each marked by fate."
> "From this moment, you are accepted into Archanis."
Later, in the shadows, four other figures watched.
Weihansol, arms crossed, golden aura pulsing.
Sheha, eyes narrowing at Rio with interest.
Selen, silent as frost, gaze fixed on Shane.
Yen Yu, standing under the moonlight, looking toward Luna.
Their destinies... were about to intertwine.
To be continued...