The next day passed in a blur of homework, lectures, and half-hearted note-taking. By the time the sun dipped behind the hills, Noctis was standing outside Ava's house with his hands shoved deep into his jacket pockets, blinking up at the familiar front door.
He knocked once.
It swung open almost immediately.
"Took you long enough," Ava said, smirking. She was dressed comfortably now—oversized sweatshirt, leggings, and her silver hair tied up in a lazy bun. "You bring snacks?"
Noctis lifted a small plastic bag. "Barely."
She grabbed it from him before he even stepped inside.
Her house smelled like warm vanilla and popcorn. The living room lights were dimmed, a few throw blankets already tossed over the couch. A half-empty soda can sat on the coffee table beside an open laptop and a small, sleek black console he didn't recognize.
"What's that?" he asked, gesturing at it as he kicked off his shoes.
"The game I told you about," Ava replied casually. "Aethercrest Academy."
"That the one the guy gave you on the train?"
"Mhm. Said it was some kind of 'interactive immersion sim.' Super cryptic. No reviews online, either. Weird, right?"
"You still plugged it in?"
She shrugged. "Curiosity killed the cat."
"Hope satisfaction brings it back," Noctis muttered, collapsing onto the couch beside her.
They watched a movie first—some old thriller Ava insisted was "underrated"—and by the end, Noctis wasn't sure if it had actually been good or if her commentary had just been entertaining enough to keep him invested.
"You talk more during movies than my sister," he said flatly, grabbing the remote as the credits rolled.
"That's a compliment. Luna's fun," she shot back, stretching.
He glanced over at her. She looked relaxed, comfortable in her own space. The way her bangs fell across her cheek, the way she fidgeted with the drawstring on her hoodie—it was easy to forget she was the same girl who could rant about obscure game mechanics at the drop of a pin.
"So," he said, nodding at the console. "Ready to get haunted by your sketchy bootleg video game?"
"You say that like you're not dying to try it."
"I'm not."
"You came over," she said, grinning. "Which means yes, you are."
She picked up the console's remote and handed him one of the controllers.
The screen flickered to life. A dark title card appeared in elegant serif text:
Aethercrest Academy
Welcome, Initiate.
[Start Game]
[Exit]
"Alright," Ava said, voice lowering in mock-serious tone. "This is where everything changes."
Noctis raised an eyebrow. "Should I be concerned?"
"Absolutely."
She hit the Start button.
A surge of color burst across the screen—rich purples, eerie greens, and deep golds. The main menu formed slowly, displaying a massive gothic-style academy perched on a cliffside, surrounded by swirling mists. Soft piano music played in the background, layered with something else—low, rhythmic pulses and faint whispers just beneath the melody.
"Okay, that's unsettling," Noctis muttered.
"Right?" Ava leaned forward. "It feels… alive. Like it's waiting for us."
[New Game]
[Load]
[Settings]
She selected New Game.
A female voice echoed from the speakers, smooth and otherworldly:
"Welcome, Initiates. Your choices will shape your fates. Will you endure… or vanish?"
Noctis blinked. "Not ominous at all."
The screen faded into a character creation screen—surprisingly detailed. There were dozens of customization options, from uniforms to strange energy patterns pulsing beneath the characters' skin.
Instead of "magic," there was a section labeled Aether Alignment.
Five glowing options:
Flameweave – fierce, instinctive, combustion-based Aether.
Shadeshift – reactive, stealth-driven Aether.
Skyveil – perception, mobility, and precognition.
Stonebind – stability, defense, raw control.
Echopulse – memory-linked, empathetic resonance.
"Wait, we're making students?" he asked.
"It's called Aethercrest Academy, genius."
Ava created her character quickly—silver-haired, obviously then selected Skyveil —and named her "Lyra.",
Noctis sighed, gave his avatar black hair and a bored expression, then selected Shadeshift. He named him "Vale."
"Real original," Ava teased.
"You used your middle name."
"It sounds cooler when I say it."
Suddenly, the screen went black. A moment later, a sharp chime rang out—and both controllers vibrated hard enough to make them jump.
A message appeared, glitching slightly:
Game link complete. Welcome to Aethercrest, Lyra and Vale.
Ava sat up straighter. "Wait… it used our character names. Did you connect this to Wi-Fi?"
"Nope."
The lights flickered. Just once.
Then the game resumed—only now the camera panned slowly through a dim hallway in the academy. Footsteps echoed. A shadow moved at the far end of the corridor, too quick to identify.
Noctis's grip on the controller tightened. "Tell me again where you got this game?"
Ava didn't answer right away. She was staring at the screen, eyes narrowed.
"…Aether's supposed to react to the user, right?" she said quietly.
Noctis turned to her.
"Yeah. Why?"
"Then why do I feel like it's already reacting?"