Kaleid stood alone beneath the marble archway outside Lirian Academy's western wing.
The sun was still low, its light filtered through high-altitude clouds like soft fire. A strange, electric tension clung to the air—not magical, not divine.
Just… observed.
> Someone's watching.
He didn't need the system to tell him.
But it told him anyway.
---
[Observation Alert]
> Your recent actions have drawn attention.
Passive Scan Detected: Noble-Class Observer
Title Holder: Serika Drakonheart
Status: Intrigued
Emotional State: Cool Interest | Predatory Curiosity
---
> Predatory? Great.
Kaleid didn't turn toward the rooftop balcony where she watched. He could sense her gaze as easily as he could feel gravity now.
She wasn't hiding her presence. She wanted him to know.
---
Serika Drakonheart – Dragonkin Noble, Third-Year Elite Division
Cloaked in white ceremonial uniform robes, trimmed in crimson scales, Serika Drakonheart leaned against a marble railing, silver hair cascading like wildfire over her back. Twin horns curled upward like a crown, shimmering faintly with draconic mana.
Her golden, slitted eyes followed the boy with emotionless interest.
"Strange…" she whispered, her voice like smoke over embers. "A nobody moves like a sovereign."
Below, Kaleid simply walked on.
She tapped her chin.
"No aura, no bloodline seal… and yet his soul reacted to combat like a creature far beyond its casing."
She smiled slightly.
> "This will be fun."
---
Back on Ground Level
The system chimed again.
---
[Hidden Quest Available: "Defy the Dragon's Gaze"]
> Objective: Challenge or best a noble-ranked student in public combat.
Recommended Target: Serika Drakonheart
Reward: +3 Sync Points | Hidden Skill Unlock
Penalty for Decline: None
System Comment: "Even stars can't shine if they don't rise."
⟶ ACCEPT
⟶ IGNORE
---
Kaleid stared at the screen for a long moment.
> Challenge a dragon-blooded noble... on purpose?
He didn't hesitate.
IGNORE.
---
The system dimmed, though not without flashing a faint notification:
> "Caution breeds safety. Boldness breeds stories."
---
Classroom – Historical Combat Arts
The lesson was dry. The instructor droned on about the war between elves and wyrmkin two centuries ago.
Kaleid sat still, system interface off, eyes half-lidded.
But he felt her walk in before he saw her.
A presence like coiled thunder entered the room.
Everyone turned.
Serika Drakonheart crossed the floor and took a vacant seat beside him. Not a word. Not a glance.
Whispers broke out instantly.
"Why's she sitting there?"
"That's the dragon princess—why with him?"
"She only sits near people she's about to destroy..."
Kaleid's fingers twitched under the desk. He didn't look at her.
But she looked at him.
"…You're quiet," she said after a long moment, voice soft enough only he could hear.
"So are you," he replied, without turning.
Her smile widened. "Good. I prefer silence over sycophants."
Pause.
"Your form during that encounter… Echo Technique, wasn't it?"
Kaleid didn't answer.
She leaned in slightly. "I see. You don't even realize what you are yet."
He glanced at her then, curiosity creeping into his gaze.
"What do you see, then?"
Serika's golden eyes gleamed.
"…A hatchling with a storm inside."
---
[Observation Mode – Target: Serika Drakonheart]
— Race: High Dragonkin (Imperial Lineage)
— Rank: A
— Mana Core: Crimson Scale Tier
— Bloodline: Awakened
— Emotional State: Intrigued, Testing Boundaries
— Threat Level: Very High
— Potential Sync Path: Antagonist / Harem Route (Undetermined)
— Hidden Title: "Heir of Pristine Flame"
---
Kaleid turned away before his reaction showed.
> So she's not just powerful. She's important.
And now she's looking at me.
He didn't need that.
Not yet.
---
Later – Dormitory Courtyard
Rin found him under the courtyard tree again.
"You looked tense in class today," she said, biting into an apple.
Kaleid gave a noncommittal grunt.
"You alright?"
"Dragon attention," he muttered.
Rin's ears twitched. "Serika?"
He nodded.
She whistled. "Careful with that one. She doesn't play with people. She either tests them or breaks them."
"I know."
Rin tilted her head, watching him.
"...You're not going to take the bait?"
"No."
She smiled.
"Smart."
Then she tossed him the apple core.
"Still. I'd pay to see you dodge a flame breath."
He chuckled—actually chuckled—and tossed the core into a trash rune bin nearby.
---
[Rin Asterwind Bond +1]
[Sync Progress: 5% → 6%]
> You grow stronger the more you live on your terms.
---
That Night
Kaleid sat in silence, staring at the ceiling of his dorm.
The screen glowed gently beside his bed.
---
[System Reminder:]
> Hidden Quest remains available for 2 days.
Would you like to pin it?
⟶ No
⟶ Maybe later.
---
He selected Maybe Later.
Because he knew something.
He wasn't afraid to fight her.
He was afraid… of what might awaken if he won.
And something inside him whispered:
> That storm the dragon saw? It's real.
> And when it breaks free… the world will remember your name.