The sun peeked above the distant horizon, casting a golden warmth over the quiet Shirayuki estate. Sakura petals swirled gently along the stone path leading to the wide manor, their dance soft and rhythmic with the breeze. The estate slumbered in stillness, wrapped in the quiet hum of early morning, until the measured footsteps of a woman echoed across polished wooden floors.
Lady Fuyuka Shirayuki moved with composed elegance, the hem of her lavender yukata embroidered with silver blossoms brushing the smooth wood beneath her. Her expression was calm, but her gaze hinted at an emotion she rarely showed—worry. She stopped before a door, her fingers hovering for a moment before tapping lightly.
"Haruki, time to wake up," she said, voice gentle but firm.
A faint rustle came from within. Moments later, the door slid open. Standing there was Haruki Asaka, seventeen, tall and lean, with tousled dark hair kissed with hues of blue, and eyes that shimmered between indigo and violet. There was an emptiness in his gaze, a calmness honed through years of self-control.
"I'm up, Mother," he replied, bowing slightly.
Fuyuka smiled softly. "Good. It's your first day at Astraea Academy. And Yukiko is already waiting."
---
Downstairs, sunlight spilled across the long dining table where a quiet, formal breakfast was already laid out. Toasted bread, crisp vegetables, and steam rising from freshly poured tea. Yukiko Shirayuki, immaculate in her academy uniform, sat with perfect posture as she sipped delicately from a cup.
Her long silver hair, fading into pale pink at the tips, was pinned back in a neat braid. Her crimson eyes flicked up briefly as Haruki entered.
"You're late," she said without emotion.
"You're early," he returned casually, taking the seat across from her.
Fuyuka, now seated at the head of the table, gave them both a small sigh. "No fighting on your first day."
The room went still again. Silverware clinked. The soft ticking of the magical wall clock filled the silence.
Fuyuka set down her teacup after a while and spoke.
"You'll be living in the academy dorms from today onward. I expect the two of you to take care of each other."
(That's what I've always done, Haruki thought.)
Yukiko gave a small nod but didn't speak. Her gaze shifted toward Haruki for the briefest of moments, unreadable as always.
Fuyuka looked between them, her smile gentle but solemn.
"You may not share blood," she said, "but you share my name. That makes you both my children. And this world doesn't care how powerful you are if it thinks you're alone."
(She's not wrong, Yukiko thought, eyes briefly darkening.)
(They'll come for us the moment we show weakness.)
Haruki remained silent.
---
Outside, two suitcases sat at the door. Yukiko and Haruki stood side by side in their clean black academy uniforms. Yukiko wore a long-sleeved version with a sash; Haruki had a tailored overcoat, slightly loose to accommodate concealed armor.
Their mother embraced them tightly.
"Don't write often. Just live well, and come back stronger," Fuyuka said, kissing Yukiko on the forehead.
"I'll ride with you to the station," she said.
The two nodded wordlessly.
As they boarded the family car, Haruki took one last look at the estate behind them.
(No matter what awaits… I'll protect her.)
---
The ride passed through long stretches of warded forest roads, their outlines flickering with protective spells. Towers of blue light stretched upward at intervals, connecting leyline grids invisible to the ordinary eye.
Inside the car, silence lingered like a third passenger.
Fuyuka finally broke it.
"You know what Aetherion is. You know what kind of place you're entering."
Neither Haruki nor Yukiko responded.
"It's not just a school," she continued. "It's where power is shaped, broken, and sometimes… taken."
Haruki looked out the window, his gaze unfocused.
(I don't remember the last time I had a "normal" school day, Haruki thought. Or if I ever did.)
Yukiko finally replied. "We understand."
Fuyuka gave her a soft glance. Then turned her attention to Haruki. "You too?"
He didn't nod. He didn't answer.
But something in the way he lowered his eyes said:
(I understand more than I should, Haruki thought.)
---
The teleportation station shimmered like a temple of light and stone. Tall pillars lined the entrance, each etched with protective incantations that glowed in the morning sun.
Beyond them, the arcane gate hummed softly — a giant ring of obsidian framed in floating glyphs, stabilized by crystal pylons at its corners.
Hovering far above in the clouds was the barely visible silhouette of Aetherion Academy, suspended in the sky like a monument to gods.
The chauffeur stepped out first to open the doors. Haruki and Yukiko exited silently, standing before the massive arch.
An attendant approached, checking a scroll.
"Shirayuki, Yukiko. Asaka, Haruki. Platform 9. Rooming assignment: Tower Sector C, Suite 47-B."
Yukiko nodded.
The attendant motioned. "The gate will transport you directly. Luggage will follow after calibration."
Fuyuka stepped in front of them.
"Listen to me," she said quietly.
Her hands gently touched Haruki's shoulders, then Yukiko's. "You're strong. Both of you. But strength attracts danger. Don't try to prove yourselves to anyone. Just survive."
She looked at Haruki. "Watch her."
Then at Yukiko. "And make sure he doesn't shut himself away again."
Yukiko gave the smallest nod.
Haruki looked down.
(They don't need to know how awake I already am, Haruki thought.)
Fuyuka stepped back, composed as ever. "Go."
The two stepped into the teleportation gate side by side.
As the runes activated, a soft wind swept over them.
Haruki blinked as the world dissolved into light.
And just before it did—
(This isn't the beginning, Haruki thought. This is the return.)
---
Outside the now-empty station, Fuyuka stood still.
Her expression didn't waver, but her hands tightened slightly at her sides.
She pulled a slim crystal communicator from her pocket — its enchantment responding to her touch immediately.
A small voice spoke on the other end.
"Akahane Hino speaking."
Fuyuka exhaled slowly. "It's me."
A pause. Then a sharper voice. "Fuyuka Shirayuki. I wondered if you'd call."
"I'm sending someone to you."
"Who?"
"My daughter. And a boy I raised. Haruki Asaka."
Another pause.
"Understood. Why are you really calling?"
Fuyuka's voice turned colder.
"I need you to keep an eye on them. Quietly."
Akahane's voice lowered. "You have enemies?"
"I've always had enemies," Fuyuka replied. "But now they'll look for cracks in my legacy. And the fastest way to break me is through the ones I've sworn to protect."
Akahane's voice was steel now.
"I'll watch. But if he is what I suspect... there'll be more eyes on him than just mine."
Fuyuka ended the call without a word, sliding the charm back into her coat.
She didn't look up at the sky.
But she thought:(Keep them safe. Or burn the sky trying.)