The elevator of the Aetherium hummed softly, its walls glowing faintly with lines of runes as it carried us upward. The air inside felt weightless, like we were being pulled through water rather than lifted by mana powered machinery.
Alectra stood beside me, arms crossed loosely, eyes fixed on the ceiling as if she were already planning ten steps ahead.
We were going to pick the mystery someone Alectra had mentioned earlier.
I leaned back against the smooth wall, arms folded, pretending to be at ease. In truth, my chest still carried that coil of tension from earlier, the knowledge of who was waiting for us above gnawing at my mind.
The elevator gave a soft chime, and then the doors opened.
The air felt heavier here. Wide stone paths stretched out between dorm towers, each one glowing faintly with protective wards. Banners hung from their walls, fluttering gently. The truth was that the Aetherium had some sort of space enchantment, making it much bigger than it appeared from the outside.
Students were everywhere. Some sparred in open courtyards, their mana colliding in bursts of color. Others lounged on floating platforms drifting lazily in the air. Even in their downtime, every one of them radiated pressure.
"This is where the second-years live," Alectra said, her voice low. "Every single one of them is dangerous. Remember that."
She wasn't wrong. Just walking past them made my skin prickle. These weren't students. They were predators.
We moved quickly through the plaza of dorms. Alectra's pace was steady, almost impatient, until suddenly she froze.
Her body went stiff. Shoulders tight. Eyes narrowing at something further down the path.
I stopped beside her, frowning. "What is it?"
No answer. Just silence.
"Alectra?" I called again, but my words barely left my mouth before her voice cut through the air.
"Rentt!"
The sudden brightness in her tone stunned me. Before I could even blink, she moved.
Her body blurred, vanishing from my side so quickly that to my untrained, mundane eyes, it looked like teleportation. One instant she was beside me, the next she was halfway down the path.
And then she was in his arms.
The boy whose name she'd shouted barely had time to open his arms before she leapt into him, hugging him with a force that almost knocked him back. Her face buried against his chest, her laughter spilling into the open air.
I froze, rooted in place, staring.
Her expression… I had never seen it before. Radiant. Unrestrained. Like the world itself had melted away the moment she saw him.
The sight made my chest tighten.
Around us, a few students stopped to watch, but none seemed surprised.
Some chuckled quietly, others exchanged knowing looks. A couple just smiled and walked on, clearly used to the sight. To them, this was nothing new. A routine scene.
But to me… it wasn't routine at all. It was something I didn't understand, something that felt like a knife turning slowly in my gut.
I finally forced myself to move, my eyes narrowing as they landed on the boy holding Alectra like she belonged there.
Rentt.
His name hissed through my mind like poison.
He wasn't particularly flashy. Brown hair that caught the light in soft shades of chestnut, green eyes that glimmered with warmth as he looked down at my sister.
His smile was open, gentle, the kind of smile that could win anyone over. His posture was relaxed, confident without being arrogant, like he belonged in every room he walked into.
To the casual observer, he was just a boy. A kind, dependable one at that.
But I knew better.
From the novel's pages burned into my memory, I knew exactly who he was, Rentt Ardent, the so-called noble rival, the boy who would one day bare his fangs against the protagonist. A boy who, blinded by grief, would try to murder Liam von Luceris.
And the reason for his grief? The reason for his descent into villainy?
Standing right in front of me. Alectra.
My jaw tightened as I watched her laugh, still in his arms, unaware of the dark script written for them. Unaware that her future death was the spark that would set him ablaze.
Rentt finally noticed me standing a few steps away, silent as stone. His green eyes flicked in my direction, calm and curious, before he spoke.
"Alectra," he said, his voice smooth, carrying an easy warmth that made my teeth clench. "Who's this?"
She turned, still smiling, and slipped out of his arms like it was the most natural thing in the world. "Oh, right. I forgot you two haven't met yet." She gestured between us. "Rentt, this is my little brother, Sebastian."
Her voice was soft when she said my name, filled with pride that only made the pit in my stomach twist tighter.
Rentt's smile widened. He took a step forward, hand outstretched toward me in greeting. "So this is the famous little star she keeps talking about. I've heard plenty."
I stared at his hand. Just a hand. Ordinary. Harmless. But in my head, I could already see it stained with blood, clutching a blade, raised against the protagonist because of her death. Because of Alectra.
I forced myself to move, unclenching my fists, slipping my hand into his. My grip was firmer than it should've been, sharp enough that I saw a flicker of surprise in his eyes.
"Sebastian," I said simply, my tone flat.
He chuckled lightly, unfazed, and gave my hand a squeeze before letting go. "Good to finally meet you. I was starting to think your sister was hiding you away on purpose."
Alectra rolled her eyes at that, but she was smiling again, like the world was simple and safe.
I kept my eyes locked on him, still unwilling to soften my tone. "What are you even doing here?" I asked flatly. "Shouldn't you be spending time with your noble family?"
Rentt chuckled softly, scratching the back of his neck. His green eyes curved with the same easy warmth as before.
"Ah, that's because—" he began, but Alectra cut him off, "He's the person we were here to pick".