I grabbed my bag, slinging it over my shoulder and walked back into the school main hall.
My pulse was still pounding, my chest still tight from the weight of everything that had just happened. I needed to cool off. I headed straight for the nearest washroom, twisting the faucet and splashing cold water onto my face.
The sting helped to ground me. I inhaled slowly, watching my reflection, taking in the subtle exhaustion that lined my features.
And then, I pushed my sleeves down, tighter this time. No more mistakes.
After today's merged combat lesson, I wouldn't have to attend Combat & Defense Class again later. A small mercy.
I exhaled sharply, pushing myself away from the sink, grabbing my bag and heading toward my next class.
Mystic History. A subject I usually found interesting. But right now? I wasn't sure if I had the patience to sit still.
The moment I stepped into Mystic History, I noticed something was… different.
The usual rows of desks were gone, replaced by a semi-circle formation facing the front of the classroom.
Rhydan--Professor Calix, stood at his desk, flipping through a few notes, his sharp green eyes flicking toward the door as students trickled in.
Luckily, we weren't paired up today. Because after this morning, I wasn't sure I had it in me to sit next to Riven for an entire class. So, without hesitation, I claimed a front-row seat. Because why not? At least here, I'd have no choice but to focus rather than let my mind spiral into places I wasn't ready to go.
Ezzy and Jade walked in a moment later, sliding into the empty seats beside me. Ezzy raised an eyebrow at my seating choice. "Damn, someone's motivated today."
Jade smirked. "Yeah, let me guess, you just didn't want to risk being stuck next to someone else."
I didn't dignify that with a response. Before they could press further, the last of the students filed in, and Rhydan stepped forward.
His expression was calm, composed, but there was something sharp in his gaze, something deliberate. This wasn't going to be a normal lesson. I could feel it.
His sharp green gaze swept over the room, assessing. Calculating.
Something was different today. I could feel it. His lessons were always engaging, but this? This felt deliberate.
"Today," he started, "we're doing things a little differently."
A murmur rippled through the class. Ezzy sat up straighter beside me. "Oh? Are we finally reenacting a battle? Because I'm ready."
Jade snorted. "You just want an excuse to throw magic at people."
Rhydan's lips twitched, but his expression remained composed. "Not quite."
He gestured toward the ancient, gilded map unfurling behind him, a detailed depiction of Elarion, the regions glowing softly in response to his magic.
"Mystic History is more than just memorizing the past," he continued. "It's about understanding how it shapes our present. And to do that, we need to step inside it."
The room dimmed slightly.
Magic pulsed through the air, the air charged with something unseen, something expectant.
"Today, we won't just be talking about history." His voice lowered slightly, sending a shiver down my spine. "We'll be reliving it."
Silence.
Then, Ezzy let out a low whistle. "Oh, this is gonna be good."
Rhydan flicked his wrist, and a wave of shimmering golden energy expanded outward, surrounding us.
The room shifted. The desks, the walls, even the floor beneath us seemed to melt away, replaced by a vast battlefield under a sky split in half, one side shrouded in darkness, the other burning with fire.
The Celestial Rift Conflict.
My stomach dropped. I knew this place. I had seen this place at the ruins and in the visions from the Ancient Rune.
I swallowed hard, forcing myself to breathe. Rhydan's voice rang out, steady and measured.
"Welcome to the final battle of the Celestial Rift Conflict."
Rhydan stepped in the middle, his hands clasped behind his back. His tone was calm, composed but there was something beneath it, something measured, as if he was weighing every word before he spoke.
"This simulation is unlike any record you'll find in standard history books," he began. "It was reconstructed from accounts that were either hidden… or deliberately destroyed."
The murmurs that rippled through the room were expected, but I barely heard them. My focus had already snapped to the battlefield before us, my breath catching at the all-too-familiar sight. And yet… something was different.
The way the battle played out, the flow of combat, it wasn't the same as what I had seen. The formations, the movements, the shifts in power, I knew this war had happened, but not like this.
Rhydan's voice cut through my thoughts. "Today we will not be looking at the opponents in the war. I want you to look beyond the warriors clashing on the field. Beyond the Celestial generals leading their armies."
He gestured toward a high ridge that overlooked the battlefield. My gaze followed his motion, my stomach twisting.
At the very top stood four women.
They weren't engaged in battle, nor were they commanding from the front lines. They were fueling the Celestial Army.
Power pulsed from their hands, flowing in luminous streams toward the warriors below, sustaining them, strengthening them, weaving into the very fabric of the war.
I exhaled slowly, my pulse a steady thrum in my ears.
Rhydan continued. "There are many theories about the presence of these women in this war, but none have ever been confirmed. No texts have recorded their identities, no history books have named them. And yet, there is one theory that remains constant in every lost account that speaks of them."
He paused, letting the tension settle.
"The Nyxeris."
A prickle ran down my spine at the name.
The Nyxeris. A rumor in Elarion. A myth that scholars debated over, unsure whether these women had ever truly existed. Some believed they were nothing more than a fabricated story, a legend conjured to explain the mysteries of the Leylines. Others believed they had once walked among the strongest in history, wielding power that bound the fabric of magic itself.
"The theory states that the Nyxeris were five powerful women, each gifted with an extraordinary ability, their magic linked together like an unbreakable chain." Rhydan's gaze swept across the class. "They were said to be born to sustain the Leylines across generations, preventing imbalance in the flow of magic itself. Without them, the Leylines would weaken, unravel, and fracture the foundation of the world as we know it."
There was a long silence.
Then someone in the back of the class hesitantly spoke. "But… there's only four."
Rhydan gave the faintest of nods. "Correct."
He flicked his wrist, and the battlefield simulation flickered, the golden light dimming just enough for something, someone else to come into focus.
"Look closely."
I didn't need to. I already knew where to look.
At the far end of the battlefield, almost obscured by the twisted remains of an ancient tree, a fifth figure stood cloaked in shadows. Unlike the others, she was not standing on the ridge. She was not positioned where the world could see her. And yet, her power was unmistakable, flowing through the battlefield like a silent current.
But she was not fueling the Celestial warriors. She was fueling Xavian, like I saw in the vision at the ruins.
A deep, unsettling chill spread through me. Why was she the only one hidden?
The other four stood in the open, their power woven into the battle, their presence undeniable.
But this one…She had remained in the shadows, like she did not want to be seen.
My pulse hammered, my mind racing as I tried to make sense of it all.
This wasn't just a history lesson. This was something else.
Rhydan's gaze flickered toward me, lingering just a second too long.
And for the first time since this class began, I had the sickening feeling that this entire simulation… was a test.
A heavy silence settled over the class, the glow of the simulation flickering as the battlefield stretched before us.
It was impossible to ignore the shift in the room. The students weren't just watching the war unfold anymore, they were questioning it.
Then, finally, someone spoke.
"Why is she hidden?"
The question was laced with confusion, curiosity, and something else, uncertainty.
Rhydan crossed his arms, his expression carefully neutral. "A good question."
For a moment, I thought he was going to explain. That he was going to give some long-winded lecture about the war, about how history was written by those who won, how some things were meant to be forgotten.
But instead, he simply said, "This part of the story does not feature in your curriculum. Or in any known records, for that matter."
A pause. "So, it remains a mystery."
A few students exchanged glances, clearly unsettled. I forced myself to remain still, even as my mind reeled.
Rhydan waved his hand, and the battlefield faded in a slow ripple of light.
"That concludes today's lesson," he announced smoothly, his gaze lingering over the class before moving back to his desk. "Don't forget you will be presenting the first part of your assignment next week. Use the rest of the class to work with your partners. The simulation of today held many important details. If you paid close attention that is. Make good use of it. Class dismissed."
Chairs scraped, voices murmured. The usual shuffle of students packing up their things filled the space, but there was still a strange heaviness in the air.
I grabbed my notebook and stood up, my hands curling tightly around the edges.
Rhydan had said it was a mystery.
But I had the sinking feeling…I was about to become part of the answer.
Ezzy, Jade, and I headed straight for the dining hall, eager to grab an early lunch before our afternoon rehearsals consumed the rest of the day. The air still felt charged from Mystic History class, my mind replaying Rhydan's words over and over again. But I shoved it aside for now. There was nothing I could do about it yet.
We slid into our usual table near the windows, where the view stretched beyond Brightforge's outer walls, giving a glimpse of Lowmere's distant skyline. The lunch rush hadn't started yet, so the dining hall was quieter than usual—not that it lasted long.
The guys showed up shortly after, sliding into their usual spots with their trays.
And of course, Riven sat directly across from me. The tension was immediate. Thick. Unspoken.
Jax, as always, wasted no time.
"Alright, serious question."
Ezzy sighed. "Jax, can we at least take a few bites before you start talking?"
He ignored her, turning straight to Jade and me. "We all got to witness Ezzy's performance at the rehearsal hall, but you two? Haven't shown us a damn thing."
Zion nodded. "Yeah, for something that's supposed to be one of the biggest performances of the festival, you've both been ridiculously secretive about it."
Jade and I exchanged smirks.
"And that's exactly how it's going to stay," I said smoothly, taking a sip of my drink.
Jade leaned back in her seat, arms crossed. "You'll see it when everyone else does."
Jax groaned dramatically. "Oh, come on. A little sneak peek?"
"Nope."
Zion sighed, shaking his head. "You two are impossible."
"We know." Jade winked.
As I went to grab my fork, I noticed a folded piece of paper that hadn't been there before.
I froze, but no one else seemed to notice. When I glanced up, Riven was already watching me, expression unreadable.
I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to stay still instead of snatching it immediately.
Jax stretched. "Welp, good luck with rehearsals. I'll be off doing absolutely nothing productive."
My fingers grazed the paper, but I didn't grab it immediately. Instead, I forced myself to take another bite, keeping my movements natural.
Jax stretched, pushing his empty tray away. "Welp, good luck with rehearsals. I'll be off doing absolutely nothing productive."
Jade rolled her eyes, finishing the last of her drink. "Come on, Athens. Let's go."
I exhaled, nodding as I pushed up from my seat. I grabbed my bag, discreetly sliding the note into my pocket without a word.
Jade and I stepped into the dance studio, the familiar buzz of energy filling the space. The mirrored walls reflected the movement of the other dancers already stretching and chatting, their voices blending with the low hum of music playing in the background.
Before we could even set our bags down, Quinn spotted us.
"There she is! My favorite rockstar!"
I didn't even have time to react before she was already making her way over, grinning like she had been waiting for this moment all day.
Ms. Evira leaned casually against the sound system, arms crossed, her usual easygoing smirk in place. "About time, ladies. We were starting to think you bailed on us."
Jade rolled her eyes. "We're here, aren't we?"
Quinn clapped her hands together. "Good, because today's the real deal. We're working on the second half of the choreography, the big build-up before the final chorus. This is where we go all in."
Nova and Rey, already stretching near the front, turned toward us.
"Finally," Rey said, flashing a grin. "I was getting bored of running through the first half over and over."
Nova chuckled. "You're just impatient."
Rey shrugged. "What can I say? I like the action."
Ms. Evira pushed off the sound system and gestured toward the center of the room. "Alright, enough talking. Let's get moving."
I exhaled, rolling my shoulders as I stepped forward. The others followed suit, forming our positions. Because if the first half of this routine was about precision and control, this next part? Was about making an impact.
The first half of rehearsal had been intense, repeating movements, refining footwork, making sure every step hit the beat with precision.
By the time we took a break, I was breathless, sweat clinging to my skin, but for once, I felt good. I grabbed my water bottle and collapsed onto one of the studio benches, letting my head fall back for a moment.
That's when I remembered it. The note.
I pulled it from my pocket, unfolding the slightly crumpled paper. My breath caught.
It was a sketch. Of me.
More specifically, of me during combat training earlier today, the exact moment when I had unknowingly drawn that foreign rune. The lines were rough but deliberate, shadows emphasizing the tension in my stance. And next to the sketch, scribbled in messy, careless handwriting, were the words:
"Never got the chance to tell you what a badass you are."
I blinked, caught completely off guard. The corner of my lips twitched before I could stop it.
Riven.
I traced the drawing lightly with my fingertip, something warm curling in my chest. I hadn't expected this. Not from him.
It was one thing for him to argue with me, challenge me, push my buttons like it was his favorite pastime. But this? This was something else entirely.
It almost felt like he was letting me in, sharing a part of him I'm not sure even Zion knew.
My eyes flicked to the last line of the note.
"Meet me after school. We need to talk."
I exhaled, carefully folding the paper and slipping it into my pocket. For the first time in days, I was actually looking forward to something.