Morning sunlight poured into the academy courtyard, bright and warm, a stark contrast to the fear and chaos of yesterday. Servants bustled about, stringing colorful banners between the tall stone arches, while merchants set up stalls along the paths. The annual Alliance Festival had begun—a day of unity, food, and celebration for nobles, students, and common folk alike.
For most students, it was a day to relax and enjoy. But for Elian, it was just another reminder of the weight pressing on his chest.
He sat quietly on a bench near the fountain, staring at the rippling water. The cheers and chatter around him felt distant. His hand drifted subconsciously to the faint scar on his chest, the seal he had always hidden. Yesterday, that seal had pulsed. It had saved him from death… but left behind burning questions.
Why do I have these powers?
And… who was that woman I saw when I fainted?
"Elian, right?"
The sudden voice broke his thoughts. Looking up, he found himself face-to-face with a boy about his age, tall and broad-shouldered, his auburn hair a wild mess, his green eyes alive with mischief. He leaned casually on a wooden practice sword strapped to his back, grinning as if they'd known each other for years.
"I'm Kael Draven," the boy introduced without hesitation, sticking out a hand. "Heard a lot about you already. Yesterday's… performance made sure of that."
Elian blinked. "…Performance?"
Kael smirked. "Come on, don't play dumb. Half the academy thinks you're secretly a prodigy, the other half thinks you're a cheat. Either way, everyone's talking about you."
Before Elian could respond, a softer, more composed voice chimed in.
"Kael, don't overwhelm him. He's clearly not in the mood for your antics."
Elian turned. A girl approached gracefully, holding a thick tome close to her chest. Silver hair framed her delicate face, and her violet eyes seemed to observe everything with quiet curiosity. She wore the academy uniform with precision, not a wrinkle out of place.
"I'm Lyra Veylen," she said with a polite nod. "I saw what happened yesterday during the test. You were injured badly, yet… you stood firm. That's not something most students could do."
Elian's lips twitched into a faint smile. "…I didn't have much of a choice."
Lyra tilted her head, almost as if she saw more than he was letting on.
Kael, of course, broke the tension with a laugh. "See? Modest too. Careful, Lyra, if you compliment him too much, he might actually think he's special."
"And you should spend less time joking and more time studying," Lyra countered without missing a beat.
Elian chuckled. For the first time since arriving at the academy, he felt his chest lighten. These two… didn't look at him like he was strange. They just looked at him as another student.
The three of them wandered toward the festival together. Kael dragged them to food stalls, piling meat skewers and fried bread onto plates, while Lyra shook her head but followed, her book never leaving her grasp. Children from noble families ran about playing games, while upperclassmen dueled in friendly competitions at the training grounds.
For a fleeting moment, Elian felt normal. A boy enjoying a festival with new friends.
But then, as he drifted toward the edge of the courtyard, he caught sight of something—a figure in a dark hood, standing still among the crowd. Unlike the others, he wasn't celebrating. He was watching. Watching Elian.
Their eyes met.
In that instant, the noise of the festival seemed to fade.
The hooded figure raised a gloved hand, as if in warning. His voice—though whispered from afar—echoed in Elian's head.
"The seal will not hold forever. When it breaks… the world will remember you. Find the truth, before they find you."
Elian froze, his heart hammering. But before he could move, the figure vanished into the crowd, swallowed by the festival's noise.
"Elian?" Lyra's gentle voice pulled him back. She was watching him carefully, concern flickering in her violet eyes. "You look pale. Are you all right?"
"…Yeah," Elian lied, forcing a small smile. "Just tired."
But inside, his thoughts roared.
The seal…? The truth? Who… who am I, really?
And though he laughed along with Kael's antics for the rest of the festival, the shadow of those words lingered in his heart, heavy and unshakable.