Night draped its cloak over the academy. Most students had long since returned to their dormitories, their laughter from the day's lessons fading into silence.
But Elian couldn't sleep.
He sat upright in bed, staring at the faint glow of the seal scar on his chest. It pulsed lightly, as though responding to something unseen. His breathing slowed, and the words of the hooded figure echoed in his mind:
"The seal will not hold forever. Find the truth, before they find you."
A knock at the door startled him.
"Elian?" It was Lyra's voice, soft but urgent.
Opening the door, he found Lyra clutching her book tightly, her violet eyes filled with unease. "Did you… feel that?"
Elian frowned. "Feel what?"
Before she could answer, Kael appeared from the hall, half-dressed, his hair sticking up wildly. He held his wooden training sword, but his usual grin was absent. "The mana in the air. It's… wrong."
They weren't imagining it. The very air of the academy seemed heavier, thicker, like an unseen storm pressing down on them.
Suddenly, the bells from the watchtower tolled—a sharp, panicked sound that split the night.
Danger inside the academy.
The three of them rushed outside, joining the flood of confused students. Teachers shouted orders, herding groups back into safety wards, while guards ran toward the eastern wing.
And then they saw it.
A tear—like a jagged wound in space itself—had opened above the training grounds. From within it spilled shadows, amorphous and twisting, clawing at the ground as though searching for prey.
Gasps filled the courtyard. Some students screamed.
"It's… it's a Rift!" Lyra whispered, eyes wide. "But that's impossible—Rifts can't open this close to the capital without preparation!"
Kael tightened his grip on his sword, though it was no real weapon. "Then someone prepared it."
The shadows surged forward. Guards engaged, their blades sparking against the dark forms, but the creatures fought with unnatural strength. Students were ordered back, but in the chaos, several first-years were cut off, trapped near the edge of the Rift.
Without thinking, Elian ran forward.
"Elian, wait—!" Lyra called, but he didn't stop. His body moved before his mind could reason.
A shadow-beast lunged at a terrified girl. Elian raised his arm—and the seal on his chest flared.
Light burst forth, pure and blinding, forming into a spectral barrier that slammed into the creature, hurling it back into the Rift. The ground trembled under the force, and everyone nearby froze, eyes locked on him.
"Elian…" Kael muttered in awe.
The seal burned hotter, brighter. For a heartbeat, he felt something stir inside him—something ancient and familiar, whispering in a language he didn't understand.
Then, just as suddenly, it dimmed. The Rift wavered, then collapsed in on itself with a deafening snap, leaving behind silence and scorched stone.
The beasts were gone. The danger had passed.
But not the suspicion.
All around, students and guards stared. Some with gratitude. Others with fear.
And among the crowd, high on the balcony, stood Headmaster Orin—his eyes locked on Elian, unreadable.
Elian's chest tightened. He could already feel it.
Whispers spreading. Doubts growing.
The secret he had hidden his whole life… had just revealed itself to the academy.