Night draped itself over the Heavenly Blade Sect like a quiet veil, deepening the stillness of the mountains and sinking into every stone, every leaf, every breath of wind swirling through the quiet courtyards. Zeref had stayed back in the training hall longer than usual, even after Ren and Yuxin had already returned to their quarters. Miss Lin had insisted he rest, but there was a faint tremor pulsing through his senses tonight—an agitation that told him some part of the world wasn't calm, not truly.
After several hours of practice, he finally stepped out, the air cold against his skin. His breath fogged as he looked up at the sky. Stars blinked like distant lanterns, and for a moment, he felt their pull again—the same whisper that had been reaching for him these last few weeks ever since discovering the truth about Aetherion. But tonight, that whisper felt… different. Not gentle. Not guiding.
Restless.
He shook the thought off and began walking toward the disciples' dormitory, the gravel crunching softly under his steps. But then—his vision flickered.
A pulse.
Deep.
Heavy.
Like the world's heartbeat faltering for a single breath.
Zeref snapped his head toward the northern woods, the dark forest lying beyond the sect's borders. His bones seemed to tighten, as if something inside him recognized a presence he could not yet name.
"What… was that?"
Aetherion stirred.
Not wildly.
But like a sleeping beast opening one eye.
He felt it as surely as he felt the ground beneath his feet. Something ancient had awakened, something that wasn't supposed to. And even more terrifying—whatever it was, it knew him.
He clenched his fist.
"Master will definitely feel this too…" he whispered.
Meanwhile, in her private chamber, Miss Lin jolted awake, her eyes snapping open. For years she had trained her mind to remain in constant awareness, even in sleep, and tonight her senses screamed warnings like clanging metal. She stepped out of bed and moved to the balcony, her hair rippling with the cold wind.
The night sky trembled with a faint distortion—visible only to those who could read the flow of spiritual energy. A faint, chilling ripple emanated from the northern woods, and her brows furrowed sharply.
"That seal… it shouldn't be cracking."
She closed her eyes for a moment, feeling the tremor beneath the earth. It carried an aura so old, so heavy, that even the stars seemed to dim.
A guardian—not one of the Heavenly Blade Sect, not a protector—this was something created long before her time. A creature born of ancient wars, bound to watch over the power that touched the world before Aetherion ever found a host. But guardians did not wake without purpose.
Someone must have disturbed the seal.
Or… something.
Miss Lin's face hardened. This was not just a threat. This was the beginning of something far more dangerous.
She turned sharply—and found Zeref standing at the entrance of her chamber, breath slightly uneven as if he had sprinted across the courtyard.
"Master—" he began.
His voice was quiet, but she could hear the tremor beneath it. And she knew instantly—he had felt it too.
"Zeref," she said, stepping toward him. "You sensed it."
He nodded slowly. "It felt like… a heartbeat. But wrong. Ancient. Heavy." His voice lowered. "It felt like it was calling me."
Miss Lin inhaled sharply. "Calling you…?"
Zeref couldn't explain it in words. But there was something in that pulse—something familiar in a way that should've been impossible. It was like the energy recognized him, or recognized the Aetherion inside him. As if he were the very reason it stirred from its slumber.
Miss Lin rested a hand on his shoulder, steadying him. "You did well to come. Do not go near the northern woods alone. Not even by accident."
He looked up at her, eyes serious. "Master… what exactly woke up?"
Miss Lin's gaze drifted toward the forest again. "A guardian. But not the kind that protects the world. This one was forged to protect something… sealed. And if it awakens, it means that seal is being tampered with—or breaking."
"Sealed… as in something dangerous?"
"A force you must never face unprepared," she said quietly. "And the guardian will not stop at simply waking. It will come seeking the source of disturbance."
Zeref's chest tightened. "Aetherion…"
Her silence confirmed it.
The guardian had awakened because of Aetherion's stirring—because of him.
The night deepened.
In the northern woods, where moonlight could not reach, the ground shuddered. Roots twisted. Soil cracked. The sealing array that had slept for centuries glowed faintly like old embers reigniting. A long-forgotten chamber beneath the earth pulsed with scarlet light.
A shape slowly rose within it.
Its breath rattled like wind scraping through hollow bones, its eyes glowing with eerie golden light. A figure—humanoid, but only barely—its body forged of ancient stone and markings of forgotten magic. Chains bound its limbs, not to restrain its power, but to force it into eternal slumber.
The first chain shattered.
The creature's head lifted slowly. Its senses reached far, stretching like tendrils through the earth and sky.
Searching.
Seeking.
Recognizing.
And then—it found the source.
Aetherion.
Its eyes widened with burning purpose.
The guardian had awakened.
And its first instinct was to hunt.
Zeref paced outside Miss Lin's chamber, unable to calm himself. Ren and Yuxin had joined him after sensing the disturbance late, though neither of them possessed the sensitivity Zeref did.
"What was that tremor!?" Ren asked, voice trembling with forced bravado. "I've lived here since childhood and never felt anything like it."
"I felt cold in my spine," Yuxin whispered. "Like something was watching."
Zeref swallowed. "It is."
Ren stiffened. "Bro… don't say creepy things like that…"
Miss Lin stepped out, her expression unwavering but sharp. "Both of you. Stay near the central courtyard tonight. No one wanders, no matter what you hear or see. Understood?"
"Yes, Miss Lin!" they said in unison.
Zeref, however, didn't move. "Master… is it coming here?"
Miss Lin's eyes softened slightly—it was rare, but when it came to Zeref, she couldn't hide her concern.
"It will," she admitted. "But not immediately. A guardian's awakening is slow at first. We have a little time to prepare—but not enough."
Zeref inhaled sharply. "Then let me help. Let me fight—"
"No." Miss Lin's tone was firm and immediate. "You cannot face a guardian yet. Even fully prepared, even with your potential… Aetherion within you is unstable. If the guardian gets close enough, it could drive the energy into violent reaction."
Zeref felt the sting of frustration, but he remained silent.
She looked into his eyes gently. "I am not saying this to hold you back. I am saying it because I cannot risk losing you."
His breath caught—not from the words themselves, but from how quietly she had said them. Her voice trembled only slightly, but that was enough to shake his heart.
"Master…" he said softly.
But before either of them could speak again, the ground gave a low rumble—deep, distant, but unmistakable.
Ren paled. "…Again?"
Yuxin grabbed his sleeve. "It's getting stronger."
Miss Lin spun toward the mountains.
"No… this is too soon."
The guardian's awakening had accelerated.
Something—or someone—was feeding its strength from outside the seal.
An enemy.
A new threat.
A force aiming directly at Zeref.
Miss Lin snapped her fingers, releasing a barrier around the courtyard. "Stay inside. No matter what happens."
Zeref reached forward instinctively. "Master—wait!"
She paused.
He looked at her, and though fear pulsed in his veins, determination burned even stronger.
"Whatever is coming… it's connected to Aetherion. And I can sense it. If things get worse, I want to be by your side. Please… don't push me away."
Miss Lin's expression faltered for a heartbeat. She wanted to refuse. She wanted to keep him safe behind walls and barriers and distance. But she knew Zeref. Trying to cage him would only make him run toward danger without guidance.
She exhaled slowly. "Stay close. Do not engage unless I command it. Understand?"
Zeref nodded firmly. "Yes, Master."
Ren and Yuxin exchanged a look as if realizing just how serious everything truly was.
Miss Lin stepped forward and placed a hand over Zeref's chest, feeling the faint hum of Aetherion within him.
"Zeref… the guardian awakens because it has sensed you. It will seek you. And once fully awake, it will stop at nothing."
Zeref felt his pulse quicken. "Then I'll face it when the time comes."
Her gaze trembled—not with fear of the guardian, but fear of losing him. "…You're not ready."
He looked into her eyes, steady. "Then make me ready."
The night wind blew between them, carrying cold leaves across the courtyard. Something crackled in the distance, like stone breaking apart.
Miss Lin withdrew her hand and nodded once. "Then stay by my side. The storm is coming."
And far in the northern woods, the guardian lifted its head fully—its eyes blazing, its chains snapping one by one.
The ancient world stirred.
The seal eroded.
The enemy who roused it watched from the shadows.
And Zeref—
felt every second of its awakening crawl under his skin.
The guardian had opened its eyes.
And it was coming for him.
---
To be continued...