Morning light spilled through the tall glass windows of the classroom, scattering golden dust over rows of desks. The air shimmered faintly—the kind that always buzzed with leftover magic. Aira sat stiffly, her quill hovering above her parchment, not hearing a single word coming out of Mr. Morningstar's mouth.
Zara sat beside her, tapping her pen in a steady rhythm.
Aira's eyes flicked to her for what felt like the hundredth time. She looked normal. Too normal.
Aira finally leaned in. "Where were you last night?" she whispered.
Zara blinked, confused. "What?"
"You weren't in the room," Aira said, her voice low but tense. "I woke up, and you were gone. I saw someone—someone standing in the shadows outside the dorms. And when I woke up again, I was suddenly in bed. Zara, what's going on?"
Zara let out a quiet sigh and leaned back in her chair. "You seriously bringing that up now? During class?"
"Yes!" Aira hissed. "Because I need answers!"
The teacher cleared his throat loudly, and both girls froze. Mr. Morningstar shot them a glare so sharp it could slice air, then went back to drawing glowing runes in the air.
Zara lowered her voice. "Aira, you were dreaming. You must've been."
"I wasn't," Aira said stubbornly. "My shoes were muddy this morning. I saw the mud before I even said anything—"
Zara rolled her eyes. "Maybe you walked in your sleep."
"I don't sleepwalk."
"Well, maybe you do now," Zara muttered, clearly done with the conversation.
Aira frowned. "Why can't you just tell me the truth?"
"The truth is," Zara said, her voice snapping, "I found you asleep when I came back. You were snoring. I'm sorry you had a creepy dream, but not everything in this place is a conspiracy. You've been here for what, two days? Maybe chill."
That stung more than Aira expected. "I just thought—"
"Yeah, well, stop thinking so much," Zara said under her breath. "You'll make your brain explode."
The words cut deep, and Aira fell silent.
Mr. Morningstar's lecture faded to a distant hum about "energy channels" and "emotion-based elemental flow." Her head buzzed with a mix of anger and confusion, her power prickling faintly under her skin like fireflies begging to escape.
By the time class ended, she wanted to scream—or at least punch a pillow.
Instead, she found herself dragged out to the training field by Josh.
"Okay, rookie!" he said cheerfully, swinging his staff like it was a baseball bat. "Rule number one of training: Don't accidentally kill your teammates. Rule number two: If you do, we pretend it didn't happen."
Aira blinked. "That's… comforting."
Josh grinned. "I'm basically a walking comfort zone. You'll get used to it."
Aelric was already there, standing with his usual perfect posture—arms crossed, jaw tight, expression unreadable. His silver eyes flicked over her like he was scanning for flaws.
"You're late," he said.
Josh leaned over to Aira, whispering, "Don't take it personally. He says that even if you show up early."
Aelric shot him a cold glance. "I heard that."
"Yeah," Josh said with a smirk, "that's kinda your whole thing, isn't it? Super hearing and super attitude."
Zara snorted behind her hand.
Aira almost laughed—almost—but Aelric's glare was so sharp it made her spine straighten on instinct.
"Focus," he said flatly. "Your test is in two days. You don't have time to joke around."
Josh raised his hand dramatically. "Correction: I always have time to joke around."
"Then you'll have plenty of time to fail with her," Aelric muttered.
Aira's jaw tightened. "You always talk like you know everything."
He turned his gaze on her, calm but cruel. "I do know that you're unstable. And I'd rather not get burned alive because you can't control yourself."
Her anger sparked instantly. "Then maybe stop staring at me in class like I'm about to explode!"
Josh took a careful step back. "Okay, tension alert—should I, like, hide behind a tree?"
Zara muttered, "Probably."
Aelric didn't move. His eyes locked on hers, and for a moment, the world around them seemed to fade. "You think I'm watching you? No, Aira. I'm studying you. There's a difference. You're unpredictable—and that makes you dangerous."
Aira's hands trembled. "Maybe if everyone stopped treating me like a monster, I'd stop feeling like one."
The air around her rippled, faint waves of heat rising off her skin.
"Whoa, whoa—" Josh stepped forward, waving his hands. "Let's all take a deep breath. Aelric, stop glaring like she owes you money. Aira, stop… glowing?"
Zara blinked. "Yeah, that's… definitely glowing."
Aira's eyes widened. The faint shimmer around her fingertips grew into threads of light and flame, swirling uncontrollably. The ground trembled, wind bursting through the field.
"Do it."
The voice slithered back into her mind.
"Show them what you are."
"No…" she whispered, clutching her head.
Josh stumbled backward, yelling, "Okay, that's not in the training manual!"
Aelric's voice cut through the storm, sharp and commanding. "Aira! Control it. Now."
"I can't!"
"Yes, you can." He stepped closer, his eyes faintly glowing gold. His power brushed against her thoughts like a cold whisper. "Breathe. Focus on me."
Her heart pounded. The voice screamed in her skull, but Aelric's tone—steady, powerful—pulled her back.
"Look at me," he said. "You're not your power."
She gasped, forcing the energy back inside. The flames sputtered out, leaving only scorch marks in the dirt and a lingering tension in the air.
Silence.
Josh exhaled loudly. "Well," he said, brushing dust off his jacket, "that was mildly terrifying. Ten out of ten. Would train again."
Zara smacked his arm. "Josh!"
"What? I'm trying to lighten the mood before she accidentally melts us!"
Aira shot him a weak glare, but a small, shaky laugh escaped her lips.
Aelric turned away, muttering, "Next time, don't let emotion take control."
She crossed her arms. "Maybe if people didn't provoke me, it wouldn't."
He stopped, glancing over his shoulder with the faintest smirk. "Then learn not to get provoked so easily."
Her jaw dropped. "You're impossible."
"Thank you," he said dryly, walking off.
Josh grinned. "He definitely likes you."
Aira threw him a look. "Shut up."
Zara groaned. "Both of you shut up."
Josh dramatically zipped his lips. "Okay, fine. But for the record—this is officially the most fun I've had in training."
After training, Josh wiped sweat off his forehead and said, "Okay, dramatic tension aside—Aira, you've been looking like a kicked puppy all day. We need to fix that."
"Fix it how?" Aira asked warily.
"Therapy," Josh said. "The good kind. Involves food and wasting money. We're going into the city."
Zara frowned. "The headmistress doesn't like us leaving campus without—"
"Relax," Josh interrupted with a grin. "It's allowed as long as we're back before sunset. Right, Aelric?"
Aelric gave him a long, tired look. "I'm not your babysitter."
"Exactly," Josh said cheerfully. "So let's go!"
Aira hesitated but found herself following anyway.
The city was stunning. The cobblestone streets shimmered with faint runes that glowed under the sun, carriages floated a few inches off the ground, and stalls lined the walkways selling charms, crystals, and glowing fruits.
Aira's eyes widened as they passed through a narrow lane filled with wind chimes that played music on their own. Zara walked beside her, occasionally pointing things out.
"That's the Moonlight Café. They sell drinks that literally glow. And that bookstore—"
"Wait," Aira said suddenly, tugging her sleeve. "Can we go there?"
Zara followed her gaze. The shop stood tucked between two taller buildings, its door carved with symbols that pulsed faintly, as if alive. A small sign hung above the entrance: 'Elder Pages – Rare & Lost Texts.'
Josh beamed. "Oh, perfect. Books! Just what I needed to remind myself of how dumb I am."
"You said that out loud," Aelric muttered, already walking inside.
The bell above the door chimed as they entered. The air was heavy with dust and the faint scent of old parchment. Light streamed through colored glass, painting the shelves in soft shades of amber and green.
Aira drifted away from the group almost instinctively, drawn toward the far corner of the shop. Rows of forgotten volumes towered above her, and when her fingers brushed the spine of one, it trembled slightly, as if acknowledging her touch.
She slid the book out. Its cover was cracked and faintly shimmering, marked with an unfamiliar crest.
Inside were photographs—sepia-toned, delicate, preserved under thin sheets of glass paper.
Her breath hitched.
One of the photos showed a young woman with sharp eyes and a faint smile. Something about her face made Aira's stomach twist—it was almost like looking at her own reflection from another time.
Her great-grandmother.
Beside her stood a man—tall, imposing, face partly shadowed, his eyes hidden by the light's reflection. But there was something about him… something that made Aira's skin prickle.
The same strange presence she had felt that first day at the academy pressed against her chest again. Cold. Watching.
She blinked, heart racing, and for a split second, she thought the man's head in the photo turned slightly toward her.
Aira stumbled back, clutching the book
"Aira?" Josh's voice echoed from across the aisle. "You okay? You look like you saw a ghost—well, unless it's the tax prices here. Then yeah, I get it."
She forced a shaky smile. "Yeah… I'm fine."
But when she looked back down at the photo—
The man's face was completely gone.