Isolde crossed her arms, her gaze thoughtful rather than certain.
"I could be wrong," she said quietly. "But Galdur Academy rarely gives full scholarships. It's not in their nature to do so without reason."
Taika looked up. Raiden narrowed his eyes slightly.
Isolde continued.
"Maybe… just maybe… they already know."
"Know what?" Taika asked.
"That the next generation of the Seven Mystics is about to awaken."
The words lingered in the silent library.
"And perhaps," Isolde added, her aqua eyes shifting between the two siblings, "they've already identified potential wielders."
Raiden let out a faint scoff. "You're saying the academy accepted her because they think she's one of them?"
"I'm saying," Isolde replied calmly, "that institutions like this do nothing without calculation."
Taika's heartbeat quickened.
A scholarship.
A hidden bloodline.
A sudden reunion.
Was it coincidence?
Or was she placed here for a reason long before she even knew it?
Isolde relaxed her stance, letting the tension ease from her shoulders.
"All that aside," she said, her voice softer now, "why don't you two spend some time together in the city? Catch up on your lives… properly."
Taika blinked, still a little overwhelmed from everything.
Isolde looked directly at her.
"Don't worry. Today and the next two days, exams are suspended. Just for the two of you." She paused, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "And if you like, you can bring Clare, Alwin, and Maya along as well."
Raiden glanced at Taika, then at Isolde, raising an eyebrow.
"This… really okay?" he asked.
Isolde nodded once.
"Consider it a chance to regroup. You'll need your strength for what's coming."
Taika felt a small flutter in her chest. For the first time in days, she didn't feel like the weight of the academy was pressing down on her.
A city outing… with her new brother… and her friends.
Maybe, just maybe, it could be fun.
Taika smiled faintly at Raiden.
"Shall we?" she asked, standing a little straighter.
Raiden hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
"Yeah… let's go."
Isolde stepped back, watching them leave the library.
"Good," she whispered to herself. "Let them enjoy these moments… before everything changes."
Maya immediately ran up and wrapped Taika in a tight hug, practically squeezing the wind out of her.
Maya: "I'm so glad you have a family again!"
Taika: pulling back slightly, laughing nervously: "You're listening??"
Maya: wiping a tear from her cheek, still smiling: "Of course I am! I mean, you almost cried on me back there!"
Clare: leaning casually against a tree, arms crossed: "Hm. About time you got a brother, huh."
Alwin: quietly smiling from the side: "It's… nice to see you happy, Taika."
Taika: feeling warmth spread through her chest, looking at her friends and her brother: "Thanks, everyone… I… really needed this."
Maya: bouncing slightly on her feet: "Now, let's make today fun! No exams, no rules, just us exploring the city!"
Raiden: smirking lightly: "I suppose I can handle that… as long as no one gets lost."
Taika: giggling softly, taking a deep breath: "Alright… then, let's go."
The group began walking toward the city gates, laughter and chatter blending with the morning air. For the first time in a long while, Taika felt libegun--like a part of her life had finally begun.
The city was livelier than usual. Merchants called out from both sides of the street, colorful fabrics hanging from wooden stalls, the scent of roasted meat and sweet pastries drifting through the air.
"First stop—clothes!" Maya declared, still in her academy uniform as she pulled Taika by the wrist.
After much debating and laughter inside a boutique, Taika stepped out wearing a soft green long sleeved blouse paired with a flowing green skirt. Black sandals completed the look, simple but elegant. The color suited her more than she expected.
Clare followed shortly after, dressed similarly—but entirely in black. A long black blouse, matching skirt, and striking red sandals that added just enough contrast to make her presence sharp and refined.
Maya and Alwin decided to stay in their academy uniforms, claiming it was "easier" and "comfortable enough."
Raiden, after some reluctant persuasion, changed into a red polo shirt with long jeans and black shoes. He looked far less intimidating without armor--though the red still matched the faint lightning aura that seemed naturally part of him.
"Not bad," Raiden muttered, adjusting his collar.
Maya grinned. "See? You clean up nicely."
After shopping, they moved on to food stalls. Skewered meat, sweet bread, fruit juice, and fried dumplings quickly filled their hands.
Taika took a bite of her pastry and laughed as powdered sugar dusted her sleeve. Clare silently handed her a napkin.
For a while, there were no Seven Mystics. No royal pressure. No hidden bloodlines.
Just siblings and friends walking through a bright, noisy city.
And Taika couldn't stop smiling.
The laughter died in an instant.
A deafening explosion echoed from the far side of the city.
Flames burst upward from rooftops---then downward as if something massive had crashed through from above. Smoke spiraled into the sky. People screamed. Stalls overturned. Merchants fled.
The ground trembled beneath their feet.
Taika turned sharply.
A colossal shadow swept over them.
Something enormous passed overhead--too fast to fully see, but its wings beat once, twice, sending violent gusts through the streets. Windows shattered. Fire spread.
For a heartbeat, no one moved.
Then came the roar.
It shook the sky.
Clare's face went pale. "That sound…"
Alwin clenched his fists. "No way."
Raiden's eyes narrowed, red lightning flickering instinctively along his arms.
Above the smoke, a scaled silhouette circled through the clouds.
For the first time since the Seven Mystics ended the Dragon War---
They were back.
Taika felt the heat against her skin.
The outing was over.
This was no coincidence.
Another explosion tore through the marketplace.
Flames spread across rooftops, embers falling like burning rain.
"Move! This way!" Alwin shouted, guiding panicked civilians toward the stone underpass that led to the emergency shelter.
Clare used controlled bursts of magic to knock debris aside without harming anyone. Maya helped a fallen child back to their feet, holding their hand tightly as they ran.
Taika raised quick barrier spells to shield fleeing citizens from falling rubble.
The sky darkened again. The dragon's shadow passed overhead, its roar shaking the air.
Raiden stepped forward, red lightning crackling along his arms. His expression sharpened.
"I'll take it down," he said.
Taika immediately grabbed his sleeve.
"No."
He looked at her, surprised.
"It's dangerous," she said, voice shaking but firm. "You don't even know how strong it is."
Raiden smirked faintly. "I can handle one dragon."
"That's not the point!"
Her grip tightened.
"I just got you back," she said, eyes shining with fear. "I'm not losing another family again."
The words hit harder than any blade.
For a second, the battlefield noise seemed distant.
Raiden looked at her,not as a fighter, not as a rival bloodline… but as his little sister.
The dragon roared again, circling.
Smoke thickened.
And the decision hung between them.
Before Raiden could answer--
A sharp whistle cut through the burning air.
It was clean. Precise.
An arrow of pure frost tore across the sky, leaving a shimmering trail of ice behind it.
Isolde's voice echoed across the city, calm and commanding.
"Stand down."
The arrow struck the dragon directly between the eyes.
For a split second, everything froze---literally.
Ice spread from the point of impact, racing across massive scales, wings locking mid-beat. The creature's roar cut off as its entire body crystallized in midair.
Then—
It shattered.
Fragments of frozen scales dissolved into snow before they could hit the ground.
Silence followed.
The flames nearest them hissed and dimmed as frost spread outward, suppressing the fire.
Isolde stood atop a distant tower, bow still raised, silver hair flowing behind her.
"One dragon," she said coolly, her voice carrying. "Do not assume there is only one."
Raiden clicked his tongue, lightning fading from his hands.
Taika slowly released her grip on his sleeve, staring up at the sky.
The dragons had returned.
And this was only the beginning.
The frozen fragments of the fallen dragon hadn't fully melted when another distant roar echoed from beyond the smoke.
Raiden stepped forward.
Red lightning burst outward from his body as he extended his hand. Energy condensed, crackling violently--then solidified into a blade.
A red electric explosion flared as his sword fully materialized, sparks racing along its edge like living veins of thunder. The ground beneath his boots blackened slightly from the surge.
Taika stepped closer, her voice softer now but still firm.
"Don't push yourself too hard, okay?"
Raiden glanced at her over his shoulder.
"Don't worry," he said with a faint grin. "I won't."
He raised his free hand and drew a circular sigil in the air. Red lightning shaped itself into a crest—then from that crest emerged a small dragon.
It wasn't as massive as the one Isolde had destroyed. This one was sleek, about the size of a large horse, formed from condensed lightning and flame. Its wings crackled as it flapped, hovering low to the ground.
Raiden stepped onto its back in one smooth motion.
"I'll handle anything flying too high for ground combat," he called down.
The lightning dragon roared sharply and shot upward, cutting through the smoke toward the clouds where more shadows circled.
Taika watched him ascend, her heart still tight with worry.
Clare stepped beside her. "He's strong."
"I know," Taika whispered.
"But that doesn't mean I won't worry."
Above them, red lightning split the darkened sky.
The sky became a battlefield of frost and lightning.
Isolde's arrows streaked like comets, each one finding its mark with terrifying precision. Every time her bowstring sang, another dragon froze mid-flight and shattered into crystalline fragments.
Above the clouds, red lightning exploded again and again as Raiden cut through the air on his summoned dragon. His blade carved arcs of electricity across scaled bodies, sending burning silhouettes spiraling downward.
One by one, the dragons fell.
Citizens below stared in awe.
But the roars did not stop.
Another shadow crossed the sun.
Then another.
And another.
Dark shapes poured from the distant horizon, wings beating in unison like a storm front rolling in.
Clare's voice tightened. "They're multiplying…"
Alwin clenched his jaw. "This isn't random. This is organized."
Maya helped the last group of civilians into the shelter and looked up, fear clear in her eyes.
"They just keep coming…"
High above, Raiden sliced through two at once, breathing slightly heavier now. Sparks scattered wildly instead of cleanly.
On the tower, Isolde fired three arrows in rapid succession---each shot perfect, but her movements no longer effortless. Frost gathered thicker around her feet.
Taika felt it.
This wasn't a stray return.
This was an invasion.
And even two prodigies could not hold the sky forever.
A deep horn resounded from the eastern gate.
The ground trembled—not from enemy wings this time, but from disciplined formation.
Through the smoke, armored figures emerged riding massive Royal Dragons clad in silver-plated scales. Their banners snapped in the heated wind, bearing the crest of the crown.
The King's Royal Knights had arrived.
Their dragons roared in unison, forming a defensive aerial line above the city. Unlike the wild invaders, these moved with training and coordination.
Isolde stepped forward atop the tower edge, her presence sharp and authoritative. The hesitation from earlier was gone.
"Royal Knights!" she called, her voice carrying clearly across the battlefield.
The leading knight bowed mid-flight. "Princess Isolde!"
"Do not pursue them into the clouds," she commanded. "Hold formation above the city perimeter. Ground units---switch to ranged assault. Focus on wing joints and underbellies. Force them lower."
"Yes, Your Highness!"
Ballistae were quickly positioned along rooftops. Archers aligned in disciplined rows. Magical artillery units began channeling controlled blasts upward.
Arrows, bolts, and beams of magic streaked toward the sky in coordinated volleys.
The invading dragons faltered as several were struck simultaneously, wings pierced, momentum broken. They were forced lower—right into Raiden's striking range and Isolde's freezing shots.
Raiden glanced toward the tower and smirked. "About time."
Isolde's expression remained calm, but there was steel in her eyes.
"This is our territory," she said coldly. "They will not take it."
Below, Taika watched the coordinated defense unfold.
For the first time since the attack began, it felt like they weren't simply reacting.
They were fighting back properly.
But far beyond the smoke line, something much larger shifted within the clouds.
Behind a collapsed stone fountain and shattered market stall, Taika, Maya, Clare, and Alwin crouched low. Smoke drifted past them in waves, the heat stinging their skin.
Taika couldn't look away.
Above, the battle had shifted.
The newer dragons were different---larger, darker scales, their roars deeper and more controlled. Their movements weren't wild anymore. They were adapting.
One unleashed a concentrated stream of fire that cut across the sky like a blazing river. Another beat its wings violently, releasing compressed gusts that tore rooftops apart.
Ballista bolts snapped midair. Archers were forced to retreat.
"Something's wrong…" Alwin muttered. "They're getting stronger."
A massive dragon dove unexpectedly from the smoke.
Raiden turned too late---
A violent gust slammed him off his lightning dragon. His summoned beast flickered and vanished as he crashed through a stone wall in an explosion of dust and debris.
On the opposite side, Isolde fired an arrow—
But a sudden blast of wind knocked her off balance. A second dragon struck from behind, its tail smashing into the tower.
She was hurled sideways---
And crashed into a distant structure with a thunderous impact.
Taika's heart stopped.
"Brother!"
She leapt forward instinctively---
But Maya grabbed her wrist with surprising strength.
"You can't!" Maya cried, fear clear in her voice. "You'll get killed!"
Taika struggled for a second, eyes locked on the battlefield where smoke swallowed the places Raiden and Isolde had fallen.
Her breathing shook.
Fire rained down again.
The Royal Knights were struggling to hold formation.
And for the first time since the invasion began---
The sky belonged to the dragons.
The battlefield noise faded for Taika.
Through the smoke… through the chaos… a voice echoed inside her mind.
Soft. Familiar.
Almena: "Go."
Taika's eyes widened.
Without thinking any further, she broke free from Maya's grip and ran toward the flames.
"Wait!" Maya shouted after her.
Clare clicked her tongue. "Stubborn… Let's follow her."
Alwin nodded firmly. "Come on. We help her."
The four of them burst from behind the debris and into the open battlefield.
A dragon swooped low--
Maya closed her eyes and spread her hands. The air filled with an intense wave of floral scent—sweet at first, then overwhelmingly sharp. The dragon faltered mid-flight, its head jerking wildly as its senses became confused and overloaded.
Clare stepped forward and thrust her palm outward. Ice spikes erupted from the ground and shot upward like spears, piercing through a dragon's wing membrane and forcing it downward.
Alwin raised both hands, radiant light gathering between his palms. He released it in concentrated beams that struck another dragon square in the chest, pushing it back through the smoke.
Taika saw them fighting beside her.
And something inside her snapped into focus.
A silent pressure built around her body.
Wind gathered.
At first, it was subtle---just a current circling her feet. Then it spiraled upward violently.
From her back, wings formed. Not feathered. Not solid.
Invisible wind shaped into massive, transparent wings that distorted the air itself.
She lifted off the ground slowly.
No chant.
No staff.
No hesitation.
High above, magic began condensing around her like a silent storm.
Her golden-brown hair shifted---deepening into red that faded into orange at the tips, glowing faintly like embers.
Below, Raiden pushed himself up from broken rubble, coughing.
Then he saw her.
His eyes widened.
"…No way."
Red lightning flickered instinctively around his fingers.
He knew that aura.
He knew that transformation.
It was their family's forbidden state.
Red Awakening.
A power that only surfaced when the heart was overwhelmed---by grief, rage, or desperation.
And Taika…
Had just awakened it.
The wind around Taika intensified.
Her hair no longer simply changed color—
It burned.
Strands of deep crimson intertwined with bright orange, woven together like living flames. Some locks glowed red, others blazed orange, blending and shifting as if her hair itself were made of fire dancing in the wind.
Her invisible wings stretched wider, distorting the air behind her.
Then—
She gently placed one finger against her lips.
A silent gesture.
Shhh.
The battlefield quieted in that single motion.
And then—
Red slashes erupted across the sky.
They didn't come from her hands. They didn't come from a weapon.
They simply appeared.
Thin lines of crimson energy slicing through the air at impossible speed. One. Ten. A hundred. Then thousands.
They moved in repeating patterns, crossing over each other like a storm of blades.
Every dragon within her radius was cut---wings severed, scales split, fire breaths interrupted mid-cast.
The sky filled with streaks of red light.
Dragons fell one after another, unable to even approach her space.
Below, Maya stared upward, frozen.
"Is… is that her?" she whispered.
Clare's eyes narrowed. "That's not the Taika we know."
Alwin swallowed hard. "That magic… it's on a completely different level."
Raiden stood amid the rubble, staring at his sister hovering in the sky.
Red Awakening.
But hers…
Was far more intense than his.
The red storm didn't last long.
One by one, the remaining dragons pulled back.
Their roars shifted—from dominance… to warning.
The shadows in the sky turned away.
No more reinforcements came.
No more fire rained down.
They were retreating.
Within moments, the sky that had been filled with wings was empty again—leaving only drifting smoke and the distant echo of fading roars.
Silence returned to the city.
High above, Taika hovered motionless.
The crimson glow around her flickered.
Her fiery red-and-orange hair slowly dimmed… the strands blending back into their natural golden brown.
The invisible wind wings unraveled into nothing but a gentle breeze.
Her eyes fluttered.
The gathered magic dispersed like dust in sunlight.
And her body began to fall.
"Taika!"
Raiden reacted instantly. Lightning burst beneath his feet as he propelled himself upward. He caught her just before she could hit the broken stone below.
The force of the landing cracked the ground slightly, but he shielded her carefully in his arms.
Her breathing was soft. Unconscious.
Raiden looked down at her, his expression tight—not with anger this time, but something closer to fear.
"You idiot…" he muttered quietly.
Maya, Clare, and Alwin rushed over.
Maya's hands trembled. "Is she okay?"
Raiden nodded after checking her pulse.
"She just overused it," he said. "Red Awakening drains everything."
He looked up at the now-cleared sky.
The dragons had retreated.
But this wasn't over.
They had tested the city.
And now… they knew who was here.