The silence in the classroom stretched. Kaito shifted uneasily, his hand brushing against the doorknob as though he might bolt. The weight of six strangers' eyes pressed on him.
Daxen was the first to break it. His voice was low, steady, like someone who rarely wasted words.
"You finally came."
Kaito blinked. "Finally? I don't even know who you are."
Mira smirked, sparks dancing across her knuckles. "Oh, he's clueless. That makes this even more fun."
"Fun for you," Jin muttered, his breath puffing out in a small cloud of frost. "We don't have time to play games."
Ryo leaned forward in his chair, his grin widening. "Don't be so cold, ice-boy. Let him catch up." He flicked his fingers, and a flame burst to life, swirling into the shape of a fox before disappearing. "Name's Ryo. Fire's my thing. And we—" he gestured lazily to the others, "—are what you'd call… the Circle of Six."
"The Circle of Six?" Kaito repeated, the words tasting strange in his mouth.
Elara spoke softly, her voice carrying the calm weight of earth. "Each of us was chosen to guard one of the six elements: fire, water, earth, air, mind, and shadow. Together, we keep the balance."
"And now…" Liora's golden eyes glowed faintly as she tilted her head. "There are seven."
Kaito's heart skipped. "Seven? I don't— I don't even have powers."
The group exchanged knowing looks. Daxen's shadow stretched across the floor, creeping closer to Kaito like a living thing. "That's where you're wrong. You wouldn't have been able to find this place if you were ordinary."
Before Kaito could answer, a voice spoke softly from behind him.
"You still don't even know my name, do you?"
Kaito turned. The girl who had guided him here at every step—the quiet, unreadable one—met his eyes. For the first time, she let herself speak plainly.
"My name is Aria," she said. The sound of it made the room seem heavier, as though her words carried more weight than they should.
The Circle shifted uneasily. Mira raised an eyebrow. "So… he's yours."
Daxen's gaze darkened. "That changes things."
Kaito glanced between them, confused. "What's going on? What's so important about her?"
No one answered. Aria didn't flinch under their stares. She simply looked back at Kaito, her expression calm, her secrets sealed tight.
"Everything will make sense," she whispered. "But not yet."
Before Kaito could demand more, the lights above flickered. The windows rattled. A low rumble shook the building's bones.
Elara sprang to her feet, the vines outside thrashing against the glass. "They found us."
"They?" Kaito asked, his voice cracking.
Daxen's shadows sharpened like knives.
"Our enemies. The ones who want to tear this world apart."
The door slammed shut behind Kaito, cutting off his escape.
Aria moved closer to him, her face unreadable. "Stay by me. No matter what happens."
And then the fight began.