Evening cloaked the academy in golden silence.
After Reas's awakening, tension rose like a tide. Rio knew it was time.
He sent a silent call—one only those with the mark could feel.
A pulse in their chest. A whisper in their ears:
"Come to the rooftop."
Shane arrived first, her mind still tangled in memories.
Reas followed, quiet but steady.
Emi clutched her sketchbook like a shield.
Aya stood tall, but her fingers trembled.
Only four girls had awakened.
The moment they stepped onto the rooftop, a warmth surrounded them. A glowing sigil lit the center.
Rio stood in the middle, arms crossed, dragon aura flickering in his eyes.
The other boys appeared from the shadows one by one—Haru, Linyin, Wuzen, Kael, Feng, Zhou Jian.
Rio spoke, voice low but commanding.
"The Mirror Saint is watching. And we're running out of time."
Shane looked at him. "Why just us?"
"Because only the awakened can resist the Mirror Saint's illusions," Rio said. "You've seen your past. That means your power is stabilizing."
He walked toward the circle. "From now on, we move as a team. We train together, protect each other—and hunt the enemy before they strike first."
Reas nodded. "Then what's our first mission?"
Rio smirked slightly. "Tomorrow night. The forest ruins behind the school. There's a memory shard hidden there. One that belonged to Shanyin."
Shane's breath caught.
A piece of her past?
Rio stepped closer to her. "You ready?"
Her eyes burned with purpose. "Always."
Above them, the stars shimmered—
And somewhere, unseen—
the Mirror Saint laughed.
To be continued…