The Sanctum of Lumina sat at the far edge of the academy grounds — a white cathedral surrounded by blooming moonlilies and veils of light mana that danced across its stone like living silk.
Most students rarely approached it.
Too quiet. Too holy. Too… unsettling.
But those who did always spoke the same name in awe and wonder:
Averia Lyselle.
Saintess. Scholar. S-Class Light Affinity. A-rank Restoration Talent.
The girl with hair like starlit silk and eyes like melted opal.
To most, she was divinity wrapped in warmth. A healer. A beauty. A light in the darkness.
But today…
She sat alone in the cathedral's back chamber.
And her smile was anything but holy.
She stared at the crystal basin before her — a magical relic used to track auras across the academy.
Most priests used it to locate students in need.
Averia used it to watch Kael Faelwinter.
Her fingers glided over the glowing surface, tracing the soft silhouette of his mana signature like a painter caressing their finest work.
White threads.
Blue frost.
A pulse of mana that didn't belong.
"Bonded," she whispered, voice dreamy. "Already…"
She tilted her head.
So he was stronger than the records claimed.
Far stronger.
And more beautiful than any drawing could capture.
[System Scan – Active Emotional Threads Detected.]
• Iris Veyla – Affection: 34%
• Elara Ignara – Affection: 37%
• Seraphine Valebliss – Affection: 24%
Unlisted anomaly: Observer—Stabilized. Masking presence…
Averia smiled wider.
The glow of holy runes surrounded her softly, gently, like candlelight.
But her voice…
It dropped into a whisper that echoed behind the veil of purity.
"They're moving too quickly. I don't like that."
She stood slowly and walked to the mirror beside the altar. Her reflection shimmered, dressed in white robes, eyes soft.
Gentle. Kind.
But beneath that reflection…
Something darker stirred.
She pressed a finger to her lips.
"But that's alright…" she murmured. "Because he doesn't know yet. He doesn't know who was meant to be with him."
She clasped her hands in mock prayer.
"He doesn't know that I'm already his."
Elsewhere in the academy, Kael sat quietly in the study hall. Dozens of students murmured around him, heads down, noses in scrolls and spellbooks.
But Kael wasn't reading.
His breath slowed.
His mana pulsed—faintly.
Just for a second.
He felt it.
Someone was watching.
Not with eyes.
But with want.
[System Notification:]
[Unidentified Bond Thread Forming…]
[Source: Obscured. Affection Estimate: 19% (Suppressed)]
[Note: Emotional state — unstable. Observed through sacred interference.]
Kael frowned slightly.
And for the first time in this world…
He felt hunted.