The stars above Nynxreach Academy shimmered faintly, distorted by the subtle hum of resonance pulsing through the sky like a heartbeat.
Malakai lay flat on the stone rooftop of the west block, hands behind his head, eyes tracing constellations he'd never learned the names of. His stomach growled — but hunger was familiar. Manageable.
His coat was folded beneath him. Boots still on. The night was cold, but the marble still held warmth from the day. His green eyes glistened in the moonlight.
He sighed.
It's quiet up here…
"Most people sleep in beds, you know."
The voice startled him — calm, dry, and familiar.
Malakai sat up quickly, brushing the dust from his jacket. A figure stood near the edge of the roof, silhouetted by moonlight — lean, arms crossed, dark hair tousled by the wind.
Neo.
Malakai squinted. "You always sneak up on people like that?"
Neo shrugged, stepping forward. "Only when they're sleeping where I usually train."
"You train on the roof?" Malakai blinked.
"Sometimes." Neo looked out over the academy grounds — the shimmering shield walls in the distance, dim courtyard lights, the great stone arches carved with realm glyphs. "Up here, there's no noise. No surveillance. Just the resonance hum and the sky."
He glanced back. "Why are you up here?"
Malakai hesitated. Then simply said, "Didn't want to dream again."
Neo was quiet for a moment. Then he sat beside him, legs crossed, back to the wind.
"You fought yourself, didn't you?"
"…Yeah."
"And it didn't go easy."
Malakai gave a bitter smile. "Not at all."
Neo nodded, thoughtful. "Most people who fail their Dream Trials don't wake up. Or they wake up Empty. You didn't. You survived a mirror kill. That's not nothing."
Malakai looked down. "Is it weird to say… killing my mirror self wasn't that hard? I don't like the idea of murder, so I had to convince myself it was a simulation or something. Isn't that crazy? Anyway, it wasn't him that was hard. It was his guardian. If that's how strong I am in the future… I'm weak. I don't even know how to use a sword."
Neo nodded slowly. "Maybe in the future... you rely too much on your guardian."
He pulled a sealed ration stick from his coat and tossed it over.
Malakai caught it. "Thanks."
Neo's eyes lifted back to the stars. "The academy won't say it, but we're weapons in training. Sovereign sets the rules. The rest of us just learn how not to shatter."
Malakai leaned back again, gazing up. "You sound like someone who already did."
Neo gave a wry smile. "Maybe I did. Maybe I'm what came after."
They sat in silence, the resonance hum barely audible above them.
Then Neo stood, brushing off his coat. "Come to training tomorrow. 6 a.m. South Courtyard. You can join my class. I'll teach you."
Malakai raised an eyebrow. "What if I'm late?"
Neo grinned — a rare, honest grin that didn't quite reach his eyes.
"Then I'll drag you out of bed myself. Or off the roof."
He turned, cloak trailing behind him as he walked toward the stairwell.
Malakai stayed where he was, eyes locked on the stars.
Training, huh…
He didn't know what tomorrow would bring. But something in Neo's words — and in the quiet between them — clung to him.
---
Waking up at 5:54, Malakai sat upright with a quiet grunt. The wind whispered over the rooftop as he stood and brushed the dust from his jacket. His arms lifted in a stretch that cracked his shoulders back into place.
"That was a good sleep, wasn't it, Velnix?" he murmured, voice low in the early morning stillness.
No response. Just a breeze, soft and cool, stirring the edge of his coat.
Malakai took the silence in stride.
He descended from the roof and made his way to the Southern Courtyard, where the first orange streaks of dawn crept over the academy walls.
He stopped at the entrance. A class of students had already gathered.
To the left stood a girl and a boy — unmistakably siblings. The resemblance was sharp. The girl wore a sleek black combat suit with angular leather shoulder pads, every detail tuned for speed and precision. The boy's outfit was simpler: a dark leather tunic over black jeans, hair tousled, stance relaxed — but everything about him subtly mirrored hers, like a shadow learning how to be solid.
One thing stood out: his eyes burned red, unnatural, almost demonic. Hers were hazel, light catching them with a kind of grace that didn't belong to any combat gear.
Near the fountain was a girl with long, golden hair that shimmered in the rising light. She wasn't just standing — she was moving to music only she could hear, headphones draped around her neck. She wore a fitted blue combat suit, and around her neck hung a whiteboard on a slim cord, resting flat on her chest.
Then there was a boy…
Malakai's eyes caught him — just for a moment.
Wait.
He frowned.
There had been someone standing there.
A boy in a leather jacket, with glossy black hair streaked in white and sharp green eyes. But every time Malakai looked away, something strange happened.
The memory wiped itself clean.
Each time, the image returned only partially, like a smudge on the edge of vision. He never seemed to be in the same spot twice — always just beyond direct focus.
It was… unsettling.
Scary, Malakai thought. Like the world itself couldn't remember he existed.
A few other students dotted the courtyard. Stretching. Sparring. None of them stuck in his mind. Just background noise.
Swords clashed. Dust kicked. Malakai watched for a moment, unsure where to go.
"Ah, Malakai. You made it. Good to see I didn't have to fish you out."
The voice cut through his thoughts. Neo approached with that same quiet energy, coat flaring with each step and the barest hint of a grin on his face.
Before Malakai could answer, a voice rang out — loud, amused, and far too awake for this hour.
"Wait — Neo? You have friends? Since when? You're always quiet and never talk to anyone!"
It was the blonde girl. She stepped forward, mock-shocked, hands raised like she was on stage.
"Guys, am I seeing things?!"
Some of the students glanced over. One chuckled. The twins didn't react.
Malakai scratched the back of his neck. "It… well, thanks for inviting me, Neo. What will we be doing today?"
"We're waiting on Teach," Neo replied, tone casual. "But while we've got a moment — let me introduce you to everyone."
The group began to gather, boots shifting, blades settling into sheaths.
Neo gestured toward the siblings first.
"These two are Daniel and Meredith. Their burdens are kind of funny — when they're together. Daniel can't tell the truth. Meredith can't lie."
"That's not true! I can tell the truth!" Daniel snapped, folding his arms with theatrical offense.
Meredith didn't even look at him. "Brother. Don't delude yourself."
Then, almost as if scripted, they turned to Malakai in perfect sync:
"It isn't nice to meet you, Malakai."
"Nice to meet you, Malakai."
Malakai blinked, caught between a laugh and a nervous nod. Neo chuckled softly.
He pointed to the blonde girl next. Her combat suit shimmered like deep water, and her icy blue eyes gleamed with something unreadable.
"This is our Seer, Forn " Neo said. "She sees glimpses of the future. Her burden is silence. She can't speak."
The girl slipped her headphones off and picked up the small whiteboard from her chest. She scribbled something in looping strokes, then held it up.
Nice to meet you, Sloth.
Malakai froze.
Wh… I never told anyone that. A Seer… how much does she know?
He shook his head, swallowing his unease.
His gaze drifted back to the boy at the edge of the group. That flickering presence again — a face he couldn't hold in his mind.
"What about him?" Malakai asked, pointing.
Neo followed his gaze. "That's Mattethis. His burden is... strange. If he's out of sight, he's forgotten. Not just memory loss — he vanishes from the mind entirely. But he can choose one person to remember him. Just one. If he picks someone new, the last forgets. He chose me."
Malakai nodded slowly. Even now, as he looked at Mattethis, the boy's edges seemed to blur.
Then the courtyard shifted.
The air grew still. Heads turned. Voices died.
A soft rhythm of footsteps echoed over stone.
The teacher had arrived.
They wore flowing violet robes lined with silver thread, each step measured and silent. A smooth half-mask covered their face, etched with the sigil of the academy — a rift split by five interwoven rings. Unlike the history teacher this sigil was different perhaps because of being a combat instructor. No aura flared around them. No power was displayed. But their presence moved through the courtyard like gravity.
Neo stepped back into line. The others followed without a word.
Training was about to begin.