In the deepest part of the continent, far beyond the floating isles of Arcane High, a land lay in eternal dusk—choked with ash, scorched stone, and silence. Here stood the Obsidian Sanctum, the last remnant of a forgotten age. No map named it. No traveler returned from it.
And deep within the Sanctum, he stirred.
A figure cloaked in black flame hovered over a circle of cracked runes, his eyes closed, his body barely human. Shadows danced like living smoke around him, hissing secrets into his ears.
"The Moonblood awakens," whispered one voice.
"Arcane High has claimed him," came another.
But the cloaked figure didn't speak—until one word rolled from his tongue like a curse:
"Tenma."
His crimson eyes snapped open. The room trembled. The runes shattered.
"He was supposed to die before the Awakening."
A robed woman approached cautiously. Her face was masked by a bone-white veil, and her presence seemed to make the flames dim. She bowed. "Your vision still holds, Master Kurogane. The boy has power, but he is unshaped."
Kurogane's smile was slow and cold. "Not for long. The Houses will feed him lies. Fill him with hope. Then I will rip it from his soul."
He raised a hand, and a map appeared in the fire. Arcane High shimmered at its center—surrounded by red rings.
"The Reign of Shadows has begun."
Back at Arcane High, Rai Tenma stood in front of a tall, arched doorway carved into a mountain wall behind the east tower. This was the entrance to the House of Shadows—the only House not built into the sky like the others.
He wore the black ring now, and it pulsed against his hand like a heartbeat.
Kael stood beside him, arms folded, flames flickering faintly in his eyes. "You sure about this?"
"No," Rai admitted. "But I have to know who I am. What I am."
Lira appeared next, clutching her staff with quiet worry. "Just… don't let them twist you, okay? The House of Shadows has a reputation. Not all of it good."
Rai smiled. "Then I'll twist back harder."
The door opened on its own.
Inside, a long hall stretched into darkness. Lanterns ignited as Rai stepped forward. Each flame whispered his name.
"Tenma…"
He walked alone now. The walls were lined with black glass. Within each pane, he saw reflections—memories he didn't recognize.
A forest. A child crying beneath a blood moon.
A dagger offered by a woman with silver eyes.
Fire swallowing a city.
At the end of the hall stood a shadowed figure cloaked in dark feathers. The figure stepped forward slowly, her voice deep but calm.
"Rai Tenma. You are accepted."
She lifted a hand, revealing a glowing symbol: a crescent moon surrounded by a coiling dragon.
"The Mark of Shadow. Take it, and be bound."
Rai nodded. As her hand touched his forehead, a jolt of heat flooded his body. Images raced through his mind—secrets, legends, lost magic.
He staggered, then straightened. The mark burned behind his eyes now, hidden but alive.
"You are one of us," the woman said. "But you must learn fast. The Reign has begun. And you are their target."
That night, Rai stood on the rooftop again, staring at the stars.
He knew now—he wasn't just a student.
He was a weapon. A secret. A threat.
And someone out there wanted him dead.
But for the first time, he didn't feel afraid.
Because now… he wasn't alone.
🌕 To be continued.