Aerin Valmont – Branch of the Blade
Aerin had never particularly cared for the politics of House Ka'tarel.
He was born into one of its branch families, where the bloodline thinned just enough to enjoy the benefits of nobility without the burden of public duty. In truth, he preferred it that way — close enough to observe, far enough to remain uninvolved.
Yet fate had its own sense of irony.
For even as a distant heir, his Echo resonated stronger than most within the main line.So they sent him to Dominion Academy — "to represent the House," they said.
He knew the truth.They wanted to see if another Peak might rise from the outer branches.
Aerin glanced at his shadow — the white-haired girl leaning lazily against the courtyard wall.She didn't speak.She didn't need to.
And that was precisely why he trusted her more than anyone else in the world.
Back to Saphine & Eris – The Question No One Wants to Ask
"…So that makes no sense," Saphine muttered as she paced back and forth across the empty training balcony.
Eris stood with his hands folded behind his back, silently watching her argument spiral.
"If the academy is owned by an Echo bearer of Domination — someone who literally controls everything within their domain — then nothing inside these walls should be able to move without his permission."
"Correct."
"Which means that distorted Echo should not exist here."
"Also correct."
"Then why is he ignoring it?"
Eris was quiet for a moment, eyes thoughtful.
"There are three possibilities," he said softly. "One — he has not seen it. Two — he has seen it, and chooses not to act. Three—"
"—He can't," Saphine finished.
The idea lingered between them. Neither liked it.
"And we aren't the only heir-and-shadow pair here," she added.
"I am very aware," Eris said. "One wrong move, and we might become the threat… instead of the solution."
She sighed, rubbing her forehead. "Then where do we even start?"
Eris glanced at the horizon."Five days of observation first."
Five Days Later
Late afternoon sunlight stretched across the training hall when Saphine suddenly blurted:
"What is your Echo like?"
Eris paused mid-step. Turned. Tilted his head.
"One word?"
She nodded.
"...Adventurous."
She blinked. "That's not what I expected."
He gave a small shrug. "Echoes reflect the way their bearer perceives the world. And I see it as… an unexplored map."
She stared at him, curious. "Then… how do Echo bearers actually operate? Truly?"
Eris raised a brow — then stepped toward her.
"Magicians pull from mana. They follow rules.Echo bearers… rewrite them."
He placed a hand gently over her wrist.
"When an Echo answers, it is not 'cast.' It is remembered. Echo bearers bend reality based on their worldview. What they believe the world is—becomes what it can be. A man who believes all life is a tide… gains power over currents. A woman who believes names hold truth… can speak to the dead. There are no laws except the one you create."
Saphine's breath slowed.
"Close your eyes," Eris whispered.
"Forget sense.Forget logic.Listen to your world — not the world."
She did.
Silence.
Deeper silence.
And then—a voice.
Very faint.Far away.But warm. Familiar. Like someone she used to know… calling her name for the first time in years.
Her eyes flew open.
It was night.
"How long was I—?!"
She turned—and forgot the rest of the sentence.
Eris had removed his glasses somewhere during the lecture, and faint moonlight spilled across his face. His usually plain features sharpened — clear skin, delicate angles, long lashes that gave his dark eyes a quiet, almost ethereal glow.
For the first time, she realized—
He's… ridiculously beautiful.
"Are you all right?" he asked calmly.
Saphine coughed, flustered. "I—I'm fine. Perfectly fine. Completely excellent. Let's never talk about this again."
"Acknowledged."
He offered his hand.
She hesitated. Took it.
"Come," he said. "You should rest. Your Echo is beginning to speak. It will exhaust you at first."
The walk back was quiet — mostly because every time she tried to look at him, her heart did something unreasonable and she nearly tripped over her own feet.
At one point, she stumbled and—"Careful," Eris said, gently steadying her by the waist.
"I'm fine," she muttered, face now catastrophically red.
"I can carry you if—"
"DON'T."
"…Acknowledged."
In the Shadows
High atop the bell tower, Aerin's shadow watched them walk across the courtyard.
Her expression, normally unreadable, had turned wary.
She had seen everything.
The sudden burst of pressure that crushed the academy grounds for a heartbeat — like a tidal wave of resonance pouring from Saphine's body.
And she saw something far worse:
Eris.
Suppressing the entire surge down to a whisper.Containing it with a gesture.Eyes glowing faintly in the darkness — ancient, silent… not human.
Her breath caught as, in that moment, he turned his head.
And looked directly at her.
He raised a single finger to his lips.
Silence.
She froze.
Even when he looked away… she still couldn't breathe.
To be continued...