The weather was gentler than usual that day. Sunlight poured warmly from above, and a soft breeze brushed pleasantly against the skin.
In her office at Astraeon Academy, Headmistress Rosewood sat behind her desk, a single student's file resting in her hands. She adjusted her glasses along the bridge of her nose, her brow furrowing as a thoughtful frown settled on her middle-aged face.
Suddenly,a frantic knocks was heard on her office door. She snap back , clearing her throat first.
"Come in."
She straightened up as the door open, revealing her assistant flustered looks.
"What's the matter?," asked Mrs Rosewood calmly.
"Headmistress! T-The Soluna Temple High Priest had requested to meet you!"
The young woman spoke urgently, slightly breathless from all the running.
The headmistress instantly stood up.
"What? The High Priest is here?"
She ask,voice slightly raised in alarm.
If the High Priest of such a large temple come personally,it could mean one thing—trouble is approaching.
She take a deep breath to calm herself down,not wanting to start panicking in this situation.
"Quickly invited him in!" She instructed her assistant. The young woman nod before rushing off.
A sudden, frantic knock rattled the office door, snapping Mrs. Rosewood out of her thoughts. She cleared her throat before calling,
"Come in."
She straightened instinctively as the door swung open, revealing her assistant, cheeks flushed and breathing unevenly.
"What's the matter?" Mrs. Rosewood asked, her tone calm despite the urgency in the girl's eyes.
"Headmistress! T-The High Priest of the Soluna Temple is requesting an audience with you!" the young woman blurted, voice trembling with haste.
Mrs. Rosewood shot to her feet.
"What? The High Priest is here?" Her voice lifted in alarm.
If a figure of such stature had come in person, it could only mean one thing—trouble was looming.
Drawing a steadying breath, she forced down the flutter of panic.
"Quickly, invite him in," she instructed.
The assistant gave a sharp nod and darted down the hall, footsteps fading in haste.
---
Moments later, the assistant returned, ushering in an elderly man clad in flowing white priestly robes, the golden sun and silver moon emblazoned upon his chest.
Mrs. Rosewood rose to greet him, inclining her head respectfully.
"Lord Galhem, please, have a seat. My assistant will bring tea shortly while we discuss."
The High Priest gave a solemn nod and lowered himself onto the couch opposite her. The assistant slipped out quietly, leaving the two of them alone in the hushed office.
"Mrs. Rosewood," Lord Galhem began, his voice low but firm. "Forgive my sudden, unannounced visit. I come with urgent news—one I must deliver to you personally. It is a message from the Saintess herself."
The words struck Mrs. Rosewood like a bell. The High Priest appearing in person was cause enough for concern—but a direct message from the Saintess of the Soluna Temple could only mean one thing: a storm was on the horizon.
The Headmistress removed her glasses and set them aside, her sharp gaze hardening.
"A message from the Saintess, you say?"
Lord Galhem inclined his head gravely. "Yes. Or, more precisely… a prophecy."
He extended a sealed scroll. Mrs. Rosewood accepted it without hesitation and unrolled it with practiced hands.
The parchment revealed the Saintess's solemn warning:
"Beware the child of cursed blood,
Whose steps bring doom, whose will brings flood.
If light should falter, hope shall wane,
And earth be bound in shadow's chain."
Mrs Rosewood's face drained of colour. A single student came to mind.
"This..could this be-"
———————————————————
"Alright, class! For today's magic lesson, you'll be pairing up with your upperclassmen!"
Excited murmurs rippled through the room, students perking up whether they were boys or girls.
At the front, the second- and third-year students stood neatly in a row, waiting for the younger students to approach.
Near the back of the line, Aysel hesitated. She shifted nervously, unsure who to approach. Being new to the academy, she barely knew her own classmates—let alone the upperclassmen.
Around her, her peers eagerly hurried to claim their preferred partners, voices buzzing with excitement.
Suddenly, a light touch on her shoulder made her flinch.
"Aysel."
The unfamiliar voice was calm but firm. She turned quickly—and found herself staring at a broad chest. Lifting her gaze, her breath caught as she met a pair of unreadable violet eyes.
She recognized those eyes instantly.
"Lucien Noctis…" Her voice trembled in quiet recognition.
"Lucien," he corrected, his tone clipped but smooth. "Call me that."
He turned, already walking to the front. "We're a pair."
She hesitated for only a moment before following. Refusing wasn't an option—not when nearly everyone else had already paired up.
They approached the teacher to register as a team. Once the names were written down, the teacher clapped sharply, and the classroom hushed.
"Alright, students! Your first assignment is to infuse your magic energy with your partner's."
A ripple of confusion swept through the class, followed by soft whispers.
"Quiet!" the teacher barked. "This training will teach you control—and how to support your partner in the heat of battle."
With a wave of his hand, a magical projector flared to life in midair, casting diagrams and flowing instructions in glowing letters.
"First," he continued, "you'll test your compatibility."
Aysel's chest tightened. Her fingers twitched at her sides. She had barely learned to control her magic—and whenever she tried, disaster seemed to follow.
As if sensing her unease, Lucien stepped closer, his presence like a cold shadow pressing against her warmth.
"Focus on stabilizing your flow first," he said, his voice low and steady, almost intimate. "Then we'll proceed."
He extended his hand.
Her breath caught. For a moment she hesitated—but her body moved on instinct, her palm meeting his. His hand was cool, firm, and strangely grounding, sending a shiver up her arm.
"Do you know how to channel your magic?"
"Y-Yes… Kael showed me this morning," she whispered.
Lucien's dark eyes flicked to her, unreadable. "Good. Feed a little magic into my palm. Imagine a battle—imagine I'm running out of mana. Think about the strongest way you could protect me."
She bit her lip, closing her eyes. His words were hard to visualize, but she tried. Her mind wandered to last night's dream—streets in ruin, screams cutting the air, and monsters preying on the helpless.
Her magic answered. It surged—not just from her fingertips but from her very core—filling the air with a faint hum.
Lucien's eyes deepened to a darker shade, and his magic flowed out to meet hers, wrapping around her like a shield. Their energies tangled in the air, the connection sending a pulse through her chest that made her heart skip.
"Easy," his voice rumbled softly, close enough to feel. "I've got you."
Her power steadied under his guidance, their mana flowing together as if the world beyond that touch no longer existed.