She tensed instinctively, every nerve on edge, every hair on her body standing upright like a warning. The sensation was primal—like a hunted animal sensing the predator's gaze. Yet Aylin, the body Aysel now inhabited, didn't move. She stood her ground, magic simmering just beneath the surface of her skin, coiled tight and ready to strike.
"Are you the one behind these monsters?"
Aysel heard her voice speak—Aylin's voice—calm, but edged with fury. Her stance didn't falter, though Aysel could feel the tension in her limbs, the battle-readiness vibrating through her bones.
Across from her stood a man, tall and eerily still. His eyes were concealed behind a black blindfold, and yet she could feel his gaze piercing straight through her. It wasn't sight he used—it was something colder, deeper. Like he was peeling back her layers, trying to uncover something hidden beneath the surface.
"So you're the one that's been in my way," he finally spoke, his voice a quiet menace—low, smooth, and chilling like frost spreading across glass.
He raised his hand.
Dark, unnatural magic crackled to life, twisting like smoke from his fingertips. Aysel—no, Aylin—lifted her own hand in response, magic pulsing out in anticipation of an attack.
But he didn't strike.
Instead, his magic burst outward in a wave—not toward her, but toward the monsters. And in a breath, they stopped. Every snarling beast froze, then slowly backed away.
"Return," he commanded.
The creatures obeyed without hesitation, vanishing into the shadows as if they were never there.
And still, he watched her.
She didn't lower her hand. Her breath was unsteady, her guard held tight. Confusion and wariness tangled in her chest like a storm she couldn't calm.
"What are you planning?" she asked, voice steady despite the chaos inside.
He didn't move. Didn't blink. Just stood there like a dark statue cloaked in threat.
"Nothing," he said plainly. "I'm taking back my servants. For now."
Then, after a pause, he tilted his head slightly.
"And you…" he said, voice quieter now, but somehow heavier. "You're not the same as these humans. The next time we meet… you'll have to fight me. With your true strength. Not this pitiful mask of humanity you're wearing."
The words landed like a blow.
Aysel felt it deep in her chest—not just as Aylin, but as herself. It was as if the words bypassed the body she was in and struck her very soul.
She opened her mouth to ask something—anything—but before she could speak, the world around her unraveled.
The sound of a voice pierced through the fog.
"Hey! Wake up! This library isn't your bedroom!"
Aysel jolted awake.
Her heart thundered in her chest as her eyes flew open. She was no longer in the smoldering, monster-ravaged village. No blindfolded man. No beasts. Just books, silence, and the dim, golden lights of the Astraeon Academy Library.
"This… how—"
She blinked, dazed and disoriented. Her hands trembled slightly on the table where her head had rested. How much time had passed? How long had she been asleep?
She barely noticed the person beside her until they snapped again, irritation laced in their tone.
"I'm talking to you!"
Aysel turned to the voice, blinking up at a tall figure with striking indigo eyes and tousled black hair.
It was him.
Dax Arclay.
One of the Starborne students she had only heard of in whispers—until now.
"S-Senior Arclay?" she asked, still half-reeling from the dream—or memory, or whatever it was.
He clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"It's Dax. Just Dax. Drop the formalities. They're annoying."
She flinched at his bluntness. His words cut like ice, and his gaze held no warmth.
"R-right. Dax it is," she muttered, awkwardly rising to her feet. Her body still felt heavy, like she was dragging part of that other world with her.
She forced a laugh, trying to mask her unease. "Thank you for waking me. I guess I got too wrapped up in studying and dozed off… haha."
He narrowed his eyes suspiciously, but didn't press further.
"Don't flatter yourself. I was just passing by. It irritated me to see a new student snoring like they own the place."
With that, he turned and walked away, leaving her staring after him, speechless.
"...What is wrong with that guy?" she whispered under her breath.
But the question didn't linger long.
Her mind was already spiraling back to what had just happened—the burning village, the monsters, Aylin, the man with the blindfold.
That voice.
Those words.
You're not the same as these humans...
It hadn't felt like a vision. It had felt real. Too real.
And not just that—it felt personal.
She rubbed her arms as a chill settled over her.
"Was that… a memory?" she murmured, more to herself than anything. "But whose? Aylin's? Why do I feel like it belongs to me too…?"
The library around her was nearly empty. Night pressed against the tall windows, casting long shadows across the bookshelves.
She left the table, walking slowly, lost in thought. Every footstep echoed, but her mind was elsewhere.
"That man… he said Aylin wasn't human. Then what was she? And why does it matter to me?"
None of it made sense. And yet, it stirred something deep in her chest—something ancient, something aching. It was like being haunted by a name she didn't remember but somehow missed.
She shook her head, trying to center herself. "Why am I even bothered by some stranger's past? It's not like it has anything to do with me… right?"
But the words rang hollow in her mouth.
Something was happening—something big. And ever since she'd arrived at Astraeon Academy, things had only grown stranger. Visions. Monsters. A woman named Aylin. A man who saw through illusions.
And above all… the mysterious moon marks that had appeared on her skin.
"Maybe…" she whispered, voice barely audible. "Maybe this is all connected. Maybe it's all because of the marks."
Aysel paused near the exit of the library, glancing up at the massive stained glass moon sigil above the door.
She had come here searching for knowledge. Instead, she was walking away with more questions than answers.
And Aysel Caelum hated unanswered questions.