LYRRISE POV...
Rael sat on my desk, tail curling in perfect rhythm as he watched me set down a plate. The smell of raw meat filled the room.
He sniffed at it, then began eating with an air of arrogance only a Riftborn pretending to be a house pet could have.
"You are ridiculous," I muttered, sitting cross-legged on my bed. "You were a terrifying, smug fighter last week, and now you're… a stubborn kitten."
Rael glanced at me mid-bite, his crimson eyes glinting with amusement.
"Better a stubborn kitten than a corpse. You want me to get caught by your protective knight? Didn't think so."
I sighed, leaning back against the wall. "I still don't get why you're doing this. Or how I'm the one who has to feed you."
"Because you didn't say no to that part," he said, licking his paw casually.
Before I could argue, there was a knock at the door.
The door swung open, and Cyril stepped in, his gaze scanning the room.
"Lyrrise, we're—" His eyes landed on the desk. "…Is that a cat?"
I froze.
Rael didn't. He just sat up straighter and blinked innocently.
"Uh… yeah," I said, forcing a smile. "He… wandered in yesterday. Thought I'd keep him around for a bit."
Cyril stepped closer, crouching slightly. "Where'd you even get a cat? Animals rarely come near the academy with all the security systems."
Rael let out the softest, most pitiful meow I had ever heard. His tail swished lazily, and he leaned into Cyril's hand when he reached out to pet him.
"…Huh," Cyril murmured. "He's… weirdly friendly."
I clenched my teeth. Friendly my ass. He's trying to charm you.
"What's his name?" Cyril asked, looking up at me.
Panic flared. "Uh… Shadow."
Rael's tail flicked in obvious amusement. Shadow? Really?
"Cute," Cyril said, straightening up. "You know… pets aren't allowed in the dorms, but… I guess one cat won't cause trouble. Just… make sure he doesn't wander too far."
He gave me one last glance before leaving, closing the door behind him.
As soon as the latch clicked, I whirled on Rael. "Shadow? You couldn't not react to that?"
Rael yawned. "I thought it was adorable. Besides… you didn't blow my cover. Good job."
I groaned. "I don't know how I'm going to survive this."
Rael's tail swished again. "Oh, you will. You just might even start enjoying having me around."
——
The morning started with relentless pleading.
And by pleading, I mean a crimson-eyed cat sitting on my desk, swishing his tail and saying, "Let me come with you. I want to watch you train."
"No."
"Please."
"No."
"You'll regret it if I don't come."
"How could I possibly regret not bringing a cat to class?"
"Because you'll be bored without me."
I groaned, rubbing my forehead. "You're impossible."
Rael tilted his head, his voice dropping into something far too smug for a creature with whiskers. "I could just follow you in secret, you know."
That was the final straw. "Fine! But you stay quiet, no talking, no showing off, and absolutely no revealing you're not a normal cat."
Rael purred, leaping onto my shoulder like he'd won some grand battle. "Deal."
The Entrance
When I walked into the training hall with a black cat draped over my arm, the entire room froze for about half a second—then chaos.
"Oh my gosh, where did you get him?"
"He's so fluffy!"
"Those eyes! Is he… glowing?"
I gritted my teeth, plastering on a fake smile. "He's… just a stray I found. Don't touch his tail—he doesn't like it."
Rael, of course, immediately leaned into every single hand that reached for him. He purred like some kind of demon-possessed motor engine, soaking up attention from half my team.
The matcha-haired healer Kaelenna scratched behind his ears. "He's adorable. Look how calm he is!"
Deyon, the Red Shield vanguard, chuckled. "Even I want to pet him. You might have to fight me for him, Lyrrise."
"Not happening," I muttered, shooting Rael a warning look. He just looked at me with that smug cat face that said, "I told you this would be fun."
As we went through warm-ups, Rael sat on the edge of the bench, his tail curled neatly around him. His eyes followed every move I made—footwork, weapon swings, dodges—like he was memorizing it all.
"Your form's cleaner than last time," his voice echoed in my head. "Though your stance could use a touch more—"
"Shut up," I hissed under my breath.
Kaelenna looked over. "What?"
"Nothing! Talking to myself!"
Rael's smugness radiated off him from across the room.
By the time training ended, nearly everyone in the class had tried to pet him at least once. And he, the shameless shapeshifting Riftborn, had accepted every ounce of attention like the arrogant prince he was.
Training wrapped up with the usual end-of-session drills, and I was sweaty, sore, and ready to collapse.
Kaelenna handed me a towel. "You were sharp today."
"Thanks," I said, wiping my face.
Rael—still in cat form—was lounging lazily on a nearby bench, tail flicking as he watched. His gaze was focused entirely on me, like he was analyzing every movement I'd made.
When I sat down to drink some water, he leapt onto the bench beside me, stretching out like he owned the place.
"Your grip on the katana is too tight—"
"Rael," I hissed under my breath, "shut up."
Kaelenna turned her head. "Hmm? You say something?"
Before I could answer, Rael—either too cocky or too distracted—opened his mouth and said, clear as day,
"Your stance is also sloppy."
Panic Mode
The air froze. Kaelenna blinked at the cat. "…Did… did your cat just talk?"
My heart nearly stopped. "No! No, that was me! I—uh—was… practicing ventriloquism."
Kaelenna tilted her head, clearly not buying it. "Ventriloquism? While drinking water?"
Deyon strolled over, curious. "What's going on?"
"Nothing," I said too quickly. "Absolutely nothing."
Rael's tail swished lazily, his crimson eyes glinting with mischief. "You're terrible at lying, Lyrrise."
"Shut. Up." I whispered through clenched teeth.
Kaelenna kept looking between me and Rael, suspicion growing, but thankfully, the instructor called everyone back for cool-down stretches, breaking the moment.
After Class
As we left the hall, I shoved Rael into my bag—not gently. "Do you want to get caught?" I muttered.
He curled up smugly. "Relax. She'll think she imagined it. Humans are good at doubting themselves."
I groaned. "One day, you're going to push it too far."
His purr was the only answer I got.
The dorm was quiet tonight, the halls empty except for the occasional creak of wood and the faint hum of the academy's security wards.
I sat cross-legged on my bed, Rael in cat form sprawled out on my pillow like he owned it. His tail tapped lazily against my shoulder as I cleaned my katana.
"You're awfully quiet," I said, glancing at him.
His crimson eyes flicked toward the window. "Something's… off about tonight."
I froze mid-wipe. "Off how?"
Rael didn't answer right away. He sat up, ears swiveling toward the wind outside. "It's faint… but there's a shift. Rift energy feels different. Something's coming. Strong enough that even I can't tell what it is yet."
I frowned, tightening my grip on the cloth. "You mean like a Riftborn?"
"Maybe." His voice was low, serious… until he suddenly smirked. "Or maybe it's just the cafeteria serving that weird green stew again. That's strong enough to kill anyone."
I glared. "I'm trying to take you seriously."
"And I'm trying to keep you from looking like you're about to stab a ghost." He flopped back down, curling up with his tail over his nose. "Whatever it is, we'll know soon enough."
I didn't like the way his tone dropped again on that last part.
Rael's ears shot straight up. One second he was lazily lounging on my pillow, the next he was on his feet, tail puffed, eyes glowing faintly.
"What is it now?" I asked, setting my katana aside.
His gaze locked on the window, unblinking. "Another one's here."
My brows furrowed. "Another what?"
"Eclipsed," he said flatly. "Like me. Like… you."
A cold shiver traced down my spine. "Another half-human, half-Riftborn?"
Rael leapt down onto the bed, his tone suddenly sharp. "Yes. And that means things are about to get… complicated."
The Explanation
I crossed my arms. "Complicated how?"
He started pacing across the blanket, tail lashing like a metronome. "Eclipsed aren't just hybrids. Each one carries a fragment of Riftborn power woven into human form. That fragment determines their rank—how destructive they can be, and how dangerous they are to both sides."
I swallowed. "What kind of ranks?"
Rael stopped and looked at me seriously. "They're not like human academy ranks. Eclipsed are measured by Eclipse Power Tiers—from Lunar at the weakest… up to Bloodmoon at the very top. Bloodmoon-ranked Eclipsed are rare, but if one appears…" His crimson eyes narrowed. "Even the Riftborn themselves step carefully."
"And the one who just arrived?" I asked quietly.
He didn't hesitate. "High-tier. At least a Crimson Eclipse. Strong enough to wipe this entire academy off the map if they wanted to."
I tightened my fists. "So, what now?"
Rael's grin returned, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Now? We wait to see if they're friend… or something much worse."
I leaned back against the headboard, still processing everything Rael had said about the Eclipsed. The night felt heavier somehow, the air almost buzzing with the knowledge that someone out there might be more dangerous than anything we'd faced before.
I glanced at the small black cat now sitting at the foot of my bed. "Rael… what about you?"
He tilted his head. "What about me?"
"What's your rank?"
For a moment, his ears twitched like he didn't want to answer. Then he shrugged—well, as much as a cat can shrug. "Average. I'm nothing flashy. Somewhere between Lunar and Solar tier."
I raised an eyebrow. "Average? You've been acting like you know everything."
His whiskers twitched in amusement. "Knowing things and being strong aren't always the same. My strength isn't in brute force, Lyrrise."
I narrowed my eyes. "Then what is it?"
Rael's tone turned oddly casual, like he was talking about the weather. "I can enter someone's mind while they're dreaming… or make them hallucinate when they're awake."
I froze. "…You what?"
He grinned, fangs glinting faintly in the moonlight. "It's not as scary as it sounds. Well—unless I want it to be. I can plant illusions so real you can't tell they're fake. Or I can walk through your dreams like they're hallways in my own home."
I stared at him. "And you think that's average?"
Rael stretched out and yawned. "Compared to the monsters I've met? Yeah. Trust me, Lyrrise—when you meet a Bloodmoon-tier Eclipsed, you'll understand what real power looks like."
Somehow, I wasn't sure if that was meant to comfort me… or warn me.
The moment Rael finished talking, my mind was already moving a step ahead.
If there really was a high-tier Eclipsed inside the academy's walls, waiting around wasn't an option. The thought of just sitting back while someone like that lurked nearby—it made my chest feel tight, like I couldn't breathe unless I did something.
I stood up, grabbing my katana.
Rael's voice cut through the air, low but sharp. "You're not seriously going after them tonight."
I met his crimson gaze without flinching. "If they're as strong as you say, they could hurt someone. I'm not going to wait for that to happen."
His tail lashed once, ears angled back. "You're letting that 'hero' streak of yours get in the way of logic. Charging in without knowing who they are—or what they want—could get you killed."
I strapped my blade to my hip. "I'd rather take that risk than stand by and watch people get hurt."
For a moment, Rael just stared at me, the silence stretching. Then he sighed—more like a growl—and leapt onto my shoulder.
"Fine," he muttered. "But I'm coming with you. And when this goes sideways—and it will—I'll be the one dragging your stubborn self out of there."
I allowed myself the faintest smirk. "Deal."
As I slipped out into the shadowed halls, Rael's claws lightly gripping my shoulder, I knew I wasn't going to back down. Not tonight.
——
The academy gates gave a heavy clunk as I slid the last lock free. The metal groaned as I pushed it open just enough to slip through. The air outside felt different—thicker, heavier—as if the Blood Moon itself was watching me.
Above, the sky bled crimson, clouds tinted with streaks of dark red. It was beautiful and wrong all at once.
Rael leapt down from my shoulder, landing lightly on the cobblestones. In a ripple of dark energy, the black cat dissolved, and the mask boy stood in his place, stretching like someone waking from a nap.
"Much better," he muttered, adjusting the half-mask on his face. "You humans underestimate how uncomfortable it is to pretend to be a cat."
We started walking down the quiet streets of the town just beyond the walls, the glow of the Blood Moon painting everything in shades of scarlet. That's when I saw her.
Far ahead, a figure stepped into view, moving toward us with slow, deliberate steps. Her long hair was as pale as porcelain, her face perfectly symmetrical—almost too perfect. The way she moved… it was like she wasn't walking at all, but gliding, her head never tilting, her gaze locked straight ahead.
Something in my chest tightened. "Who is she?" I whispered.
Rael froze mid-step, tension flooding his posture. "That's no ordinary Eclipsed."
I glanced at him. "You know her?"
His tone darkened. "Unfortunately. Her name's Liora. They call her the Marionette Queen."
"The… what?"
"She can control people like puppets," Rael said grimly. "All she needs is a glimpse of your eyes, and you're hers. Doesn't matter how strong you are—if she gets that string on you, your body won't be yours anymore."
The girl kept coming closer, her blank porcelain-like face bathed in red moonlight. I could almost swear her lips curved into the faintest, unnatural smile.
Rael's voice dropped to a whisper. "Lyrrise, whatever you do… don't let her look into you."
Liora's slow glide stopped exactly a meter in front of us. She didn't blink, didn't even seem to breathe—just stood there in the scarlet wash of the Blood Moon, her doll-like face inches from Rael's masked one.
When she spoke, her voice was soft but carried an unnatural weight, each word perfectly measured.
"Rael. You've strayed far from your path."
Rael's shoulders stiffened. "…I make my own path now."
Her porcelain lips curved in the smallest, eeriest imitation of a smile. "You were given orders. Our lord's request was clear—and you've refused. You've turned your back on him."
Rael's tone sharpened, almost a growl. "I'm done cooperating. Whatever game you and your 'lord' are playing, I'm not a piece on your board anymore."
Liora tilted her head slightly—like a curious doll—before stepping forward, the air around her rippling with an invisible force. "Then you're nothing but a broken marionette… and broken pieces are discarded."
In the blink of an eye, she lunged.
I moved without thinking, stepping in front of Rael. My katana met her slender hand mid-strike—only for a shockwave to jolt through the blade. The sound was sharp, unnatural, like glass under too much pressure.
CRACK.
My eyes widened as a hairline fracture split across the katana's edge.
Liora's blank gaze flicked to me for the first time, unblinking. "You shouldn't interfere, little hero."
I tightened my grip despite the tremor in my arm, the fractured blade still between us. "Then you'll have to go through me first."
Liora's gaze shifted upward. Without warning, she bent her knees and launched herself high into the air, her pale form cutting through the red-lit night like a shard of glass. She was aiming straight for the academy walls—the ones built to shield the people during a Dris breach.
"No you don't."
I dropped my cracked katana, letting it clatter to the street, and surged forward. My muscles burned, my boots scraping against the cobblestone as I propelled myself up in a single leap. My fist connected with her face midair, the impact sending a shockwave that rattled nearby shutters and lanterns.
BOOM.
She slammed into the ground hard enough to shake the street, dust curling around her as the crimson light spilled over us both. For a heartbeat, she didn't move.
Then she sat up slowly, her porcelain skin marred by the faintest hairline fractures along her cheek. Her fingers brushed the cracks as if testing whether they were real.
"Hm…" Her voice was calm, but something darker rippled beneath it. "Not bad."
She tilted her head, the faintest smirk curling her lips as her black, glassy eyes locked on mine.
"You're a great opponent, Lyrrise."
Her tone made it sound less like a compliment and more like a promise—a promise that she wasn't finished.