LYRRISE POV...
Cyril hadn't said anything since that morning, but his eyes… they followed Rael like a shadow that wouldn't fade.
Rael pretended not to notice, lounging lazily on the couch in his human form, twirling a strand of his hair like he didn't have a care in the world. But every so often, I caught him glancing at Cyril, a faint smirk tugging at his lips—like he enjoyed testing the man's patience.
It didn't help that Cyril had definitely found out Rael could take human form. I could see the calculation in his gaze, the silent question of what exactly Rael was.
Still… he didn't know the truth. Not yet.
He didn't know Rael was an Eclipsed.
That alone was enough to make me quietly breathe out a sigh of relief. The less Cyril knew, the safer Rael—and maybe even I—would be.
But the way Cyril's jaw clenched every time Rael got within arm's reach of me… I had a feeling this wasn't going to be a peaceful week.
The tension that had been building all day finally broke when Cyril stepped into the dorm, his voice cold and cutting.
"Rael," he said, not even glancing at me. "You're not a registered student in Blood Moon Heaven Academy."
Rael leaned back against the wall, feigning innocence. "So what? You're throwing me out?"
Cyril's glare was answer enough. "Exactly. Get out before I drag you to the gates myself."
For a heartbeat, the air between them felt sharp enough to cut. Then Rael shrugged like it was nothing, sliding his mask back into place before walking toward the door.
I caught his arm just before he stepped out. My voice was low, almost a whisper.
"Rael… don't use your powers. Not here. Not anywhere near the academy. If you do… they'll come for you."
His smirk faltered, replaced with something unreadable. But he didn't argue.
"I'll keep my claws sheathed. For now," he said, before disappearing into the shadows beyond the gate.
Cyril didn't say a word, but I could feel his eyes on me—watching, weighing, suspicious.
The rain outside was soft tonight, tapping against the glass like it was trying to whisper me to sleep. I sat on my bed, flipping through my training notes, trying not to think about Cyril kicking Rael out earlier.
Then I felt it—something landed on the edge of my mattress with a light thump.
I looked down.
A familiar black tail flicked lazily.
"…Rael?" My voice came out quieter than I expected. "You came back?"
He didn't even answer. Just walked right across my blankets like he owned them, then curled himself in my lap and started purring. That stubborn, ridiculous purr.
From the corner, I heard Lior's voice, dripping with amusement.
"Well, well… look who crawled back after getting kicked out. You really are stupid, Rael."
Rael didn't move, but I swear his tail twitched like he was about to smack her in the face with it.
"At least I know how to get back in," he muttered, eyes closed.
Lior grinned, leaning against the wall. "Yeah, by turning into an adorable ball of fur so Lyrrise can smuggle you inside like some stray pet. Real brilliant."
I groaned, running my fingers through Rael's fur to keep him from jumping up. "Can you two not? Just… not tonight."
Rael stayed put, clearly proud of himself for reclaiming my lap. Lior kept her arms crossed, wearing that smug look like she'd just caught him doing something shameful.
It went quiet for a few seconds… until Lior leaned in slightly and said, just loud enough for him to hear—
"Stupid cat."
Rael's tail whipped against my leg in irritation, but he didn't get up.
I bit back a laugh. Honestly… they were exhausting.
8 WEEKS LATER
Eight weeks passed in a strange kind of peace.
No enemies. No unexpected attacks. Training went perfectly every single day.
Rael and Lior… still hadn't been discovered.
It was almost suspicious how smooth everything had been—like the world was taking a deep breath before screaming.
I'd gotten used to the small things: Rael napping in his cat form on my pillow, Lior always winning our morning races to the training yard, Cyril watching me a little too closely when he thought I didn't notice.
It was… perfect.
Too perfect.
And then—
The alarms screamed.
Not just the usual drills—these were the deep, blaring emergency alarms. The kind that sent your stomach sinking before you even knew why.
The voice over the academy's speakers came through in a harsh, clipped tone.
"Fall of Dris—fall of Dris—evacuate all non-combatants immediately."
The words seemed to freeze everyone in place for a heartbeat before panic broke out. Students and civilians moved toward the safe zones as our division leaders barked orders.
But the sky—
The sky itself looked wrong.
When I stepped outside the main hall, my breath caught.
First, I saw the Original Riftborn.
Then, the Eclipsed—half-human, half-Riftborn—appearing like shadows between the clouds.
And now… they were flying.
Wings spread wide, their bodies slicing through the air like blackened blades. The wind itself seemed to howl at their arrival.
Somebody shouted the name they'd given them—"Skyclad Riftborn!"
A fitting name for creatures that looked like nightmares with wings.
My team gathered beside me—Cyril, Deyon, Kyria, and the others—every weapon drawn. My pulse was steady, but something about the air felt… wrong.
Then the academy's speakers began to glitch—
Static hissing through every corner of the courtyard, cutting the voice into fragments.
"…approaching… —ve… inside…—danger level—"
I gripped the handle of my katana, every sense screaming.
Something worse was coming.
My parents.
The thought slammed into me so suddenly, I nearly staggered.
Were they safe?
Were they even inside the walls right now?
I gritted my teeth, forcing the panic down—only to realize something that made my blood run cold.
My katana.
I didn't have it.
The fight with Lior flashed in my mind—the sound of steel cracking, my blade shattering into useless pieces.
And now… I was about to face the Skyclad Riftborn empty-handed.
No. Not empty-handed.
Not anymore.
I still had my weapon.
The one no one could take from me.
Without anyone noticing, I slid my hand across my palm, slicing it open. Pain flared, sharp and bright, but I embraced it.
The blood welled up—warm, familiar—and I pulled at it with my will.
It answered instantly.
Flowing upward, hardening, shaping itself into two curved blades—perfectly balanced, the crimson catching the light like molten glass.
A double katana.
The chatter of the other squads blurred into background noise. They were still debating strategies, trying to figure out how to deal with flying Riftborns.
I didn't have the luxury of waiting.
I didn't have the patience for plans.
I bolted for the main stairwell, boots pounding against the steps as I took them two, three at a time. My heartbeat matched the rhythm of my ascent.
Higher.
Faster.
The rooftop door slammed open beneath my hand, and the cold wind hit me like a challenge. Above, the Skyclad Riftborn circled the academy like vultures scenting blood.
I stepped forward, my crimson blades humming in my grip.
The blood moon still hung in the red-streaked sky.
I was ready to fight.
The wind roared in my ears as I leapt from the rooftop, blood katana drawn. My boots connected squarely with the chest of the first Skyclad Riftborn—crack!—the impact sending it spiraling into the courtyard below.
Gasps erupted from the ground. Students had seen it.
Then came the rush—shouts, pounding footsteps on the stairs. They were coming to join me. But by the time the first group reached the roof, I had already cut down another. And another.
Each slash painted the air crimson.
Each scream was cut short.
The Skyclad Riftborn dropped one by one, their bodies hitting the tiles with dull thuds.
Someone yelled behind me, "They're retreating! It's over!"
But my grip only tightened.
No… it wasn't over.
Something felt wrong.
The air shifted, heavy… unnatural. And then—
Silence.
The wind stilled.
The clamor stopped.
A single drop of blood hanging in the air in front of me didn't fall.
Time… had stopped.
I turned slowly.
Everyone was frozen mid-motion—mouths open in shouts that never finished, weapons locked mid-swing. Even the Riftborn hung suspended like grotesque statues.
"Rael…?" I called. Nothing.
He stood frozen on the opposite rooftop, mid-leap.
"Lior?"
Still as stone.
A chill coiled down my spine.
Whatever this was… I was the only one still moving.
The world was frozen.
Not a single wingbeat, not a single breath.
Even the blood dripping from my blade hung motionless in the air.
Then I heard it—
A slow, deliberate rhythm of footsteps behind me.
Each step felt like it was pressing down on my chest.
I turned, katana ready.
A man stood there—tall, at least six feet.
His hair… the same deep shade as mine.
A white mask covered his face, but those eyes—those burning crimson eyes—locked onto me like they'd known me for years.
"Who are you?" I demanded, voice sharp enough to cut.
He tilted his head, almost like he found the question amusing.
"I am Aralin," he said, voice low but heavy, "and I am your biological father."
My fingers tightened on my weapon.
"You're lying."
His tone didn't waver.
"When you were born, I couldn't find you. But the moment I saw you here… I knew. Our hair. Our eyes. Our blood."
He took a step closer. "There's no mistake—you are mine."
My stomach churned. "And why would that matter to me?"
"Because," he said slowly, almost savoring the words, "I was the scientist who created the Riftborns. I watched the first one tear through its prey. I saw fear spread across entire nations. And I was satisfied." His voice lowered into something darker. "I still am."
Something inside me snapped.
"You disgust me," I spat. "You think I'd ever call someone like you my father? I'd rather die than be anything like you. Never—do you hear me? Never."
His head tilted again, but there was no anger in his voice—only a disturbing calm.
"That's fine. I'll give you one month to reconsider."
He leaned forward slightly.
"And when that month ends, I will turn everyone you care about into ashes—one… by… one—right in front of you."
The temperature seemed to drop.
And then… he vanished.
A rush of sound and movement hit me like a wave.
Time had resumed.
Students shouted, the clash of steel against wings rang out, and no one seemed to know what had just happened—except me.
——
I barely heard the noise of battle anymore.
The sounds were muffled, like I was underwater.
Aralin's words kept replaying in my head, each one heavier than the last.
One month… ashes… one by one…
My grip on my blood-forged katana trembled. I didn't even notice the heat in my eyes until something warm brushed my cheek.
I flinched.
It was Cyril.
His gloved hand gently wiped the tears I hadn't realized were falling. His expression was calm, but his eyes… they searched mine like he wanted to read the thoughts I wasn't saying.
I forced myself to blink, pulling my gaze away before he could see too much.
I couldn't let him—or anyone—know the truth. Not yet.
I took a shaky breath.
If what Aralin said was true, then every person in these walls was in danger. My parents… my friends… even Cyril.
I couldn't let that happen.
I wouldn't.
A fire started to burn in my chest—steady, determined, and unyielding.
I glanced back at Cyril.
He didn't ask me what was wrong.
He didn't have to.
I need to find a solution. A way to end this before the month is over.
The battle was over, but my mind wasn't.
The second I stepped inside my dorm, I shut the door behind me, locking out the chaos of the academy. Lior was leaning against the wall, her arms crossed, and Rael—still in his human form—was sprawled lazily on the couch.
I didn't waste time.
"Where does Aralin live?"
They both froze. Lior's brow furrowed, but Rael's expression didn't change. Instead, the two exchanged a silent look, like they were weighing whether I could handle the answer.
"I'm his daughter," I said flatly, breaking the silence.
Lior's eyes widened in shock. "You're… what?!"
Rael, however, just gave me a knowing smirk. "Obvious. From the start."
That stung a little, but I ignored it.
"Then tell me where he is."
Rael's tone shifted, becoming sharper.
"He's not on Earth. His base… is in the sky."
I frowned. "The sky?"
Rael nodded. "He's been preparing something far worse. Right now, Riftborns only spawn at night. But he's planning to make them spawn during the day too. No safe hours. No rest."
My hands clenched into fists.
Lior spoke up, still processing. "Why would he even need you in all this?"
Rael's eyes locked on mine, serious now.
"When you were born… they took your blood. Aralin experimented on you when you were just a baby. Back then, Eclipsed couldn't walk in the daylight without being burned or weakened. But when they injected themselves with your blood…" He paused. "…they weren't afraid of the light anymore."
The air in my chest turned heavy.
All those monsters, stronger, deadlier—because of me?
Rael leaned forward. "Now I think he wants more of your blood. Enough to make even his strongest creations unstoppable."
I could feel my pulse pounding in my ears, my anger mixing with a sharp, almost painful resolve.
If Aralin thought he could use me like that again…
He was wrong.
I stared at Rael, my head pounding with questions.
"How… how do you even know all of this?"
The room went quiet. Lior shifted uncomfortably, glancing between us. Rael's usual teasing smirk was gone—replaced by something I'd never seen in him before. Regret.
He finally spoke, his voice low.
"Because Aralin… is my brother. My older brother."
The words hit me like a blade to the chest.
"What?"
Rael looked away, almost like it hurt to meet my eyes.
"I was there when you were born. I was the one who stole you from him."
My breath caught.
"You—stole me?"
Rael nodded slowly. "Not to hurt you… but to keep you safe. Aralin already had plans for you—plans even worse than what he's doing now. I couldn't let him have you. I thought if I kept you away, you'd grow up far from his reach."
I didn't know what to say. My mind was still trying to process the fact that Aralin was my father—now Rael being his brother made everything twist into something even messier.
"Then why… why show up at the academy that day? Why attack us?"
He let out a heavy sigh.
"I wasn't there to hurt anyone. I just wanted to see you—to make sure you were alive… in good health. But I guess… I looked like the enemy. I thought if I fought you, you'd understand my strength, and maybe… remember me."
I stared at him in disbelief. "Remember you? Rael, we'd never even met before."
He gave a faint, bitter smile. "Maybe not. But I knew you. And I've been watching over you… in my own way."
Something in my chest tightened, an ache I couldn't name.
I didn't know if I could forgive him for the way he showed up that day—but part of me, deep down, believed him.