Inside a dark dorm room, Reina Emberheart sat silently on the edge of her bed.
No—
not silently.
Her body trembled violently.
Her state was terrible. Swollen cheeks, dried lips, disheveled hair falling over hollow eyes. The once-proud noble girl now looked as though she had not slept in days. Dark marks lingered beneath her eyes while her fingers twitched uncontrollably against her knees.
Slowly, desperately, she pulled out the dark crimson book.
Its surface pulsed faintly.
Almost alive.
Reina opened it with shaking hands.
"I pray to you… Lady of the Velvet Sin…" her cracked voice echoed weakly through the room. "In exchange for my life… please help me once again…"
The pages remained blank.
No response.
No comforting black smoke.
Nothing.
Reina's pupils trembled. "P-please… please…"
Then—
the pages shifted.
Crimson-red text slowly bled across them.
There is nothing you can offer me anymore.
Her breathing stopped.
"N-no… please…"
Her fingers dug into the pages desperately.
The book shifted once more.
More crimson text appeared.
This time—
longer.
Reina read it.
Silence filled the room.
Then—
she smiled.
No—
she laughed.
A manic, broken laugh echoed through the darkness as her trembling slowly ceased.
"As you wish."
...
I walked through the academy hallways alongside Leon and Clara, the usual murmurs following us wherever we went. Students moved aside instinctively, their eyes lingering on Leon and me longer than necessary.
Today's classes were on spirits, held by Professor Elise.
Entering the classroom, I immediately noticed how full it was compared to previous lectures. Nearly every notable student had gathered here.
Samuel Crimson sat casually beside Selena Thorne, the two speaking quietly amongst themselves.
Yelena Zephyr sat near the window, though what caught my attention more was the girl resting peacefully against her chest.
Alyssa Croft.
My eyes narrowed slightly.
I haven't seen her since the entrance exam.
Meanwhile, Silver Ryker sat with Reinheart Verilian and Darius Whitemere. Silver looked visibly annoyed as Reinheart continued talking beside him, though Darius simply observed quietly as always.
"Hm."
I walked over and sat beside Clara while Leon lazily dropped himself into the seat next to me.
Soon—
Professor Elise stepped forward.
Cough.
The room quieted instantly.
"It seems like everyone is pre—"
Before she could finish—
the classroom door opened again.
Reina Emberheart entered calmly, a composed smile resting on her face.
Elise's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Lady Emberheart. You are late. And you have not attended any of my previous classes."
Reina bowed her head lightly. "I apologize, Professor. I was feeling unwell these past days."
Elise stared at her for a brief moment before sighing.
"…Whatever. Sit down."
Reina smiled softly and walked toward her seat.
My eyes narrowed.
Her condition is worse.
Even though she looked perfectly fine on the outside, something about her felt deeply unsettling now. The instability from before had vanished.
And somehow—
that made it worse.
"Very well," Elise began once everyone settled down. "Today's topic is spirits."
The classroom immediately grew quieter.
"Many of you misunderstand spirits entirely," she continued calmly. "They are not simple beasts created from mana, nor are they extensions of your abilities."
She raised her hand slightly.
"Spirits are living entities."
A faint ripple spread through the air around her fingers.
"They exist within another layer of reality—what we refer to as the Spirit World."
Several students leaned forward slightly.
"The Spirit World is vastly different from our own," Elise continued. "It is a realm where concepts hold greater meaning than physical laws. Distance, time, even logic itself can become distorted there."
Her green eyes swept across the classroom.
"It is a place overflowing with mysteries humanity still cannot fully understand."
A brief silence followed.
"Some spirits possess intelligence rivaling humans. Others are no more than instinctive fragments of mana given form. Some are benevolent."
Her expression sharpened slightly.
"And some are catastrophic."
The atmosphere grew heavier instantly.
"A spirit beast reflects its contractor," Elise explained. "Your affinities influence what responds to you, yes. But more importantly…"
She paused.
"…your nature does."
"No spirit can be forcefully controlled at the beginning. You are acknowledged first. Judged."
Samuel grinned slightly at that while Silver simply rested his chin against his hand, listening quietly.
"Spirit users throughout history have ranged from great healers to beings capable of destroying entire battlefields. The stronger the spirit, the more dangerous the bond becomes."
Clara swallowed nervously beside me.
Elise suddenly clapped her hands once.
"Enough theory."
The students straightened instantly.
"Stand."
Everyone rose from their seats.
"You will accompany me somewhere far more suitable for this lesson."
The class walked through the academy grounds before eventually arriving near the deeper restricted regions.
And then—
I saw it.
Celestgrove.
A vast forest stretched before us, glowing faintly beneath the sunlight. Towering silver-barked trees rose endlessly into the sky while pale blue leaves shimmered softly with mana.
The moment we stepped closer—
the difference became obvious.
Mana here was dense.
Not just slightly.
Overwhelmingly so.
It flowed through the forest like invisible rivers, brushing against skin, slipping into breath itself.
Clara's eyes widened. "T-this place…"
Professor Elise nodded calmly.
"Celestgrove is one of the academy's natural mana sanctuaries. The deeper you go, the denser the mana becomes."
My eyes narrowed slightly as I felt the pressure around us increase.
Even the air itself felt alive here.
"It is the ideal place for establishing your first connection with the Spirit World," Elise continued. "Because in places where mana flourishes…"
Her gaze deepened slightly.
"…spirits tend to linger."
Walking through Celestgrove, I closed my eyes and tried to feel anything. The dense mana drifting through the forest brushed against my senses constantly, yet every time I reached outward, there was only silence.
Around us, a few students had already managed to manifest weak low-ranked spirits. Small creatures made of mana fluttered around their contractors excitedly while others struggled just to maintain their forms.
Professor Elise observed calmly before speaking once more. "If you feel none of the spirits have acknowledged you, you may go deeper into the forest."
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"But do not wander too deep. The further you descend into Celestgrove, the denser the mana becomes. Even high-rankers can collapse beneath that pressure. It is not something you cadets should attempt enduring."
The students nodded before gradually spreading deeper through the forest.
I walked alongside Leon, the sound of rustling leaves echoing softly around us.
My eyes drifted toward him curiously. "Hey… you've definitely summoned a spirit before, right?"
Considering he was a SS-ranker, it would make no sense if he had not.
Leon glanced sideways at me. "Hm? Yeah. I have."
He lazily raised his hand.
A faint gust of wind gathered above his palm before golden light condensed into shape. Soon, a tiny griffin appeared, barely fitting in his hand. Golden scales clung to its body while small feathered wings fluttered proudly behind it.
My eyes widened.
"Woah… it looks kinda cute."
Leon laughed immediately.
"Cute? This thing?"
The tiny griffin puffed out its chest proudly as though agreeing with him.
"This little guy here is The Windscar Monarch Elyrion. A SS-rank griffin."
The griffin chirped proudly.
"Right now he's only partially manifested," Leon continued. "In his true form, he'd be as tall as a building. This little guy is no joke. He helped me survive a lot of battlefields."
I stared at the tiny griffin resting on his hand.
An actual monarch spirit.
And it was casually cleaning its wings.
"…Wow."
Leon smirked before dismissing it. "Now go on. I'm actually curious what you'll summon."
I nodded before heading deeper into the forest alone.
The mana pressure gradually increased around me. The deeper parts of Celestgrove felt almost dreamlike, the air shimmering faintly with raw energy.
Then—
BOOOOM.
A violent explosion shook the forest.
My eyes widened.
Professor Elise instantly rushed toward the source while nearby students hurried after her curiously. By the time I arrived, the entire area had fallen silent.
Elise herself looked stunned.
Before her stood Samuel Crimson.
And beside him—
a massive lion.
Its body was pure white, enormous beyond belief, while purple flames burned across its mane like divine fire. Its eyes contained stars themselves, galaxies swirling faintly within those glowing pupils.
The sheer pressure radiating from it made the surrounding mana tremble.
Samuel grinned proudly as he stroked the lion's massive leg.
Elise spoke slowly, disbelief lingering in her voice.
"Samuel… is that…?"
Samuel smirked. "Yes, Professor. This is The Sunfang Sovereign Leonaris."
Elise wiped sweat from her forehead.
"Phew… to think you would summon an actual Monarch Spirit." Her expression turned serious. "This is a huge moment for the academy."
Beside Samuel stood Selena Thorne.
Hovering behind her was a gigantic eagle covered in blazing silver feathers. Its wings stretched outward majestically while streams of wind spiraled around its body constantly.
"And you too, Selena Thorne," Elise continued. "I assume that is Solvane?"
Selena nodded proudly. "Yes, Professor."
"Though not a monarch spirit… it possesses extraordinary potential. Congratulations."
Soon, the other students gradually revealed their own spirits.
Clara Taylor had summoned a small spirit named Lumi, a glowing creature resembling a tiny winged deer made of soft golden light. It floated happily around her shoulders while Clara smiled brightly.
Silver Ryker stood silently beside his spirit.
A gigantic wolf towered behind him.
Its silver fur shimmered like moonlight while dark blue markings pulsed faintly across its body. Its eyes glowed with ancient intelligence and frost gathered beneath every step it took.
Fenryx — The Moonfang Monarch.
The sheer pressure from the wolf caused weaker spirits nearby to shrink back instinctively.
Yelena Zephyr had summoned Kyuneira, a beautiful nine-tailed fox with pale violet fur and glowing sapphire eyes. Though not yet a true monarch, the spirit radiated immense nobility as its nine tails drifted behind it elegantly.
Darius Whitemere stood beside an enormous serpent.
Its body was black as the abyss itself while dark scales reflected faint violet light. The massive creature coiled around the trees silently, its crimson eyes staring down upon the forest like a lurking king.
The Abyssal Serpent King — Ophion.
Though weaker than Nyxtharion from the entrance exam, the pressure it emitted was still immense.
Reinheart Verilian summoned a golden tiger monarch.
Lightning crackled faintly around its body while its golden eyes held overwhelming pride. Every breath it released carried royal authority.
The Heavenly Tiger King.
Not surprising.
That monarch had long stood beneath the Verilian Imperial bloodline.
Reina Emberheart stood silently beside her stood The Crimson Dawn: Vulcaris
A golden phoenix radiating absolute strength as flame clung to it.
Meanwhile—
Alyssa Croft had summoned…
a sloth.
A tiny brown sloth lazily clung to her back while Alyssa herself slept peacefully against the tree behind her.
My eyes widened slightly.
"T-that's…"
For a brief moment, an inexplicable chill ran through my spine.
No… it can't be.
I stared at the sloth carefully.
The Demon King of Sloth?
I immediately smacked my own forehead.
What the hell am I thinking? Why would the actual Demon King appear.
Shaking my head, I continued deeper into the forest in search of my own spirit.
What Rio didn't know—
was that behind him—
the sloth had slowly opened its eyes.
And without blinking—
its gaze followed his back.
The lazy brown eyes gradually turned crimson.