“Wake up, Adam.”

  The voice was distant, soft, and familiar.

  Adam groaned as the sound dragged from his throat. My body feels so damn heavy… but why do I hear waves?

  He snapped his eyes open. A sky of endless stars stretched above him, black and boundless. “I’m here again?” he muttered, pushing himself upright. Around him, a vast ocean raged, waves rising and crashing in eternal rhythm, yet none ever touched him.

  He was sitting on the surface itself.

  The realization came slowly. Merging with that bastard must have changed my sea of consciousness this much.

  Adam rose carefully, scanning the watery expanse. The waves soared higher than towers, then fell back into silence as if bowing to his presence.

  “Where are you hiding?” he called out.

  Only his reflection answered, a warped image rippling across the dark sea.

  “Why did you even call me if you’re not going to talk?” he muttered, shaking his head.

  He looked up again, watching the stars pulse faintly above him. I can’t even begin to imagine how deep in shit I am once I wake up.

  A wry smile tugged at his lips. He could still picture the streaks of light converging on Pyren’s Valley. And those axes… did I actually see them?

  The thought barely formed before the ocean stilled. The towering waves froze mid-rise, then dissolved into mist.

  Adam frowned. “What now?”

  Above him, the constellations began to move. The stars twisted and merged until they formed the image of twin axes. Light flared from them, piercing the surface below. The sea exploded.

  Adam flew backward across the water, skidding like a stone. “What the—”

  He looked up just in time to see the axes, the same ones from before, hovering over the epicenter, their blades dripping with radiant power. The water below hissed and vaporized.

  How the hell did they come here?

  He couldn’t answer. He pushed to his feet and stretched out a hand. “Come.”

  The weapons trembled. A shrill resonance cracked the silence, rippling through the sea. One axe tore free, whirling toward him. Adam caught it midair, the blood-red handle burning against his palm. Power surged through his veins like molten iron.

  He gritted his teeth and reached for the second axe. It came just as easily, almost eager.

  Crimson light spilled from the heavens and swallowed him whole.

  What’s happening?

  The axes grew heavier. The light darkened, thickened, and pain exploded through his body. Flames erupted from his skin, dancing along his arms, yet he refused to let go.

  The axes melted, fusing with his hands, coating them in liquid metal.

  He screamed, the sound raw and guttural.

  The waves rose again, higher than before, crashing into chaos. Adam looked down at the molten gauntlets now bound to him, then saw his reflection twist. His eyes darkened in the water.

  He sensed it before he saw it: a silent wave towering behind him, large enough to eclipse the heavens.

  He exhaled, lips curling into a dry smile. Yeah… that one’s definitely going to hit me.

  The sea roared.

  Varidan Towers, Varidan Academy, Dratol.

  In a dark, theater-like chamber, six figures sat cloaked in shadow. Below them, a humanoid with the head of a hawk knelt low, trembling. Beside him, a youth lay bound in a black straitjacket, thick chains snaking across the floor.

  Behind them loomed six towering sentinels, faceless and still, each holding a scythe angled toward the ground.

  “Gareet, is that all you remember?” a voice asked, smooth and melodic.

  Gareet flinched. “Deans, I wouldn’t dare conceal anything from the council. Regrettably, I do not know where the explosion originated, nor how it destroyed the barrier.”

  Silence pressed on the room.

  “You said this student entered Pyren’s Valley before the explosion, correct?” another voice asked.

  “Yes, that is correct.”

  A scoff followed. “You expect us to believe a mere Year One caused such destruction? Even an S-rank couldn’t shatter that barrier. Do you take us for fools? You Aviskins always—”

  “Dean Hensley,” another voice cut in, deep and rasping. “That’s enough. Don’t condemn the Aviskin for the crimes of their ancestors.”

  The scythes above the kneeling pair dipped slightly. Gareet’s feathers shivered.

  “Gareet,” the hoarse voice said again, calm but heavy.

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  “Y-Yes, Headmaster Darius.”

  “No need to be nervous. Tell us, which weapons are missing from Pyren’s Valley?”

  “N-None, Headmaster. I triple-checked. Every weapon from A to E rank remains accounted for.”

  “Then where did the explosion begin?”

  “Owynir’s Pit suffered the greatest damage,” Gareet replied. “It’s likely the source.”

  “Owynir?” another murmured. “That’s Pyren’s pet descendant, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, Dean Woolahan.”

  “And the damage?” Darius pressed.

  “The barrier was destroyed, but the blast didn’t spread beyond the valley,” Gareet said, voice trembling. “Much of the flora in Owynir’s Pit was annihilated. A few creatures were injured, but none fatally. Most surprising of all, the weapons remain untouched.”

  Silence hung in the hall.

  “You may go,” the headmaster said.

  A portal bloomed beneath the Aviskin and swallowed him before he could speak.

  “Headmaster Darius, what shall we do about the boy?” Dean Woolahan asked. “I recommend we eliminate him, to remove any future threat.”

  “What threat could an E-rank possibly pose?” another voice sneered.

  “Dean Adhemar, do you have a better suggestion?” Woolahan pressed.

  “We should interrogate him instead of killing him,” Adhemar replied. “Perhaps we would learn how the barrier was breached.”

  “If Gareet could not discover the cause, you expect an E-rank student to?” Woolahan shot back.

  “Is killing all you think about?” Adhemar snapped. “What if the boy is innocent? How is it fair to end his life for a crime he may not have committed?”

  “Fair?” Woolahan laughed. “I would rather remove any possible threat, innocent or not, than risk something sinister slipping through. I do not care much for fairness.”

  “Dean Woolahan—”

  “Enough!” Headmaster Darius cut in, his tone final. “Put it to a vote. Who wants the student executed?”

  “I am in favor,” Woolahan said.

  “Dean Adhemar already opposes. No need to hear him again,” Woolahan added. “Dean Hensley, Dean Marcus, Dean Anselm — decide.”

  “I’m in favor,” another voice said.

  “I oppose,” came a retort.

  “Dean Hensley, make your decision,” Darius declared.

  “Whether he lives or dies is irrelevant,” she said, voice flat. “He is under my faculty, so I oppose the motion. If you want a life taken, Dean Woolahan, take it from among your own students.”

  “He lives,” Headmaster Darius announced. “Add his name to the watch list at priority E.”

  Portals opened beneath the scythe-bearing figures and the bound student. In a swirl of shadow, they vanished from the chamber.

  “Dean Hensley, assign someone to interrogate him when he regains consciousness. Dean Anselm, lift the lockdown. Dean Woolahan, continue the investigation of Pyren’s Valley. That is all.”

  “Headmaster Darius, before we adjourn, one more item,” Dean Marcus said.

  “What is it?” Darius asked.

  “One of my subordinates reported a change with radiance of The Labyrinth—”

  “Speak no further,” Darius interrupted. “This is not the place. Follow me; we must consult the elders.”

  The chamber emptied in measured silence, the echo of the vote lingering like a warning.

  Records Department, Varidan Academy

  Arianna sat comfortably in her chair, legs crossed on the desk as she idly spun a pen between her fingers.

  “Should someone of your status really be sitting that comfortably?”

  She looked up to see a woman with a sharp mohawk step out of a portal, carrying an unconscious student with silver hair.

  “Niamh,” Arianna said with a grin, “they’re already making you do more work?”

  Niamh lowered the student onto a nearby sofa. “I told him not to give me more work,” she muttered, folding her arms. “I knew this one was trouble the moment I saw him.”

  Arianna chuckled, standing from her chair. “What are we even supposed to learn from him? Does Dean Hensley really expect a Year One student to know anything?”

  She moved closer to the sofa, her gaze studying the boy’s calm, sleeping face.

  “The order came from Headmaster Darius,” Niamh said, sighing as she rubbed her temples. “The dean isn’t the one pushing this.”

  “So it’s just a formality, then,” Arianna said, amused.

  “Probably. Still, we need to hear what he has to say. Maybe he saw something useful,” she said, taking a seat.

  “Shouldn’t he have woken up by now?” Arianna asked, sitting beside her.

  “They already healed him. It shouldn’t take long—”

  A harsh cough cut her off. Both women stood at once. Niamh grabbed a cup of water and lifted the student’s head, helping him sip.

  He drank twice before his eyes fluttered open. “Where am I?”

  “You’re in the Records Department,” Arianna replied with a warm smile. “Remember me?”

  He nodded, still disoriented. His gaze moved between the two women before he sat up, slow but steady.

  “What happened in Pyren’s Valley?” he asked suddenly. “One moment I heard drums, and the next I was in the middle of an explosion. That’s not normal, right?”

  Arianna and Niamh exchanged a silent glance.

  “Adam,” Arianna said, her tone measured, “tell us everything that happened from the moment you entered the valley.”

  “We can tell if you lie,” Niamh warned, her voice firm.

  Adam frowned. “Wait… are you saying you suspect me? That’s impossible.”

  Neither woman answered.

  “You know I’m an E-rank, right?” he pressed. “If I had that kind of power, why would I come to Varidan Academy?”

  “You tell us,” Niamh said flatly. “Why are you here? Are you some kind of spy?”

  Adam’s face darkened. “What kind of nonsense is that?”

  “Calm down,” Arianna interjected. “We just want the truth. Shouting won’t help you.”

  He hesitated, lips tightening, fingers twitching on his knees.

  “Trust me, Adam,” Arianna said gently. “Even if you were involved, this can still be resolved.”

  He looked up, uncertain. “Can you guarantee that?”

  Arianna glanced at Niamh, who gave a small, silent nod.

  “Trust us,” Arianna said softly but firmly.

  Adam’s mouth opened as if to speak, then closed again.

  “Niamh, give us the room,” Arianna said.

  Without a word, Niamh vanished through a portal.

  Arianna shifted closer to him. “Do you need anything? Water, maybe?”

  He shook his head. “Thank you. I honestly didn’t cause the explosion. After the drums… that snake appeared—and then everything went white.”

  Arianna listened quietly until he finished.

  “So after you saw the snake, the explosion followed?” she asked.

  He nodded. “Yes. The snake might’ve caused it.”

  She frowned but said nothing.

  “How long was I unconscious?” he asked. “I remember being thrown around by the shock wave. Thanks for healing me.”

  “Only a few hours,” she said with a small smile. “And the healers deserve your thanks, not me.”

  He nodded. “So, what happens now?”

  “Can you move without help?”

  “I think so.”

  “Good,” she said, standing. “Go back to your dorm. The welcome ceremony will be held tomorrow.”

  “That’s it?”

  “Do you have anything else to tell us?”

  Adam shook his head.

  “Then we’re done here.”

  She snapped her fingers, and a portal swallowed him before he could speak.

  Another portal opened immediately after.

  Niamh stepped through, expression dry. “Any luck?”

  Arianna shook her head. “Nothing. He doesn’t know a thing.”

  “I figured,” Niamh sighed, adjusting her coat. “I’ll report to Dean Hensley. See you around.”

  “Hold on, Niamh,” Arianna called out suddenly. “Did you notice anything unusual about The Labyrinth of the Nameless after the explosion?”

  “Unusual how?”

  “I might’ve seen it wrong, but… its radiance turned red.”

  “Red?” Niamh frowned. “Are you sure you weren’t imagining it?”

  “Forget it,” Arianna sighed. “I’ve probably been overworked. This job’s been getting to me.”

  Niamh crossed the room and gently caught her wrist. “Ari, are you sure you’re okay? Is this about your sister?”

  Arianna didn’t answer.

  “I can’t imagine the pressure you’re under,” Niamh said softly, her grip tightening. “But you’re not alone, alright? I’m here.”

  Arianna managed a faint smile. “Thank you. That means a lot.”

  Niamh nodded. “I’ll check in again when I’m free.”

  Arianna watched as she disappeared through the portal, the glow fading to silence. She sank into a chair, exhaling long and slow, her gaze drifting up to the ceiling.

  “Elliana… where could you possibly be?” she whispered, covering her eyes with her hands.