The Academy bell rang.
Classes ended. Students spilled into the courtyard.
Shura spotted Adrian strolling out with his usual calm, almost too-casual stride.
"Adrian!" Shura called, waving frantically.
The taller boy slowed, raising an eyebrow.
"…What now?"
"Can I come with you?" Shura asked eagerly.
Adrian shook his head, lips pressed in a thin line.
"Not today. Go home. Rest. We leave for Xyrrhal tomorrow."
Shura's shoulders slumped.
"All right…" he muttered, following the path out of the Academy anyway. His stomach growled. Maybe one more stop at the restaurant wouldn't hurt.
He pushed the door open—and froze.
Mira was there, arranging plates behind the counter.
"Mira?"
She looked up, startled. Then smiled.
"Yes? Oh—wait. You're Shura?"
"You're… here?"
"No, actually," she said lightly, "it's our restaurant."
Shura blinked.
"…Oh." He rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed.
She chuckled softly. "So… how did you meet Adrian?"
Shura launched into a rapid explanation, waving his hands like a conductor: the Academy, the first awkward meeting, the first classroom chaos, Adrian's deadpan reactions, and all the tiny misunderstandings that somehow became friendship. Mira listened, occasionally laughing, her eyes sparkling.
By the time Shura finished, the sun was low. He paid and left, stomach full, heart a little lighter. That night, he slept deeply for the first time in days.
Morning — Academy Courtyard
The next morning, the Beacon-lit sun barely reached the courtyard. Lior's commanding hand shot into the air.
"Attention!"
Students snapped to attention, narrowing to the selected team: Shura, Adrian, Lior, a few others, and Luna.
"Blast!" someone whispered.
"Relax," Lior said, shaking his head. "Step one: show me what you brought."
The students unpacked.
Backpacks, pouches, Academy rations, simple weapons.
Shura opened his bag carefully: notebook, pens, and a stack of question sheets.
Lior's jaw dropped.
"You want to starve yourself?"
Shura shrugged.
"Nah… I'll eat with Yura—or maybe Adrian."
Adrian and Yura hadn't brought a single thing.
Lior blinked, then laughed, slapping his relic container.
"Don't worry. I've already filled it with enough food to feed a dozen people for two terns. Limited capacity, but you won't die of hunger."
Shura's eyes lit up. "Two… terns?"
He tilted his head, thinking. "…One tern must be some kind of time measurement… Three cycles per day, thirty cycles per Orynth… aha! That's roughly two weeks!"
Yura glanced at him, amused. "You actually figured that out on your own?"
Shura puffed his chest out. "Of course! I may not know much about this world, but I know how to count."
Adrian, watching silently from the side, just raised an eyebrow, muttering, "…What is he even talking about?"
Shura grinned, completely ignoring him. "Exactly! That's why Lior's relic is genius—it's basically a portable supply depot disguised as a tiny box!"
"Also," Lior added, glancing at the weapons in their hands, "keep your weapons on hand. Do not store them in relics. Quick access is safer."
Shura turned to Adrian, bouncing on his heels.
"So… you literally carry nothing, huh?"
Adrian crossed his arms, deadpan.
"Yup. I trust Lior's relic. Unlike some people who overpack… paper, pens, questions…"
Shura grinned. "Hey! These are essential!"
Adrian smirked. "Essential? You're gonna use them when? When the monsters ask riddles?"
Shura gasped. "Maybe they will! You don't know them!"
Adrian rolled his eyes. "I do. They're not polite. Trust me."
Shura stuck his tongue out. "Fine. Then you carry my pens too. Safety measure. You're basically my… walking penholder."
Adrian raised an eyebrow. "A… walking penholder?"
"Yes!" Shura nodded eagerly. "It's important for our survival."
Adrian muttered under his breath: "I'm trapped with a lunatic."
Shura grinned. "We're bonding, genius!"
Adrian looked at him, deadpan. "…Fine. But don't poke me with the pen."
Shura mock-saluted. "Scout's honor."
Preparing to Depart
Lior clapped his hands.
"Enough. Save the bonding for the trail. Let's move."
Shura glanced at Adrian.
"Race you to the edge of the Academy?"
Adrian smirked. "You first. You'll trip over your questions anyway."
Shura sprinted, dodging stray students, bouncing off walls. Adrian followed at a calm, effortless pace, occasionally glancing at Shura with dry amusement.
Luna joined the group silently, keeping a close watch.
"Not here for chatter," she said softly. "Xyrrhal isn't a tourist attraction. Stay alert."
Some students exchanged nervous glances. Shura grinned nervously.
"I can do alert."
Final Preparations
At the edge of the courtyard, Lior raised his hand, checking everyone's weapons.
"Remember: don't provoke anything. Keep your weapons ready, but don't be reckless. Some things are… alive in ways you can't measure."
No one moved too quickly. No one asked questions. Every student seemed aware they were being watched, though Lior never singled anyone out.
A student's hand hovered over a relic weapon—and almost touched it.
Lior swooped in like a shadow, catching the wrist effortlessly.
"Not yet," he said. "Observe first. Sense the resonance of Viora. Learn it before you touch."
Shura blinked, impressed. "How did you—?"
"Experience," Lior said simply. "And not dying is a useful skill."
The students laughed softly, though each glance at Lior was careful, measured. Shura realized he wasn't being asked directly; Lior was testing everyone at once. Everyone was learning without a word.
Lior's gaze lingered on Xyrrhal mountain, dark and jagged. Then, almost casually, he added:
"By the way… try to decode these words."
He let them hang in the air, almost like a challenge, not a lecture:
"Ascend the Unseen.
Unseat the Seated."
Shura squinted, curiosity blazing. "…Oh, this is going to be fun."
Adrian muttered under his breath, "…I have no idea why I'm even here."
Shura ignored him completely, leaning closer to his own thoughts, already turning the challenge into a game in his mind.
Lior's eyes swept over the group again, faintly assessing, faintly smiling at their energy.
"Let's move," he said.
Shura glanced at Adrian.
"So… are you excited?"
Adrian smirked. "Excited? Nah. Interested. Curious. Mostly for the chaos you'll probably create."
Shura laughed. "Hey! I have a plan!"
Adrian rolled his eyes. "I'm sure you do."
Yura glanced at both of them, expression unreadable, then looked back at Lior.
And somewhere in the courtyard, anticipation simmered, quiet but electric, ready for the journey ahead.