The room stayed silent after Seraphine's words.
Thunder rolled outside, light from the fractured sky flashing across her calm face.
She lowered her hand slowly when Arjun didn't take it.
Fair enough, she said. Trust is expensive these days.
Kael crossed his arms.
You show up out of nowhere, talk like you know everything, and expect us to relax?
Seraphine shrugged lightly.
Pretty much, yes.
Mira stepped closer to Arjun, cautious.
Start explaining. Now.
Seraphine glanced around the dorm room, then snapped her fingers.
Golden symbols spread across the walls instantly, forming a glowing barrier. Outside noise vanished.
Privacy field, she said. No surveillance. No listening devices. No hunters.
Lyra watched carefully.
Astral technology… ancient origin.
Seraphine smiled slightly.
You really do know things, don't you?
She turned back to Arjun.
Alright. Short version. The world runs on something called Origin Flow. Think of it as the energy that writes reality itself.
She drew a circle of light in the air.
Most humans never touch it. Guardians stabilize it. Organizations like ours manage the damage when things go wrong.
The circle cracked.
The sky fracture broke the balance. Now Origin Flow leaks into the world, awakening people.
Kael raised a hand.
So superpowers.
Seraphine nodded.
If you want the simple explanation, yes.
She pointed toward Arjun.
But you are different. Awakened borrow power from Origin Flow.
You… rewrite it.
The words hung heavily in the air.
Mira looked confused.
Rewrite reality?
Not fully, Seraphine corrected. Not yet. You're incomplete.
Arjun frowned.
Incomplete how?
Seraphine walked closer, studying him carefully.
Your existence lacks a fixed destiny. That means reality doesn't know how to limit you.
Lyra spoke quietly.
An unwritten variable.
Seraphine snapped her fingers again.
Exactly.
She waved her hand, projecting images into the air.
Three energy types appeared.
Blue light.
Red light.
Gold light.
Most Awakened fall into Force, Manifestation, or Cognition classes, she explained.
Force users enhance bodies and weapons.
Manifestation users create elements or constructs.
Cognition users manipulate perception, space, or information.
She pointed at the gold light.
Guardians exist beyond all three. And somehow… you resonate with them.
Arjun looked at his hand.
So what does that mean for me?
Seraphine's expression became serious.
It means if you lose control, reality around you may collapse trying to correct itself.
Kael blinked.
Okay yeah, that's officially terrifying.
Mira looked at Arjun, worried but steady.
Then he needs training.
Seraphine nodded.
That's why I'm here.
She tapped the floor lightly.
Astral Accord offers protection, education, and control training. Without it, other factions will eventually attack again.
As if on cue, Arjun's symbol pulsed painfully.
A distant roar echoed faintly through the air — not physical, but felt deep inside his mind.
Seraphine noticed immediately.
You feel them already, don't you?
Arjun nodded slowly.
Something… watching.
Her smile faded.
Entities beyond the fracture sense potential threats early.
She looked directly into his eyes.
You don't have years to learn.
Maybe months.
Outside, lightning split the sky again, illuminating the growing crack.
Kael stood up.
So what's step one, teacher?
Seraphine turned toward the door.
Training begins tonight.
Mira blinked.
Tonight?
Seraphine grinned.
Power doesn't wait politely.
She paused before leaving and glanced back at Arjun.
And honestly… if you don't learn fast, the next visitors won't come to talk.
The barrier dissolved.
City noise rushed back in.
Arjun stood there silently, feeling the weight of everything pressing down.
The world expected something from him.
Something he still didn't understand.
But for the first time…
he had a direction.
He followed Seraphine toward the rooftop.
Behind them, the fractured sky pulsed brighter — as if anticipating what he would become.