Night pressed heavily against the orphanage walls.
Lyra moved quietly through the corridor, her footsteps soft against the wooden floor. She stopped in front of the boys' dormitory.
Before she could knock—
The door opened.
Kael stepped out at the same time, nearly colliding with her.
He blinked.
"What are you doing here?"
"Nothing…" she muttered, looking down. Then she forced herself to meet his eyes. "I need to talk to you."
He leaned casually against the wall, folding his arms.
"What is it?"
She hesitated.
"Do you think… the reason he called us… is because of what happened to those boys?"
Kael didn't answer immediately.
"I thought the same," he admitted quietly. "The only way to confirm it is whether we're ambushed on the way to the academy."
Her throat tightened.
"Why would you assume that?"
"He doesn't know which of us used that power," Kael said calmly. "So he'll want confirmation. And what better way than forcing us into danger?"
Lyra nodded slowly.
"So… we look out for each other?"
"Each other?" he repeated softly.
She looked away, embarrassed.
"Fine," she said quickly. "Can I leave myself in your hands tomorrow?"
Kael smirked.
"You know if someone overheard that, they'd misunderstand completely."
"You know what I mean."
She turned and walked away.
He watched her go, a faint smile forming.
"She never changes…"
Then his expression shifted.
"It's almost time for her awakening."
His eyes darkened slightly.
"I wonder if she can handle it alone."
Later That Night
Kael knocked on Elara's door.
No response.
He sighed softly and stepped outside instead, sitting beneath the oak tree.
The wind brushed through his hair.
With a flick of his fingers, space bent.
Elara appeared beside him — still asleep.
He had teleported her without waking her.
He studied her peaceful face.
"She looks like a child when she sleeps," he murmured, smiling faintly.
The Awakening
Back inside the orphanage—
Lyra lay on her bed, staring into darkness.
Then—
Pain.
A sudden surge behind her eyes.
Fragments of memory flooded her mind.
The veiled woman.
The cold stone steps.
The knock on the door.
A whisper.
"Forgive me."
Her heart began pounding violently.
Something inside her cracked.
Energy burst outward.
Scarlet light filled the dormitory.
The girls around her screamed—
Then silence.
Within seconds, the dorm was painted red.
No movement.
No breathing.
Across the orphanage—
Every life sign flickered.
Then vanished.
The building fell silent.
Dead.
Under the oak tree, Kael opened his eyes.
"…So it begins."
He stood calmly and walked back inside.
He stepped over bodies without emotion, his footsteps steady.
Lyra stood in the center of the dormitory.
Her eyes glowed crimson.
A blade formed in her hand — not forged from metal, but from condensed energy.
She lunged.
The blade pierced his abdomen.
He didn't resist.
Didn't defend.
Didn't move.
Instead—
He pulled her into an embrace.
"It's okay," he whispered softly, his voice echoing directly into her mind. "You're not alone."
Her breathing faltered.
"Calm down… little sister."
The red glow began fading.
The blade dissolved.
Her body went limp.
He caught her before she hit the floor.
His wound sealed instantly — flesh knitting together without a scar.
He carried her outside.
Reset
He placed Lyra gently inside the carriage waiting near the gates.
Then he returned and lifted Elara carefully, placing her beside Lyra.
He stepped back.
Looked at the orphanage.
The blood.
The silence.
The erased lives.
His eyes glowed faintly.
Time distorted.
The night fractured—
And snapped forward.
Morning sunlight flooded the world.
The orphanage stood intact again.
No blood.
No bodies.
No death.
Only echoes.
Kael stepped into the carriage as if nothing had happened.
Morning
Elara stirred.
"Why am I here…?" she asked groggily.
"I brought you," Kael replied simply.
Her cheeks flushed.
"So… you carried me?"
"Yeah."
She noticed Lyra asleep beside him.
Then she remembered.
"We're supposed to report to the Daincrest mansion."
"We don't know the way," Kael said. "We need you."
Elara straightened slightly.
"If that's the case… we'll have to pass through the Eastern Forest."
Kael's eyes flickered subtly.
"Then we'll be in your hands."
The carriage began moving.
The orphanage faded behind them.
And in the distance—
The Eastern Forest waited.
Silent.
Watching.