The dorm room felt colder than usual.
Anna sat alone on the edge of Koya's empty bed, fingers tracing the familiar crease in the blanket. Rain tapped softly against the window, blurring the academy grounds outside. She hadn't slept properly since the incident at the Golden Arena. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Koya running out through the dust and rubble, shoulders shaking with sobs.
Where are you…?
The silence pressed on her chest until the memories rose unbidden, pulling her back to a time when everything felt simpler—and heavier.
Nine years ago...
Seven years old Anna in the Verdant Training Field.
It was a vast meadow of swaying emerald grass that stretched toward distant rolling hills, dotted with ancient spirit trees whose leaves shimmered faintly even in daylight. The air smelled of fresh earth and morning dew. She stood there panting, small hands raised, launching water balls at the trunk of one sturdy oak. Some struck with satisfying splashes. Others missed completely, soaking the ground around her.
"Pretty good, Anna."
The voice was calm and angelic, like wind given form. She turned.
It was her sister Crystal who stood behind her, tall and graceful in her flowing white gown. Her long white hair cascaded like fresh snow, framing eyes of the same pure white that always seemed to hold quiet wisdom and warmth. A soft silver hairpin shaped like a flowing wave rested in her hair, catching the light whenever she moved.
Anna lowered her head slightly. "Thank you."
Crystal walked closer and placed a gentle hand on top of Anna's head. "What's wrong? Why have you become so cold lately?"
Anna hesitated, then spoke the truth that had been weighing on her. "Ever since my Flow activated… all I do is practice. But I don't think I've improved much. Same misses. Same weak water balls."
Crystal laughed softly, the sound light and reassuring.
Anna looked up, confused.
"Sorry," Crystal said, smiling. "It's just that you're so young, yet you already act like a grown-up. Anna, you're one of the very few people in our history who awakened their Flow before the age of ten. Yours came when you were only five."
"Yeah… I know," Anna replied quietly.
Before Crystal could continue, their mother appeared at the edge of the field, her steps light. She approached with a proud smile, pulling Anna into a quick hug.
"We're so proud of you, Anna," She said, brushing a strand of hair from Anna's face. "Awakening so early… it means you're destined for great things."
Their father stood a few paces behind, arms crossed, nodding with that familiar stern but loving expression. "Keep working hard. The family expects great things from you."
Their words should have warmed Anna's heart. Instead, they settled like stones in her stomach. Everyone was kind, everyone smiled—but she could feel the expectation behind every compliment.
Crystal noticed Anna's silence. She ruffled her hair gently. "Don't worry so much about perfect control yet. You're only seven. Try to enjoy your childhood... Crystal paused for a second, mood darken a bit, but "Because once you enter the academy… well, it might sound dark, but pieces of that innocence can slip away."
Anna stared at her, the weight of their parents' pride still lingering.
Crystal knelt to Anna's level. "See, kiddo? The secret to real strength is consistency. Believe in yourself, and there's nothing you cannot do. But that's advice for the future you. For now… just try being a kid."
Anna's eyes lit up despite everything. Looking at Crystal, she felt a surge of pride and happiness. Crystal was everything she wanted to become.
Crystal had once been ranked second in her generation. A prodigy water Flow user whose intelligence, blinding speed, raw strength, and flawless control inspired Anna every single day. She wanted nothing more than to grow strong enough to stand beside Crystal and help take down Ekekiri. That dream lived quietly in her heart—she rarely spoke it aloud, sometimes not even to herself.
The days after that morning blurred together in training.
One afternoon, under the same spirit trees, Crystal sparred with Anna gently. She moved like flowing water herself, dodging Anna's water balls with effortless grace before sending a soft counter-wave that knocked Anna onto the grass. She laughed as she got up, determined to try again. Crystal corrected Anna's stance, showing her how to breathe with the Flow instead of forcing it.
Another evening, as the sun dipped low, she practiced alone until her arms trembled. Crystal found her and joined without a word. They worked side by side until the stars came out. Crystal never scolded Anna's mistakes. Instead, she praised the small improvements, her calm voice always steady: "Consistency, Anna. One step at a time."
But the pressure never fully left. Friends and family treated Anna kindly, yet she sensed the fakeness beneath the smiles. They expected greatness because of her early awakening. She trained harder, pushing herself so that when Crystal returned from her dangerous mission—leaving the Golden Globe to spy on Ekekiri—she would come home to a strong, capable little sister.
All that weight felt suffocating… until she met Koya in the academy preschool.
She was flowless, yet she kept pushing forward every day, doing what everyone said was impossible. At first her stubbornness confused Anna. Why fight so hard when the world told you it was pointless? But after they became dorm mates, Anna understood completely.
They were the same.
Anna trained so her sister would return to someone worthy of standing beside her.
Koya trained so her mother would one day wake up to a strong daughter.
Late one night in their shared dorm room, they lay on their beds in comfortable silence, staring at the ceiling.
"Koya… you know you're my family, right?" Anna said suddenly.
Koya sat up on her elbows, looking over with clear confusion written across her face.
Anna sat up fully and smiled at her calmly. "We're basically sisters. So yeah… you're my family."
Koya stared for a long moment, speechless. Then a soft, genuine smile spread across her lips—the kind that always made the weight on Anna's shoulders feel lighter.
Present Day
Anna blinked, pulled back to the empty dorm room. The rain continued tapping against the window. Koya's bed remained untouched, the silence louder than ever.
"Where are you, Koya…?" she whispered, voice thick with worry and concern. Her hands trembled slightly as she clutched the edge of the blanket. Even now, she kept her expression calm on the outside—the perfect mask she had learned to wear since childhood. Inside, the cracks were growing wider without her sister by her side.
The next day, inside Class 5 of the Flow Academy, the air hung heavy with the scent of sweat and exhaustion.
"Next — Anna Mirra," the teacher called out.
Anna stepped forward, gripping her staff tightly. Across from her, Mirra held her fan at the ready, eyes sharp.
"Begin!"
Mirra swung her fan, unleashing a sharp gust of wind. Anna channeled her Flow and rose smoothly into the air on a pillar of water. While airborne, she launched a series of precise water slashes. Mirra rolled aside and countered with slicing blades of air. Anna landed gracefully, swung her staff in a wide arc, and sent a wave of ice erupting from the ground. It froze Mirra solid in an instant.
Anna stood before her opponent, breathing calmly, staff still in hand. The victory felt hollow. Even as the class murmured in approval, her thoughts drifted back to the empty dorm room and the friend who had always seen through her mask.
To be continued…