Thirteen-year-old Koya stepped through the grand gates of the Flow Academy, eyes wide with wonder. Excitement hummed in her chest like a living flame. Every step felt like a dream finally coming true.
Then the whispers began.
"How did a flowless girl even make it into the top fifty?"
"How unfortunate are we to share a year with this freak?"
"Why does she even bother? She'll never become a trooper."
She tried to hold onto hope, even after she learned she had no Flow. But the words followed her everywhere, and the cold, eerie stares chipped away at her light until her world slowly turned dark.
Yet small sparks kept her going.
She met Anna, who treated her like a real sister. Then Cal, with his easy smile and quiet strength. Later, during the Flow Bound, Lira joined them. Together they gave her something to hold onto.
But deep down she knew the darkness had never truly left.
Koya turned and it stared at her directly. Same dark figure. She didn't felt fear... But a calm and welcoming feeling... As if it's a part of her from long ago... It raised it hand... Reaching out to touch koya...
Koya jolted awake in her bed at the Flow Star, drenched in sweat, heart hammering against her ribs.
She sat upright, head tilted back, eyes squeezed shut.
"Why are you always in my dreams?" she whispered, voice shaky. "What are you…? Why can't you just let me have one good dream?"
A single tear slipped down her cheek.
...
Dawn broke over the Golden Globe. Gentle rain fell like a blessing, tapping softly against rooftops and streets.
A calm, authoritative voice echoed from every corner of the city as the council's message rang out:
"People of the Golden Globe… please make sure you are free by noon. The Light Elder's Mirror will appear in every home. We have very important information to share with you all."
...
Anna and Cal walked side by side through the capital streets. Cal wore a simple hoodie and carried a small backpack. Anna had chosen a light blue dress.
Cal kept his head slightly bowed. "Anna… maybe we should stop searching for Koya."
Anna stopped mid-step.
Cal walked a few paces ahead before noticing and turning back.
"What do you mean we should stop…?" Anna asked, voice calm but laced with emotion.
"Please don't get me wrong," Cal said gently. "I don't want to give up. But something tells me we won't find her. We have to give her time to calm down."
"But—"
"No buts," Cal cut in softly. "Wherever she is right now… I know she'll be okay."
Anna tightened her fists, then slowly bowed her head.
Cal walked back to her side. "Come on. Let's go home. We've got a festival to prepare for."
They continued down the street together.
...
The entire Golden Globe was alive with color and movement. People hurried up and down ladders, hanging glowing lanterns and bright banners for the New Dawn Festival. Laughter and cheerful songs filled the air.
At the Flow Star the atmosphere was just as lively. Carers and students moved between buildings, decorating every corner, singing soft happy songs. Joy seemed to radiate from every face.
Except one.
Koya sat alone in a dark room, knees drawn to her chest. Outside, the world celebrated. Inside, every cheerful sound felt distant and numb. All she could hear were the echoes of her nightmare.
Immira stepped in quietly and pulled the curtains open. Bright daylight spilled across Koya's face.
Koya blinked, snapping out of her haze. "What are you doing in here, Immira?"
"Aren't I the one who should be asking you that?" Immira replied, voice warm but firm. "Everyone else is outside having fun, preparing for the New Dawn Festival. And you're sitting in here doing the gods know what."
Koya stared at the floor in silence.
"Come on, Koya," Immira said gently. "Join us."
"I'm not interested."
Immira's expression grew serious. "Well, I'm not asking. I'm commanding."
She grabbed Koya's hand and pulled her to her feet despite the weak struggle. Koya was dragged outside into the sunlight and the cheerful chaos of preparations.
She helped hang decorations with the others. Everyone around her smiled brightly, laughing and singing. Koya's face remained calm, but her eyes carried the same quiet depression she couldn't shake.
...
Light orbs drifted across the Golden Globe like living lanterns. One floated into the Flow Star and expanded mid-air into a massive, shimmering rectangular mirror framed by glowing golden runes. It hovered at eye level, clear as a window into another room — exactly like the magical communication screens used by the Wizard King's assistants in the old tales.
The entire city stopped what it was doing. People gathered in groups on streets, in homes, and in courtyards, sitting or standing in tense silence.
Noon struck.
The mirror glowed brighter. The Golden Guardian appeared in perfect clarity, her masked face calm yet solemn.
"Thank you for giving me your time, people of the Golden Globe. Thank you for pausing your New Dawn preparations to listen. Without further delay…" She took a slow breath. "It is time for you all to know the truth."
Anna and Cal watched from their living room, faces tight with nerves.
Ra'an stood in a crowded public square, eyes locked on the nearest mirror.
Every corner of the Golden Globe watched with the same uneasy intensity.
Koya stood frozen among the students at the Flow Star, heart pounding.
"During the first-choice ceremony," the Golden Guardian began, "a student named Koya received an item that strongly resembled Ikua's arm. We told you all it was not the real thing…"
She paused, the weight of her next words heavy in the air.
"Sorry… but we lied."
A collective gasp rippled across the entire Golden Globe.
"Her item is the real Ikua's arm. The accident during the Flow Bound was the power of Ikua itself reacting — most likely to her emotions."
Whispers exploded everywhere.
"How is this possible…?"
"A flowless girl receiving Ikua's arm…?"
"What else has the Council been lying to us about…?"
A low, uneasy murmur spread like a wave.
"We hid the truth because we ourselves were confused and had no answers to give you," the Golden Guardian continued, voice steady but heavy. "We wanted to understand why the arm chose her before revealing it. Our silence failed you… and many people were hurt because of it. We are truly sorry. Please forgive us. Even the girl it chose knew nothing of this."
Koya stared at the glowing mirror, stunned.
"Please do not point fingers at her," the Golden Guardian added firmly. "We cannot disclose her current location, but we are working closely with her to help her learn to control that immense energy. It may one day give us the edge we need against Ekekiri."
So they know exactly where I am, Koya thought.
"Please do not lose faith in us," the Golden Guardian finished. "We will not allow another incident like the Flow Bound to happen again. And please… let this revelation not ruin the New Dawn preparations. The New Dawn is a celebration of new beginnings and new hope. So let us do exactly that — begin anew."
She fell silent for a few seconds.
"Thank you again for your time."
The mirror dimmed, shrank back into a small glowing orb, and floated away.
Uneasy murmurs filled the Golden Globe.
"I don't even know what to believe anymore…"
"Should we still trust the Council…?"
"I still can't believe Ikua's arm chose her…"
Ra'an turned and walked away from the crowd, jaw tight.
She didn't know my foot… he thought bitterly. Still just a freak who got lucky with a god's weapon. That's the only reason I lost to her.
At home, Cal exhaled. "She's with the Council. That's why we couldn't find her."
Anna looked at him and offered a small, calm smile.
Back at the Flow Star, an uneasy silence hung in the air.
Are they indirectly saying they're coming to get me and force me to train? Koya wondered, grew worried and little bit scared.
She looked up.
A few steps ahead of her, floating in the open air, was the dark figure from her dreams.
This time it wasn't a dream.
It was real.
Koya exhaled shakily. A cold feeling flooded her body as the figure stared straight at her.
To be continued…