After the final bell rang, the tension that had been building for years finally snapped.
It turned into celebration.
The students poured out of the academy grounds, laughter echoing through the streets as the sun dipped below the horizon. Tonight wasn't just any night—it was the last night before their Ascension. By this time tomorrow, they would stand before their first Celestial Gates.
No one wanted to sleep.
No one wanted to think.
They just wanted to live.
"Hey, Scott! Watch this!" Jamie shouted, already several steps ahead, his voice cutting through the noise of the crowd.
Scott turned just in time to see Jamie raise his hand toward the sky. There was a brief flicker—like a spark struggling to be born—then suddenly—
Three brilliant streaks of light shot upward.
They exploded high above them in a burst of shimmering radiance, scattering fragments of starlight across the darkening sky. The glow bathed the entire street in silver and blue, drawing cheers from nearby students.
"Whoa!!"
"Did you just learn that?!"
"That's Starlight, right?!"
Jamie grinned proudly, lowering his hand. "Yeah. Learned it yesterday," he said, trying—and failing—to sound casual.
Scott raised an eyebrow, though a faint smile tugged at his lips. "You're getting better."
But deep inside, something felt… off.
Not wrong—just… distant. Like he was watching everything from behind a thin veil.
"Hey! You two! Over here!" someone shouted from across the street.
Scott turned. A group of students stood outside a large building, music already spilling from within. Lights flashed through the windows, and the low hum of voices and laughter vibrated through the air.
Johnny didn't hesitate.
"Come on!" he grabbed Scott's arm and pulled him along before Scott could even respond.
"Wait—Johnny—!"
Too late.
They were already running.
---
The closer they got, the louder it became.
By the time they stepped inside, the world had completely changed.
The place was alive.
Music thundered through the walls. People were dancing, shouting, laughing—completely lost in the moment. Tables were covered in food and drinks, lights flickered in wild colors, and everywhere Scott looked, there was movement.
Energy.
Chaos.
Life.
Johnny's face lit up instantly. "Now this is what I'm talking about!" he said, breaking free from Scott and diving straight into the crowd.
Scott, on the other hand, froze near the entrance.
His expression paled slightly.
It was… too much.
The noise, the lights, the overwhelming presence of so many people—it pressed against him in a way he couldn't explain. For a moment, his chest tightened, and that same strange feeling returned.
That pull.
That quiet voice deep within him.
You don't belong here.
Scott shook his head lightly, trying to push the thought away.
"Hey! Don't just stand there!" someone called, shoving a cup into his hand. "Come have a drink!"
Scott blinked, caught off guard. "I—I'm good, thanks."
But the student laughed. "Not tonight you're not! It's graduation!"
Before he could protest again, the cup was already pressed firmly into his hand.
Across the room, Jamie raised his own drink. "SCOTT! Stop acting like an old man and drink!"
Scott sighed.
"…Fine."
He lifted the cup cautiously, sniffing it first. The smell alone was enough to make him hesitate.
Then, against his better judgment, he took a sip.
—
Big mistake.
—
The liquid burned all the way down.
Scott's face twisted instantly. "What is this—?!"
Johnny burst out laughing from across the room. "That's the good stuff!"
Scott coughed, trying to recover, but the burning sensation didn't stop. It spread through his chest, his stomach tightening uncomfortably.
"Yeah… no…" he muttered, already regretting every decision that led to this moment.
But the crowd wasn't done with him.
"Another one!"
"Come on!"
"Don't be weak!"
Before he knew it, someone had refilled his cup.
And then again.
And again.
Scott tried to refuse, but the energy of the room dragged him along. The cheers, the laughter, the constant movement—it was impossible to resist completely.
He took another sip.
Then another.
—
A few minutes later—
"Bl—ugh!"
Scott stumbled forward, barely making it to the side before he bent over, heaving violently.
"Okay—okay—no more—!" he gasped between breaths.
His body clearly disagreed with everything he had just consumed. He wasn't a drinker—never had been—and it showed immediately.
Jamie walked over, still laughing. "Wow… you're actually dying."
Scott wiped his mouth, glaring weakly. "I hate you."
Jamie just grinned. "You'll survive. Probably."
Scott leaned against the wall, trying to steady himself. The noise of the party felt distant now, like it was fading in and out.
Then—
Something changed.
The world… slowed.
The music became distorted.
The lights dimmed—not physically, but in his perception.
Scott's breathing steadied, his eyes unfocusing slightly.
That feeling again.
Stronger this time.
Deeper.
It wasn't discomfort anymore.
It was… something calling him.
My life is my life…
The words from earlier echoed in his mind.
Your life is my life…
Scott's eyes widened slightly.
"…What…?"
For a brief moment, the entire room felt unreal—like it could disappear at any second. Like none of this truly existed.
And at the center of it all…
He felt himself.
Clear.
Sharp.
Awake.
Then—
It vanished.
The noise rushed back.
The lights snapped into place.
Reality returned.
Scott blinked rapidly, breathing a little heavier than before.
"Hey." Jamie's voice cut through, this time more serious. "You good?"
Scott hesitated.
"…Yeah."
But even as he said it, he wasn't sure.
Because deep inside, something had already begun to change.