Night fell like ink spilled across the sky, drowning the academy grounds in silence.
Kai walked alone along the forest path behind the eastern walls—a shortcut back to the dorms most students avoided. It was quiet here. Too quiet.
His breath clouded in the air. His footsteps barely made a sound.
> Something feels… off.
He paused.
The trees were still. Even the wind dared not pass between their branches. His instincts screamed—leave.
> [Aether Sense – Passive]
Danger Detected. Unknown Entity: Class ??? – Approaching fast.
A whisper of movement. Then—
BOOM.
The trees exploded outward as a figure emerged, cloaked in rags, glowing red eyes burning like coals. Not a beast. Not a man.
> [Analyzing Target…]
Race: Unknown
Level: ???
Hostility: MAXIMUM
Warning: Engaging this being is lethal.
The creature launched forward—too fast.
Kai barely dodged, rolling to the side. His shoulder tore open from the edge of a claw. Pain bloomed across his ribs.
> [Health: 72%]
He winced, blood running down his side.
> It's not testing me… it's trying to kill me.
He activated his speed skill, flickering between shadows.
> [Veilstep]
Blink short-range with minimal energy.
He reappeared behind a tree. Breathing hard.
But the monster was gone.
No—it was above him.
CRACK!
The branch shattered as the beast dove. Kai barely raised his hand in time.
> [Emergency Trigger Activated – Hidden Trait: Celestial Barrier]
A shimmer of gold light flared around him. The creature's claws struck it—and bounced off with a roar.
The barrier cracked… but held.
> "You're not supposed to be here yet…" a voice hissed—not from the creature, but through it.
> "He's waking too fast."
Then… the thing vanished. As if it was never there.
Silence returned.
Kai dropped to one knee, panting, shaking. The golden barrier faded. His hands were bloody. His body bruised.
But his eyes burned with clarity.
> "Someone just tried to kill me," he muttered. "Not test me. Kill me."
> "And they knew who I was."
---
The Next Morning
Aria burst into the infirmary, where Kai lay resting.
He smiled weakly at her.
"You pushed too hard training, didn't you?" she asked.
He said nothing. Just nodded once.
But Aria's expression twisted.
> He's hiding something, she thought. And I felt that barrier… no Scout has access to Celestial traits.
She said nothing.
But from that day on, she never let her brother walk alone again.
---
Next: Chapter 5 – "The Marked and the Masked"