The sky above the Academy was painted in hues of twilight, a soft gradient of gold and purple stretching across the heavens. The distant hum of mana barriers being reinforced echoed faintly, a constant reminder of the vulnerability exposed during the attack.
Sang-hoon collapsed onto the grass, his chest heaving as he stared at the sky. The automaton training had pushed him to his limits once again. Kaelith padded over, his claws clicking against the stone walkway before he flopped down beside Sang-hoon.
The dragon's scales shimmered faintly, a testament to the growth they'd both undergone since the invasion.
"You're getting stronger, little guy," Sang-hoon muttered, running a hand over Kaelith's back. The dragon let out a low hum, pressing against Sang-hoon's side as if to say, You too.
But Sang-hoon's thoughts were far from calm. Seraphina's words echoed in his mind, her probing questions digging into the truth he couldn't reveal.
The investigation she'd started was something Sang-hoon could only guess at, but he knew it wouldn't be long before inconsistencies in Elyska's past raised more red flags.
He'd spent days trying to piece together a plausible narrative that aligned with Elyska's recorded history. The more he tried to adapt his new life to the Academy's expectations, the clearer it became that cracks were forming.
As much as he hated lying, the truth—that he was a South Korean man trapped in the body of a minor noble with knowledge from a video game—was unthinkable to share.
Kaelith nudged him, his warm gaze pulling Sang-hoon from his spiraling thoughts.
"Yeah, I know. I can't dwell on this forever," Sang-hoon said, forcing himself to his feet. "Let's keep moving forward."
Before Sang-hoon could resume his training, a sharp whistle pierced the air. Turning, he spotted Mira approaching, her Arctic Lupin padding alongside her.
"You're not skipping out on the strategy meeting tonight, are you?" she called, her tone teasing but with an edge of seriousness.
Sang-hoon frowned. "What strategy meeting?"
Mira rolled her eyes. "The one Elena's hosting with the others. Something about preparing for future threats. She said she invited you."
"She didn't," Sang-hoon muttered.
Mira smirked. "Well, consider this your invitation, then. You're coming."
Kaelith chirped in agreement, making Mira chuckle.
"Even your dragon knows you can't skip out," she said, turning to walk back toward the main building. "See you there."
Sang-hoon sighed, grabbing his lance. "Come on, Kaelith. Let's see what Elena has planned."
The meeting was held in one of the Academy's larger study halls, a spacious room lined with shelves of books and charts detailing mana flows, beast taxonomy, and battle formations.
Elena stood at the head of the table, her presence commanding as she gestured to a map of the kingdom spread across the surface. Her Wyvern perched behind her, its golden scales catching the light of the glowing mana orbs overhead.
Around the table sat Mira, Arden, Seraphina, and a few other notable students who had fought during the attack. Their beasts lay nearby, resting but alert.
"You're late," Elena said as Sang-hoon entered, her tone flat but not unkind.
"Didn't know I was invited," Sang-hoon replied, taking a seat.
"You should assume you're always invited," Elena shot back. "You're one of the few people here who understands the stakes."
The room fell silent as everyone turned their attention to Elena.
"Serath Kain isn't gone," she began. "The Heart of the Vault gave him enough power to escape, and we've only delayed the inevitable. The Reaver's forces are growing stronger, and we can't rely on the Academy's defenses alone."
She gestured to the map. "We need to be proactive. Identify potential targets, uncover their strategies, and build a network of allies we can trust."
Mira leaned forward, her expression serious. "And how exactly do we do that? Most of us are students, not soldiers."
"Then we learn," Elena replied. "We train harder, think smarter, and prepare for anything."
Sang-hoon listened, his mind racing. Elena's determination was inspiring, but he couldn't shake the feeling that their efforts would never be enough against the Reaver's looming threat.
When the meeting ended, Sang-hoon lingered behind, his gaze fixed on the map.
"You've been quiet," Elena said, approaching him.
"Just thinking," Sang-hoon replied.
"About what?"
"About how we're going to stop something that feels unstoppable," he admitted.
Elena placed a hand on his shoulder, her grip firm. "One step at a time, rookie. We survived once. We'll do it again."
As the meeting dispersed, Seraphina remained behind, her Phoenix preening itself atop a nearby perch.
She watched Sang-hoon leave, her suspicion deepening. His demeanor during the meeting had been careful, measured, as though he was withholding something.
She pulled out a folded piece of parchment from her pocket, a note from Casen detailing his findings—or rather, the lack of them.
"Elyska Grayson," she murmured. "Who are you really?"
Her Phoenix let out a soft cry, its golden feathers glowing faintly.
"I'll find out," she promised, her eyes narrowing.