[Alert! Descendants Located]
[Advice: Commence Bonding]
Darian froze, his heart pounding as the system's cryptic notification echoed in his mind. His gaze snapped to the girl who had just introduced herself to the class—Zara Noelle. Why had the system reacted to her? Why now? He clenched his fists under the desk, trying to quell the storm of emotions surging within him.
"Who are you?" The question burned in his mind.
As the second student began introducing herself, Darian barely registered her words. His attention remained locked on Zara, the name now etched into his memory. There was something about her—a connection he couldn't explain but couldn't ignore.
Suddenly, a translucent stat board materialized above Zara's head. Darian's breath caught in his throat.
He had seen stat boards before, but only for those he'd bonded with through the system. This was unprecedented.
[Name: Zara Noelle]
[Age: Locked]
[Race: Locked]
[Title: Locked]
[Endowment: Ice]
[Skills: Locked]
[Abilities: Locked]
The locked information frustrated him. Why was her data inaccessible? And why her, specifically? He glanced around the classroom, scanning the other students for similar displays. None appeared. She was the only one. But what did it mean?
Zara's movements snapped him out of his thoughts. She glided to the front of the room, her elegance magnetic, her aura distant. The entire class seemed drawn to her and the other new student, though Zara exuded a cool detachment that discouraged anyone from getting too close.
Darian found himself staring at her every movement. Her demeanor was poised, almost regal. His eyes lingered on her golden irises, shimmering like embers—a stark contrast to the icy air she exuded.
He forced himself to look away. His system prompt still floated before him, the words gnawing at his mind.
[Descendant Located. Commence Bonding.]
"Descendant?" he murmured under his breath. The term was alien to him, and the system wasn't offering any explanations.
The rest of the day passed in a haze. While others socialized, Darian hung back, observing Zara from a distance. She spoke little, giving nothing away about herself. Yet, there was an undeniable pull—a sense of familiarity that defied logic. He felt… connected to her, though he didn't understand why.
---
That night, Darian lay on his dorm bed, staring at the ceiling. His thoughts spiraled around Zara and the cryptic system notifications. Frustration bubbled to the surface.
"System," he called out, his voice sharp. "What exactly are the Descendants?"
For a moment, there was silence—a rarity. Usually, the system responded immediately. The delay unnerved him. Finally, the cold, mechanical tone echoed in his mind:
[System is not allowed to release information about that until bonding commences.]
"What?" Darian bolted upright. "What does that even mean?"
The system repeated the message, unyielding. Darian let out an exasperated sigh, running a hand through his hair. The secrecy was infuriating. He hated being kept in the dark, especially when it involved something—or someone—so significant.
With no answers in sight, Darian eventually drifted into a restless sleep, Zara's enigmatic presence haunting his dreams.
---
The next day, Darian found himself in the academy cafeteria, pushing a fork through his plate of pasta and meatballs. His appetite was nonexistent, his thoughts consumed by the events of the previous day.
Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted her. Zara sat alone at a central table, a book in her hands. Unlike yesterday, the flock of curious students had dispersed, leaving her in a bubble of solitude. Despite the noise of the cafeteria, she seemed untouchable, wrapped in a cocoon of quiet.
Darian's pulse quickened. He didn't know why, but he felt compelled to approach her. Gulping down his nerves, he stood and walked toward her table.
"Excuse me," he said, his voice steady but polite.
Zara looked up, her golden eyes locking onto his. For a moment, her expression was unreadable, then her gaze narrowed slightly, as if she were judging his very existence.
"May I sit here?" he asked, forcing a warm smile.
She sighed, a faint, inaudible sound, before gesturing with a wave of her hand. Darian slid into the seat opposite her, his heart pounding in his chest.
Up close, she was even more striking. Her golden eyes were flecked with hints of amber, and her features were sharp yet delicate. A subtle chill seemed to emanate from her, as though the air around her was several degrees colder.
"So," Darian began, grasping for something to say. "I guess you're new here?"
Zara's gaze flicked to him briefly before returning to her book. "Something like that," she replied, her tone neutral.
Darian chuckled awkwardly. "You seem… familiar," he said, the words tumbling out before he could stop them.
"I get that a lot," she said, her voice flat.
He pressed on, unable to help himself. "Where are you from?"
This time, Zara closed her book with a soft thud and fixed him with a piercing stare. "Are you trying to flirt with me?"
Darian's throat went dry. "What? No—I, um, I just—"
"Look," she interrupted, her tone sharp but calm. "I have no interest in being friendly or open with… you. So, please, stay away."
She stood, her movements as fluid and graceful as ever, and walked to another empty table.
Darian slumped in his seat, letting out a defeated sigh. Even with his newfound abilities, he was hopeless at talking to girls. It wasn't shyness—it was a complete inability to find the right words.
He glanced at the system notification that had reappeared.
[Commence Bonding.]
[Warning: Failure to bond will result in system deactivation. Host is incomplete without Descendants.]
Darian rubbed his temples. Another warning, but no answers. Still, he couldn't deny the strange pull he felt toward Zara. The timing of her arrival and the system's sudden activity couldn't be a coincidence.
One thing was clear: Zara was connected to this mystery, and Darian needed to figure out how. But for now, all he could do was wait.
As he walked to class, he recalled the dragon's words from weeks ago:
"The Descendants will find you."
Zara's golden eyes flashed in his mind. The mysteries surrounding her were many, but the answers would come.
Eventually.