The city of Eldoria was bathed in the golden glow of twilight. High above the drifting clouds, where the world seemed to float between dream and reality, the towers of the Celestial Academy stretched toward the heavens. Their crystalline spires shimmered like captured stardust, reflecting the last embers of the sun as it dipped beneath the horizon.

Far below, the mist-covered land, known as the Veiled Expanse, remained hidden from sight—its mysteries buried beneath centuries of silence. To the people of Eldoria, the land below was but a legend, a forgotten realm that no longer mattered. The sky was their domain, the only world they needed.

And in that sky, Lucian Veyne had always dreamt of soaring higher.

Seated on the edge of one of the Academy's many terraces, he let the wind tousle his silver-white hair, his gaze fixed on the vast expanse of the horizon. The Day of Awakening was approaching—the moment when every noble heir would summon their Eidolon for the first time. It was the rite of passage that determined one's place in the world.

For Lucian, it was supposed to be the moment he proved himself worthy of his lineage. Yet, beneath the steady mask he wore, a quiet uncertainty coiled within him.

Would he summon a Zephyrus Eidolon, like his father, Lord Alden Veyne, and wield the power of wind and sky? Or would it be a Luminara Eidolon, an emblem of purity and celestial might, as expected of a noble heir?

Or… would nothing appear at all?

His fingers tightened around the white feather in his palm—a token he had found as a child, one that had always given him comfort. Unlike other feathers, it shimmered faintly in the light, as if made from woven moonlight and gold.

His mother once told him that feathers carried the will of the sky. That those who listened carefully could hear the whispers of fate within them.

Tonight, the feather was silent.

The Celestial Academy was the heart of Skyveil's aristocracy—a place where the gifted heirs of noble bloodlines honed their skills, learning to control their Resonance and strengthen their bond with their future Eidolons.

For Lucian, it had been his home for the past six years.

The halls of the Academy were grand beyond measure, adorned with silver filigree and floating luminaries that shimmered like stars. Portraits of past Skyborne warriors lined the walls, their eyes carved with an eerie sense of life, as if watching the students who walked beneath them.

Here, everything was about potential.

Nobles were measured not by their wealth, but by the strength of their Eidolon. The greater the manifestation, the higher one's status. Those who failed to awaken a powerful Eidolon were cast aside, reduced to little more than servants within their own families.

Lucian had always been at the top of his class—an exceptional swordsman, a scholar of ancient texts, and a strategist in skyborne duels. But none of that would matter if his Awakening was anything less than extraordinary.

As he walked through the corridors, he could already hear the whispers.

"The heir of House Veyne… I wonder what he'll summon."

"It must be a Zephyrus, just like his father. Anything less would be humiliating."

"But have you noticed? He never talks about his Eidolon. Does he even know?"

Lucian ignored them, his expression calm. Years of practice had taught him not to react.

At his side, a familiar voice chuckled.

"Still pretending not to hear them?"

Lucian turned his gaze slightly to the speaker—Elaine Astrid, the eldest daughter of House Astrid, known for her sharp tongue and sharper blades. Her long auburn hair was pulled back in a half-braid, and her uniform, pristine as always, bore the silver sigil of her house—a soaring falcon.

She had been his closest rival for as long as he could remember.

"They're just excited," Lucian replied evenly. "It's not every day an heir to a Skyborne House awakens their Eidolon."

Elaine smirked. "More like they're waiting to see if you fail."

He didn't answer.

Elaine's eyes softened, but only slightly. "Don't overthink it, Veyne. You always act like everything is predetermined, but Awakening isn't about lineage—it's about will. You'll get what you deserve."

Lucian glanced at the feather in his hand. Will, huh?

That night, Lucian stood alone in the grand chamber of the Awakening Hall, the ceremonial arena where all noble heirs performed their first summoning. A vast circular space, its domed ceiling was inscribed with thousands of runic constellations—each one the name of an Eidolon that had once graced this world.

One by one, students had taken their turn, stepping onto the central platform and invoking their Resonance Core. Shimmering spectral beasts had emerged—hawks of storm, lions of fire, serpents of shadow—each one met with thunderous applause.

Now, it was his turn.

Lucian stepped forward, exhaling slowly.

He knelt on one knee, placing his palm against the engraved stone. The ancient glyphs pulsed beneath his fingertips, awaiting his call.

"O spirit that dwells within my soul, heed my voice and take shape."

A surge of energy coiled through his veins. His heartbeat quickened. The world around him dimmed as golden threads of light began to weave around his arm.

The moment stretched into eternity.

Then, the light exploded.

A blinding radiance filled the chamber, swallowing everything in gold and white. The air trembled as something ancient and vast stirred within him.

When the light finally faded, gasps echoed throughout the hall.

Lucian's arm burned—searing pain laced through his skin. He looked down, breath catching in his throat.

A golden sigil had appeared, etched into his forearm, its intricate lines forming the shape of a bird in flight.

And before him, suspended in midair, was an Eidolon unlike any seen before.

Not a hawk. Not a falcon.

A white-winged being, its form woven from pure light and drifting feathers of gold.

It did not roar. It did not screech.

It simply gazed at him with knowing eyes, as if it had always been waiting.

Lucian knew, in that moment, that nothing would ever be the same again.