The hallway was quiet, empty except for the golden glow of the setting sun filtering through the high-arched windows. The day was winding down. For most people.
Kairan had just finished putting away the janitor's supplies when he stepped out of the storage room—and immediately collided with someone.
He barely had time to react before a sharp voice cut through the silence.
"Watch where you're going, filth."
His breath caught. He knew that voice.
Standing before him was the last person he would wanted to cross path
The older boy looked down at him, eyes cold, arms crossed over his chest. He wore the black and gold combat uniform of an elite student, third-year rank insignia stitched proudly onto his sleeve. He had the Head of the Vaelstrum family's face—sharp features, eyes that saw through weakness, posture that commanded authority.
And in those eyes, there was no recognition.
Only disgust.
Kairan forced himself to stand still, ignoring the way his fingers twitched at his sides. Riven hadn't spoken to him in months. Not directly, at least. Their last real conversation had been years ago, back when Kairan still thought there was a chance—just a small chance—his family might accept him.
He wasn't that foolish anymore.
Still, something in his chest tightened.
"…Riven," he said, voice steady.
His brother exhaled sharply, tilting his head. "So, you still talk."
Kairan didn't respond. He knew better than to take the bait.
Riven let out a humorless chuckle, stepping past him with a casual ease that felt like a dismissal. "For a second, I almost forgot you existed." He turned his head slightly. "I assume you still haven't awakened. Figures. You're still as useless as ever."
Kairan clenched his jaw. He should've been used to this.
He wasn't.
He swallowed down the words that threatened to rise—the ones that wanted to ask why. Why it was so easy for Riven to act like they weren't brothers. Why he was treated like a stain on the Vaelstrum name.
Instead, he exhaled slowly. "If you have nothing else to say, move. I have work to do."
Riven's expression flickered—just for a second—before his smirk returned, sharper this time. "Look at you, standing up for yourself." He stepped closer, just enough that Kairan had to tilt his chin slightly to hold his gaze. Riven had always been taller. Stronger. More everything.
"And here I thought you'd break the moment I spoke," he mused. "But I suppose… there's nothing left to break, is there?"
The words cut deeper than they should have.
Kairan's hands curled into fists, nails digging into his palms. But he didn't flinch.
For a long moment, neither of them spoke.
Then, Riven sighed, stepping back. "Tch. Even after all this time, you're still crawling around here like an insect." His tone was almost lazy. Unbothered. As if Kairan's existence was nothing more than an inconvenience.
And yet—he was still here. Still talking to him.
Kairan forced himself to hold eye contact. "If I disgust you so much, just walk away."
Riven's expression darkened.
"I would," he said. "But every time I see you, I remember that someone like you is carrying our name."
Kairan's breath was steady, but his heartbeat wasn't. He didn't ask the question, but Riven answered it anyway.
"Enough to wish you never existed."
And then, he turned and left.
Kairan stayed frozen in place, staring at the empty space his brother had just occupied.
For a second, just a second—he let himself feel it.
Then, with a quiet inhale, he pushed it down. Like he always did.
Celestia Academy—The Heart of future Resonants. The academy was more than just a school.
It was a battlefield. A proving ground. The place where the strongest of the strong were shaped into legends.
Kairan had spent years cleaning its halls, scrubbing its floors, watching from the sidelines as students honed their abilities in environments tailored specifically for them.
There were entire training zones built to push their limits—gravity chambers, elemental fields, dueling arenas where high-ranked students clashed in front of roaring crowds.
There was even a Resonance Simulation Chamber, where students could face lifelike combat scenarios generated by energy-based AI systems.
Everything about this place screamed power, dominance, control.
And Kairan?
He wasn't even a footnote.
As he made his way through the halls, he caught snippets of conversation from passing students.
"Did you see that second-year duel earlier? Arlen wiped the floor with that guy in under a minute."
"The ranking tournament is coming up soon. If I don't place in the top fifty, my family's gonna kill me."
"I heard the professors are testing a new ability amplifier. Apparently, it boosts your Resonance output by nearly 30%."
He wasn't a part of any of this.
He never would be.
He kept walking. Until the darkness of the night finally consumes the academy
By the time his shift ended, the academy had fallen into its usual quiet night routine. Most students had retreated to their dorms, and the halls were mostly empty except for the occasional passing instructor or security drone.
Normally, Kairan welcomed the silence.
Tonight, though?
Something felt off.
He couldn't place it at first. Maybe it was the way the air felt—thicker, heavier. Or maybe it was the faint flicker of the hallway lights, dimming for a fraction of a second before stabilizing.
His steps slowed.
There was a presence.
Not a person. Not a sound. Just a feeling.
Like something was watching.
He turned his head slightly, eyes scanning the empty hall. Nothing.
His pulse was steady. But his instincts told him something was wrong.
The academy was supposed to be impenetrable.
Nothing unwelcomed by the academy's officials—had ever set foot inside these walls.
And yet—
His breath hitched.
At the far end of the corridor, just beyond the reach of the flickering light—
Two glowing, hollow eyes stared back at him.