Under the scorching afternoon sun, the training grounds of Axion Academy buzzed with life. Students trained, conversed, and competed, their magical auras filling the air with energy. Amidst all this, Lionel Stuart stood, his long golden hair swaying gently in the breeze, his sharp golden eyes gazing coldly across the arena.
Despite the noise, an eerie silence followed him wherever he went. His name carried weight—a complex legacy. Not just as the younger brother of the strongest guild leader in the country, but as someone life had irrevocably changed.
"He's here..."
"He looks different from before..."
"Those eyes... Is he really the same person from two years ago?"
Whispers, glances, silent analyses. But Lionel remained indifferent. Nothing here interested him. Or so he thought—until Selena Valstein appeared before him.
—
"Lionel Stuart..."
Her voice carried quiet confidence, laced with unmistakable curiosity. Selena Valstein was one of the academy's brightest students—a girl with long silver hair and piercing emerald eyes, radiating intelligence and strength. She stood before him confidently, with a small group of students observing from behind her.
"It's been a while since I last saw you."
Lionel didn't respond. He simply stared at her, his expression unreadable. He had no need for words. But he knew people like Selena never spoke without reason.
"You've changed a lot... But there's one thing that hasn't changed, isn't there?"
She tilted her head slightly, locking eyes with him.
"You still have that look… The look of someone who has lost everything."
She knew she had pressed an old wound, yet she didn't back down. Instead, she waited for his reaction. But Lionel gave her nothing. Without a word, he simply walked past her.
—
The Training Grounds
With the sun at its peak, students gathered around the arena. Marco Redman, one of the academy's strongest students, stood with a smirk.
"Lionel Stuart, why don't we see if you still live up to the rumors?"
The challenge was clear, and excitement rippled through the crowd. Lionel, without a word, stepped into the arena. He had nothing to prove, but he didn't refuse either.
"If you're serious, attack first."
Marco grinned arrogantly. His body blurred for a moment—then he was right in front of Lionel, launching a swift attack.
Everyone expected a prolonged battle, but…
It ended in a single instant.
Marco didn't even realize what had happened. He felt the cold touch of steel against his neck and froze in place.
A black katana, radiating an eerie energy, hovered just inches away from severing his head.
Lionel hadn't moved more than a single step.
Silence engulfed the arena. Some students hadn't even been able to follow what had happened.
"The fight is over."
Lionel withdrew his sword and disappeared, leaving Marco speechless.
—
The Red Gate Appears
That night, as Lionel walked through the academy grounds, something unnatural occurred.
The air froze… The birds stopped singing… A strange sensation swept through the area.
Then—red sparks flickered in the sky.
At first, they were faint, barely noticeable. But within seconds, they expanded, reality itself tearing apart—forming a massive, blood-colored gate, pulsating with an ominous energy, as if it were a living, breathing entity.
The students froze in place. Some collapsed to the ground, others whispered in fear.
But Lionel?
He simply stared in silence, his golden eyes reflecting the crimson glow of the gate.
He had seen many g
ates before.
But this one… was different.
This was… the beginning of the end.