“Yo, Varrow, did you forget your brain at home again?”The words echoed through the big classroom, followed by a wave of laughter. Everyone turned, eyes full of mockery. Eren Varrow didn’t even need to raise his head. He already knew that voice. Darius Kane. The school’s golden boy, second son of the Great house of Kane, martial arts genius; ranked S in Martial class, best in wielding the sword and number one reason why Eren’s life was trash..Eren lowered his eyes, pretending to read the heavy book in front of him. The book was about runes and magic formations, but honestly, none of the letters made sense. His vision blurred from the shame pressing on his chest.This was normal. This was his life. It didn’t matter if it was Martial Arts class, Medicine class, or Magic class—he was always the punching bag.In Lumeris Academy of Mystics, power was everything. Students weren’t just learning—no, they were divided, measured, and ranked like trophies. Every single person had to take the

RRRIIINNNGGGG!The loud clang of the academy bell echoed through the halls, making a bunch of students groan and stretch.“That’s all for today,” Mr. Melzack announced, shutting his heavy book with a thump. “For homework, write three pages on the differences between Flow and Nexis. Due next week. Don’t slack—your foundations will decide your future.”Half the class groaned in unison.“Three pages? Seriously?”“Ugh, he’s worse than my dad.”“Bro, I can’t even write one page without falling asleep.”Melzack gave them a sharp glare that shut everyone up, then his face softened a little. “Study well. That will be all. Goodbye, class.”“Goodbye, sir!” the class chorused, though some said it with zero enthusiasm.As soon as the door closed behind him, the quiet shattered.“Lyraaa, is it true you mastered fire spells at ten?”“Did your dad really duel the Headmaster?”“Wait, wait. Can you show us a spell right now?”“Are you joining the Fire Guild after graduation?”The crowd swarmed around

“Yo, did you hear? The Triple-D Failure actually thought he had a shot at Serena!”The hallways of Lumeris Academy buzzed with cruel laughter. It had been two days since that night, and still, the story spread like wildfire.“Bro legit tried to kiss her right in front of Darius. Can you believe that?”“Man’s bold for a loser.”“More like stupid.”Another crumpled note hit Eren’s back as he opened his locker. Scrawled across the metal in red paint were words that stung worse than fists:LOSER. FAILURE. DOG. PERVERT. WEAK.His chest felt tight. He wanted to scream, to fight back—but his throat stayed closed. Always closed.Even in class, the whispers never stopped. Remarks were tossed his way like knives, each one getting a laugh.“Don’t sit too close. He might drool on you.”“Careful, he might think you’re into him.”Everyone laughed. Everyone… except Lyra. She didn’t laugh, didn’t join in, didn’t even smirk. Sometimes, Eren caught her looking at him with something almost like… anger? N

“Where… am I?” Eren muttered.He opened his eyes and found himself in a strange white place. Mist was everywhere, soft and cold, curling around his feet. It was too quiet and he felt like he was being watched.Then, flashes appeared in the mist. Little pictures, like broken memories playing out in front of him.A hooded figure was running in the dark, holding a baby tight. Black monsters like shadows, chased close behind. The figure raised a barrier, blocking them for a short moment.The mist shifted and the scene changed, showing the figure again. This time, they pulled out a jade pendant and held it over the baby’s chest. “I’m sorry, little one, but this is the only way to keep you safe.”The pendant glowed, pulling light from the baby. Cracks spread across its surface.Another scene appeared. The figure placed the pendant around the baby’s neck. Their voice echoed:“One day, when the time comes, your power will awaken and fate will take its course. And when it does… the world will

“Next stop—Hazelcross Station.”The voice from the train speaker crackled, pulling Eren from his half-asleep daze. He blinked at the window, watching the blurred lights of the city streak past. It was already late, and only a few passengers remained. A woman slept near the front, her head against the glass, and an old man read a newspaper two seats away. Everything felt quiet. Peaceful.Eren exhaled and rubbed his eyes. “Just one more stop,” he muttered. “Then home.”The lights shook once. Twice. Then, with a low hum, went out completely.The train screeched to a halt. Silence filled the air. Darkness covered everything. The passengers looked around, confused.Eren frowned and stood up. “What’s going on?”A sound came from the end of the carriage. A soft scraping, like claws dragging against metal. Then another. Eren’s eyes darted toward the noise. The darkness seemed to move, thick and alive. From beneath the seats, shadows began to crawl, shaping into long, twisted figures with glow