Slowly, his fingers began to twitch. A strange, involuntary motion at first—but then his hand moved, almost as if his body was rembering itself. It took a few seconds more, but Kairos finally managed to move his arm. His eyelids trembled before opening, forced open by sheer will.
His body was cold. The rough, chilled surface beneath him sent prickles down his back.
He was on the floor... but sothing felt off.
Kairos’s shoulders throbbed with a dull ache. His chest burned as though he’d been stomped on. A heavy pressure weighed down on him, like phantom limbs still holding him in place.
At first, he couldn’t piece together where he was—or why.
’What happened?’ he asked himself, his voice dry inside his head. With effort, he pushed himself up, groaning softly, and held his head with both hands, as if squeezing it would bring his mories back faster.
He blinked.
The ground beneath him wasn’t just cold—it was paved stone. Wind brushed against his cheeks. He was sitting...
On a roof.
His eyes widened as he looked around. From this vantage point, he could see the entirety of the academy’s exteriors: the dod lecture halls, the courtyard training zones, even the path leading to the outer walls.
How did I get here?
He rembered.
The alleyway.
The ambush.
The defeat.
It had all happened so fast. He’d been caught off guard—strangely. It wasn’t just a loss. It had been a collapse. And now, here he was. On a roof. Sohow alive.
"You are awake. Good," a familiar voice said from behind him.
Kairos didn’t even flinch.
Fex stepped into his line of sight, his boots making no sound as he crossed the rooftop. He sat down directly in front of Kairos, legs crossed with casual ease, like a man ditating before war.
Kairos said nothing. Unlike the average person who would have begun spouting questions in a flurry of panic and confusion, Kairos stayed silent. He preferred silence. It gave him space to think—ti to piece things together.
And so he did.
Two logical possibilities ca to mind.
’Either he’s part of those who kidnapped ... which seems highly unlikely given that I’m still at the academy. So, he rescued .’
His eyes narrowed slightly.
’But how? Those n... they weren’t ordinary. And yet... Fex doesn’t seem injured. Not even scratched. What is he?’
Fex’s next words pulled him out of thought.
"Okay. Here’s what I have to say to you. Listen carefully, Kairos."
His tone dropped. Calm, but absolute.
"Those people you just encountered were mostly Grade Three Summoners. And with the current situation, I won’t be able to protect you again. Not twice."
Kairos leaned slightly forward, his attention focused.
"So listen—carry this carefully: this is a true battle, unlike the ones you’ve had with your peers. You’re used to using your shadow as a single ability. But adult summoners... they treat their abilities as two, even three in one."
Fex’s gaze sharpened.
"Just like how you use your shadow to strike and teleport, they can use the sa ability to cast illusions—realistic ones. Objects that seem real enough to entrap, mislead, and end you."
He let the weight of the statent settle.
"That is what you’re up against. Don’t rush into a battle without a proper plan."
Kairos inhaled deeply.
’So that was it... The guy I fought earlier... he tricked . He used an illusion—a shadow mirage—and finished off before I even realized it. No wonder I blacked out so fast.’
Fex continued without waiting for a response.
"Honestly? You’re not ready for battles like these. Not yet. So if you want to live—predict. And run."
He stood and walked to the edge of the rooftop, peering down at the academy grounds. His stance was rigid. Alert.
"The entire academy is under attack. Beasts... and even the alien race. They’re all around the base. I can sense them."
Kairos’s brows drew close. His voice ca out sharper than expected.
"Why are you telling this?"
Fex didn’t turn.
"There are three major sources of summon outbursts and life force convergence. One at the stadium. One at the academy’s hospital. And the last... close to the dorms—heading toward the settlent for non-combatants."
Kairos clenched his fists.
’A full-scale attack... but why? Is this... the beginning of another war?’
"I need you to find your friends," Fex said, finally turning around. His expression was cold, unreadable—but his eyes held urgency. "Get to the settlent."
There was sothing he wasn’t saying. Kairos could feel it.
Fex hadn’t ntioned what he already sensed. That Goldrics and Lloyd’s energy signatures were both inside the hospital—and they were clashing. Silver’s life force was weak, almost fading. She must have been badly injured.
And now Lloyd and Goldrics were about to fight.
Kairos could only imagine it. Two monsters clashing while a fallen friend bled out in silence.
’So... he’s sending away from all that. To the settlent, where another threat is probably going to show up. Yay, Sergeant Fex. That’s exciting.’
"It seems your friend Kaela is tracking your life force," Fex added. "You’ll be in good hands."
A second later, a bright light flared in the distance. A sharp streak of what looked like lightning tore through the dark sky and struck the hospital building. The air shook.
It had begun.
Without another word, Fex leapt off the building.
His body blurred with movent. Using his integration, he crossed from rooftop to rooftop with calculated grace—covering entire buildings in single leaps. A blur in the night.
Monts later, another figure appeared behind Kairos. Kaela.
She landed with precision, her breathing slightly hurried.
"You okay, Kairos? I felt your life force drop. I’m so glad you’re alright."
Her voice trembled slightly at the end. She seed a little more talkative than usual.
Kairos didn’t waste a second. He stepped forward and placed both hands firmly on her shoulders. His grip wasn’t rough—but strong enough to show the urgency.
"Quickly. Take to the settlent. It’s an ergency."
He didn’t know if she knew exactly where it was.
But he trusted Fex. If Fex said Kaela was tracking him, then she would know. And if Fex said to avoid the summoners, then there was a reason.
’He’s trying to keep alive. But also... maybe there’s soone else there. A summoner we need to take down to stop the attack.’
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