The day was coming to an end, and both Kairos and Carlos had just entered their dorm room. From the look of things, they were completely soaked and also out of breath, their bodies heaving as they stepped inside.
"Damn, what a bad ti for a storm to start," Kairos muttered, hastily peeling off his drenched clothes, water dripping from his hair onto the floor.
Carlos gave a silent nod in agreent. They had been out training with Kairos’ shadow skills, trying to explore new techniques and potential uses, when the weather had taken a sudden, violent turn. What began as a light drizzle escalated in re seconds into a raging downpour, drenching them before they could even run halfway back to the academy building.
It had happened so quickly. The sky had turned almost pitch black, and thunder rolled in as if the heavens were warning them. The wind was rciless, the rain hitting them with the force of tiny pebbles. Within monts, they were soaked to the bone.
Now inside, the contrast was noticeable. While the weather outside was cold and unforgiving, the dorm room still held onto a bit of its warmth, giving them so comfort.
As Kairos stripped down to his soaked shorts, a thought crossed his mind, and without much hesitation, he voiced it.
"Uhm... Carlos, I’ve shown you so much about my summon... but I’ve never seen yours, or even heard a thing about it—"
He left the sentence hanging, knowing the question was clear enough.
Carlos sighed, the sound heavy and tired. He didn’t respond imdiately, seeming to weigh the question for a long mont before finally speaking.
"If you knew about my summon... it might only put you in more danger," he admitted quietly, his voice almost drowned out by the soft pattering of rain on the window. "But... one day, you’ll see it. This just isn’t the right ti."
Kairos swallowed hard. A creeping sense of unease nestled in his chest. If Carlos were ever to beco his enemy, Kairos knew that he’d be at a serious disadvantage. He had revealed too much—about his summon, about his tactics.
Luckily, he had kept one thing secret.
The existence of his second summon.
If things ever went south between them, he’d need that summon ready. It was his hidden card—his only chance to level the playing field if Carlos ever turned on him.
That was if it hatched on ti or so.
Just as the two of them stood there in their wet clothes, a sudden knock echoed from the door.
They both froze, exchanging confused glances.
Who could that be?
It was already late at night, close to curfew. Visitors were rare at this hour, and more importantly, girls weren’t allowed into the boys’ dormitory after dark. That ant whoever it was... wasn’t soone expected.
Kairos cautiously approached the door, his body tense, but before he could even touch the handle, it swung open with a violent force.
Standing there, with a wide grin on his face and just as soaked as they were, was Darnell.
"Hey, man! You guys are soaked!" Darnell laughed, stepping into the room without hesitation.
Kairos and Carlos stared in stunned silence, their expressions unreadable. They hadn’t expected to see him, especially not like this. Darnell was supposed to still be in the hospital, healing from his last ordeal.
"Why are you here? And soaked?" Carlos asked sharply. "If you were released, you could’ve stayed in the hospital. There was no need to rush out into the storm."
Still, Darnell kept that smile on his face, unfazed by Carlos’s tone.
"I was healed," he replied simply. "And I missed sleeping in the sa room as you guys! That’s why I left."
Kairos couldn’t help but chuckle at that. "Cool, bro. You really are sothing else. Welco back."
Darnell grinned wider as he shut the door behind him and began stripping out of his soaked clothes.
"Is it just , or do these academy rooms seriously have no heating?" Darnell said, shivering slightly as he changed into dry clothes.
Kairos, not wanting to ask for clothes from his friends, he threw on a spare academy uniform and crawled under his covers, trying to trap as much warmth as possible. Carlos did the sa, and soon enough, all three boys were in their respective beds, huddling for warmth as the wind howled outside.
Then ca a silence. Only the rhythmic tapping of raindrops against the glass windows filled the room.
"Next ti, Darnell, if you ever get into trouble like that—"
"I know," Darnell cut Kairos off. "No more secrets."
That line struck a nerve.
Kairos had urged Darnell to be open and honest... yet he was hiding things himself. His second summon, the nature of his powers, and the summons space, he’d been having—things he couldn’t just tell anyone.
He rolled onto his side, eyes staring into the darkness.
---
Morning ca all too quickly.
This ti, there was no announcent warning students of a cancelled day. Unfortunately, classes were back in full swing.
They dragged themselves out of bed and prepared for the day, heading to the cafeteria for breakfast along with the rest of the students. After eating, they made their way to their first class: the Beast Summoner’s Battle class.
Kairos had been looking forward to this class all week. Because of the recent incident with the second-years, there hadn’t been any proper sessions. The only training he had done was on his own, practicing techniques and perfecting his control.
’I hope Sergeant Lloyd gives us more materials today,’ Kairos thought to himself.
He wasn’t alone in that hope. Many of the students had grown fascinated with Lloyd’s unique teachings, particularly the mysterious "Feral Arts" he had introduced. There was sothing captivating about them, sothing ancient and powerful.
When Sergeant Lloyd finally walked into the classroom, he was wearing the academy’s military uniform. His sword hung at his side, gleaming in its scabbard.
He stepped onto the platform in front of the class and smiled warmly.
"Welco to another Beast Summoner Battle class," he began. "Unlike the last session, where I gave you Feral Arts books and demonstrated so skills, today will be different."
So students imdiately looked disappointed. A few even slouched in their stand, assuming the class would be less exciting.
But Lloyd wasn’t finished.
"Instead of that," he said, his voice rising, "today we’ll be focusing on the most useful weapon you can ever have during a war—or even in a battle against a powerful beast or summon."
He paused dramatically before declaring—
"These... are Core Weapons."
Murmurs spread through the room like wildfire. The students’ energy ca rushing back. Many sat up straight, their curiosity piqued.
Kairos felt his pulse quicken. He couldn’t help but recall the power he’d witnessed when Ashen wielded his Core weapon. It was stunning—almost magical.
Lloyd drew his sword and raised it high for all to see. Its blade shimred under the light, its surface subtly etched with intricate patterns that hinted at its origin.
"My sword is a Core weapon," he said. "These weapons are carved directly from Beast Cores. Each one is unique. Their abilities vary depending on the beast the core ca from. And most importantly, a Core weapon must be compatible with both the user’s summon and integration."
The class was now fully engaged, listening to every word.
"You missed many classes because of the second-year incident, so I’m teaching you this earlier than planned. It will help you during next week’s hunt."
Lloyd then gestured toward the far end of the classroom, where a large shelf stood, brimming with weapons of all shapes and sizes. From afar, they might have seed ordinary—but up close, their presence was undeniable. Each one radiated a silent strength.
"You have ten minutes," Lloyd declared. "Choose any Core weapon that best complents your abilities."
In an instant, the once-calm class erupted into chaos. Students leapt from their seats and sprinted toward the shelves, desperate not to be left with leftovers.
Lloyd smiled to himself.
There were a few students he was particularly interested in observing. Ones who had potential.
And among them...
Was Kairos Veyl.
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