[POV: Arkon]
CRACK!
The sharp snap of bone echoed through the night.
Arkon's grip tightened around the man's throat, and with a single decisive twist, he broke it.
His opponent went limp instantly, his body collapsing into a dead weight against Arkon's arm.
Arkon exhaled, watching as the man's lifeless body slumped to the ground.
"Why?" He muttered under his breath. "Why are they betraying this world?"
Was it power? No, that wasn't it.
The betrayers weren't gaining any overwhelming strength that surpassed even the strongest warriors of this world.
Was it wealth? Unlikely. Many of them had left behind fortunes beyond what any king could dream of.
Status? Influence? No, they abandoned their positions—positions that took years, even decades, to achieve.
"Then what the hell are they after?"
Arkon's brows furrowed as his mind raced through every possibility.
Then a realization struck him.
Immortality.
His eyes darkened as he turned back to the lifeless corpse before him. "So that's it, huh?"
His boot pressed against the man's ribs, applying force. Nothing. No movent, no reaction.
But Arkon had honed his senses far beyond of normal person.
He could feel it.
The faintest, almost imperceptible, vibration of a heartbeat.
Slow. Weak. But present.
Arkon bent down, gripping the corpse's collar and lifting him effortlessly off the ground.
He leaned in, his voice low and edged with suspicion. "Keep up your little act of dying, but I know you're still alive."
Nothing. Not a twitch, not a flinch.
Arkon's jaw clenched. "What kind of immortality is this?"
The concept of eternal life was treated as unreachable myth—sothing that belonged in fairy tales, locked away in fantasy books.
But this wasn't a myth. It was real.
However, every power had a cost.
"Even if you survive death, even if your body repairs itself—there must be a price to pay."
Arkon grabbed the man's wrist, checking for any unusual signs.
No imdiate wounds. His body showed no effort to heal itself in a visible way.
It was as if he had simply gone into stasis, waiting for sothing.
A trigger.
Arkon exhaled sharply, tightening his grip before launching into the air.
His black coat billowed behind him as he soared over the darkened valley, carrying the "corpse" with him.
The cold wind howled against his skin, but his mind was sharper than ever.
I'll find out about it.
And if this so-called immortality was spreading, he would put an end to it before it beca a curse upon the world.
----------
[POV: Kael]
Kael rubbed his temples as he walked out of the exam hall, his head spinning from the sheer nonsense he had just written.
"I am dood," he muttered under his breath, dragging his feet down the corridor.
That exam had been a massacre, and he was the victim. There was no salvaging what had just happened.
Maybe—just maybe—Alia could help.
No. Not Alia—Goddess Alia.
"O divine and rciful Professor Eleana, grant your boundless wisdom and a miraculous way to pass," Kael muttered like a prayer, shaking his head in despair.
As he reached the front of the hall, he placed his paper on Serena's desk.
She looked up at him. And then—she grinned.
Not a small, polite grin.
No.
This was the grin of soone who knew.
She knew.
Kael's stomach dropped. "Oh no."
Serena didn't say a word, just watched him with an almost pitiful amusent, her grin widening ever so slightly as she took the paper from his hands.
I am finished.
Kael clenched his fists. No. No, I cannot give up.
From the next paper onward, I will kill it!
…Probably.
---
With exams over, the academy finally gave them a one-week break—an entire seven days where they could forget about academics and just enjoy themselves.
Naturally, students imdiately began making plans.
Trips, training retreats, family visits—everyone had their own ideas.
So were planning to visit the Floating Sky City for sightseeing. Others wanted to travel to the Crystal Shoreline for its breathtaking beaches.
And, of course, there were those who just wanted to lock themselves in their rooms and do absolutely nothing.
For once, Kael didn't have to worry about classes, fights, or impending disasters.
But there was soone who wasn't enjoying the break quite as much…
---
[POV: Marcus]
Marcus leaned against the balcony railing, watching the evening sky darken with hues of orange and purple.
A break, huh?
Everyone was so excited—planning their trips, reuniting with families, spending ti with friends.
And yet…
He exhaled sharply, tapping his fingers.
"I want to go ho…" he muttered.
His grip on the railing tightened.
"And at the sa ti, I don't."
It wasn't that he hated his ho—it was his ho, after all.
But that house…
The halls were always quiet. Conversations were kept formal. There was no warmth, no true family bond—only obligations and responsibilities.
He didn't hate his parents. He didn't hate his siblings.
But could he really call them 'family'?
Everyone lived for themselves. Everyone had their own ambitions.
Marcus sighed. "What should I do?"
Then, a thought struck him.
Aelina.
A grin tugged at his lips.
The rmaid island, huh?
Aelina had ntioned it before—how it would take almost two days by plane to reach her holand.
What is she doing for the break?
Maybe…
Maybe he could tag along.
Just as that idea took root, Marcus turned on his heel.
Girls dormitory wasn't far.
His grin widened as he made his way toward the girls' dorms, laughing to himself.
.
Boys were strictly forbidden from entering the girls' dormitory, but Zareth didn't seem to care.
He was laughing and running down the hallway, heading straight for Aelina's room.
"Has he lost his mind?" one girl muttered.
"I know dragons are crazy… but not this crazy," another whispered.
Marcus ignored them, a smirk still on his face.
He wasn't sneaking around.
He wasn't even trying to be discreet.
He walked straight through, heading toward Aelina's room—completely fearless.
"Aelina," Marcus shouted.
Aelina was lounging on her bed, wearing only shorts, when Zareth burst in.
But it was Marcus who stood frozen in the doorway, his eyes wide with a mix of surprise and dread.
And in that mont, he knew he was in trouble - or as he would put it, "dead".
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