There wasn't much of a winter break left before I had to return to Mythos Academy after going back to Avalon with my family.
The journey ho had been quiet, my parents' concerned glances speaking volus where words failed. My father had attempted several awkward conversations about "knowing one's limits," while my mother simply fussed over my still-healing wounds. Aria, for her part, had been surprisingly supportive, offering rare monts of genuine encouragent between her usual barbed comnts.
But now I was back, standing at the entrance to Class 2-A on the first day of the second sester.
Sixteen months. I'd been in this world for over sixteen months now. What had started as confusion and disorientation had evolved into purpose and determination, though questions still lingered beneath the surface of my thoughts.
Those questions would have to wait. My focus needed to be singular: grow stronger. Not for ambition or pride, but for survival. For happiness. The contract with Valen awaited, but first, I needed to surpass the Aspect wall and achieve Sword Resonance. Beyond that, my Close Quarters Combat technique needed refinent—transforming it from enhanced aura applications to a proper full-body art through disciplined training.
I slid open the door with a touch, scanning the familiar faces of my classmates. Lucifer Windward sat with perfect posture, his aristocratic features set in their usual expression of polite interest. Nearby were Ren Kagu with his perpetually calculating gaze, Jin Ashbluff pretending not to notice my entrance, and Ian Viserion absorbed in a book. The girls were clustered together—Seraphina's silver hair catching the morning light, Clana's animated gestures contrasting with Rachel's serene smile, Rose's warm gaze eting mine briefly, and Cecilia's crimson eyes tracking my movent with undisguised interest.
"You're late, Arthur," Professor Nero remarked, his tone stern but not harsh.
"Yes professor, I apologize," I replied, taking my seat.
He nodded, his leniency a small rcy for the first day. "We have your new rankings," he announced, activating the holographic display with a gesture.
The rankings materialized before us:
1. Lucifer Windward.
2. Arthur Nightingale.
3. Ren Kagu.
4. Rachel Creighton.
5. Cecilia Slatemark.
6. Seraphina Zenith.
7. Rose Springshaper
8. Jin Ashbluff.
9. Ian Viserion.
10. Clana Lopez.
'The top seven all reached the final stage of the Crown Challenge,' I noted silently. The pattern wasn't surprising—Professor Nero had explained that later practical evaluations were weighted to reward growth throughout the sester.
And as expected, I'd lost my Rank 1 position to Lucifer.
"Change your seats," Professor Nero instructed, prompting a shuffling of bodies as we rearranged ourselves according to the new hierarchy.
Lucifer and I passed each other during the exchange, his erald eyes eting mine as he offered a confident nod and smile. I returned the gesture, even as I realized with a jolt that I couldn't sense his mana level anymore. He'd already reached mid Integration-rank, creating a natural barrier against mana sensing from those at lower levels.
'He's climbing even faster than before,' I thought. The realization should have been discouraging, but instead, it crystallized my resolve. My path wasn't about competing with Lucifer—it was about transcending my own limitations.
"Now, the first practical evaluation for this sester will be your field trip," Nero continued once we'd settled. "Last ti, we went to Nimran, a city in the Southern continent. This ti, we are going to the Northern continent. Specifically, Vryndall."
"Vryndall?" Lucifer's voice carried a hint of concern, his erald eyes narrowing slightly. "That is quite close to the border, professor."
"I am aware," Nero replied with a thin smile. "That is the intention. Vryndall is a city near the border against the Shadow Seekers and the Umbravale Covenant. Thus, there will be interesting missions for you to undertake there. Of course, this is safer than when you went to the borders for your mission last sester, as this is still a field trip, so so fun is ant to be had even there. You will be given tasks to complete that will be graded when we reach the city. The trip will be four nights."
We all nodded in understanding, but my thoughts raced ahead. Vryndall City. According to everything I knew about this world's future, that city was destined for destruction during our visit—a brutal attack by the Umbravale Covenant that would leave the city in ruins. Mythos Academy students would die. Even a professor wouldn't survive.
And Lucifer would face his first true wall—an encounter with the youngest Bishop of the Umbravale Covenant, a prodigy heralded as the future Pope.
I glanced at my classmates, each oblivious to the danger awaiting us. They saw only another field trip, another chance to demonstrate their skills. None of them knew they were walking into a massacre.
"Now, the structure of this sester is the sa as last year," Nero continued, his voice carrying the practiced tone of a veteran educator. "Your first practical evaluation will be done during the field trip to Vryndall city. Your second evaluation will be another mission you will choose in February. Your third evaluation will be your end of year project. Your fourth and final evaluation will be the end of year festival and Sovereign's Tournant. For now, decide the end of year projects you wish to do. If you are choosing the sa class as last year, keep in mind you will need to outdo last year's project."
His grey eyes lingered on longer than necessary, the implication clear. Last year's Deepdark project had culminated in Luna, my Lich companion—a feat that had stunned even Nero himself. The bar I'd set was impossibly high.
'You did form a Lich after all,' Luna pointed out in my mind, her ntal voice tinged with amusent. 'Not exactly sothing you can casually outdo.'
'Agreed,' I replied silently. 'I'm not even going to try competing with myself there.'
Nero dismissed us with a perfunctory wave, granting us the traditional first-day reprieve from formal classes—a small rcy that allowed students to readjust to academy life and begin planning for the sester ahead.
I remained at my new desk, ntally cataloging potential projects. My thoughts kept returning to the Aspect wall and Valen's test. Whatever project I chose needed to complent my primary goal of achieving Resonance.
"Arthur." Rachel's voice pulled from my contemplation as she approached, her golden hair catching the morning light. "What end of year project will you make?"
"I am thinking of creating a full body art and use it for my chanics of enhanced aura class," I said, having settled on this direction during the quiet journey back to Mythos. "Taking my CQC techniques and formalizing them into sothing more cohesive."
"Oh interesting," Rachel said, settling into the chair beside mine with graceful ease as Lucifer had left his seat. Her expression shifted suddenly, a spark of inspiration lighting her features. "But I have a better idea."
She smiled widely, sapphire eyes glimring with excitent. "How about you make Angel Wings?"
"Angel Wings?" I repeated, surprised by the suggestion.
"A Divine Miracle," Rachel explained, tilting her head slightly in that way she did when elaborating on sothing she considered obvious. "After all, as a Purelight user, you are at the point you need one aren't you?"
Her assessnt was accurate, though I hadn't prioritized it among my many developntal needs. Rachel, as a pure Purelight user, understood the progression better than most. While I balanced multiple elental affinities alongside Purelight and Deepdark, she had devoted herself entirely to mastering Purelight.
Divine Miracles represented a crucial evolutionary step for Purelight practitioners—inscribed Purelight circles that could be activated with a thought, serving powerful functions in battle and beyond. For soone like Rachel, they ca almost naturally, an extension of her Gift rather than laboriously created techniques.
As a result, her Angel Wings transcended Divine Miracles.
I studied her thoughtfully, considering the suggestion. Creating a Divine Miracle for my end of year project would indeed be impressive, though I'd need to tailor it to my specific capabilities. I couldn't simply emulate Rachel's wings—not unless I used Soul Resonance to temporarily borrow her Gift, which would defeat the purpose entirely.
"It's a compelling idea," I acknowledged, already ntally sketching potential designs. "More focused than my original thought."
Rachel's expression brightened, clearly pleased her suggestion had landed well. She glanced around briefly, noting that the other students remained absorbed in their own conversations, then leaned forward. The subtle scent of mountain wildflowers—her signature perfu—drifted between us.
"Well, as a thank you..." she said, her voice dropping to a near whisper as she moved closer, close enough that I could distinguish the golden flakes scattered within her sapphire blue eyes, "Go on a date with today."
"Where do you want to go?" I asked, noting how Cecilia glanced our way from across the room, her crimson gaze narrowing slightly at our proximity.
Rachel's smile widened, satisfaction evident in the curve of her lips. "Maven City."
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