The next morning, we gathered in the small, dimly lit room where Lucior was being treated, the air thick with the scent of healing herbs and a tension that made my chest tight. My heart thudded as I stared at him—
his body no longer glowed, the black marks on his skin now faint, like faded scars whispering secrets I couldn't understand. Eran stood at the foot of the bed, his arms crossed, his icy gaze fixed on Lucior, who still looked pale, his hands trembling slightly.
"His name is Lucior," Eran announced, his voice slicing through the silence like a blade. "He's fine now—and he's your comrade from this moment on.
" Akriya's red eyes narrowed, his voice sharp with suspicion. "Wait a second—why was his body glowing before? And where'd those black marks go?"
Eran's expression softened, but his tone carried a weight, a sharp, burning reminder of the danger we were all in. "He's from the Lightrix Clan, also known as the Thunder Gods, descendants of one of humanity's greatest saviors. In their clan, some special boys go through three awakening periods. After each awakening, their body grows stronger, more powerful, but during the awakening, their body radiates, their skin and bones weaken, and they can't use their power. It usually lasts 20 to 24 hours."
He paused, his voice dropping lower, almost a growl, his eyes darkening with something I couldn't place—fear, maybe? "And Lucior is a descendant of a founding member of Kshatra. We have to protect him.
"Ryoshi's silver hair glinted as she tilted her head, her voice sharp with curiosity. "Who are the Kshatra?
" Eran's jaw tightened, his eyes flashing with a warning. "You don't need to know more right now," he snapped, his tone final, leaving no room for argument. "Just know they're an organization that protects humans from demons."
He turned back to Lucior, his voice softer but laced with suspicion. "I think this is your first awakening." Lucior sat up, his pale face set with determination, his voice steady despite the faint tremble in it. "No, it's my second." Eran's eyes widened, a rare flash of shock crossing his face, and I felt my stomach twist, a cold dread creeping up my spine.
"What's your age, Lucior?" he asked, his voice tight. "Sixteen," Lucior replied, his gaze steady, unflinching. Eran's shock deepened, his voice a low murmur, almost to himself. "At this early age, you've awakened twice? That's… strange.
"Lucior's hands clenched the edge of the bed, his knuckles white, his voice shaking as he spoke. "When I was five, my clan collapsed—I was in my first awakening during the battle. That's when Teacher Tenzaki adopted me. He became like my father, training me, guiding me. And now, after 11 years, I'm in my second awakening." Eran's face paled, a flicker of nervousness in his eyes, and he fell silent, his gaze distant, like he was piecing together a puzzle that scared him. I wanted to ask what was wrong, but the words stuck in my throat, heavy and useless.
Ryoshi's voice cut through the tension, sharp and demanding. "Why was your academy attacked by demons?
" Lucior's expression darkened, his voice bitter, almost a snarl. "Demons don't need a reason to attack."His hands trembled as he continued, his voice cracking with every word, each one hitting me like a punch. "Yesterday, my body went into awakening, and Teacher Tenzaki was out on a mission. The other teachers told me to hide in the basement with my friends, with security guarding the door. My body hurt so much, like it was burning from the inside, so I tried to nap. But then I heard it—chaos, destruction, shouting, screams echoing through the walls. We got careful, waiting, but the demons reached the basement, killing the security. They were about to attack us when Tenzaki returned—he killed every demon in the basement. I couldn't even move, my body too weak. But more demons came. They couldn't touch Tenzaki, so they turned on us instead. Tenzaki killed them all, then removed the shield from his own body and placed it on the basement, leaving to save the academy. But an hour later, the shield started breaking, and demons poured in. My friends tried to stop them, but they weren't strong enough. So many were killed right in front of me, their screams filling the air, and I couldn't do anything!" Lucior's voice broke, tears streaming down his face as he buried his face in his hands, his shoulders shaking with sobs.
My throat tightened, my eyes stinging as I remembered my own parents' deaths, the blood, the screams—I knew exactly how he felt.
"Then you all came to save us," he whispered, his voice barely audible.Eran held up a hand, his icy gaze softening as he looked at Lucior. "No more questions for Lucior," he said, his voice firm but gentle. "He needs rest." twisted as Eran spoke, his tone heavy with urgency, we will meet tomorrow in training ground "Only a few days left for the mountain den mission," he said, his eyes scanning us like he was searching for weakness. "I'm going to increase academy security—these days, one wrong move could get us in trouble. I also need to find out why the demons are more active lately." His words sent a chill down my spine, the memory of Sunshine Academy's destruction flashing in my mind—those lifeless bodies, the blood staining the golden stone. Before I could ask anything, Eran disappeared in a blur, leaving a gust of wind in his wake, my hair whipping across my face.
Offlia stepped forward, her soft voice breaking the silence, a small smile on her lips that felt like a warm hug after Eran's cold warning. "You're all free today, so why don't you help me?" she asked, her hands clasped in front of her. Ryoshi tilted her head, her silver hair catching the sunlight, her voice eager. "Tell us—we'll help you." Offlia's smile widened, but her eyes were serious as she pulled out an old, leather-bound book, flipping it open to a page with a detailed drawing of a spiky plant with purple leaves. "I need to make a medicine, but I'm missing one herb," she said, pointing at the picture. "Search for it and bring it to me." I squinted at the drawing, my heart sinking—I'd never seen that herb before, and I already knew this was going to be harder than it sounded. But Akriya grinned, his red eyes glinting with mischief, and Ryoshi nodded, her focus already sharpening. "OKKK!" we all shouted together, our voices echoing across the training ground, a spark of excitement cutting through the heavy morning air.
Akriya, Ryoshi, and I headed to the academy's garden, the sun warm on my skin, the air buzzing with the scent of blooming flowers and fresh earth. We were searching for that spiky little plant with purple leaves, but I'd barely paid attention to the picture in Offlia's book, my eyes half-open, still groggy from the morning. Now, as I poked through the bushes, I squinted at every plant, muttering, "Is this it? Nope… this one? Ugh, no." They all looked the same to me, a jumble of green and purple that made my head spin. Ryoshi was a few steps ahead, her silver hair glinting in the sunlight, her sharp eyes scanning the ground with that intense focus she always had, like she could spot the herb from a mile away.
Akriya was beside me, lazily kicking at a patch of grass, his red eyes glinting with boredom, clearly not taking this as seriously as Ryoshi.I glanced at him, a mischievous idea bubbling up, and I grinned, nudging him with my elbow. "Hey, Akriya," I whispered, keeping my voice low so Ryoshi wouldn't hear. "Let's mess with Ryoshi—she's way too serious right now. But let's make it big." Akriya's smirk spread wide, his vines twitching at his fingertips, ready for trouble. "Oh, I'm in," he whispered back, his voice dripping with mischief.
I pointed at a massive, tangled vine hanging from a nearby tree, its leaves thick and heavy, swaying in the breeze. "On three," I mouthed, holding up my fingers. "We'll use your vines to pull that down and drop it on her—it'll look like a giant monster attack!" Akriya's eyes lit up, his vines slithering silently toward the tree, wrapping around the heavy vine with a soft rustle.
My heart raced with excitement, a giggle threatening to escape as I counted down—one… two…—but Ryoshi suddenly turned, her eyes narrowing, a sly smile tugging at her lips. She'd read our plan somehow, her time-bubble senses catching our sneaky whispers. Before I could react, she flicked her wrist, her time bubble shimmering just enough to slow us down. Akriya's vines yanked the massive vine down, but Ryoshi darted aside, and the tangled mess crashed right over us instead, leaves and branches tangling around me and Akriya with a loud thud. I yelped, flailing as the vines wrapped around my arms, pinning me to the ground, while Akriya groaned beside me, his own vines caught in the mess, leaves sticking to his hair.Ryoshi burst out laughing, her voice ringing through the garden, her hands on her hips as she doubled over. "You two are ridiculous!" she teased, her eyes sparkling with amusement. I glared at her, my face burning, struggling to free myself from the leafy trap, but I couldn't help grinning—she'd got us good.
Then, as she straightened up, still chuckling, her gaze landed on a spiky purple plant half-hidden under a bush. "Oh, look—the herb!" she said, plucking it with a triumphant smirk, holding it up like a trophy. Akriya and I were still tangled in the vines, leaves in our hair, dirt smudged on our faces, completely defeated in the grass.