The students was quiet. Only the ticking of the clock filled the air. Aria-sensei had dismissed everyone else. Now, only three remained.
Ryker stood by the window, eyes distant. Yumi sat at the edge of her seat, fingers tightly clasped. Sol leaned forward, his usual laid-back smirk gone—he could feel it. Something had changed.
"Sol…" Ryker finally spoke, his voice low. "That forest… wasn't just an illusion."
Yumi added quickly, "We were pulled into another world. A kingdom. War. Death. Magic. The king—he's real."
Sol blinked. "What are you talking about?"
Ryker turned, his eyes sharper than ever. "We lived another life there. I saw people die. I… almost became a monster."
"We met a girl. A child," Yumi said, voice trembling. "She trusted us… and she was slaughtered in front of us."
Sol's chair creaked as he stood, his jaw clenched. "This isn't funny."
"We're not joking, Sol," Ryker said coldly. "It felt real because it was real. Someone's playing with dimensions—maybe time, maybe fate."
Yumi looked down. "I don't even know who I am anymore…"
Silence.
Sol walked up to Ryker, staring him in the eyes. Then, with a voice cold and cracking, he whispered:
"Why… didn't you tell me earlier?"
Ryker closed his eyes. "Because I was afraid. I didn't want to drag you into it."
Sol stepped back, trembling. "We're a team, Ryker. We always were. Next time… we fight it together."
The three stood in that room, the weight of another world pressing against their backs. The war had ended—but only in one world.
Aria-sensei stood silently at the front of the bus, his arms crossed as she watched Ryker sleep. The sunlight filtered through the window, casting lines of gold across his still face. He looked peaceful—but she knew better.
"Even in sleep… he's fighting," she whispered.
Aisa glanced over. "Fighting what?"
"Himself. The world. Everything," Aria replied.
Inside Ryker's mind—it was not darkness. It was a storm. Fragments of memories, alternate realities, illusions, pain, love, betrayal, and war crashed against one another like tidal waves. And yet, in the middle of that chaos, stood Ryker.
Unmoving.
Unbreaking.
Eyes glowing faintly in the dark, he whispered to no one:
"You can't break me. I've already broken… and rebuilt stronger."
Even the gods that toyed with his fate had started to fear the one thing they couldn't control: his will.
The hallway was quiet, save for the distant hum of voices from other classrooms. Sol walked with purpose, each step echoing against the wooden floor. He reached the faculty room and knocked.
Inside, Aria-sensei—tall, calm, and sharp-eyed—was sipping tea as he reviewed some papers.
"Sensei," Sol said, stepping inside. "I want to know more about… the illusion we saw in the forest."
Aria looked up, setting his cup down. His gaze sharpened. "It's not something many ask about," he said, gesturing for Sol to sit. "But I'll tell you what I know."
He leaned back slightly. "Illusions like those don't just mess with what you see—they tamper with how your brain receives information. Your eyes act as cameras, sure. But the real trick is how your mind interprets the footage."
"So… the illusion manipulates the brain directly?" Sol asked, eyes narrowing.
Aria nodded. "Exactly. It doesn't matter what's real. If your mind is forced to believe something… then that becomes your reality. Even pain, fear, memories—it all gets rewritten."
Sol clenched his fists. "Ryker and Yumi went through something terrifying. I could feel it… their emotions were real."
Aria stood, placing a firm hand on Sol's shoulder.
"You're not weak, Sol. And you're not blind. You saw the truth behind their eyes. That's why I'm telling you this."
Sol looked up at him.
"I don't fully understand illusions yet," he said, "but I'll learn. I'll uncover everything."
Aria smiled faintly. "Good. Because if someone's using these illusions with intent… they're playing god. And gods fall, Sol."
The wind was calm as dusk painted the sky in burnt orange. Ms. Sakamoto stood quietly in front of the academy gate, her arms crossed, expression unreadable.
Footsteps approached.
"Ms. Sakamoto?" Sol called, his voice breaking the silence.
She turned slowly.
"Why are you here?" Sol asked again, glancing at Aria-sensei beside him.
She offered a faint smile. "I'm waiting for someone," she said.
Sol raised an eyebrow and nudged Aria playfully.
"I know who you're waiting for, Sensei," he teased, grinning.
Before Aria could respond, two men in dark cloaks emerged from the tree line. Their presence was cold—unnatural.
Aria's expression hardened. He took a step forward, eyes sharp.
"You two… from the organization?"
One of them smirked.
"You must be Sol Yoshida," said the taller one, his hair tied back and eyes narrow like blades. "My name is Shiranui."
Sol's posture shifted, alert. "What do you want?"
Shiranui looked past him to Aria.
"Ah… Aria-sensei. I thought the entrance ceremony would attract someone dangerous—but instead, we found you. And Kurota Kai."
At the sound of that name, Sol turned fast. From the shadows behind the gate, a man stepped out. Cold eyes. Silent steps. It was Kai.
Aria's jaw tightened. "Kurota Kai… Why are you here?"
Kai gave a half-smile, hands in his coat pockets.
"You still don't know, do you?" he said softly. "I'm just watching someone."
Shiranui laughed, cracking his knuckles.
"Save the riddles, Kai. I came here to beat Aria."
Kai's smile disappeared. He turned his head slightly, eyes now sharp as knives.
"If you fight him now… you'll pay a cost you can't afford."
The air turned heavy. Even the wind stopped.
Everyone stood still—Sol, Ms. Sakamoto, Aria, and the two organization men. The tension was unshakable.
Sol took a step back, his eyes wide.
A sudden pressure weighed on his chest, like gravity itself had thickened.
"This… this aura—" Sol muttered. "It's crushing."
Kurota Kai stood still, the faint glint of danger in his calm gaze. He didn't need to raise his hand. His presence alone was enough to make the ground feel heavy.
Aria narrowed his eyes.
"It's been a long time, Kai."
Kai's lips curved faintly.
"Yes… we meet again, Aria."
Sol turned to Aria, still struggling to keep steady under Kai's aura.
"Sensei… who is he?"
Aria glanced at him.
"Maybe it's time I told you," he said quietly. "About Kurota Kai."
Ms. Sakamoto, watching closely, whispered to herself,
"He's even stronger than before… that pressure—it's far beyond Aria's."
Shiranui chuckled and turned around.
"Looks like the reunion's getting serious. We'll talk later, Aria-sensei," he said. "Let's go."
As the two men from the organization began to vanish into the mist, one of them whispered something under his breath.
Sol barely caught it.
"The pieces are moving… and the shadow watches all."
Then they were gone.
Only the sound of the wind remained, brushing softly against the cold stone walls of the gate.
A cool breeze drifted through the academy gates, brushing gently against Ms. Sakamoto's hair as she stood still, her eyes locked on the road ahead.
Aria-sensei approached slowly, his footsteps light but deliberate. Sol trailed behind, curiosity tugging at his thoughts
Aria stepped beside her, his expression unusually serious.
"Looks like trouble is coming," he muttered, eyes narrowing at the distant silhouette approaching through the trees.
"Who is he?" Sol asked.
Aria folded his arms. His voice was quiet, but firm.
"He's… an old friend. And a powerful one."
Sol raised an eyebrow.
"Friend? Someone that strong?"
"Yes," Aria said. "But sometimes… the line between friend and enemy blurs."
The air turned heavy, as if the sky itself knew something was coming.
And in the distance, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed like thunder through the silence.