The silence in the academy's central hall was thick enough to weigh on their shoulders.
Kael, Mikaho, Zehr, and Ashen stood in front of the high council—a circle of cloaked figures, their faces hidden in shadows. Behind them, the great banner of the Veilbreakers hung torn, as if reflecting the storm that was about to rise.
"You're saying you saw an Old Watcher?" one of the council members finally said, voice old and dry like paper.
Ashen nodded once. "He spoke of the seal weakening. The third flood might be closer than expected."
A murmur ran through the council. But the headmaster raised his hand.
"Children imagining shadows," one of them muttered.
"They are not children anymore," Ashen said calmly. "They were chosen by the stone. They faced what your strongest avoid."
Mikaho stepped forward, clutching the cracked signal stone. "We aren't lying. We heard him. He said... the fear we prepare for isn't the fear that's coming."
The headmaster's fingers twitched. His eyes, barely visible beneath his hood, narrowed.
"And yet," he said slowly, "the seal in that region has not reported any movement. No tremors. No demon shifts. Nothing."
Zehr scoffed under his breath. "Maybe that's the problem. You're waiting for a sign that already passed."
There was a sharp intake of breath, and Kael placed a hand on Zehr's shoulder. "Let's not start a war in here."
The headmaster stood from his seat. The hall dimmed further.
"You are dismissed," he said. "Return to your training. We will handle this."
Ashen's one hand clenched. But he gave a respectful nod. "As you wish."
The four of them walked out in silence, the large door shutting behind them like a tomb.
Once outside, Zehr kicked a pebble hard. "They don't believe us."
"They don't want to," Mikaho said. "Because if they do... it means the world is about to change again."
Kael looked up at the cloudy sky. "Then we don't wait for them."
Ashen turned to them. "Good. Because you'll be leaving for your first real mission tomorrow."
Their eyes widened.
Ashen continued, "A village near the East Veil has gone silent. All signals are down. It's not a flood... but something is hiding."
Zehr blinked. "Wait... we're actually going on a mission?"
Kael grinned slightly. "Finally."
Ashen's eyes narrowed, a slight smirk on his lips. "Pack your gear. The academy may stay blind... but we won't."
That night, in the dorms, as Kael sat polishing his Pulsefang blade, Mikaho quietly joined him.
She said nothing at first. Then softly, "What if we're not ready?"
Kael looked at her, his voice firm but calm. "We never are. But we fight anyway."
They both smiled.
Meanwhile, in the council chamber… once everyone had left, a lone figure remained behind.
From the shadows, he whispered to himself, "So... one of the Watchers stirs. And the boy hears him. Just like he did once…"
He opened a locked scroll.
On it: Project Leviathan.
Next Episode Preview:A village lost to silence.Darkness that moves without form.And in the shadow of trees, something watches.Their first mission will not be what they expect.