The morning sun spilled over the training grounds like molten gold poured across the horizon, bright and sharp, and the warmth of it danced against the dust that clung to the air. The academy banners fluttered gently above, painted in blue and ivory, swaying in the crisp breeze. And there—standing with her arms crossed, her grin wide and full of heat like a torch—was Aria Cross, the firebrand instructor whose very presence turned silence into something combustible. Her energy crackled like a forge set ablaze, her voice cutting across the open field before the four figures even had a chance to take their stances.
"Alright, girls! Rise and shine! No dragging feet, no sulking faces, no excuses! Today, the flames of your spirit better burn brighter than the morning sun itself!"
Aria's words rang out, fierce and musical, loud enough to bounce off the stone walls ringing the Sylvan training grounds.
But in contrast to her blazing voice, her trainees looked like shadows. Blanche, Vila, and Ruka shuffled into formation, each step slow, heavy, weighed down by fatigue that had carved itself into their bones. Their eyes were dull, shoulders slumped, skin still carrying that pale hue that came from exhaustion that never really left.
Blanche stood at the front, her tall figure straight only because of discipline, not because of strength. The white of her academy uniform clung a little awkwardly to her frame, and she released a long, slow exhale, as though the simple act of breathing itself had become labor. Her gaze was steady, but her eyes betrayed the truth—her body still screamed from the aftermath of channeling her Possession.
Behind her, Vila lingered with quiet poise, though her movements were sluggish, her slender fingers curling and uncurling at her sides as if even that small motion carried weight. The elf's normally sharp eyes drooped slightly, dark crescents carved beneath them.
Ruka was worse: the girl dragged her feet along the dirt as she arrived, her arms crossed over her stomach, muttering under her breath like a prisoner brought unwillingly to her sentence. She collapsed onto her knees the second they reached the marked training circle, hugging herself with her face shadowed by strands of her dark green hair.
Aria's jaw dropped as she stared at them, her fiery aura sputtering into disbelief. "Excuse me, what is this?"
she shouted, waving her arms like she was shooing chickens.
"Why do I see corpses walking? Don't tell me you all turned into ghosts in the span of a week!"
Vila gave the faintest shrug, her voice calm but heavy, as though each word took effort.
"It's been over a week since the Selection… but my body hasn't recovered yet. Too much movement. Too much strain."
Aria blinked, then barked a laugh that didn't sound amused. "Strain? You're warriors, not flowers wilting in the sun!" She stomped her boot into the dirt, the thud echoing.
"You think your enemies will give you two weeks of rest and a warm bed? You'll be lucky if they give you two seconds to breathe before tearing you apart!"
Blanche, who had remained silent until then, finally lifted her chin and spoke with her usual measured calm. Her voice was quiet, but firm, carrying that air of someone who chose her words carefully.
"I overextended. Possession… drained me more than expected. The backlash is lingering. My body is sluggish. My mana pathways are… stiff."
Aria tilted her head, her bright eyes narrowing. "So what you're telling me," she said, her tone both mocking and probing,
"Is that the great Blanche Van Equinox, the calm prodigy of balance and elegance, whining about sore muscles?"
Blanche didn't flinch. She simply exhaled, slow and sharp, closing her eyes briefly before answering.
"It isn't muscle soreness. It's as though every vein that carried aether has been scalded. My body feels heavier than armor."
She opened her eyes, and there was not defiance, but truth.
Aria stared, her grin faltering, but only for a heartbeat. She whipped her gaze to Ruka next, who was still hunched on the ground.
"And you, little one. What's your excuse? Why are you hugging the dirt like it's your pillow?"
Ruka groaned, her voice muffled by her knees.
"Because it feels like my bones cracked into pieces and glued themselves back wrong. Because my legs hate me. Because I just wanna go home and sleep forever."
Her tone was flat, hopeless, the voice of someone ready to melt into the ground.
Vila glanced down at her, lips twitching just slightly, before her own voice floated out in her quiet cadence. "She's telling the truth. She pushed herself too hard during the Selection. And so did I."
Aria threw her hands in the air, laughing incredulously, her ponytail flicking behind her like a whip.
"Unbelievable! I come here ready to light your fire and all I get is a funeral procession!" She paced back and forth in front of them, boots striking hard against the stone. "Do you realize you're in the top sixteen? That's not luck! That's a spotlight, and everyone's watching to see if you burn bright or burn out!"
Blanche finally tilted her head up, her pale hair catching the sunlight.
"We're not refusing to train. We're telling you what state we are in. Forcing movement when mana pathways are unstable could cause more damage than progress."
For a moment, Aria said nothing. She squinted at them, her expression unreadable. Then, slowly, her grin returned, sharper than before. "Fine. If you're broken glass, then I'll be the forge that melts you back together. We'll start light. But don't think I'll let you slack."
Vila muttered softly, almost to herself. "Light, she says."
Ruka whimpered into her knees. "This is torture."
Aria clapped her hands together with explosive energy, the sound startling even the birds in the trees nearby. "Alright, positions! Blanche, on your feet—if your mana is stiff, we'll stretch it, one channel at a time. Vila, you'll test precision movements. And you—" she jabbed a finger at Ruka, who flinched—"you're going to run until you stop sounding like a dying grandmother!"
Ruka's muffled scream of despair echoed across the training field, and Aria only laughed louder, her fiery aura flaring as though the morning sun had found a rival on earth.
The morning air inside the training ground still smelled faintly of scorched mana from yesterday's sessions, the flagstones humming under the heat of the rising sun. Aria stood at the center with her usual blazing energy, her posture confident and her smile meant to ignite fire in her students. Yet the atmosphere around her wasn't the same. Blanche leaned against the railing, her face pale, a hand pressed against her ribs as if every breath pulled at muscles still sore from her Resonance. Vila shifted restlessly, trying to stretch her arms but wincing at the stiffness in her shoulders. Ruka sat on the bench with her knees drawn up, hugging them close, her eyes distant.
Aria tried clapping her hands together, her voice bright, almost sing-song.
"Alright, ladies, time to shake off the dust! It's been over a week since the Selection—your bodies should be back to their full rhythm! Let's bring some fire to this place!"
But the answer she received was silence. Blanche lifted her head, the corner of her mouth twitching as if she wanted to force a polite smile, but instead she spoke in a low, tired voice.
"I don't think so, Aria. Not yet. I still feel like my bones are filled with lead. Using my special technique drained more than I expected. The mana's gone… and the backlash left me stiff all over."
Vila rubbed the back of her neck, her tone unusually blunt.
"Same here. Too much movement during the matches. My body's still not forgiving me."
Ruka didn't even try to hide it. She only muttered softly, chin pressed to her knees.
"My legs still feel like stone. If I try to spar now, I'll just collapse."
Aria blinked, genuinely surprised. She had thought they'd bounce back faster than this. Her hands dropped to her sides as she exhaled, the heat in her words softening.
"You're still that wrecked? A whole week and you're dragging yourselves like this?"
The three only looked back at her with tired, unamused expressions. That was enough to answer.
Aria sighed, scratching the back of her head, then let out a reluctant laugh.
"Fine, fine. I get it. Training half-dead won't do anyone any good. Rest is part of training too, after all. Call it a tactical retreat—your mission right now is to sit your butts down and recover. That's an order."
She crossed her arms, scanning the group, then tilted her head curiously.
"By the way… where's Yuxin? Don't tell me she's skipping?"
The air went quiet for a moment. Blanche and the others glanced at each other, but before anyone could reply, footsteps echoed down the corridor. A familiar shadow stretched across the ground, and then Yuxin stepped into the training ground. Her expression, as always, was unreadably sharp—jaw set, eyes cold, the kind of presence that made the room itself hold its breath.
Aria brightened, raising her hand in greeting.
"Yuxin! There you are, I was wondering—"
But the girl didn't even look her way. Without slowing, she walked past Aria, the air brushing cold around her like she had carried the night sky itself into the morning. Her boots clicked against the stone, steady and deliberate, until she stood in front of her teammates. Her gaze softened just enough to show the faintest trace of concern.
Her voice cut through the silence, blunt as always, but lacking any edge of mockery.
"How are you holding up?"
Blanche let out a long exhale, shoulders sagging as she answered, her voice weary but with a small, tired smile.
"Alive. Barely. Don't expect any sparring from me."
Vila's lips curled into a faint smirk as she leaned closer to Yuxin, brushing a strand of her blond hair back.
"We're all wrecked. Not just you."
Ruka, still curled on the bench, lifted her head only enough to meet Yuxin's eyes.
"I can't even feel my toes."
Yuxin's gaze lingered on each of them, her expression unreadable, yet her presence alone was grounding—like the shadows themselves had come to sit beside them, silent and steady.
Aria, watching from behind, felt the weight of the moment settle in. She had been ready to push them again, to ignite fire under their feet, but the truth was undeniable: sometimes, even the strongest needed to pause.
The training ground, so often filled with the clash of steel and shouts of exertion, now held only the sound of shallow breaths and the quiet hum of shadows curling faintly at Yuxin's feet.
The training ground was quiet, the air heavy with fatigue and the faint smell of iron and dust. Yuxin's voice broke the stillness, low and blunt, her tone carrying no hesitation.
"I can't use my Astraga for a while. There's a blockage in my Aether—Mana isn't flowing right. And there's distortion too. If I force it, my Astraga could go out of control."
Blanche's head snapped up, her tired blue eyes sharpening at once despite the soreness in her body. Her voice carried both worry and command, quiet but firm.
"Is it that serious? Will you recover in time before the tournament?"
Yuxin shifted her weight, her expression calm but unreadable, almost irritated by the question. She nodded once, curt.
"If I don't use it at all, maybe. Give it time, it should fix itself before the matches start."
Vila blinked, her brows knitting together as she tilted her head. Her voice came out soft, almost confused.
"What even is… a blockage of Aether? And distortion? I've never heard of that."
Yuxin turned to look at her, and for once her sharp tone cracked into something more like exasperation. She raised her hand as if to pinch her temples but stopped short, muttering instead.
"You've gotta be kidding me. How do you not know this? Seriously? What have you even been doing your whole life—oh right, hiding in the forest."
Vila's calm expression didn't change, though a faint smirk tugged at her lips as if to shrug off the jab.
Before the air could turn heavier, Blanche exhaled and straightened her back despite the ache. She spoke slowly, her voice carrying the weight of a quiet lecture.
"Aether blockage means the user can't channel their energy properly into the Astraga. The flow becomes restricted… clogged, in a way. If that happens, your overall combat ability drops. Sometimes it drops catastrophically."
Ruka, still sitting curled up with her knees hugged tight, raised her chin and added in her quiet, almost whispery tone.
"Distortion's worse. It twists the connection. The Astraga feels pain, and when it's in pain it thrashes. If it thrashes too much, it attacks you instead of fighting for you."
The words hung in the air like a storm cloud, and for a moment even Aria—still watching from the side—fell silent. The thought of an Astraga turning on its own user was something no one wanted to picture.
Yuxin finally crossed her arms, her voice sharp but final, as though she'd already decided this wasn't up for further discussion.
"That's why I won't touch my Astraga until the tournament. I'll manage. You don't have to worry about me."
Her words were simple, cold, and matter-of-fact. Yet beneath them, Blanche could almost hear the quiet weight of restraint—how much it must've cost Yuxin to admit weakness at all.
Aria clapped her hands together, her voice cutting through the heavy silence like a flare of sunlight in a cold room. She wore her usual fiery grin, but there was a softness behind it this time, almost like she was trying to push back against the storm that had settled over the girls.
"Alright, enough doom and gloom talk. You all look like corpses lined up for inspection. If we keep grinding like this, you'll all collapse before the tournament even starts. So…"
She spun on her heel, dramatically fishing something out from her pocket with a flourish, and held it up between her fingers. The thin slips shimmered faintly under the morning light, their gilded edges marked with the emblem of a soaring spire.
"How about a change of scenery? Ever heard of the Sky Atrium?"
Ruka blinked and tilted her head, still hugging her knees, her quiet voice barely above a murmur.
"That… floating place? The one only nobles can go to?"
Aria winked, spinning the tickets like playing cards before catching them neatly in her palm.
"Exactly. A floating atrium, hanging in the air above the city, like a palace that decided to become a mall. Shops, food, entertainment, the works. And yes—normally it's for high-ranking aristocrats only. But…"
She leaned closer, her voice lowering into a mock whisper, her grin widening.
"Lucky for you, I've got passes. Don't ask how. Perks of being me."
Vila, who had been standing silently with arms crossed, raised a brow and tilted her head ever so slightly. Her calm voice slipped out like a measured breath.
"You want us to… go shopping?"
"Not shopping," Aria corrected with a smirk, spinning on her heel again, "refreshing. You need to loosen up before you snap in two. Rest is part of training, girls. Your bodies, your minds, your hearts—they all need balance. What better way to recharge than to spend a day somewhere that doesn't smell like dust, sweat, and crushed dirt?"
Blanche, who had been listening with that calm, restrained demeanor of hers, finally let out a small exhale. Her eyes softened, though her voice still carried that precise, deliberate cadence.
"She does have a point. Our condition won't improve just by forcing ourselves to train harder. A controlled pause can be as vital as the act of training itself. Perhaps a change of atmosphere will do us well."
Ruka glanced up at Blanche, then slowly nodded once, almost as if the word "refreshing" was too far removed from her usual vocabulary, but Blanche's agreement was enough to sway her.
Vila gave a faint shrug, her gaze drifting upward, tone calm as always.
"If Blanche thinks it's worth our time, then I'll follow."
All eyes turned to Yuxin. She had been standing slightly apart from them, arms crossed, her sharp expression as unreadable as always. Her brows furrowed slightly, her lips pressing into a thin line as though the very idea of "relaxing" was somehow insulting.
"Tch… Sky Atrium? What's the point? That kind of place is just nobles wasting money in the clouds."
Aria put her hands on her hips, puffing her chest out with exaggerated offense.
"Oh come on, shadow queen. It's not about the nobles, it's about you. About us. You don't have to buy a single thing, just… breathe. See something different for once."
"Besides, I can get myself a little date with my beautiful queen here."
Blanche stepped forward then, her gaze steady, her tone gentle yet carrying weight.
"Yuxin. You're already forcing yourself to endure that Aether blockage. If you keep tightening the grip on yourself, it will only worsen. Let go for a day. It isn't a weakness to allow yourself to rest—it's strategy. Trust me on this."
Yuxin's eyes lingered on Blanche for a long moment, sharp and searching, as though weighing her words. For a heartbeat, she looked ready to dismiss the whole idea with a cold retort, but then her shoulders loosened the faintest bit. She let out a low exhale, her tone begrudging, almost annoyed.
"…Fine. But if it's boring, I'm blaming all of you."
Aria beamed like the sun breaking through storm clouds, thrusting the tickets high into the air.
"That's the spirit! Sky Atrium, here we come!"
Even Vila allowed herself a faint chuckle at Aria's enthusiasm, ignoring his flirty attitude still, while Blanche simply nodded with that calm approval, and Ruka whispered something that almost sounded like relief.
And for the first time in days, the tension in the air began to unravel—just enough to let the idea of lightheartedness slip in.
Yuxin let out an annoyed sigh, shifting her weight slightly, but then her hand slid beneath the folds of her academy jacket. Her expression didn't change—still that cool, disinterested look—but there was the faintest twitch at the corner of her mouth as her fingers dug into a hidden inner pocket. While the others were still distracted by Aria's theatrics, Yuxin pulled something free with casual grace, and for a second it caught the light in a way that made the entire group freeze.
It wasn't paper. It wasn't flimsy like the gilded tickets Aria had proudly waved around. The thing in Yuxin's hand shimmered with an otherworldly gleam, blue light rippling across its surface like liquid sapphire, edges glinting as though carved from crystal rather than pressed from ink and pulp. It gave off the impression of permanence, like something that couldn't be torn, couldn't be crumpled, couldn't ever be lost.
Aria's jaw dropped so hard she nearly swallowed her own tongue.
"Wait—WAIT—what the hell is THAT?!"
Blanche's calm composure cracked, her eyes widening in a way that almost made her look like a different person. Even Vila tilted her head slightly, sharp eyes narrowing at the glow. And Ruka—quiet, reserved, usually expressionless Ruka—was suddenly on her feet, eyes sparkling as if someone had just set off fireworks in her chest.
Yuxin blinked at them, her head tilting just slightly, her brows furrowing.
"...Why are you staring like I just pulled a rabbit out of my sleeve?"
Aria was the first to recover enough to speak, though her voice cracked like glass.
"Because—because—you just casually pulled out a premium Sky Atrium Sovereign Pass! That's not even the same league as mine! Where the hell did you—how the—why do you—ugh!!"
Yuxin, completely unfazed, glanced at the crystalline-blue pass in her hand and then shrugged, her tone as flat and dismissive as ever.
"Oh. That. My family helped fund the construction of Sky Atrium back when it was first being built. As thanks, they gave us unrestricted passes. I didn't want it, but my parents insisted I keep one. Just in case."
Her delivery was so casual it was almost insulting. As if she'd just admitted to having a spare loaf of bread lying around instead of holding one of the rarest access tokens in the academy's world.
Blanche stiffened, her lips parting, her eyes widening just a fraction more. For a noble who carried herself with unshakable dignity, the disbelief was written clear on her face.
"Impossible… even I—" She stopped, correcting herself with a faint, clipped breath. "Even my family never received a pass of that tier."
Her words lingered with weight, and Yuxin's sharp gaze flicked toward her, but she didn't comment.
Ruka, however, was practically vibrating, her usual quiet shyness completely shattered by excitement. Her voice came out quick, bright, a tone almost nobody ever heard from her.
"That's amazing! Yuxin—you—you're incredible! I didn't even know anyone outside of the Sky Council could have one of those!"
Yuxin froze, mid-step, her hand tightening around the pass. Her face didn't flush immediately, but there was the faintest pink creeping across her ears. She quickly clicked her tongue and turned her head away, stuffing the pass back beneath her jacket.
"Tch. Stop. Don't say it like that. It's nothing. Seriously."
Ruka grinned, clasping her hands together, her voice still bubbling with uncharacteristic giddiness.
"It's not nothing! It's proof you're… you're special! I mean—like, wow, Yuxin, even nobles would—"
Yuxin whipped around, sharp glare cutting across the air, though her voice betrayed the tiniest tremble.
"I said stop. Don't make it a big deal."
Aria groaned, throwing her hands up in exaggerated despair.
"Don't make it a big deal, she says—while holding a goddamn permanent sky crystal pass! Do you even understand how many nobles would sell their houses for that?!"
Blanche, still composed but visibly thoughtful, let her gaze soften as she spoke, her voice slower, weighted with something more private.
"So even you… carry a weight from your family you never asked for."
Yuxin's eyes flickered toward her, a subtle shift that looked almost like recognition, almost like vulnerability, before she masked it again with that judgy scowl. She muttered, quieter this time.
"It's just a pass. Nothing more."
But even as she said it, the faint blush on her cheeks betrayed her, the rarest crack in her armor—and Vila, watching silently, allowed herself the smallest smile at the scene.
Yuxin adjusted the collar of her uniform, her voice cutting through the half-settled silence with its usual sharp tone, flat but direct as ever.
"So… when are we even going? Tomorrow? The day after?"
The question hung in the air for maybe two heartbeats before, like some kind of synchronized strike, Blanche, Vila, and Ruka all answered in perfect unison—
"Now."
Yuxin blinked, eyes widening slightly as if someone had just smacked her with a bucket of cold water. She turned her head slowly, staring at the three of them like they had completely lost their minds.
"…Now? As in… right now now?"
Blanche simply nodded with calm finality, her tone collected, as though it was the most logical answer in the world. Vila tilted her chin slightly in agreement, her expression composed but her eyes carrying the faint glimmer of anticipation. Ruka, in contrast, leaned forward with uncharacteristic eagerness, almost bouncing in her seat.
Yuxin's jaw tightened, her lips twitching as if she wanted to argue, but finally she just exhaled and waved her hand dismissively.
"Fine. Whatever. I don't get why you're all so obsessed with rushing this, but sure. Now."
Her voice was meant to sound annoyed, but the faint pink flush brushing across her cheeks made it less convincing.
Before the girls could push further, Aria crossed her arms and cleared her throat, grinning like she was about to ruin someone's parade.
"Welp, guess I won't be tagging along. Have fun without me."
Yuxin shot her a sharp look, brows furrowed.
"What do you mean not tagging along? What's stopping you? Isn't this exactly your thing? Surrounded by girls, special trip, flashy place where you can show off? Feels like your idea of heaven."
The jab was delivered with Yuxin's usual bluntness, and Vila's lips twitched almost into a smile at the honesty of it.
Aria just chuckled, leaning back with her hands behind her head like she was lounging in her own personal spotlight.
"Tempting, suuure. But nah. I've got club work, remember? If I ditch today, Chief Yuyu will murder me. You think her voice is scary on the radio? Try her lecture in person. No thanks."
The girls exchanged looks—half understanding, half amused.
Yuxin squinted, her tone edged with disbelief.
"Seriously? You're ditching us because you're scared of Yuki? What's she gonna do, ban you from gossiping for a week?"
Aria laughed again, bright and easy.
"Ha! If only it was that light. Besides, I've already been to the Sky Atrium plenty of times. Can't afford half the stuff they sell, but looking is free."
Her grin softened into something playful as she leaned forward and tapped Yuxin's shoulder.
"Don't worry though—you girls will manage without me. Just make sure you drag Little Miss Grumpy there"—she tilted her chin at Yuxin—"into having at least some fun."
Yuxin scoffed, shoving Aria's hand off her shoulder, but the faint flicker in her eyes betrayed a hint of curiosity she didn't bother hiding.