Elior awoke in the dark.
A faint glow spilled through the tall window — not from a moon, but from two silver halos hanging in the sky: Astra's twin moons.
He blinked, feeling the lingering warmth of his blanket, yet his stomach growled with a hollow ache, like a small drum echoing in the night.
He sat up, scanning the small dorm room.
The faint scent of wood and metal lingered — the smell of the Ether conduits built into the walls.
Outside, the wind howled through narrow gaps, carrying with it the chime of a silver bell somewhere far away.
"Late already…" Elior muttered, glancing toward the window.
The sky was as dark as ink, the twin moons glimmering like a still lake.
The towers of Astra stood in silence, veiled in a misty blue sheen.
His stomach rumbled again.
"Guess I really am hungry."
He threw on his cloak and opened the door.
The hallway stretched long and carpeted in green, lined with rows of dorm doors — all shut tight, save for a few with slivers of light beneath them.
Tiny Ether orbs floated along the ceiling, like fireflies keeping watch over the academy's slumber.
Elior walked softly, heading for Lucen's room.
He knocked three times.
No answer.
Another try — still nothing.
Lucen was likely out.
Elior sighed and turned to leave, but stopped before another door.
A small plaque read: Alice.
He knocked lightly.
Moments later, the door creaked open, a rush of cool air escaping along with the scent of mint.
Alice stood there in a long coat, hair tousled, eyes still bright from reading.
"Elior? What are you doing wandering around this late?"
"Uh… I'm starving," he said, a little embarrassed. "Lucen's not in his room. Want to grab something to eat?"
Alice smirked. "Sure — as long as the place doesn't vanish like those labs on the seventh floor."
The two descended the spiral stairs, walking through a pale blue corridor that led toward the main hall.
Before them stood a great door inscribed in old lettering: Astra Academy Canteen.
Elior pushed it open.
Warmth flooded out — the scent of food, sweet drinks, and heated Ether blending together.
Inside wasn't a formal dining hall as he'd imagined, but a vast bar lined with round tables, wooden chairs, and floating Ether lamps like tiny drifting stars.
Students of every house crowded the place — laughing, arguing, eating.
Among them, a few black-cloaked figures of the demonkin sat scattered across the room.
The noise and chaos were nothing like the solemn academy by day.
Alice raised an eyebrow. "This place… is livelier than I thought."
"Yeah," Elior muttered. "Feels more like a magical bazaar than a cafeteria."
They approached the counter.
Behind it stood a silver-haired student wearing an Astra apron.
"What'll it be?" she asked.
"Two honey-crust pastries, one herbal tea, and… that red drink — what is it?" Elior pointed.
"That's Crimson Soul Draft. One sip keeps you awake for three nights straight."
"I'll take a small one," he said, trying to sound calm.
She jotted the order and showed the price — one Silver Glint Coin.
Elior handed her a Gold Diem instead.
The golden glow instantly drew several glances from nearby tables.
A hoarse voice called out from behind:
"Well, look who's here — the new kid flashing gold coins? Big spender, huh?"
Elior turned.
A gray-haired demon with red eyes leaned on the counter, smirking.
"Better pay a protection fee, rookie. Around here, scholarships don't keep you safe."
Chairs scraped.
From the corner, Varzek stood up — tall, draped in crimson, twin silver horns curving back.
Beside him were two others: Morr, a squat brute built like a keg, and Kerr, thin and sharp-eyed.
Varzek grinned.
"Well, Elior. Didn't expect to see you here. And Alice — still finding trouble to poke at?"
Alice tightened her grip on her glass. "At least I know how to think before punching someone."
"Oh? Care to test that?" Varzek's eyes gleamed, black Ether crackling around his fist.
The air grew tense.
Elior took a small step back — he could feel the light in his palm quiver, Ether in his blood stirring on instinct.
Morr snorted. "Looks like we've got ourselves some entertainment."
But before anyone could move — the room fell silent.
The wind stopped.
The Ether lights froze mid-air.
A white glow swept across the floor like running water.
The canteen door opened once more.
Remiel entered.
Light seemed to follow him — soft yet immense, as if every dust mote feared to touch him.
He didn't need to speak; every student instinctively bowed their heads.
Varzek stiffened, then gave a curt nod and retreated, dragging Morr and Kerr into the shadows.
Remiel's gaze drifted across the hall — pausing a heartbeat longer on Elior.
Not stern, not accusing — just… remembering.
"Students," he said, his voice clear as glass bells.
"Night has fallen. The canteen closes in ten minutes. If you wish to keep your points, return to your dorms."
Just one sentence — and the room froze under a veil of cool light.
Elior bowed. "Yes, Master Remiel."
Remiel's lips curved faintly.
"Elior… next time, avoid sitting near demonkin. Your light tends to make them uneasy."
Then he turned and left, his robe trailing like mist.
No one dared to speak after that.
Alice glanced at Elior, lips pressed tight.
"Guess we just avoided getting tossed out the window."
Elior exhaled slowly, trying to sound casual.
"Yeah… let's go back."
They left the canteen.
Outside, the black moonlight was still, casting their shadows long across the silver stone — two small figures beneath a sky where light and darkness forever circled each other.
Ending – Beneath the Twin MoonsAs they walked back through Astra's silent halls, the floating Ether lights rose and dimmed like soft breaths.
The wind whispered through the arches — distant, cold.
Alice walked beside him quietly; each step left a faint frost trail that faded into the air.
Elior said nothing.
Remiel's voice still echoed in his mind — "Your light tends to make them uneasy."
Such simple words… yet they struck deep.
Not because of rebuke — but because within Remiel's tone, Elior had sensed something else:
a memory, a warning.
Your light.
Remiel knew.
Elior clenched his fist.
Beneath his sleeve, faint violet-black markings flickered on his wrist — unseen by anyone else.
They pulsed once, then dimmed, like a heartbeat held back.
"You okay?" Alice asked softly, pausing on the stairwell.
He looked up and smiled faintly. "I'm fine. Just tired."
She nodded, her pale-blue eyes shimmering through the mist.
"Remiel seems… to have an eye on you."
"Maybe he has an eye on everyone," Elior replied. "He looks like someone who can read other people's dreams."
Alice let out a light laugh, crystal-clear.
"If that's true, he must be bored stiff reading mine."
Elior didn't answer.
As she walked ahead, he watched her — moonlight reflected off her shoulders, blending with the faint frost around her. She looked almost like a living shard of ice.
When he finally returned to his room, the mirror showed his reflection — pale face, blue eyes… and deep within them, a shadowed gleam that wasn't there before.
Elior whispered under his breath:
"My light… what is it, really?"
Outside, the twin moons hung side by side — one silver, one black —
as though watching… waiting…
for the moment they would trade places.