The next morning came quietly the sky a pale blue, streaked with faint crimson clouds.
Far beyond the academy walls, a patrol group of mages was sent to investigate a sudden "impact" report from the nearby forest. The air smelled faintly of ash, and strange burn marks shaped like dragon scales covered the ground.
"These patterns… they're not from any known spell," one mage murmured, kneeling beside a crater.
"Looks like meteor impact," another replied, scratching his head. "But it's… too symmetrical. Too focused."
"Then what caused it?"
"Who knows… unless someone decided to challenge the gods."
The ground shimmered faintly a trace of red energy still lingering. The leader frowned and quickly cast a detection spell, but the reading scrambled and vanished before he could finish.
"Seal this area," he ordered grimly. "Until we find the source, no one steps foot here."
Meanwhile, back at the academy…
Mila woke to the sound of her students chatting outside the training grounds. She rubbed her eyes, the faint soreness in her body reminding her of the night before.
"Ugh… my whole body feels like I was run over by a dragon," she muttered, stretching her arms.
As she stood up, one of her Class F students rushed toward her with a newspaper crystal in hand.
"Miss Mila! Look!" the student exclaimed, projecting the article in the air.
The headline floated in glowing text:
"Mysterious Meteor Shower Strikes Near Eastern Forest No Casualties Reported."
Mila blinked, pretending to be surprised.
"Meteors? Around here?" she said calmly, forcing a small chuckle.
"Yes, ma'am! They say it looked like red fire streaks! Some say it was a divine sign!"
Her smile faltered slightly as the student spoke.
"Red fire, huh…?" she whispered under her breath.
The student tilted his head.
"Miss Mila?"
"Ah, nothing," she replied quickly. "Just… wondering what kind of sign it could be."
As the students walked away, Mila turned her gaze to the distant forest.
A faint pulse resonated in her chest the same energy signature she'd felt during her training last night.
"So… it reached that far," she murmured, half in awe, half in worry.
Her golden eyes dimmed slightly as she thought back to the roaring dragon head, the blinding light, and the overwhelming force that had left her breathless.
"I can't let this keep happening," she whispered to herself. "If anyone finds out…"
A sudden gust of wind blew past her, rustling her silver hair. For a moment, she could almost hear a voice carried on the breeze deep, ancient, and faintly familiar.
"You still remember me… don't you?"
Her eyes widened. She looked around, but there was no one nearby.
The field was empty. The voice was gone.
"No way…" she muttered. "That… sounded like"
But before she could finish, the academy bell rang, snapping her back to reality.
She took a deep breath, hiding the lingering tremor in her hands.
"Come on, Mila," she whispered to herself with a forced smile. "Time to teach class. Just… pretend everything's normal."
She walked off toward the training grounds, leaving behind the echoes of last night's crimson sky unaware that, far above, another faint red streak shimmered in orbit, as if watching her.