It had already been two years since I started attending the Eclipsera Academy. My father wanted me to follow in his footsteps, while my mother feared the dangers of the Veil. The sun had already illuminated everything by the time I arrived at the academy. The school stood in the heart of Eclipsera, surrounded by a magical aura, with nearly impenetrable walls of metal and stone protecting the young hunters in training.
As I reached the door, I raised my hand and pressed it against the identification panel on the wall.
"Welcome, Lyra Vaelthane."
The door opened immediately. As I stepped into the courtyard, the air was filled with the scent of sweat, steel, and magic. The clatter of wooden training swords mixed with the cadets' shouts—and somehow, in that chaos, I felt at home.
The cadets were already deep into their training, with only Sera, my best friend, and Aric, our lead officer, standing at the edge of one of the rings.
"Cadet Vaelthane, late again," he said, giving me a measuring glance. I'd be lying if I said I'd always arrived on time lately.
"It won't happen again, sir!"
Sir… Despite the authoritative tone in his gaze, I doubted he was much older than us. His raven-black hair blended into the night, and he wore his usual black shirt and gray pants.
"Go, and practice with Sera. She was kind enough to wait."
He handed us a wooden sword, then ushered us into the ring.
"I'm glad to see you. Excited for our first mission? I hope we get assigned together!" Sera said. Her sparkling green eyes always lifted my spirits.
"Yes, I'm looking forward to it too!"
A long training session followed, ending only at noon.
"Gather around me, hunter cadets!" Aric shouted, and in an instant, everyone circled him. The younger female cadets adored him, while the boys respected him.
"Aric is really handsome today too, don't you think?" Sera whispered in my ear.
Yes, even she had a crush on him.
"I'd rather not answer that," I whispered back. Aric shot a sharp glance in our direction, signaling us to keep quiet.
"Today is very important for you all. It will determine which squad you'll belong to. Everyone will be assigned in pairs for a mission. The pairs are: Nick and Lea, Alan and Max… and finally, Lyra and Sera."
When he looked at us, his onyx eyes seemed to pierce right through me, but Sera just grinned beside me, celebrating that we were in the same team.
The sun was already setting as all the cadets reached the town hall. The air vibrated with magic—our first mission was about to begin. The muscle soreness from training was nothing compared to my pounding heart.
Sera nudged my shoulder.
"Ready, partner?" she asked with a smile. Her outfit was similar to mine: a black leather suit with gold stripes, her long blonde hair tied in a braid as always. My outfit differed only in the stripes, which were blue, almost the same color as my eyes.
"Yes, I think… although… this isn't the academy courtyard anymore." I swallowed hard.
Aric watched the teams carefully as they moved toward their designated zones. He had mentioned that we would be monitored on our mission.
"We better get going," I said. Sera grabbed my arm, and we dashed toward the area where the Veil was thin.
Missions were assigned randomly; ours was to reinforce a section of the Veil that was close to tearing.
It took roughly half an hour to reach the Veil. We immediately noticed the discoloration.
"Lyra, this is your field." I gestured for Sera to step back and began the task.
"Veil that divides, return to your breath.Let the hollow sleep, let the light remain."
My energy circulated through the Veil, strengthening it and restoring its color.
"That was easy," Sera said. Though it felt suspiciously simple.
While we were contemplating, a thin, soft voice reached us.
"E-excuse me, didn't you see my mom?" A little girl stood a few meters away, fidgeting with her hair in one hand and holding her skirt with the other.
"Are you lost?" The girl nodded. I stepped toward her and stopped in front of her.
"Don't worry, we don't mean any harm. We just want to help." I extended my hand; she grabbed it, and.. -wait. Something was wrong.
"Sera, run-" I couldn't finish the sentence as the girl's form began to change into a Mournspawn. I struggled to free my arm, summoning my pistol. The Mournspawn grew enormous, its gray, rotting skin, claws long and sharp. Before I could fire, it threw me aside by my arm. Before hitting the ground, a magical force caught me. It was Sera. Her power allowed her to manipulate the Veil's energy, even creating a protective shield. She held me up and formed a protective barrier around us.
"Hurry, I can't hold it for long!" Blood dripped from her nose, her hands trembling. This was my only chance. I loaded my weapon with an Eclipsera crystal, aimed, and fired. Fortunately, the bullet hit its mark, severing one of its arms, but the creature didn't even flinch. It sent a strong shockwave into the ground, shattering the shield and sending Sera collapsing, while I landed on the ground.
What do I do now? Think, Lyra!
My thoughts were interrupted by the Mournspawn's loud roar. It began cracking like stone before turning to dust right before my eyes. What was that?
In its place stood a boy in pitch-black clothes, holding a steel sword hunters used against Mournspawns. His eyes glowed red as he looked at me, then stepped forward to help me up.
"Who are you? Another hunter?"
"I don't owe you an explanation. I was just following the creature." His voice was hoarse, shoulders broad, his honey-brown hair gleaming in the darkness.
"You ruined our mission."
"If I hadn't intervened, you'd be dead. Though I sense a strong power emanating from you—does it come from you?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Never mind. It's better if no one knows about our encounter. Just say you killed the creature."
I glanced at where the monster had been. It had caused quite a bit of destruction.
"But—" When I looked back, the mysterious hunter had disappeared, leaving only Sera and me behind.