Joy rolled her eyes at Keiran and shoved his shoulder lightly.
"Keep talking like that," she said dryly, "and I'll crush that confidence of yours too."
Keiran smirked, completely unbothered.
"Scary," he said lazily, stepping back. "Alright, alright. I'm going. Don't start a war without me."
He gave a casual wave and headed back toward the boys' building.
But Lira didn't move.
She stood exactly where she was, frozen in place, eyes still fixed on the path where Marissa and Ivan had disappeared.
Joy noticed immediately.
Of course she would be shocked. Anyone would be.
But Joy's expression hardened slightly.
She didn't trust Marissa.
Not even a little.
People like Marissa didn't just apologize and change. No… if anything, humiliation like that only planted revenge.
Still…
Joy exhaled slowly.
She'd let it slide.
Once.
For now.
"Come on," Joy said, nudging Lira's arm. "Don't think too much about it."
--------------------
Far away from the human world—
Beyond sky and stars—
Another realm breathed.
A divine realm.
A world alive with power.
Immense golden towers stretched into glowing skies while rivers of light flowed through the air like drifting constellations.
Winged beings crossed the heavens, their auras shining in colors of fire, wind, water, stone, and light.
At the heart of this realm stood a colossal castle carved from living crystal and ancient stone.
Inside its vast hall, rulers and guardians of many realms had gathered.
The chamber was enormous—pillars carved with symbols of creation rising toward a ceiling filled with floating stars. Energy pulsed through the air like a quiet heartbeat.
At the center stood the grandest throne.
A throne of emerald.
Deep green crystal shaped from the bones of mountains themselves.
Upon it sat the Earth Element.
His presence was calm but immense, like the weight of continents.
Emerald light glowed faintly around him, vines of energy curling along the throne's edges as if the world itself breathed through him.
Before him stood dozens of beings—angels, guardians, elemental lords, scholars of ancient power.
Questions rose from the crowd.
"Have the disturbances been confirmed?"
"Are the mortal realms safe?"
"Do we know the source?"
The Earth Element answered each calmly, his voice deep and steady like distant thunder beneath the ground.
"We are investigating."
"Balance is holding—for now."
"There is no need for panic."
Murmurs rippled across the chamber.
Then he slowly cleared his throat.
The hall quieted immediately.
"The other rulers," he said, "Fire, Air, and Water, are already working on the matter."
A few nods spread across the gathered assembly.
"Even Light and Shadow have begun their own investigations."
More nods.
But one figure stepped forward.
"And the two sons of the Lord of Night?" they asked carefully.
The room fell silent.
Even the floating lights dimmed slightly.
The Earth Element leaned back against his emerald throne, fingers resting on the armrest carved like ancient stone roots.
His expression remained calm.
But his eyes sharpened slightly.
"We will consider," he said slowly, "how best to deal with them."
The chamber remained silent.
Because everyone there knew one thing.
If the sons of the Lord of Night were involved—
Then whatever was coming…
Would not be small.
One by one, the rulers, angels, and guardians began to leave the great hall.
Their wings faded into streaks of light. Doors of crystal closed behind them. The echoes of their voices slowly disappeared into the vast corridors of the castle.
Soon the chamber was quiet again.
Only the emerald glow of the throne remained.
The ruler of Earth leaned back slightly, the weight of the realm resting easily on his shoulders. Vines of living energy curled lazily along the arms of the throne, responding to his presence like loyal servants.
His name was Aurelion.
Ancient.
Steady as mountains.
Aurelion let out a slow breath and rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"The sons of the Lord of Night…" he murmured to himself.
His deep green eyes drifted toward the tall windows where the endless sky of the divine realm shimmered with drifting light.
"This is becoming troublesome."
He tapped one finger against the emerald armrest.
A dull vibration passed through the stone floor—like the distant movement of tectonic plates responding to his thoughts.
"And the mortals are already starting to notice."
His gaze darkened slightly.
"And lightning…"
He shook his head.
"No."
That would complicate everything.
Lightning was unpredictable. Emotional. Violent when provoked. If the Lightning Heir became involved too early, the delicate balance between realms could collapse before they even understood the full problem.
Aurelion leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees.
"There must be another way."
His mind moved through possibilities like shifting continents.
Containment. Observation. Subtle interference.
But open conflict?
That would wake forces far older than any of them wanted stirring.
He exhaled slowly.
"For now… we watch."
The emerald glow around him pulsed softly, like the heartbeat of the world itself.
But deep in his thoughts, one concern remained.
If the sons of the Lord of Night continued moving freely in the mortal world…
Sooner or later—
Lightning would notice.
---
The afternoon sun was softer when school finally ended.
Lira walked beside Caelen along the familiar road home, their footsteps steady against the pavement. The wind moved gently through the trees, carrying the quiet sounds of the evening.
She had been talking the whole way.
"…and then Marissa just bowed," Lira said, still sounding a little stunned. "Right there in front of everyone. Ivan too."
Caelen glanced at her, brows pulling together.
"They bowed?"
"Yes," Lira nodded quickly. "They apologized for everything. In front of the whole courtyard."
She kicked a small pebble along the road as they walked.
"They looked horrible though. Bruised… scared." Her voice softened slightly. "I actually felt bad for them."
Caelen didn't answer immediately.
"So I tried to help her up," Lira continued. "But when I touched her, she slapped my hand away like I burned her or something."
Caelen's jaw tightened slightly.
"And then she apologized again and ran off," Lira finished with a small shrug. "It was really weird."
He stayed quiet.
Too quiet.
Lira finally turned toward him.
"By the way," she said, narrowing her eyes slightly, "why were you late this morning?"
Caelen's steps faltered for half a second.
Just half.
But she noticed.
"You weren't in your room," she added. "I waited."
For a moment, something flickered across his face.
Anxiety.
Real, quick, and sharp.
Then he shook his head lightly.
"…It's nothing," he said.
Too quickly.
His eyes shifted forward again as they kept walking.
But Lira studied him carefully.
Because Caelen almost never looked nervous.
And today—
He definitely had.