"Darkness and light are only beautiful when they exist together."
Morning came quietly.
A thin layer of mist covered the grounds of Arcanis Tempeste. The stone paths were damp, the air still. Birds were singing—at least, it sounded like they were.
Kashikari stood at the northern tower, leaning against the cold railing as he watched the students below.
Everything looked normal.Peaceful. Ordered. Predictable.
But something felt… off.
It was the kind of silence that didn't belong to peace—the kind that came before something broke.
For a year, he had suppressed Jinwi.
Forced it into silence.
Yet that silence wasn't comforting. It felt incomplete.
When Jinwi didn't speak, his own thoughts grew louder.
"How silent is peace supposed to be?"
He didn't have an answer.
The wind brushed past him, shifting direction slightly. He lowered his gaze.
He hadn't fought in a year.
But with every day without battle, something else inside him grew stronger.
A different kind of war.
Nyari walked across the academy courtyard, her steps slow, her eyes fixed on the ground. A notebook rested in her hands.
She had dreamed last night.
A white light.A voice.
But she couldn't remember what it said.
Only one word remained, echoing faintly in her chest:
"Remember."
She placed her hand over her heart.
For a brief moment, warmth spread through her body—then vanished.
She told herself it was nothing.
It was easier that way.
At the edge of the village, Dorum was tending to a small patch of soil.
The ground was damp, but something felt wrong.
The plants… weren't behaving naturally.
Even without sunlight, they all leaned in the same direction.
Dorum paused, narrowing his eyes.
"…The air feels different."
Around noon, something subtle happened.
The windows of the academy library trembled.
Not from wind.Not from an earthquake.
Just a faint vibration—gone as quickly as it came.
No one noticed.
A single book slipped from a shelf and hit the ground.
On its cover, an old symbol was carved:
Δ
Kashikari turned his head.
For a split second, something sparked inside his chest.
Jinwi's voice returned, faint but clear.
"Do you feel it?"
Kashikari closed his eyes.
"No… not yet."
A pause.
Then, quietly:
"…But I will."