Drifter y in bed, half-awake, the low hum of the air ditioning filling the quiet room. Drowsiness g to him, but so did the weight of yesterday’s failure.

  Alma’s pale face, her body colpsing. Nadia’s terrified expression as she held her, hands slick with blood that wouldn’t stop. The se repyed in his mind.

  Until a soft chime from his Lumina Core shattered the stillness. He tapped the devi his wrist and g the message. It was from Luna.

  “M, seminar with Professor Friedrich today. 10:00. Academig. Be there.”

  He frowned. Wait… isn’t today Voltis? A weekend?

  With a sigh, he sat up and gazed at the holographic dar on his wall.

  Date: 12th of Avesia, 1092.Lumina’s Legacy – H the ior of the Lumina Core, Professor Elion.

  He remembered arriving in this era during the third month, Vespera. Now it was already Avesia, the fifth month. It’s been two months already…

  Then his eyes fell on the words Lumina’s Legacy.

  Well, that's why. Maybe the seminar is for h him or something.

  Drifter arrived at the academig, stepping into the vast hall bathed in soft m light. Sunlight streamed through the gss windows, casting colorful patterns across the cold white floor.

  Familiar faces filled the room. In the crowd, Drifter spotted Nadia. He wondered why she had e to the seminar instead of resting. Is she already okay? But her expression was distant, her eyes avoiding his.

  From the back row, Lor waved casually before calling out, his voice cutting through the murmuring crowd.

  Drifter sighed and made his way over, settling into the seat beside him. As expected, Lor was already rambling about something inprehensible. Drifter only nodded occasionally, his attention drifting across the hall.

  The domed ceiling above was a marvel, adorned with slow-moving paintings of glowing lines weaviween stars. The gentle hum of the holographic s filled the room.

  At the front, Professor Friedrich Rosenthal stood tall in a sharp bck suit, his keen eyes sing the audience. Beside him, Luna Sabriel sat elegantly, a bck dress and a deep teal coat, holding a small tablet in her hands.

  Ohe seminar began, Drifter quickly lost i. The topic—Evocyte servation—was far from his area of expertise. Back then, he had been more fasated by alchemy. But now… even alchemy felt like a distant memory. None of this mattered to him anymore. He exhaled softly, hoping time would move faster. His attention drifted across the room, noting a few students nodding off, while others remained ily focused.

  Beside Lor, Sloane leaned back zily, resting his on one hand.

  “Ugh, this is s… when’s it going to end?” he muttered.

  Lor stirred from his half-asleep state, his messy red hair falling into his eyes as he groggily responded, voice hoarse.

  “Just sleep through it. You’ll wake up when it’s over,” he said dryly.

  Sloane snorted. “Yeah, right. If they catch me, I’ll get called out.”

  As if summoned by his words, Professor Friedrich suddenly turned his gaze toward them. His sharp eyes narrowed slightly.

  “Lor,” he called out, his voice calm but firm. “Could you expin what an evocyte is?”

  Lor jolted upright, panic fshing across his face. He shot out of his seat so quickly that his chair scraped against the floor.

  “Uh… uh… it’s… uh… the element for trolling magic… for bat, sir,” he stammered. His words wavered with uainty.

  Drifter smirked as ughter rippled through the hall. Lor’s answer wasirely wrong—but it ainfully simplistic, like a child grasping at a cept far beyond their depth.

  Friedrich sighed. “Sloane, assist your cssmate.”

  Sloaood up with practiced ease, a smirk pying on his lips.

  “Yes, sir. Evocyte is a natural energy produced by living anisms and the enviro. When it es to nature, this energy primarily inates from leyline systems.”

  Friedrich gave a small nod. “That is correct, Sloane, but it extends beyond that. In aimes, it is believed that all living beings—much like what rimordials today—could harness evocyte directly, without the aid of tools like the Lumina Core. eions, this ability has faded. Our task now is to uncover whether this is true and, if so, uand why it happened.”

  On the holographic s, glowing leyliworks appeared, pulsing softly like the veins of a living world. The green-blue strands branched and verged, illuminating the faces of the students. Occasionally, certain nodes fred brightly, like a heartbeat.

  “Additionally,” Friedrich tinued, “researdicates a strong corretioween leylih and pnt life. Regions with denser vegetatioo produce higher-quality evocyte.”

  Sloauro Lor, his smirk deepening. “Told you. That’s why you shouldn’t sleep. If you get bored, just space out—getting called on is the real danger.”

  Lor groaned, slumping in his chair. “Ugh… I ’t take this anymore.”

  The sessioually shifted into a Q&A portion. Luna stepped forward, her voice poised yet anding.

  “Thank you, Professor. That was an enlighteniure. Does anyone have any questions?”

  Nadia Fernleaf hesitated before raising her hand, adjusting her gsses and gripping her notebook.

  “Go ahead, Nadia,” Luna enced.

  “Thank you,” Nadia replied softly. “If pnts affect evocyte produ, have govers takeute evocyte geors?”

  Friedrich smiled faintly. “Good question. While evocyte geors are important, the cve of Eldoria has tried using quartz-based alternatives. However, global use has been slow due to shes aance from the Arcadia Republic.”

  Nadia nodded, satisfied.

  Caelus Amelioris stood up , looking thoughtful. “Professor, I’ve seen studies suggesting evocyte residue affeearby habitats—like alteriher or mutating wildlife. Is that true?”

  Friedrich’s expression sharpened. “It’s true that residue affects evocyte produ, but its impa weather and mutations is still uudy. We need more data, especially from areas with high residue.”

  As more partits asked questions, Drifter noticed a few students sighing, growiless with eaew inquiry. The questio ing, but it was clear some were eager for the seminar to end.

  Finally, Luna stepped forward, signaling the clusion of the session.

  “We’re out of time. It’s now lunch break. Please return in thirty mihank you for your participation.”

  The partits slowly filtered out of the hall, their chatter filling the corridors. Drifter followed Lor, Sloane, and Reiside.

  The dining area was lively The partits chatting over meals, drinks in hand. Amidst the noise, Lor stretched dramatically.

  “I’m done. Skipping the session—no way I’m sitting through another minute of that.”

  Sloane chuckled. “Fair. I’m in. Where are we going?”

  Reine sighed. “e on, guys… what if they take roll? You know how this ends.”

  "Who cares about the punishment? Whatever. My brain's melting," Lor said, then turo Drifter. "You in?"

  Drifter shook his head. “No. Luna would kill me.”

  Lor ughed. "e on, you sound like a guy scared of his wife."

  Nearby, Bryan, Alyssa, Erick, and Caelus overheard them.

  Bryan crossed his arms. "Friedrich might seem id-back, but he’s strict about discipline. You’ll regret it."

  Alyssa scoffed. "Regret? Please. The real problem is you two thinking you actually get away with this."

  Lor shot her an exaggerated bow. "Thanks for the vote of fidence, Alyssa."

  "If yoing to skip," she said, smirking, "at least don’t make it obvious. You’re practically announg it."

  Reine groaned. "This is such a bad idea…"

  Suddenly, a burst of ughter echoed from the lecture hall. A group of girls, led by Vaeloria, passed by.

  Sloane grinned. "Look, even the girls are ditg. Let’s go!"

  Reiated. "But—"

  "Stop overthinking," Lor cut in. "e on!"

  Drifter sighed and followed, mainly because they were f Reine along.

  Just as they were slipping away, they nearly collided with Luna Sabriel in the hallway. Her cold gaze rested on them briefly.

  Lor forced a casual smile. "Good afternoon, Miss Luna."

  Luna gave a thin, knowing smile but said nothing as she walked past.

  As soon as she was gone, Lor exhaled in relief. "Man, dodged a bullet. If it were Alina, we’d be getting interrogated."

  Sloane cpped him on the shoulder. "No kidding. Let’s move before someone worse shows up."

  Luna’s gaze met Drifter’s, and for a moment, their eyes locked. He stiffened ever so slightly, worried she might think he nning to skip the seminar.

  “Keep an eye on them,” she said simply.

  Drifter sighed. "That’s what I was going to do anyway."

  He caught up with them in the academy courtyard. As he approached, Lor’s eyes widened, followed by a grin that spread across his face.

  “Ho… you finally got away... So, are you no longer ‘scared of your wife’? Lor teased, his voice light with amusement.

  Drifter gave a faint smile. "Don’t force Reio this... he’s had enough," he said softly, a hint of in his voice.

  “You two are ag like you don’t want to run off,” Sloaeased with a knowing grin. “I tell you’re both bored.”

  “So, Reine? You ing?” Drifter asked gently, turning to him.

  “I... I... sorry,” Reitered, his voice full of hesitation.

  “See, he’s ing with us! Let’s go! Old man’s ing too!” Lor urged.

  Drifter nodded, and they quied their pace, trailing behind Vaeloria’s group as they made their way further dowh. Uo tain his curiosity, Lor jogged ahead to catch up with her.

  So, where’s the party, Ria? he asked.

  Vaeloria turned, a light ugh esg her lips. "Oh, you’re ditg too, huh? Good. The more, the merrier."

  She g Drifter. "Oh, Mr. From the Past is joining us? This should be iing," Vaeloria teased, her tone pyful.

  “It’s fine, just call me Drifter,” he said with a shrug.

  “Oh... as you wish,” Vaeloria replied.

  “By the way, we’re headed to the Serrahival iy. And guess what? Starlight Vagabond is the headliner!” Vaeloria added.

  “No way! How did I not hear about this? Nothing came up on the Are work!” Sloane excimed, his voice rising with excitement.

  The group took the skyrail from the tral District to the ercial aertai District. As they arrived, a rge billboard loomed above them, fshing advertisements for the Serrahival, featuring the Wing Lotus Evocaier Order emblem and the Kingdom of Serrahn’s Starlike emblem.

  Upon arriving at the festival on Evimea Avehey were greeted by the lively atmosphere, filled with the smell of grilled food and the sounds of music. During the opening ceremony, they spotted Headmaster Gideon giving a speech. Curious, Drifter checked the Are work and discovered that Gideon mahe city’s civil affairs, while Friedrich hahe military. It was remarkable to think back to the old days when nobles were giveories, each city having its own leader. Now, Gideon was managing both roles at once.

  As they moved together, Reine suddenly stopped.

  “Wait—my sister’s here? She’s gonna find out we’re skipping!” Reine said, his voice filled with .

  “Chill, Reine. Your sister’s not gonna bust us. We’re good,” Lor replied fidently.

  Drifter watched as Lor and Sloane marched forward, their steps purposeful as they approached a group of people: two meh ashen skin—two women, oh horns, and finally, they stopped in front of a young woman with soft teal hair.

  “Hey… Reina… what’s up?” Lor said with a casual wave.

  “What’s up, what’s up!” Sloane added enthusiastically.

  “Oh… it’s you two…” Reina said, her tone skeptical as she turned her gaze to Reine behind her and walked toward him. As she neared, she smiled wryly.

  “Hi, sis…” Reitered, feeling a bit nervous.

  “You know Mom’s gonna be upset if she finds out, right?” Reina said with a raised eyebrow.

  “Uh… yeah, sorry…” Reitered, looking down.

  Behind Reina, an athletian with e hair and horns chimed in with an easy smile, walking closer to Reine.

  “Hey, Reine, long time no see. How’s it going?” the e-haired woman said.

  “I’m doing okay, Helvra,” Reine replied, managing a smile.

  “e on, Reina, don’t be so hard on him. Everyone needs a little fun now and then, right?” Helvra said, her tone pyful.

  “Fine, but keep him out of trouble, got it? No shady business,” Reina warned.

  “Shady business? Us? Never!” Lor replied with a grin.

  “Scout’s honor, ma’am!” Sloane added, saluting.

  Reina’s eyes flicked over to Drifter.

  “He’s the one? From the past?” she asked, her gaze sharp.

  “Yeah…” Reine said, nodding.

  Drifter suddenly fell disfrowing uhe weight of the others' stares.

  The man with ashen skin stepped forward, his glowing red eyes and pointed ears stark against his simple blue shirt. He extended a hand and greeted Drifter warmly.

  "Oh, so you're the one from the past. We're members of the Order from hia. Name's Xaltherion, but you call me Therion. o meet you."

  Drifter shook his hand. He had yet to visit the Order’s HQ ihia.

  As he studied Xaltherion for a moment as his thoughts raced. He looks like an Umbradi. As far as he khey were native to the Holy Empire of Selvaria. It was unusual to see one here.

  Before Drifter could speak, another voiterjected.

  “I’m Helvra. o meet you. What should we call you?” she asked.

  “Drifter. It’s o meet you all,” Drifter replied.

  Behind them, a man with dark blue hair that fell over his eyes stood, his gothic bck attire ated with silver. His crimson eyes glinted as he observed them, exuding a quiet intimidation.

  “So, how’s it been? Adjusting to life here?” Therion asked.

  “It’s been… manageable,” Drifter answered.

  “ime, why don’t you join us on a mission? Could be fun,” Helvra suggested with a pyful grin.

  “I’m curious about you too. I heard your duel with Grandmaster Mina ended in a draw. That’s impressive,” Reina said.

  “Yes, we’ll be waiting for that day,” Therion added.

  Drifter responded with a small smile.

  In the background, a man with dark blue hair started walking away from the group without saying a word. Therion watched him quietly, a faint smile pying at the er of his lips.

  “Hey, who’s that guy?” Sloane asked, nodding toward the figure with dark blue hair as he walked off.

  “I think… he’s my sister’s team leader,” Reine said.

  Suddenly, the sound of musi the main stage caught their attention. A mystical pop melody weaving through the air and sileng the crowd.

  Drawn in by the captivating harmony, Drifter and the others moved closer to the stage. Singers and background dancers moved in perfect synization, their voices and steps weaving a story. shimmering white and bes, they exuded both grad power, their performaerly mesmerizing.

  At the ter of the stage, Lei stood out, her voice hauntingly beautiful and mysteriously enting. Her wavy brown hair, partially veiled in bck, framed her golden eyes, which sparkled like gems uhe lights. Her danents were graceful, each step flowing effortlessly with the music.

  Sloane and Vaeloria seemed deep in discussion as Drifter overheard them. It sounded like she had just sung her most popur song, Eclipse Horizons.

  Drifter stood frozen, his eyes fixed ohe music swelled to its cresdo, drawing cheers from the crowd. As the final note lingered in the air, the performers bowed slightly before disappearing behind the curtain.

  “Whoa… that was… something else,” Sloane said, still caught in the lingering energy of the performance.

  Vaeloria smirked, gng at Drifter. “Well, well, Drifter, you were watg pretty seriously, you know… Didn’t peg you as a fan of Lei. Guess you’ve got taste.”

  “Not a fan. Just… watg,” Drifter said.

  “He won’t admit it… I bet his Lumina Core is packed with Lei’s photos,” Lor teased.

  Drifter sighed, shaking his head with a faint smirk. “Oh no, how’d you figure it out? My big secret’s out.”

  The group ughed at Drifter’s rea.

  Reina chuckled softly, waving a hand as she stepped babsp;“Alright, alright. We’ll leave you to it. Our leader’s probably waiting for us.”

  “Later, you lot. Don’t get into too much trouble!” Helvra said, giving a carefree wave.

  “Until ime,” Therion added with a nod.

  The group drifted away, disappearing into the bustliival crowd as the sun dipped lower in the sky, painting everything in a golden glow.

  “e o’s go get Lei’s autograph!” Sloane said, his excitement barely tained.

  The group followed Sloane, with Lor snickering at him along the way. “Man, you are such a fanboy.”

  As they reached the autograph booth, a long liretched ahead of them. Drifter’s eyes flicked to a nearby sign.

  “‘Oracle Booth’? What, is she some kind of fortueller?” he asked.

  "You didn’t know? Her songs are like cryptic messages. She also likes to leave random, funny notes in her autographs—kinda like a secret code. It’s just her thing," Sloane expined.

  As the line crept forward, they finally found themselves standing in front of Lei. She sat with an air of quiet fidenow dressed in a stylish white blouse, a bck coat draped over her shoulders, and fitted jeans. Her outfit was somewhat revealing, atuating her presence.

  As Drifter’s gaze met her goldeime itself seemed to pause. There was something almost tangible in her pierg stare—something that held him frozen in pce.

  “Why is she looking at you like that?” Reine murmured under his breath.

  Drifter’s voice was just as low. “I don’t know. I don’t even know her.”

  “She’s… even more incredible up close,” Sloane murmured in awe.

  Finally stepping forward, Sloane grinned nervously as he held out a book.

  “Uh… Lady Lei, could you… sign my book?” he asked, his voice tinged with excitement.

  She chuckled softly, her movements graceful as she took the book from his hands.

  “‘Lady’? That’s a bit much, don’t you think?” she teased, signing with fluid eleganbsp;“So, how’d I do? Did I live up to the hype?”

  Sloane’s grin widened as he nodded enthusiastically.

  “Amazing! I’ve been a fan since day one!”

  Lei raised an eyebroyful smile grag her face.

  “Oh? Well, thank you for the support. And what’s your name?”

  “Sloa’s an honor to meet you, Lady Lei!” he said, his voice brimming with admiration.

  Lor groaned, nudging Sloane. “e on, man. To down. You’re making us look bad here.”

  “You’re a funny one,” Lei smiled at Sloane.

  However, the moment her eyes shifted to Drifter, the atmosphere ged again. Her gaze sharpened—intense and unreadable—as if the world around them had vanished once more. A heavy siletled between them, and the small smile on her lips seemed to carry a deeper, unspoken meaning.

  “Hello,” she greeted. “Is there something I help with?”

  “No… it’s just… your performance earlier was impressive. Very remarkable.” Drifter replied.

  “Thank you. I’m gd you liked it.” Lei responded.

  “ we get a picture together, Lady Lei?” Sloa in, still brimming with excitement.

  “Of course,” she said.

  They took a picture with Sloane’s Lumina Core, a selfie with Sloane grinning like a kid who had just gotten his hands on a oy. But before they could leave, Lei’s voice stopped them, her tone shifting to something more serious.

  “And for my fortuhis.”

  Her golden eyes locked onto Drifter, sharp as a dagger.

  “You walk in shadows that stretch far beyond your own. When the past rises, will you stand—or fall with it? Beware the darkhat seeks you, for it will find you when you least expect it.”

  A tense silence followed.

  “What was that about?” Lor muttered, fused.

  Sloane huffed out a ugh. “Heh… you’re kidding, right?”

  Lei’s expression softened slightly. “Of course. Just be careful, okay?”

  As the group drifted bato the festival crowd, Drifter remained rooted in pce, her words eg through his mind.

  Unbidden, images of the Bck Cube—the Academy’s closely guarded secret—fshed before his eyes. It was impossible. Unthinkable. Yet she had spoken of it with such certainty.

  A chill crept down his spine as he recalled the weight of her gaze. It had pierced through every defense, every carefully structed wall, as if seeing straight into the depths of his soul. A cold heaviness settled in his chest, his breath growing shallow.

  The question burned in his mind, refusing to let go.

  Who is she… really?

  The group tihrough the festival, but Drifter remained lost in thought, Lei’s st words eg in his mind. He respoo versations with little more than nods and short replies, barely registering his surroundings.

  Meanwhile, Lor, Reine, and Sloaopped at a Spectra Duel Simutor area, a popur spot for pyers of the holographic card game Spectra. Vaeloria and her group, oher hand, waoward the stalls selling traditional Serrahn Kingdom attire.

  Before heading back, they gathered at a food stand, indulging in Serrahn specialties—Spiced Oasis Lamb and Kherazad Mountain Bread. The fvors were rich, infused with fragrant spices that lingered long after the st bite.

  As the afternoon light softened into evening, they finally decided it was time to return.

  “Think we get back to the Academy without running into Friedrich or Luna?” Vaeloria mused, stretg her arms zily.

  "Yeah, of course… with you being the queen of skipping, we’ll be just fine." Sloane ughed.

  "Jeez," Vaeloria muttered.

  Drifter, trailing slightly behind, already knew what awaited them. There’s no way Luhis slide. But he said nothing.

  As they arrived at the Academy, they moved swiftly and cautiously, their eyes sing every shadow. The halls were quiet, but tension g to the air. As they he academig, just steps away from their lockers, they rounded a er—only to e to an abrupt halt.

  Ahead of them, standing in perfect silence, were Friedrid Luna.

  A suffog stillness settled over the group.

  Drifter watched their faces, notig how pale they had bee. He didn’t say anything—perhaps it was better that way. Any word could make things worse. They were already aware of their as. Maybe, in time, they would refle them.

  Vaeloria, her fident grin faltering as her eyes darted nervously: “Uh-oh.”

  Sloane swallowed hard, fidgeting. “We’re so dead.”

  Immediately, Vaeloria’s panions broke into panicked whispers, their voices overpping in a chaotic mess of fear and excuses.

  Friedrich raised an eyebrow, his gaze sweeping over them with slow deliberation.

  "Ah, so you finally showed up," he said softly.

  The air around them grew heavy.

  Vaeloria let out a nervous ugh, rubbing the back of her nebsp;"Good… afternoon, Professor! Uh, we’ve got… a bit of a headache?"

  "Yeah… about that…" Sloatered.

  "We… uh… we stopped by the hospital," Lor added, his voiving.

  "Oh? The hospital?" Friedrich tilted his head slightly. "Let me call them now, just in case you need better care."

  Vaeloria stiffened. "Oh… actually, we didn’t go to the hospital… it was full."

  "I see." Friedrich folded his arms. "Sihe infirmary is already closed, I call a doctor to e to the Academy. We o make sure you’re all fit."

  They exged gheir throats dry as they swallowed.

  "W-We didn’t mean to skip… w-we just thought maybe… a quick rest would help," Reine said, his voice trembling.

  Vaeloria exhaled sharply. "Okay, sorry. We messed up. There’s no point pretending anymore."

  "Yeah… sorry, we messed up," Lor echoed.

  "Sorry. We promise we won’t do it again," Sloane added quickly.

  Friedrich studied them for a moment before speaking. "I appreciate your hoy. But remember, discipline is crucial. In battle, negligence doesn’t just put you in da puts everyone else at risk too."

  "Sorry, Professor. We really are sorry," Vaeloria said.

  Friedrid Drifter spoke briefly. A faint smile touched his lips as they exged farewells.

  But as Luna approached, Drifter couldn’t help but feel curious.

  Luna’s smile remained, but it was ice-cold, sharp as frost.

  "ime you skip, at least be smarter about it," she said, her voice light yet cutting.

  Her gaze lingered on them for a moment before she turned back following Friedrich. She Drifter, aurhe gesture.

  As they left, siletled over the group like a heavy fog. The only sound was their owhing—uense.

  Vaeloria finally broke it with a shudder. "Why are they so terrifying? They didn’t even yell, but it felt like a death sentence."

  "Yeah, they don’t o yell, but the vibe is seriously scary," Lor muttered.

  "I’d rather get yelled at by Alina all day. At least we know what to expect. With them… it’s like…" Sloarailed off, shaking his head.

  Reine sighed. "See? Told you. ime, don’t skip."

  Drifter gave a brief farewell and headed back to his quarters alone. On the way, he glimpsed the others at the academy wing lockers, seemingly gathering their things to leave.

  As he arrived, he sat in silence. Lei’s words echoed in his mind. The festival had been a blur, but her voice—her warning—remained sharp and clear.