Drifter’s first mission with Luna Sabriel, Jaxon Virelli, and Alina Walsh was unlike anything he had experiehough he had spent time alongside them, but this time, they were a team.

  Before they set out, he filled his pouch to the brim with potions. Jaxon chuckled. “Pnning for the end of the world?”

  Drifter didn’t answer. No amount of preparation could silehe weight of his failures—Nadia's and Alma’s near-fatal death. That burden still followed him.

  Their destination was Everfrost Vilge, northeast of hia, where they were iigating a ret increase in unusual motacks. The cold of Everfrost Vilge hit him like a wall as soon as they arrived. The air was thick with snow, drifting endlessly through the quiet; streets. The vilge itself seemed to hum with an odd warmth. Strangers were rare, but the vilgers greeted him with smiles, their eyes welie the chill in the air.

  The missiohem deeper into Everfrost Forest, where the cold grew ever more biting. T trees loomed overhead, their translut green leaves shimmering as if imbued with a strange, uling life. Their target was a growing horde of Frostfangs—ferocious ice wolf creatures that had been terrorizing the nearby vilge.

  Thanks to Alina’s expert trag, she seemed to possess the ability to detect Evocyte traces like transparent threads only she could see. Using the remnants of the vilgers' belongings from st night’s attack, they quickly located the .

  The battle erupted in an instant—Luna’s ice spears and bolts rained down from the rear as she issued clear ands to the team. At the front, Alina stood firm, her ice-greatsword cleaving through the beasts with precision, while a materialized wall of ice shielded the team from the wolves' ice spikes and frost-ced fangs.

  Jaxon, his boots abze with fire, glided swiftly across the battlefield, his twin bowguns unleashing a relentless barrage of fiery projectiles. Meanwhile, Drifter’s spectral swords carved through the fray, his energy bsts tearing through the wolves with devastating force.

  As the st Frostfang fell, siletled over the battlefield. With the mission plete, they turned back toward the academy, their breath misting in the frigid air.

  As they walked back, Drifter trailed behind, Alina, Jaxon, and Luna as they casually strolled across the courtyard toward the academy’s main building.

  He feels that Alina possesses incredible bat and trag skills. She seems naturally protective of the team, and for some reason, she appears especially protective of Luna—he wonder why. Jaxon, as always, enjoys danger, but his skills allow him to keep up with his reckless gambles. Meanwhile, Luna is just like the first time he fought alongside her—calm and posed. Her orders are clear, and she has a keen sense of deaking.

  "Well, that's done. Mission aplished. See you ter, folks. I've got... other things to do," said Jaxon, his tone rexed, a slight smirk still on his face.

  Alina's sharp gaze was fixed on him. Luna, standing a few steps behind, maintained her usual calm expression.

  As Jaxon approached the main building, under a rge tree, Sloane raised his hand, giving Jaxon a wide smile.

  "Hey, sir… Don’t be te. The Evoball match is about to start!" Sloane called out casually.

  "I bet you tlotting something shady," said Alina, her sharp gaze filled with suspi.

  "Oh, e on, Miss Alina. Why are you always so suspicious? We’re just going to watch Evoball. Right, sir?" replied Sloane, his smile as nont as ever.

  "Rex, Alina. We’re really just going to watch," added Jaxon.

  Alina crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing.

  "Don’t even think about pulling something."

  Luna pced a hand lightly on Alina’s arm, her tone calm but firm.

  "e on, Alina. Let’s finish the report."

  Alina gave o pierg gre at Jaxon before turning sharply. Luna followed quietly behind her.

  Jaxon gri Drifter."What about you, Drifter? You in?"

  "Okay," replied Drifter tersely.

  Without further discussion, they headed to the library. The atmosphere there was silent. Only the three of them were present. They sat in the ter of the room, with Sloane and Jaxon sp wide grins.

  Drifter raised an eyebrow. "I thought you were watg Evoball."

  Both Jaxon and Sloane ughed.

  "Yeah, ter. For now, there’s something we want to show you. It’s important—research," said Sloane.

  "Research?" Drifter asked.

  Sloane chuckled as he pressed the Lumina core on his wrist. A holographic proje flickered to life, images popping up one by one as he tapped through them.

  There were pictures of women, ranging from gmorous dresses to bikinis, some on the beach with the text "Holidays at Maranangara Beabsp;in the file hen, the se shifted to a luxurious hall, t metalic skyscrapers in the background, with a caption that read "Eclipse Rooftop Bars, Upper Edenvell."

  "Impressive, Sloahis is top-tier work," praised Jaxon.

  "This is your research?" asked Drifter in a cold tone.

  Sloated Drifter’s shoulder "Don’t be so serious. It’s natural fuys to like this stuff. e on, you’re curious tht? Don’t pretend you’re not."

  Before Drifter could respond, Jaxon’s Lumina Core vibrated. The name Gianna Virelli glowed softly on the s, interrupting their pyful moment.

  Quickly, Jaxon tapped the holographiterface, pulling up a tablet with a bnk white s. Then he pressed his Lumina core, and a proje flickered to life, revealing a girl with soft brown hair—Gianna Virelli.

  She smiled at Jaxon, and he smiled back, though she didn’t speak. Instead, she began to write something, and soon, a syic female voice filled the air.

  “Hey, Jaxon. How’s everything?” the voice asked.

  Jaxon typed a message on his tablet and showed it to Gianna. Their versation tinued—his responses appearing as text, while the syic voice spoke for her. There was something unspoken in their iion, something that made him wonder if Gianna could no longer speak or hear. The thought stirred a quiet ache in him, but he pushed it aside.

  As the call came to an end, Gianna raised her hand in a final wave of farewell, and Jaxon mirrored the gesture.

  Drifter’s gaze lingered oes, a quiet assumption f that she might be his sister. A quiet ache lingered in him.

  “Alright, back to business. Drifter, are you in or not?” Jaxon asked, his smile warm as he turo Drifter.

  “Maybe ime,” Drifter replied ftly.

  “That means he’s ied. See? Progress!” Sloane grinning.

  “We’re persuasive, aren’t we?” Jaxon chuckled.

  “By the way, handle your report. Unless you want Alina to do more than just gre ime.” Drifter’s voice was a little sharper.

  “Alright, alright. Guess I ’t dodge it forever.” Jaxon said, giving a thumbs-up.

  After finishing both reports and sending them through their Lumina cores, Drifter returo his quarters in the academy’s residential plex. He sat at his desk, near his bck, boxy device—the magisterial sole. As he navigate picture a of the holographic s, the chime and vibration of his Lumina core interrupted his focus. He g it, seeing a call from Friedrich Rosenthal.

  He tapped the Lumina core.

  “Drifter, I apologize for the te hour. Are you avaible?” Friedrich’s voice came through.

  “It’s fine, Professor. What’s going on?” Drifter responded.

  “I need you to e to my house. There’s something I’d like to discuss in person.” Friedrich replied.

  “Now? Is something wrong?” Drifter frowned.

  “Not immediately urgent, but important. I’d appreciate it if you could e.” Friedriswered.

  “I’ll be there shortly.” Drifter said, cutting the e.

  Exiting his room, Drifter made his way to the academy’s underground parking lot. He rode his bck Alcherider Zenith. Its triangur headlights sliced through the night, illuminating the path ahead. as he exit the undeground parking lot, The city’s lights shimmered, casting dang shadows across the surfaces.

  His journey led him to the Residential District of the luxurious Eirda Terraestled he Eirda River. Amid the lush greenery stood a house with geometric designs. The house was two stories tall, with a backyard featuring a spacious pool, outdoor seating, aiculously maintairopidsg.

  Drifter parked his Alcherider Zenith in front of the house. Before he could knock, the door creaked open.

  "Dad is waiting. Please e in, Drifter," she said softly.

  "Thank you, Alma. Are you feeling well?" he asked gently.

  Alma gnced aside to avoid his gaze. He wondered if she was really alright.

  "Yes… thank you," she replied firmly.

  Following her inside, Drifter took in the house’s interior—elega minimalistic, with ral tones. deliers cast a soft glow over carefully arranged furniture, but what stood out most were the full sets of armor dispyed like statues. A colleost likely. Even in his time, traditional armor had long been obsolete, repced by materialized gear.

  The open yout seamlessly ected the living room, kit, and dining area. Yet, somethi off—there were no family photos anywhere.

  In the living room, Friedrich Rosenthal sat on a gray sofa, reading a book. As Drifter entered, he gnced up.

  "Thank you for ing," he said briefly.

  Drifter gave a small nod.

  "It’s no trouble, Professor," he replied courteously.

  "Please, have a seat," said Friedrich, gesturing to the sofa across from him.

  Drifter sat calmly, his posture rexed. Alma headed toward the kit, while Friedrich leaned forward slightly, his expression serious.

  "Do you remember the skyship attack during st month’s training?" he asked.

  Drifter’s eyes narrowed. “Hard tet. Has something new e up?”

  Friedriodded slowly, his expression tense. "We’ve received reports from Grandmaster Amisha. The ship is still missing, but reliable intel suggests it’s likely still withihia region."

  A knot tightened in Drifter’s stomach as memories of the ship resurfaced—a vessel without insignia, carrying hundreds of Skystrikers, attag with no clear purpose.

  "Any theories oarget?" he asked cautiously.

  "No developments yet. We’ve analyzed every known model, even outdated ones—ch. It’s inceivable that sky pirates possess a ship that advanced," Friedrich replied.

  "As Grandmaster instructed, I’ve arranged fht patrols—one person per shift," he added.

  "Allow me to join," Drifter said.

  "Of course. I expected no less from you. Thank you, Drifter. The patrol schedule starts tomorrow, and I’ll share the details in the m." Friedrich aowledged.

  Drifter was about to leave when Alma returned with a warm cup of tea. He sat back, accepting it. They shared light versation about life at the academy and Are work broadcasts. The professor seemed fond of a strange show about little Skylins in arm-like creatures on a edic adventure, fighting dragons and gaining powers with each victory. The show was full of bizarre barking sounds after it gain new power every dragon kill.

  Alma rexed, smiling and ughing. As their versation ended, Drifter politely said his goodbyes. They both responded warmly, and he made his way back to his quarters, closing the day.

  [Location: Outskirts of hia City – Night – 2 Days Later]

  Drifter sped through the city outskirts on his Alcherider Zenith. The bck vehicle hovered low over the roads, the traffic light—fewer than the fingers on his hand. Green trees and open fields blurred past oher side. In the distance, icy mountains loomed, while only the hum of music filled the vehicle.

  “No signal… nothing again,” he muttered.

  Suddenly, a beep broke the silence. Drifter’s eyes flicked to the Vestra s on his vehicle, which dispyed a green square among scattered blue ones.

  “Unknown signal,” he murmured again.

  He accelerated the Alcherider Zenith, heading toward the marked location in the forest. After parking near a 24-hour venieore's underground parking lot, he made his way into the dark woods. There, he found an old warehouse housing a long, regur skyship made of rusty metal—much smaller than the skyships he usually entered.

  Not my target… but who’d be bold enough to fly this scrapheap? he thought.

  Asding the metal stairs on the warehouse’s right side, he moved cautiously. To his left was an old door with a rusted regur handle. As he reached for it, a red projectile shot toward him. His reflexes kicked in. With a swift motion, he deflected the projectile with his dark gray sword Exaltare.

  "Who’s there?" he demanded, his voice low but filled with caution.

  Peering inside, his eyes widened as he saw Jaxon holding his bck twin bow guns.

  "Drifter? Well, what a surprise," Jaxon said casually.

  "What are you doing here?" he asked coldly.

  Jaxon chuckled lightly, his Twin Bowguns dissipating into red particles.

  "Oh, just… enjoying the night. The sky’s beautiful, you know," he replied with a forced ugh.

  Drifter narrowed his eyes. "Oh, really? In that case, I’ll join you. I’ve never seen it."

  Jaxon froze briefly, his expression shifting. "Oh… okay then."

  They moved to the ship’s ter, filled with rusty old metal. Jaxon sat at the front, operating the trols. Drifter stood beside him, silently .

  The ship’s old engine began to hum. Its iron walls turransparent, revealing the green forest and the decrepit garage below shrinking as the ship asded. The city lights faded, leaving only the inky bess beh them.

  "Where are we going?" Drifter finally asked.

  "Oh, I thought I’d check out the Nausyra Sea this time," Jaxon replied casually.

  Drifter remained silent, his mind rag with questions. As far as he khe Nausyra Sea was far from the ral zone and was within the Nusa Union’s territory. Would their ship be shot down if they crossed there without proper clearance? Drifter felt flicted. What was Jaxon’s real goal?

  He reached into his pocket, gng at the small regur object Mina had given him. Wasn’t this the opportunity to open it? Should he ask Jaxon to stop briefly in Unioory? He couldn’t help but wonder.

  For a long moment, the only thing he saw was darkness, but then Jaxon spoke.

  "See? Isn’t it beautiful?" Jaxon said, smiling.

  Drifter blinked, unsure of what had ged. All he saw was the same bviro. “Huh, isn’t it the same as before?” he thought.

  "Yes," Drifter replied curtly.

  A sharp beep broke the air.

  "Uh-oh…" muttered Jaxon, his eyes fixed on the s.

  "What is it?" asked Drifter, his gaze shifting to Jaxon.

  "Sky pirates," Jaxon answered, his jaw tightening.

  From a distahree bck, regur Skyships appeared. Each was armed with forward-mounted ons and glowing blue thrusters at the rear. Drifter observed cautiously as a blue energy tether from one of the Skyships tched onto their vessel, shaking it violently.

  Jaxon ran quickly to the back of the ship, and Drifter followed. After reag the ptform above, they found themselves in the rge cargo room below. Twe crates with a purple glow sat ominously in the ter, but the silence was shattered by the harsh sound of metal scraping against metal. The farthest iron eeled away, as though welded at its edges, and then, without warning, the wall colpsed. Volley of green projectiles shot toward them, and Drifter caught a glimpse of a massive automaton charging at them—its fs and horizontal bdes gleaming menagly

  Instinctively, Drifter activated Exalt Barrier, a blue transparent dome of energy surrounding him and Jaxon, shielding them from the barrage of ining projectiles. As they advanced, Drifter sshed at the automaton with his sword, materializing Spectral Swords that sliced through the air. With his left hand, he unleashed a volley of blue projectiles—Exalt Bolts—hurling them at the meical menace.

  Meanwhile, Jaxon fired his twin bowguns, Emberstorm Crossfire, unleashing a barrage of crimson projectiles with deadly precision. Using Ashen Blitz, fmes ignited from his boots, propelling him forward as he glided effortlessly across the ground, dodging the ining fire.

  Yet, the automaton’s green shield materialized with each of their strikes, defleg the attacks. The automaton halted he cargo, grabbing one of the crates and turning back—just as Drifter’s Exalt Barrier finally faltered, breaking uhe pressure of the relentless green projectiles. Forced to retreat, Drifter and Jaxon repositioned.

  As the automatons loaded the cargo onto the sky pirate ship, a sudden explosion shook the air. A violent tremor rattled beh Drifter, the vibrations making it feel like the ship was about to crash. A high-pitched whine echoed, and red lights flooded the room.

  The sky pirate ships seemed to abandon Jaxon’s ship.

  Jaxo out a frustrated yell. “The cargo! Damn it!”

  Without hesitatioransformed into fmes using Scorched Dash a toward the enemy Skyship. Drifter followed, activating Exalt Shift. Soft blue particles enveloped him, and he reappeared just steps behind Jaxon aboard the enemy vessel. There, he saw a horde of sky pirates—some human, some humanoid beasts— tattered clothing, leather gloves, and high boots. They wielded a variety of ons, ranging from swords to daggers and bowguns. Their attacks came at them in waves—projectiles, elemental strikes—but Drifter dodged and teleported, raising his barrier to shield against the barrage. Jaxon glided and evaded, each of them tering with precise sshes and shots until, finally, every pirate in the room colpsed to the ground, motionless.

  Drifter and Jaxon pressed on, passing through door after door along the ship’s long corridors. Then, they saw them—pirates sprawled across the floor, motionless. No wounds, no signs of struggle.

  Drifter crouched, fingers pressing against a pirate’s nebsp;“They’re gone,” he murmured, disbelief creeping into his voice.

  “What the… Who did this?” Jaxon asked, looking around at the fallen enemies in fusion.