Autumn had slowly settled over Eryndor.
For several weeks, the relentless rain had finally stopped, giving way to an immense sky covered in pale clouds that filtered the sunlight into a soft, cold glow. The wind drifted through the suspended avenues with an almost melancholic slowness, carrying red and golden leaves between steel towers and holographic advertisements.
The city seemed to breathe differently.
More calmly.
As if, for once, the world had agreed to slow down.
A month and a half had passed since the ruins of the battle against Adonis.
Eryndor's visible wounds had nearly disappeared.
Destroyed buildings were covered with temporary structures. The media spoke of an "industrial accident," an "energy leak," a "structural collapse."
Humans forgot quickly.
But Awakened ones...
never forgot.
The wasteland where Seven now trained Liah was still there.
Still dead.
Still silent.
Even after a month and a half.
The stagnant ether lingering throughout the ruins still made it feel as though the walls themselves remembered the dead.
And yet—
— Seriously, Seven, you could at least look impressed once in your life.
A sonic shockwave exploded through the air.
The cracked ground trembled violently before an abandoned car was hurled several meters away in a metallic detonation.
Liah remained motionless, breathing heavily, one hand stretched forward as traces of amethyst-colored ether faded around her fingers.
Seven slowly observed the smoking wreck.
Then said:
— Not bad.
— "Not bad"?!
Liah stared at him in disbelief.
— I literally just pulverized a car with sound!
— Technically, it's still in one piece.
— Seven.
— What?
She sighed dramatically while he calmly lit a cigarette.
Around them, The Arcane field maintained the ruins in complete isolation from the rest of the city.
A silent pressure covered the entire area.
The outside world felt distant.
Muted.
«— Arcane: Silent Fold — Boundary of the Damned.»
Translucent runes engraved into the air pulsed faintly around the shattered buildings, stabilizing the training ground.
Liah stared at the symbols for a moment.
Even after a month and a half...
this power still gave her chills.
Because she could feel what it truly concealed.
An immense loneliness.
Eventually she turned toward Seven.
The autumn wind lifted strands of his black hair as he silently watched the ruins, his hands buried in his coat pockets.
The same calm expression.
The same exhaustion hidden in his blue eyes.
But something had changed.
Lately...
Seven laughed more.
Not often.
But enough to surprise people.
And most of the time—
it was because of Nils.
Liah rolled her eyes.
— You two are becoming unbearable.
— What are you talking about?
— Him talking for both of you and you replying with three words.
Seven shrugged.
— It works.
— Unfortunately.
A faint smile crossed Seven's lips.
Small.
Almost invisible.
But real.
And it unsettled Liah slightly.
Because she was beginning to realize something.
Before...
Seven had always seemed alone.
Now...
he was slowly learning how to live among others.
Even if it still scared him.
The wind swept through the ruined buildings.
Then Seven crushed his cigarette.
— Again.
Liah groaned.
— You're a demon.
— No.
He looked at her.
— Demons are usually less annoying than me.
She laughed despite herself.
And the training resumed.
A few hours later.
Celesthra High School basked in the golden light unique to autumn afternoons.
The trees lining the suspended walkways slowly shed their leaves, which drifted between students like fragments of fire.
The atmosphere was warm.
Alive.
And amid the noise—
— SEVEN!
A soccer ball flew across the courtyard.
Seven slightly turned his head.
The ball landed perfectly in his hands without him even looking.
A few seconds later, Nils came running toward him, grinning broadly, uniform partially open and completely out of breath.
— Honestly, you're terrifying.
— Thanks.
— No, seriously. You react like some legendary NPC.
Seven threw the ball directly at his face.
Nils caught it at the last second before bursting into laughter.
— THERE! That's what I wanna see!
A little farther away, Kael sat on a bench, silently watching the scene.
Then she lowered her gaze.
For several weeks now...
something had changed.
Before, Seven spent almost all of his time with her.
Now...
he was usually with Liah.
Or Nils.
And the worst part...
was that she couldn't even blame him.
Because she could clearly see that he seemed lighter with them.
More alive.
A figure eventually stopped in front of her.
Liah.
Kael looked up.
— Looking for me?
— Yes.
Her voice was calm.
Direct.
The wind gently lifted her amethyst-colored hair as she observed the courtyard.
Then she spoke without hesitation.
— Seven is changing.
Kael remained silent.
— And I think you're refusing to see it.
Kael's gaze hardened slightly.
— What exactly do you mean?
Liah crossed her arms.
— You rely on him too much.
Silence immediately fell between them.
In the distance, students were still laughing.
The world continued normally.
But here—
the atmosphere had changed.
Kael frowned.
— Seven promised to protect me.
— Exactly.
Liah's voice remained calm.
But every word struck with precision.
— You've built your entire life around that promise.
Kael looked away.
Liah continued.
— You always wait for him to solve problems for you.
— You always stay behind him.
— You refuse to become stronger.
— You think it's that easy?!
Kael suddenly raised her voice.
A fragile anger had entered it.
— You think everyone can do what you people do?!
— No.
Liah slowly shook her head.
— But you... you're not even trying anymore.
Silence returned.
Then Liah looked toward Seven.
Nils had literally jumped onto his back while Seven appeared to be trying to strangle him with minimal effort.
Several girls nearby were laughing.
And against all expectations...
Seven was smiling slightly.
A genuine smile.
Kael felt her chest tighten.
Because she suddenly realized something terrible.
It had been a long time since she had seen Seven smile like that with her.
Liah spoke softly:
— Seven is drifting out of your reach.
Not because he hates you.
Not because he's abandoning you.
But because he's moving forward...
and you're standing still.
Kael said nothing.
She simply watched Seven.
And for the first time...
she felt an immense distance between them.
Evening slowly descended upon Eryndor.
The sky was beautiful.
Orange and violet clouds drifted above the skyscrapers while the city lights began illuminating one by one.
The wind was cool.
Peaceful.
Too peaceful.
On top of a building, Seven silently observed the horizon.
Then—
— Doing your depressed main-character routine again?
Nils appeared behind him carrying two drinks.
Seven sighed.
— Are you really going to keep doing this forever?
— Absolutely.
He handed him a can before sitting at the edge of the roof without the slightest fear of falling.
— You know... a month ago, I honestly thought you were a serial killer.
— And now?
— Now I just think you're weird.
— Incredible character development.
Nils burst out laughing.
Then his expression softened slightly.
— But seriously... thanks.
Seven glanced toward him.
— For what?
— For being here.
The wind gently moved around them.
Nils stared at Eryndor's lights with a peaceful smile.
— Before meeting you... I think I mostly made people laugh so they wouldn't notice when things were bad.
Seven remained silent.
— But with you... I don't know.
He shrugged.
— I feel at peace.
Those words created a strange silence within Seven.
Because he realized something he hadn't felt in a very long time.
Normality.
A real one.
Fragile.
Ridiculous.
Human.
But real.
Then—
A chill suddenly ran down his spine.
His expression changed instantly.
The wind had turned cold.
Very cold.
Nils frowned.
— Seven?
Ether.
Something had moved within the city.
Something bad.
Very bad.
For a brief second—
Seven almost felt a familiar presence.
Like a shadow watching Eryndor from very far away.
Then the sensation disappeared.
The silence returned.
But his heart...
remained heavy.
Very heavy.
Later that evening.
Kael walked alone along a suspended bridge.
Soft music played through her earphones while the city lights reflected in her tired eyes.
The autumn wind carried leaves around her.
Yet despite the beauty of the scenery...
she kept thinking about Liah's words.
«"Seven is drifting away from you."»
Her fingers tightened around her bag strap.
— ...Idiot.
She no longer knew whether she was talking about Liah.
Or herself.
Then she stopped.
Something had changed.
The wind.
The silence.
The atmosphere.
An unnatural cold slid down her spine.
Her earphones crackled violently.
Then died.
Kael slowly raised her eyes.
And her breath caught.
Figures stood at the far end of the bridge.
Motionless.
Humanoid.
Their bodies were covered in reddish glyphs pulsing through the darkness like open wounds.
And behind them...
a towering silhouette silently watched the city.
Six black wings.
The world seemed to slow down.
Kael felt her heart pound violently.
No...
Not him...
A voice echoed softly through the night.
Calm.
Almost kind.
— It's been a long time, Kael.
Malakiel.
The sky above Eryndor suddenly seemed darker.
The streetlights flickered.
Then every light surrounding the bridge abruptly went out.
Kael stepped backward.
Trembling.
And within the darkness—
the shadows slowly began to advance.