Moments ago…
Leroy had stumbled back into his room, half-asleep and drained from the day's relentless training.
"What a day…"
He muttered, collapsing face-first into his pillow. After a few turns, he finally found a comfortable spot and let out a long, weary sigh.
"I can't wait for tomorrow."
Outside, the night was calm. The whisper of wind brushed against the windows, and the flicker of moonlight danced faintly on the walls. His eyelids grew heavy as his mind drifted into the haze between waking and sleep.
Suddenly, through the darkness.
A voice. Deep, resonant, and burning like an ember in his mind.
"Young Flamer, wake up. Bring your sister out of the castle as soon as possible. Do not let 'him' deceive your eyes."
"What?"
BOOM!
A deafening explosion shattered the silence.
Leroy's eyes shot open as he jerked upright, his heart pounding against his ribs. The entire room flashed in violent hues of orange and red as a searing wave of heat slammed into him.
"W–what's going on!?"
He gasped, stumbling to his feet.
The door rattled violently. Flames licked up from beneath it, smoke curling into the air, thick and acrid. He coughed, his eyes stinging as he looked around desperately for a way out.
The curtains ignited as the walls cracked, and the ceiling began to groan under the weight of the spreading fire.
"Damn it!"
With no time to think, Leroy threw himself at the door. Once. Twice. On the third hit, the wood splintered and burst open, scattering embers into the hallway. He stumbled out, gasping for breath, only to freeze.
The corridor ahead was a sea of fire. Flames roared along the walls, devouring everything in sight. The air shimmered from the heat, with the ceiling beams collapsing in showers of sparks.
It was as if hell itself had broken loose inside the castle.
Leroy sprinted down the burning hallway, smoke stinging his eyes, his lungs screaming for air. Panic surged through him, but one thought drowned out everything else:
Find them. Find everyone.
Flames clawed at the walls as he ran, the castle echoing with the sound of collapsing stone.
Meanwhile…
On the other side of the castle, Kylen stumbled out of his room, coughing as he covered his mouth and nose from the thick black smoke. His vision blurred, but through the haze, he caught sight of a familiar figure running toward him.
"Raykar!"
Kylen's voice cracked.
Raykar rushed up, panting, his face smeared with ash.
"What the hell just happened!?"
"I don't know! It came out of nowhere!"
Kylen shouted back.
Before they could say more, two more figures appeared from the flames. It was Leyla and Rosslin, both alive but shaken, their clothes scorched and hair streaked with soot. Relief flickered through all their faces as they regrouped in the corridor.
Their rooms weren't far apart. Even so, it felt like a miracle they'd found each other amid the chaos.
"Thank god, you guys are fine!"
Rosslin gasped, clutching her chest as her eyes darted across the burning hall.
"We need to get out of here! I have a bad feeling about this."
Her words struck the group like a cold wave through the heat.
For a moment, no one spoke. Deep down, they felt the same.
"Wait—where's Skyler? Isn't he close to our room? He should've been here by now!"
Leyla said suddenly, her tone sharp despite the trembling in her voice.
"Yeah, now that you mention it. Where the hell is he!?"
Raykar muttered, glancing around frantically through the smoke.
"We can't leave anyone behind, right? We have to find the others."
Leyla clenched her fists, her expression hardening.
"Leyla's right. Leroy, Skyler, Sensei—even everyone in the castle, no one gets left behind. We move together."
Kylen said firmly, his fist clenched.
Everyone nodded in grim agreement.
Without wasting another second, they pushed forward, covering each other as burning debris crashed from above. The fire roared louder with each passing second, devouring doors, portraits, and banners that once decorated the proud halls of their academy.
The once-familiar corridors now looked like a twisted vision of hell with walls glowing crimson. The air was thick with smoke, and the sound of crackling flames echoed through the ruins. Even in the face of chaos, they pressed on.
Together.
Suddenly, a chilling scream and a guttural cry sounded from somewhere down the hall. Without hesitation, Raykar dashed ahead and kicked open a burning door.
The sight inside froze them all.
Several soldiers lay scattered across the floor, some motionless, others writhing in agony. Blood pooled beneath them, glinting dark in the firelight. One soldier was still breathing, his leg twisted unnaturally, one arm limp and broken, uniform scorched and torn.
"H-help… me."
He rasped, his voice a fragile whisper against the roar of flames. Kylen rushed to his side, dropping to his knees.
"H-hold on! We'll get you out of here!"
He reached to lift him, Kylen froze.
The soldier's skin was pale and slick with sweat, and his eyes were glassy. A deep, circular hole had pierced cleanly through his stomach, the edges dark as though something had burned straight through him.
Kylen's breath caught in his throat.
"Who did this do to you?"
The soldier's lips trembled as his voice came out in a broken whisper. The air started growing heavier, a suffocating sensation pressed down on them, so powerful that it made their skin crawl.
Something was coming.
The dying soldier's eyes suddenly went wide, his trembling hand shooting up to grip Kylen's shoulder.
"Run..."
Kylen froze, his breath hitching in his throat. The soldier's body convulsed violently, veins twisting beneath his skin like dark serpents as he choked on his own blood. With one final shudder, his head fell backwards lifelessly. His bloodied hand slipped from Kylen's shoulder, leaving a crimson stain across his shirt.
For a moment, no one spoke. The only sound was the crackle of fire and the distant crumble of burning stone.
Suddenly, a presence appeared.
The smoke in the doorway shifted, bending unnaturally as if something unseen were pushing through it. The fog grew thicker, curling inward as if it were alive.
A shadow took form.
The group froze, eyes wide as the shape solidified into the silhouette of a tall man dressed in black. He stepped through the haze with calm, deliberate steps, each one echoing against the stone floor. In his hand, he held a cane that tapped once against the ground.
Clack.
When his face finally came into view, the firelight caught his expression, calm yet cold and unreadable.
Every nerve in their bodies screamed danger.
Raykar's fist trembled. Rosslin's breath hitched. Leyla could feel her knees weakening beneath the weight of his aura, a pressure so immense it was as if the air itself was being crushed.
No sound had preceded his arrival. No footsteps. No magic hum.
He had simply appeared.
"W-who are you!?"
Kylen took a step back as his voice was trembling.
The man didn't answer. His eyes, sharp and emotionless, scanned the room. The corpses, the fire, and finally, them.
His single look was enough to send a shiver down their spines.
Meanwhile, back to Leroy's side.
Chunks of stone crashed from the ceiling, shattering across the burning floor as the castle crumbled, as though it could collapse at any moment. Leroy shielded his head and pushed forward through the smoke, coughing as the heat clawed at his lungs.
He turned a corner and froze.
Several soldiers lay scattered across the hallway floor, motionless. His heart dropped.
Leroy knelt beside one of them, trembling hands reaching for the man's neck to check for a pulse.
Nothing.
His chest tightened. The realisation hit hard that these soldiers were gone.
A faint rhythm of footsteps echoed through the smoke-filled corridor, slow and deliberate.
Leroy's instincts screamed. He darted behind a cracked pillar, eyes narrowing as he spotted a fallen sword beside one of the soldiers. Without hesitation, he grabbed it, gripping the hilt tightly, his breath shallow.
The footsteps grew louder and closer, until whoever they belonged to stood just beyond the pillar.
Leroy's pulse pounded in his ears.
"Now!"
He swung out from behind the pillar, his blade cutting through the haze, only to clash against another blade with a sharp clang. Sparks burst between them.
The two froze, blades inches apart.
Through the smoke, their eyes met, and both exhaled in relief.
"Skyler!?"
"Leroy?"
They lowered their weapons, stepping back, the tension easing.
"Come on, man! I almost cut you!"
Leroy muttered, running a hand through his soot-covered hair.
"Hah!? That was your fault, dumbass!"
Skyler barked, his voice hoarse and laced with exhaustion. He straightened, breathing hard through the smoke, the flicker of firelight glinting against his blade.
The momentary relief between them vanished as another thunderous crash shook the hallway. Stones rained from above, the air thick with dust and heat. The castle was falling apart around them fast.
Skyler glanced toward the blazing corridor, then back at Leroy, his expression determined.
"Come on, we need to find the others."
He said, gripping his sword tighter.
Leroy turned to follow but stopped mid-step. His eyes lingered on Skyler, that same stubborn determination burning behind them.
"You go."
Leroy said after a moment, his voice steady but heavy.
"What?"
Skyler looked at him, brows furrowed.
"I'll find my family. If you're with them, I can trust that they'll be safe."
Leroy's grip tightened around his sword.
For a brief moment, the chaos around them seemed to fade into the background, and they were just two comrades standing amidst ruin and fire. Skyler gave a sharp nod.
"Come find me once you're done."
Leroy smirked faintly and bumped his fist lightly against Skyler's chest.
With that, they split off. Skyler rushed toward the others' quarters through the haze and falling debris, while Leroy turned toward the deeper halls, his heart pounding with a single thought:
"Please be safe."
While Leroy hurried toward his parents' room, Skyler sprinted through the burning corridors. The fog had thickened, swallowing the hallways in a suffocating haze. He slowed his pace as he approached the area near the others' quarters.
Something felt wrong.
A heavy, metallic scent hit him first. The air grew colder, thicker.
"What is this smell?"
Skyler covered his nose with his arm as he stepped through the open doors. The fog curled around his legs like mist rising from the underworld. His boot caught on something heavy. He nearly lost his balance.
When he looked down, his breath froze.
Blood. A dark pool spread across the stone floor, and someone was lying at the centre of it.
"R–Raykar?"
Skyler's voice trembled. He dropped to his knees beside the fallen figure. Raykar's eyes stared lifelessly at the ceiling, his chest pierced clean through.
"Hey! Oi!"
Skyler shook him, desperation rising in his throat.
No response. His chest was still bleeding, the warmth of his body fading by the second. Skyler's breath hitched as the fog began to thin, revealing the rest of the room, and his heart nearly stopped.
Kylen and Rosslin were motionless on the floor, their bodies torn and bloodied beyond recognition.
For a moment, everything went silent. Skyler's vision trembled, panic crashing over him like a wave, his heart pounding painfully in his chest.
He staggered forward, the world spinning, and he saw her.
Leyla.
She was slumped against the far wall, blood seeping through her clothes, her breathing shallow and weak. Skyler's body moved on instinct. He ran to her, kneeling beside her just as she coughed up blood, staining her lips.
"Skyler? Is that you?"
Leyla's voice was faint, trembling, her half-lidded eyes struggling to focus. Through the haze of smoke and tears, she could barely make out his face, but she recognised that presence.
"Don't worry, I've got you. Just hold on."
Skyler said quickly, his voice tight with panic.
He pressed his trembling hands over the wound in her stomach, trying desperately to stop the bleeding. The warmth of her blood seeped through his fingers.
Leyla's weak hand reached up, grasping his wrist.
"It's fine, Skyler..."
She coughed again. A wet, painful sound, blood streaking her lips.
Skyler said sharply, shaking his head.
"Hey! Stop talking! I'll get help—"
She raised one of her hands shakily, resting her palm against his cheek. A faint smile curved her lips, fragile and pure.
Skyler froze at the sight of her smile, his breath hitched, and his hands trembled. This moment felt too real, too cruel.
"I knew you were always a kind person..."
She whispered, her voice soft, fading.
"Leyla... stop it."
Skyler said, his jaw tightening. His voice cracked, trembling with anger and pain he couldn't contain.
Tears welled in her eyes and slowly rolled down her cheeks.
"It's been great..."
She whispered, her breath growing weaker.
"Being by your side with everyone, it was fun..."
"Please, stop."
Skyler's voice broke. Leyla gave a faint, yet fragile laugh, broken but filled with warmth.
"Hehe, whenever I see you, my heart always starts beating faster than normal..."
Skyler's eyes narrowed in pain as he watched the girl who made his heart feel alive slowly fade before him. His trembling hands still held her in a desperate attempt to keep her here, denying the inevitable.
"Skyler..."
Her weak voice trembled, almost swallowed by the crackle of distant flames.
"From the first time I met you… I've loved you."
Skyler froze. His breath caught in his throat as her trembling arms reached up, wrapping around his neck. She pulled him closer with the last of her strength.
He didn't resist. He couldn't.
Their lips met in a fleeting touch, warm and aching, filled with everything they never had the chance to say. A kiss born from pain, love, and the cruel reality of parting.
As their lips parted, her eyes softened as a faint, peaceful smile lingered on her face.
Without another word, Leyla's hand slipped from his shoulder, and she fell limp in his arms.
The world around Skyler fell silent, with only the fading warmth of her touch remaining.
As Skyler gently laid Leyla's body on the ground, shadows cast over his eyes. His gaze lingered on his fallen friends, Raykar, Kylen, Rosslin, and Leyla. Everyone was gone, their lifeless forms bathed in flickering orange light.
He didn't speak a word. His expression hardened, his body trembling with rage.
Without another glance, Skyler bolted out of the room, his footsteps echoing through the burning corridor. Inside his chest, pain and fury intertwined with grief, and a burning desire for justice. His eyes gleamed through the smoke, unblinking, fixed on a single purpose.
Find him.