( Annabel Pov )
The air was cool—crisp with the faint bite of pre-dawn wind. I stirred first, still nestled so close to Salem that I could feel the steady rhythm of her breath on my shoulder, her mana warm and vivid, a quiet storm resting at my side. I didn't want to move—her presence grounded me, made me feel safe, but something tugged at me. A pulse of awareness, or maybe just the stillness of the world not yet awake.
I slid out of the bedding as slowly as I could, careful not to disturb her. She murmured something in her sleep, then settled deeper. I stepped barefoot onto the wooden platform, letting the cool touch of it root me in the moment. The wind shifted again, carrying the scent of morning dew and fresh stone.
I sensed a presence before I fully turned, calm, sharpened, steady. I reached out with my mana, reading the outline, the way her energy arced and concentrated like drawn steel. Rōko.
She was sitting at the edge of the platform, legs crossed, posture still and tall, meditating in silence. A subtle current of mana spiraled gently around her—a controlled cyclone of discipline.
"You still haven't gotten a bond, Rōko," I said softly, stepping closer. "You said you would."
A breath of amusement escaped her. "You're up early."
"Yeah… I guess I am." I lowered myself beside her, feeling the wind brush the loose strands of my hair.
Rōko didn't turn toward me. Her voice came slow, thoughtful. "I don't want one anymore."
I tilted my head, focusing more on the flow of her mana than her words.
"After Lycian," she continued, "I realized the only reason I wanted one was because it was us three when the academy opened for us. Me, you, and him. I felt left behind a bit." Her aura wavered slightly, tight with emotion, anger, yes, but colder than fire. "But he's a devil, Annabel. I'll get stronger without one. I am strong. One of the most praised prodigies, just like you."
I felt that chill settle between us, not in fear, but in solidarity.
"I know you have your reasons, your family, protecting them. But me…" she drew a breath, steadying her emotions with a flare of sharp mana, "I want revenge. I'll keep people safe, but he's my reason now."
I nodded slowly, feeling her truth wrap around my own.
"Lycian is mine," I said, the words leaving my mouth without hesitation. They weren't a claim. They were a promise. "If you wanna kill him, you gotta surpass me."
We sat in silence for a while, shoulder to shoulder but facing the void before us. The sun was still behind the horizon, but the mana in the sky had begun to change, stirring with the dawn.
A sudden clash broke the quiet, metal, air, motion. Mana crackled below us.
I blinked. "Are they seriously going at it this early?" I turned my head, sensing the kinetic dance of figures on the floor below. "I don't think Salem could wake up for the next two hours even if I tried."
Rōko stood fluidly. "Let's see who it is. Maybe we can get some practice in."
We both grabbed our gear and clothes from beside the tent flap. My fingers curled around the familiar hilt of my polearm. A quick twist of my hand opened a small portal at our feet, just enough to shift us down, meters above the sparring floor. We dropped through.
I landed first, my boots striking solid earth with practiced ease. My mana flared gently to read the area.
Two figures—fast, smooth, with the practiced rhythm of a high-level spar. Their manas flickered like twin flames in motion. Ætherbound. No doubt.
"That's two of the Ætherbound," I said, following their movements through the swirling impressions their mana left behind. "Look at them move…"
One of them dashed toward us…no, toward Rōko. A blur, then a clash—steel met steel as her chain caught the blow with shocking precision.
"Whoa. That was amazing reaction speed."
The attacker backed off, and I honed in on her mana. Feminine, compact, bright. She stepped forward, her voice calm and clear.
"My name is Nora Bardot. I'm fourth in the Ætherbound," she said with a note of pride. "You must be Annabel Valor And… Rōko Tsume. The samurai girl."
I dipped my head slightly, responding evenly. "You're going at it very early."
Nora laughed. "Yeah, Shinobu insisted we double up on sparring today. She's… well a bit crazy." A playful exasperation colored her tone. "Luckily, I have sound magic, so I soundproofed the war tent. The rest can sleep."
"Sound magic?" I asked, more intrigued than surprised. "And you're paired up with her… Shinobu?"
Before she could answer, another presence slid into my senses.
Silent. Perfectly so.
I didn't hear her. I felt her—sharp, controlled, incredibly close.
"I heard my name," came the voice. Smooth, cold steel in silk. "Oh Hello again, Annabel. Here already for that spar? One day after we met?"
Rōko stepped forward before I could answer. "We just came to see who was below us," she said calmly. "Annabel's still waking up. If anyone should spar, it's me."
Shinobu stepped close, her mana so cold and precise it left no trace of hesitation. She offered her hand, and Rōko took it.
"Shinobu Silva," she said. "Eighth in the Ætherbound. I'm sixteen."
I knew that already. But she really wanted to make sure people her age knew it aswel, i don't think it was to sound cocky…more like looking for mutual prodigies.
But Rōko hesitated for half a second. "You're younger than me? Another prodigy…" she let out a low chuckle, sharpening her stance. "Let's do it then. Show me the way."
I stepped back as they began to prepare. watching only in shadow, in mana outlines, the vague suggestion of limbs and weapons drawn from ambient motion.
The sparring ground held its breath as two prodigies stepped into the ring.
And I, stood just outside it—witness to the silence before the storm.
I could still feel the adrenaline pulsing from the spar. The mana in the air hadn't settled yet — sharp edges, sudden flares, the trail of strong mana following both of them.
Rōko stood across from Shinobu, their outlines vivid in my mind. Not from sight, but the way their energy moved, two distinct shapes, like brush strokes on dark canvas.
"I'm using the chain and sickle," Rōko said, twirling the chain once around her hand. I could hear the metal shift and fall, like a serpent made of rings. "My best weapon. No sense going easy."
Shinobu's presence flared — thin and fast, almost needle-like. "Good. I'd be insulted if you didn't. I'm using my wires."
I tilted my head. Wires? I reached out with my mana sense — but I couldn't feel them. Just flickers, static lines. They were too fine. Dangerous.
"She's using wires?"I muttered to Nora beside me.
"Yep," Nora replied, shifting her weight next to me. I could feel her mana relax as she sat. "Real thin ones. Can't even sense them half the time. Rōko's gonna have to work for it."
I frowned slightly, tracking the blur that was Shinobu. Her outline barely stayed still, like she was always in motion even when she wasn't.
"Try not to die," Shinobu said lightly. "I can already feel how fast you are, Rōko. That's exciting. Let's see if you're fast enough."
Then, motion.
They both moved, but Shinobu was faster. I didn't even hear her wires move until they'd already snapped around Rōko's arm — I felt the mana tension spike, saw Rōko's outline freeze for half a second.
"Already?" I murmured, surprised.
Shinobu closed the distance so quickly she blurred.
But Rōko reacted just as fast. I felt her foot sweep upward, the sickle's arc cutting clean through the air toward Shinobu's head. She backed off instantly, her outline flickering out of range.
The wires left a slice behind — I smelled the blood before I heard Rōko's breath catch.
Nora leaned a little closer. "That's one hit for Shinobu already. And she barely got started."
Rōko's outline wavered with pain. I hated it — knowing she'd been hurt and not being able to hurt back, her mentality has always been about inflicting damage using her speed…But against an opponent like this, nearly impossible.
"You didn't even use your magic to block that," Shinobu said with what I could only call delighted mockery. "You might be as crazy as I am."
"You're the one using invisible wires how do you even know where to use them if you can't see them," Rōko snapped back. She was focused, but the frustration was starting to show in the way her mana flared sharp around her limbs.
"My wires are just for fun since they compliment my tiny frame and immense speed," Shinobu said, voice teasing. "The real danger is my poison and plant magic."
Then she started chanting.
My heart skipped a beat. "Is she chanting a spell?"
Nora chuckled softly beside me. "Mhm. That's Shinobu. She doesn't know what holding back means."
The spell wrapped around her like a cloak. "Abyss of Slowness," Shinobu chanted, her mana twisting, darkening, sharpening.
I felt the wires change — their energy grew slick, toxic. I could taste the wrongness in the air.
Rōko moved to reposition, but a cut struck her leg before she could, her motion slowed. The poison hit fast.
"What… is that speed?" I whispered.
"She always goes all in," Nora said. "Even in a spar."
Rōko's outline stuttered. I felt the mana in her legs dim, the poison had slowed her enough that she couldn't react properly. But she didn't back off.
She started chanting, her voice low and calm despite the cut.
"Terrae Golem."
I felt it erupt from the earth, solid, rough mana forming shape and mass, pulling from the ground below. A figure rose next to Rōko, shaped by will and magic. A golem. Then I felt her use her metal magic — the mana in the golem hardened, strengthened.
Shinobu flared with excitement. "Now we're talking."
The golem charged her like a battering ram. For a moment, I thought it might actually land a hit. But Shinobu's plant magic whipped around her, a shield of vines and bark flared just in time. She vaulted over the golem like a dancer, perfectly clean, perfectly fast.
Then her wires whipped down — around Rōko's neck.
Everything froze.
I rose slightly to my feet, mana tensing across my body. "Rōko—?"
But no. She was okay. They weren't tight. Just a warning. A line in the sand.
After a beat, both girls stepped back.
The spar was over.
Shinobu unraveled her wires, laughing softly. "You're a riot," she said. "Seriously. You've got guts."
"I didn't expect…" Rōko exhaled slowly. "You're not just fast. You're ruthless."
"Thank you," Shinobu said brightly, as if she'd been complimented on her haircut. "We should spar again sometime. Maybe when you're not still waking up."
Rōko didn't answer immediately. She was still breathing hard, her mana trembling faintly from the lingering poison.
I walked forward slowly, mapping their shapes through my senses. "You okay?" I asked her, quiet.
"Yeah," she muttered. "Just surprised. That's all."
"I think I'm more surprised than you are," I said.
Shinobu's outline tilted toward me. "How about you, Annabel? You ready for a turn next time?"
I gave a small smile. "Let's see if I survive the first training first."
That earned a real laugh from her.
The way shinobu moved…and she was only 8th in the Ætherbound, just above Julius… We were in deep now. Every spar, every sentence… it all mattered.
This camp… this group… was no joke.
The spar settled. The last flickers of mana tension burned off the air like smoke. Rōko's breathing had evened out, but I could still feel the weight of the cut on her arm. sharp, wet mana pulsing around the wound.
"That was fun," she said, loud enough for us to hear as we walked toward the portal. "Let me know when you're ready to lose again, Samurai."
Rōko let out a short scoff but didn't respond. Her pride had been cut as much as her arm.
"We should head back," I said softly, forming a new portal with a sweep of my hand. The world cracked open in front of us — space warping with a low hum — and the platform shimmered just beyond it.
"Lirael can heal that when we're back," I added, nodding toward Rōko's bleeding arm.
Rōko just grunted. "It's not deep. Just annoying."
I paused, turning back to Nora. "Next time… maybe we make it team against team. If the other three on yours can keep up."
Nora gave a dry laugh, her mana tingling around her. "Challenge accepted. Just don't cry when you lose."
With that, we stepped through the portal.
We stepped through.
In a blink, the world shifted — from the quiet battlefield to the familiar pulse of our platform. The air was warmer here, with the early sunlight only just beginning to burn off the night. The tent flap fluttered gently in the breeze. But something was wrong.
I felt it before I heard it, a heavy, erratic breath, the quake of anxious mana.
Salem.
She sat curled in herself, her shape trembling. Lirael and Fay were crouched beside her, both trying to calm her down, but the tears were clear in her presence — they shimmered like broken glass in the ether.
I rushed forward, barely even breathing. "Salem?"
Her hands reached for mine before I could even crouch. I dropped to my knees and cupped her face, feeling her skin slick with warm tears.
"Salem, what's wrong?" I asked, my voice sharper than I meant.
"You… weren't there when I woke up," she whispered. "The last time that happened—Lycian took you. I couldn't feel you through the bond. I thought it was happening again."
"Oh gods…" My chest tightened. I held her face in my hands, brushing the tears with my thumbs. "I'm sorry. I didn't think—I should've paid more attention to our bond. I was just… still half asleep. I didn't mean to scare you."
"You didn't mean to," she repeated softly, leaning into my touch, calming quickly under my presence.
Lirael stood up and walked over to Rōko without a word. I felt her magic before she even reached her — a cool, radiant warmth that enveloped Rōko's arm in a blink.
"There. Healed," Lirael said plainly.
Rōko's mana flared in surprise. "What the—? That was fast."
"She's a high-tier healer, remember?" Fay added with a smirk. "She's probably the most useful on all the platforms."
Lirael didn't smile, but I felt the faint satisfaction in her mana.
Then she tilted her head toward me and said, "She really loves you, doesn't she?"
Fay added quickly, "She was panicked. Totally losing it. And the second you touched her? Boom — calm as the ocean."
I glanced down at Salem, still curled against me, her breath even now, her fingers laced with mine. I squeezed gently.
"She's my heart," I said simply. "I forget sometimes how hard all of this is for her."
Lirael, ever calm, turned to me. "For the record, it's only been about five minutes since she woke up. If you'd taken any longer, we'd have been scouring the camp."
I let out a slow breath, tightening my arms around Salem once more. "You're right. I won't let that happen again."
Salem calm again, leaning her head into my shoulder. Her mana quieted, warmth threading between us again like a pulse.
Then came the unmistakable thump of someone rolling out of a sleeping roll.
"Morning," Raphos groaned.
A second later, smack — Rōko's palm hit him square on the back of the head.
"OW—what the hell, you psycho?!"
"You deserved that, punk," Rōko snapped, crossing her arms.
"For what?"
"For losing to Shinobu. She's what, forty-five kilos soaking wet?"
"She's faster than most summoned demons!" Raphos protested, rubbing his head. "Don't tell me you didn't lose!"
There was a pause.
"She totally lost," Fay said, grinning.
"She did," I confirmed with a small laugh. "Shinobu's a monster. Honestly? I think she'll rise in the Ætherbound ranks faster than anyone. She's paired with Nora, too."
"You're joking," Raphos said, groaning again. "Of course she is."
"She has sound magic," I added, brushing some dust off my sleeve. "Didn't find that out until just now. Last time I fought someone with sound magic, I nearly got my head caved in."
Lirael's voice was thoughtful. "Makes sense. With your blindness, sound is your main way of tracking people. If someone nullifies that…"
"Exactly," I nodded. "But I still won that time. And with Nora, I won't be wearing my blindfold."
"I asked for a team match in the future. So we'd better start training like hell."
Fay groaned loudly. "Ugh. Can we not talk about training before breakfast? I want a hot shower so bad it physically hurts."
Rōko snorted. "You can always walk down to the academy. Showers are working there."
"They said only food," Fay muttered, annoyed. "'Replicate war conditions,' no beds, no hot water, only rationed soap…"
"It's not technically against the rules," Rōko teased. "But I guess you're not desperate enough yet."
"Watch me risk suspension for shampoo," Fay grumbled, crossing her arms.
I laughed softly, still holding Salem close. I could feel her mana humming peacefully against mine, steady and warm.
I smiled and finally stood up too, helping Salem along as I did.
The sun was still crawling over the horizon — but the day had already begun in full.
And with the fight ahead of us… it felt like it was only just starting.