Around two in the morning, Miyu shook Amara urgently, waking her from a deep sleep. Amara woke up startled, with a not-so-friendly expression. But before she could ask her friend why she was waking her up, Miyu flashed the screen of her cellphone right in front of her face, grinning. The light nearly blinded Amara's eyes, and on the screen was a message waiting to be read.
"Girl, I heard in the cafeteria that the Cobalt Flames train at this hour and let people watch! Let's go? I really want to see that guy Shiro. They say he's a goofball outside combat, but during a fight, he turns into someone else. It starts at 2:15. I'll take you and Amina. I already woke her up. Your parents are sleeping like rocks. Just get up, come on! Oh, and be quiet!"
Amara could hardly believe Miyu's madness. She wanted to argue, to be mad at her for waking her up in the middle of the night—but that would wake her tired parents. And when she turned her head to the side, she saw Amina already standing there, wearing her satin blue pajamas—identical to hers—with a coat thrown on top to go out into the cold. Her arms were crossed, and she was barely staying awake even while standing. Amara gave Miyu an annoyed look, but her friend was practically bouncing with childish excitement. With a silent sigh, Amara gave in.
She threw on a coat and tied up her hair—doing everything without making a sound—then followed Miyu and Amina out of the dorm. The twins' wounds still ached, so Miyu positioned herself between them to support both as they slowly made their way to the training area. Amara was not excited to see Ryu's scowling face again, and she knew if her parents found out about their late-night escape, she and her sister would get lectured for days. Still, she couldn't deny her curiosity to see the Hinoken army's fighting style. After all, she and her sister had only ever studied the techniques of Khalawa.
When they arrived at the massive Cobalt Flames training hall, the three girls were surprised by how many people were already gathered there to watch. Some pure Aokainese gave Amara and Miyu scornful looks, but both were used to it by now and simply ignored them. Aokai—the country they were born in, their father's homeland—was easily the most xenophobic of them all. The so-called pure Aokainese had naturally straight black hair—though many dyed it, like Miyu did—skin tones ranging from yellow to pale white, and single-lidded eyes, always brown, with a shape that seemed drawn in a single fluid line.
The people of Xingguo, Aokai's neighboring and declared enemy nation, had similar features despite being of a different ethnicity, with only minor distinctions. Amara and Amina, however, were clearly mixed. Daughters of a Khalawanese mother, they had Khalawa's dark skin, their father's black eyes and hair, and their mother's lips and physique. Their heritage was visible at a glance, and though both were proud of their Khalawanese roots, living in a country where people looked at them like animals was far from easy.
By the time the three girls pushed through the crowd to get a good view, the training had already begun. Shiro and Daiki were sparring in the arena, both wearing the signature uniform of the Hinoken army: a tight black long-sleeved outfit made of Tessitum, a material resistant to abrasion, fire, and water. Amara had heard there was a bulletproof vest underneath, along with additional hidden protection. The only color came from the Hinoken emblem embroidered over the left side of the chest, and the blue scarf and hood made of special materials, along with their boots.
They wore earpieces for communication among squad members. Though the army had never been televised, Amara remembered these details from her teenage years—back when she had been obsessed with the Hinoken and devoured every piece of public information available about them.
There, to the sound of clashing blades and footsteps echoing across the floor, Amara let herself become mesmerized. It felt like returning to her teenage dreams—but better. Now it was real.Shiro was tall, with a shaved head, a slash across his right eyebrow that continued in a sharp line into his hair, and a small silver hoop earring. His skin was tanned, and he was famous for wielding two katanas at once. Apparently ambidextrous, he was the most skilled swordsman known in Aokai—and the oldest among the group.
Daiki, on the other hand, didn't seem thrilled about the fight, since his specialty was firearms. He had excellent aim, a trait of his elite family—one that stood at the top of the Tiger Army's hierarchy. He would have been a soldier there if not for an imperial order, years ago, demanding that members of the Tiger Army be exchanged with members of the Hinoken to create peace between them—though it hadn't worked well. Daiki had shoulder-length hair, sharp eyes, a neutral expression, and tanned skin. Though he didn't care much for swords, his skills with them were undeniable. His duel with Shiro was a true spectacle.
When they finished, the audience applauded and bowed in respect. Daiki didn't seem to care, but Shiro proudly soaked it all in.
"Shiro really is handsome, huh? Too bad he's such a player!" Miyu whispered into Amara's ear, making her smile a little.
Next to train was the group's archer: Hana. Known as the most beautiful woman in Aokai, she stood under 1.60 meters tall, with long black hair always tied in a fishtail braid and light bangs framing her pale forehead. Her angelic face was highlighted by her large, light brown eyes. Beautiful, indeed—but dangerous. She had deserted the Shimizu Clan, a family of Ardoros—fire manipulators. The reason she had left the clan, which had served the imperial family for generations, to join the Hinoken army was unknown to the public.
Unlike the other Cobalt Flames, Hana wore a beltless kimono over her uniform: pink and adorned with camellia patterns throughout. The Flaming Camellia was the Ardoros' sacred flower, native to their lands, said to hold a fire that never extinguished. Hana had taken a single petal from the flower and placed it inside a tiny glass sphere she wore as a pendant around her neck. It was the only thing she had brought from her clan—and it was this eternal flame that she used in battle.
She practiced archery for a while, impressing everyone with her precise control over fire, igniting arrows that always struck their mark. Her power was solely elemental manipulation; neither she nor the other Ardoros could create fire—only control it. Other elemental mages, such as those of air, earth, and water, also existed and served the emperor. But only Hana had joined the army, and she drew attention wherever she went. Amina was in awe, seeing such power up close for the first time—just like Amara and Miyu, who had never seen a mage before.
Ryu and Emi were next. Known for their overwhelming strength, they began a hand-to-hand combat session that left the crowd speechless. The fight was intense and so fast that Amara could barely follow the movements. They knocked each other down constantly, but got up and kept fighting with such speed they hardly looked human. Everyone knew they were Lumen users—a form of inner magic with various classes that granted them superhuman abilities.
It wasn't possible to tell each person's Lumen type—except for Hana's—because their dark uniforms covered their entire bodies, hiding the identifying marks. The Hinoken did this deliberately. To them, it was crucial that the Nefari didn't know their Lumen type, making it easier to catch enemies off guard. However, it was public knowledge that Ryu possessed a rare type of Lumen, which had earned him the title of army leader.
When their fight ended and more applause shook the hall, the other Cobalt Flames gathered to train with their rifles, with a cheerful Daiki leading the practice. Ryu and Emi stepped aside to drink water, and for a moment, the grim leader looked toward the crowd—and locked eyes with Amara. She blushed, embarrassed. She looked away, but when she glanced back, Ryu was still watching her, his expression neutral and unreadable. Her chin lifted instinctively, and she held the gaze of the White Moon Dragon.
_______ 🌙 _______
She was there…
Amid the crowd of excited youths, Amara Hisakawa was watching everything. Even in pajamas, with sleep still on her face, her features didn't fail to impress him. And Ryu hated that.
He couldn't take his eyes off that woman—the most beautiful he had ever seen. But he knew who he was, what he had been trained for, and he couldn't allow distractions. He couldn't lose focus on the one goal of his life.
His heart raced. The day he saved Amara, he had been cold on purpose. And yet, he couldn't help but admire the way she fought the Sombros to the very end, with everything she had. She had a determined soul—of that, he was sure. But his job wasn't to save or admire beautiful girls. His job was to kill Sombros and avenge his father… He must never forget that.
So his neutral expression hardened into a scowl, and he turned his gaze away from her for good. Ryu finished his water and listened to Emi's suggestions about the training. She argued that civilians should no longer be allowed to watch, as it was making Shiro too proud and Hana increasingly on edge. Ryu agreed—partly because she was right, and partly because he couldn't keep looking at Amara and risk being distracted from his mission.
In that moment, the stern voice of his mother echoed in his mind—a phrase she had repeated to him since he was a child:
"You were born to lead the Hinoken. You were born to be the best at everything and kill every Nefari that crosses your path, especially the Xingguese—they're even worse. You, White Moon Dragon, will avenge your father and the Aokainese killed in Xingguo's invasion of Aokai when you were just a baby. And don't forget… never join the mixed-bloods. You are cold as the northern mountain winters, and you will trust no one but yourself."
With her speech freshly echoing in his memory, Ryu clenched his fists tightly and froze his heart in the deepest layer of ice.