The grand hall of Sunlight Rage Academy had never been this silent.
Golden banners shimmered. Masters from every division stood in robes of power. Even the elemental spirits, usually hidden, floated in the corners like shimmering dust.
At the center—Jin and Yooha stood, side by side.
Yooha, healed faster than normal, her wounds barely scars now, stood with quiet pride. Her eyes were clear. Her hand brushed Jin's. He gave her a soft nod.
The Grandmaster of the Academy, an elder with eyes like galaxies, stepped forward.
"You two," he said in a voice that echoed like wind through mountains, "have crossed into realms forbidden to mortals. You've awakened powers sealed by the ancient gods. You've defeated Ghost Gordon—something no academy has dared in centuries."
The crowd murmured.
"You are not just students anymore."
He raised a scroll of glowing parchment.
"You are World Walkers—those chosen to stand between realms. Guardians of balance. Protectors of truth."
A divine symbol burned in the air between them—a phoenix and dragon spiraling in a yin-yang loop.
The mark of the World Walkers.
Bo, hiding in the back with Meiqi, whispered, "Does this mean they get free lunch?"
Yooha turned her head slightly. "No. But we get a seat at the world council."
Bo gasped. "Even better."
Jin stepped forward. "What's the cost?"
The Grandmaster's smile faded. "The final war is closer than we thought. The enemy behind Ghost Gordon… has begun to awaken."
The lights flickered.
Yooha's chest tightened. Jin held her hand tighter.
"You've been given power not just to protect," the Grandmaster said, "but to choose what this world becomes."
Suddenly, the hall shook. The sky above darkened unnaturally.
A symbol blazed in the air—crimson and jagged, the mark of the Forgotten Realm.
The Grandmaster's voice dropped.
"He has returned."
Everyone looked up.
A figure stood in the distance, beyond the sky—smiling.
And Jin felt it.
Not fear. Not pain.
But something ancient, familiar.
A voice inside him whispered:
"We've met before… in another lifetime."
To be continued…