THE NEXT DAY – VEYL ACADEMY PREPARES FOR THE FESTIVAL
Morning sunlight spilled across the towering spires of Veyl Academy, painting the cobblestone paths with soft gold. Students ran back and forth carrying boxes, banners, and stacks of wooden boards. Festive lanterns shaped like tiny blooming dragons hung from stringed lines across the courtyard.
Even the sky seemed brighter, touched with the warm anticipation of the upcoming Veyl Foundation Festival, the biggest event of the year.
Khael walked through the lively scene with his hands in his pockets, pretending to be calm, though his mind churned like a storm.
Kaom… Lucere… the shards…
His footsteps slowed when he passed a group of students painting a huge banner.
"VEYL FESTIVAL. 7 DAYS LEFT!"
Some were laughing, some were arguing about color combinations. It should have been a peaceful, refreshing morning.
But Khael felt the weight of an entire calamity forming on the horizon.
Because now he knew:
