The gates of the Hero Academy rose before us like a fortress of silver and starlight. Runes traced along its arch pulsed faintly, acknowledging our approach. For a moment, I just stood there, neck craned, heart pounding.
"…This isn't a loading screen anymore," I muttered.
Seraphina's violet eyes flicked to me. "No. This is the world we protect."
Lilielle twirled her staff as the charms jingled. "C'mon, c'mon! It's even prettier inside!"
The gates opened with a low hum, and the city beyond stole my breath.
White stone avenues wound between floating spires, glimmering fountains, and training fields alive with combat. Heroes of every age and culture moved across the plaza: a bronze-skinned Amazon sparred with a wolf-headed warrior; a robed scholar cast glimmering runes into the air; a towering samurai leaned against a pillar, his armor clinking softly.
Above the plaza, a colossal crystal map hovered, rotating slowly. Red blotches pulsed across the surface of Valeris—each one a Rift outbreak. Over half the continent glowed crimson.
I felt my stomach drop. "…Fifty percent of the world, gone already…"
"Not gone," Seraphina said, voice low. "Claimed. Every life lost to the Rifts fuels their hunger."
I followed her gaze and noticed blue Riftblooms sprouting even in the Academy gardens—those glowing flowers we'd passed earlier. A reminder that no place was truly safe.
Inside the main hall, everything radiated ritualistic grandeur. Golden doors opened into a massive atrium, its walls lined with levitating crystals, each engraved with the name of a Trainer.
As I stepped onto the registration circle, a surge of energy tingled through my fingers. A translucent UI flared into existence:
─────────────────────────────
[Trainer Status]
Name: ??? (Pending Registration)
Rank: F (Novice)
Title: —
Summons:
Seraphina – ★★★★★ (Vanguard) Lilielle – ★★★★ (Support)
Trainer Skills: Locked
Ultimate Commands: Locked
Simulation Access: Locked
System Note: Recognition Pending…
─────────────────────────────
A soft chime echoed in my ears. Around us, a few passing trainers slowed, glancing my way. I caught whispers under their breath:
"Wait… is that Seraphina?"
"That's a five-star vanguard… and he's a novice?"
"Could he be… that trainer?"
I swallowed. Legendary Trainer. The name whispered across every forum back when this was a game. A mythical account that had once topped every leaderboard, capable of summoning heroes whose names shook history itself.
Lilielle leaned closer, voice playful but soft enough for only me to hear. "Heehee… they're wondering if it's you."
"Yeah," I muttered, "I noticed…"
We moved deeper into the Academy, the halls branching into wings for summoning chambers, combat arenas, and trainer dormitories. Through arched windows, I caught glimpses of the other factions:
The Mage Tower, far to the east, all violet flame and crystal spires, hovering above a rift-scarred plain.
The Cultivator Alliance, embedded into the jagged mountains to the west, their cliffside fortress bristling with banners and glowing runes.
"Tensions simmer," Seraphina said as we walked. "Mages want to study the Rifts. Cultivators wish to destroy them head-on. And some here in the Academy believe trainers should answer to no one."
"Yet you still fight together?" I asked.
She nodded. "We must. Every hero summoned by the Academy is a being recognized by the Will of the World—a name etched in history, a legend reborn. To let the Rifts claim Valeris would be to erase that history forever."
I fell silent at that. Lilielle, on the other hand, spun happily on her heels. "Don't be so gloomy! You're back! That means hope's back too!"
Before I could answer, my UI pinged again:
[New Access Granted: Trainee Hall]
[Simulation Quests Available]
[Notice: Certain Ultimate Abilities Locked Pending Trainer Recognition]
Lilielle leaned over my shoulder, braids swaying. "Ooooh, simulations! Don't worry, only sometimes people get eaten!"
"…You're joking, right?" I asked.
She just smiled.
Seraphina rested her halberd against her shoulder, a hint of a smirk forming. "No. She's not. Your true trial begins now."
Seraphina led us through the polished halls until we emerged onto a balcony high above the central courtyard. The last light of day washed over the world in gold and scarlet. From here, I could see the continent of Valeris stretching far into the distance, its beauty marred by the creeping darkness.
Where the land was whole, rolling hills, silver rivers, and pine forests sprawled in peace.
Where the Rifts had devoured, crimson fissures and floating shards of land scarred the horizon like an open wound.
Lilielle leaned against the railing, her voice soft for once.
"It used to be… so much brighter."
Seraphina stood silently, halberd at her side, wind tugging at her silver hair.
"Half the world is gone," she said finally. "The Rifts do not rest. Every day, another village is consumed. Another family… disappears."
I tightened my grip on the railing. Even from here, I could see the slow drift of crimson clouds across the deadlands.
"…When I left the game… I thought this place would just… pause. Wait for me. I didn't realize… that you were all still here. Fighting. Suffering."
Lilielle looked at me, ears drooping. "We didn't want to blame you. But… it was lonely. And scary. Every time a Rift opened, we hoped—" She stopped, swallowing the words.
"…That I'd come back," I finished for her. My voice cracked, just a little.
Neither of them spoke. The wind filled the silence.
I turned from the railing to face them both. My chest felt heavy, but underneath the guilt, something harder had started to burn.
"I can't change the fact that I left you," I said. "But I'm here now. And I'm not leaving again. If this world is falling apart, then I'll fight with you to fix it. I'll summon every hero, close every Rift, and—" I hesitated, but the words came easier than I expected.
"—I'll save this world with you."
Seraphina studied me for a long, quiet moment. Then, slowly, she knelt, planting the haft of her halberd against the floor.
"Then I swear upon my name, Seraphina the Radiant Vanguard… I will follow you once more. Until the end."
Lilielle bounced to her feet, eyes shining with unshed tears. "Me too! Me too! I'll heal everyone, and protect everyone, and… and we'll make the world smile again!"
I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. A smile—small, but real—tugged at my lips.
[Bond Strengthened with Seraphina + Lilielle to Level 2!]
[Trainer Resolve Registered]
[Hidden Title Requirement Progressed…]
A soft chime rang in my mind, and I swore I saw the faintest glimmer of gold in the interface—like the system itself acknowledged the promise I'd just made.
For the first time since waking up here, the gnawing guilt eased, replaced with something else entirely.
Resolve.
I wasn't just here by accident anymore.
I had come home.
And I was going to fight for it.