Sion sat still, the pond's reflection rippling beneath him. Dara's head was warm against his thigh, her breathing slow and even.
Then—she stirred.
Her eyes fluttered open, catching the soft light. She stretched once, then sat up, blinking away sleep like a cat shaken from a dream.
Sion tilted his head, watching her with soft curiosity. "Good nap?"
Dara nodded, brushing her hair back. "Perfect."
Then, she stood—graceful and sudden. Her eyes sharpened.
"I'm heading toward the Catacombs center."
Sion blinked. "Now?"
She gave him a cheeky grin. "Yeah. I want to clear it."
He stood with her, dusting his coat off. "Hmm, okay then."
But Dara shook her head. "Nope."
Sion raised an eyebrow.
"You are not coming," she said with a smirk. "Your instincts, senses, precognition… all of that? It's cheating. It would be too easy."
Sion stared at her, unconvinced. A hint of worry could be seen in his eyes.
Dara crossed her arms. "Sion."
He flinched slightly. "Yeah?"
"Do you think I'm weak?"
His mouth opened. Then shut.
Her gaze didn't waver.
Sion sighed and looked away, rubbing the back of his head. "I… no. That's not it. I just—guess my worries got ahead of my logic."
Her features softened.
"Good," she said, stepping closer. Then leaned in, whispering into his ear, "Now close your eyes. I want to change."
"Okay," Sion nodded—but didn't move.
"You're not closing them," Dara pointed out.
"Shit. This is definitely not me... it's my Gift," Sion lied, straight-faced.
Dara narrowed her eyes, completely unconvinced.
A beat passed.
Then she pouted. "Weirdo. You're not seeing my boobs anytime soon."
She turned as vines burst from the floor, curling around her in a spiraling cocoon.
"Bummer," Sion muttered. His senses could pierce the vines easily—but he didn't. She deserved her privacy. Besides, they'd only just started dating. He didn't expect that kind of intimacy yet.
What bothered him was the sense that... she could have used vines he couldn't see through. Maybe it was a test. Maybe she was baiting him.
But.
He could not shake the feeling that this was not the case, she was not testing him... more of inviting him to look.
Sion shook the thought off—such a thing is absurd. He stood and waited for her to be done.
Soon, the vines unraveled.
Dara stepped forward.
Gone was the tight combat jumpsuit. In its place was a short, sleeveless black dress—simple but elegant. A thin tiara of onyx metal now adorned her head, glinting with quiet menace. And at its side, nestled above her left ear, bloomed a single black rose.
Sion opened his mouth, then shut it.
He did this a few times, but his gaze never left Dara's regal figure.
"Are you looking for the word: beautiful?" Dara teased.
"Impeccable." Sion corrected.
Dara blushed.
She stepped closer.
"You can't take your eyes off your flower."
A seductive smile flashed by past her lips.
"I want to eat this flower."
Sion blurted out.
Dara blushed again.
"Isn't it too early for such comments?" She asked, her head down in embarrassment—she truly does not know.
"I don't know," Sion replied innocently. "It is my first time here too."
"Me too." Dara blurted out.
Then.
Silence.
Awkward silence.
"I'm leaving," Dara said quickly. She leaned in and kissed his cheek. "See you later."
Vines rose under her feet and gently lifted her up, then launched her forward into the dark.
"I'll call your name, babe!" her voice echoed back.
"Bye," Sion said, still watching. A warm light glowed in his eyes.
A soft smile lingered on his face.
Then it faded.
He looked around, then cracked his neck.
"Well… time to do some superhero shit."
And then—he was gone.
One blink.
Not even that.
He vanished from the spot, leaving nothing but a faint golden shimmer in the air.
Across the nearby tunnels, time warped.
A girl, tangled in a thorn trap, gasped as the vines vanished. In her place stood a note: "You're welcome."
A boy hanging upside down from a runic snare blinked—and hit the ground softly, the net cut clean.
Three students surrounded by awakened golems suddenly found the constructs turned to scrap—runes slashed precisely at their cores.
A boulder crashed down toward a pair of first-years too stunned to run—until it wasn't. It had already been split into five pieces, mid-fall.
One by one, every trap in Sion's immediate radius fell apart.
Students didn't know what had happened. Some thought it was a system glitch. Others thought they got lucky.
Only a few caught the blur of gold light that zipped past them.
Meanwhile.
Catacombs center region.
Maki aimlessly walked forward, her irritation increasing by the minute.
She could not find the culprit responsible for the Comm override. And even worse, the First Years were stronger than she thought—way stronger.
Every inter-year battle she had passed by was being completely dominated by the First Years. It was unheard of in the history of the Academy—First Year freshers that have not gone through any lectures are on average stronger than the Second Years.
Her sour mood was reaching its tipping point, and it is taking everything in her not to interfere in some battles and help the seniors beat some sense into their arrogant juniors. But, she held herself back, the culprit first.
She turned a corner. Her senses surged forward into the carven space.
Nothing.
Just then, a faint hum.
She turned her head.
A girl approached, gliding forward on a trail of moving vines like it was the most normal thing in the world. She wore a short black dress, a tiara, and a black rose perched just above her ear.
A freshie.
Of course.
Dara's gaze locked on her as she passed. She squinted slightly.
A grown woman. Human. Probably staff.Why is she glaring at me?
She slowed.
So did Maki.
The air between them sharpened.
Dara tilted her head slightly. "...You keep looking at me weird."
Maki didn't flinch. "Do I?"
"You do." Dara's voice was light, but cold. "I don't like it."
Maki smirked. "Maybe I don't like seeing a student riding vines like she's on her way to a fashion show."
"Maybe I don't like staff who can't stop ogling beauties," Dara shot back.
Both of them stopped fully now—just feet apart. Vines curled protectively near Dara's feet. Maki's eyes flicked briefly to the massive chainsaw blade strapped across her back.
They sized each other up.
"I know who you are," Maki said coolly. "You helped break open the gate. You and your superhero boyfriend."
Dara's eyes didn't waver. "And I know who you are. You're the one who watched it all happen from a screen. Helpless."
Maki's brow twitched.
She stepped forward slightly. "You want to try me?"
The vines around Dara's ankles twitched.
Her expression sharpened, her voice dropping an octave.
"What if I do?"
The air rumbled as the two divas sized each other up.
Sion was unaware of the imminent battle between beauties. Rather, he was focused on the figure in front of him.
Cyn.
She was not alone, she was travelling with a group of students. A charismatic male student seemed to be leading them through the tunnels—like a group of adventurers.
"Hey—"
"Hey." Sion cut off her mid-greeting—she had almost blurted out his name.
Cyn found it weird that he cut her off so abruptly, but she quickly placed the pieces together. Oh, yea, his identity as Sion is a secret.
"How you doing?" She moved on.
"Good, I guess." Sion shrugged.
Barry, the team leader, gestured at Cyn. She took the hint.
"Want to join in? We need all the help we can get." She asked Sion.
"Help?"
"Yea, we are about to slay a dragon." She replied with a charged smile.
Sion was taken aback. Then, a dangerous grin played on his lips as anticipation bubbled in his eyes.
"Oh, I would definitely join."