The next morning, a thin veil of fog blanketed the academy grounds, clinging to the cobbled paths like whispers of the past. Students moved quietly through the mist, voices hushed by the weight of anticipation. Today was the day we'd enter the Spirit Confluence Zone.
I wasn't nervous.
That would require me to care.
"Yoru!"
Of course, my morning wouldn't be complete without the walking flame herself. Akari jogged up beside me, eyes bright, cloak fluttering behind her like the trail of a firebird.
"You look like you're about to walk to your own funeral," she noted.
"Maybe I am," I replied dryly. "Or worse—into a group bonding exercise."
"You really know how to make a girl feel welcome," she said with a chuckle. "Try not to die in there. I need someone to annoy."
"I'll do my best. Dying would mean you win."
We reached the central courtyard where Professor Kaien waited, surrounded by other instructors. A shimmering archway stood behind him—pure mana, shaped into an oval gate, pulsating with hues of silver and blue. The Spirit Confluence Zone.
"You will enter alone," Kaien announced. "Time flows differently inside. To the outside world, mere moments pass, but within, your trial may feel far longer. Do not underestimate the challenge. And remember—this is not a test of strength, but of resonance."
"Sounds like a bad date," I muttered. Akari stifled a laugh.
Kaien's gaze fell on me briefly. Did he hear that? Probably. Did I care? Not even slightly.
One by one, students stepped through the archway, vanishing in a flicker of light. Some looked terrified, others determined. I just looked bored. Until my name was called.
"Yoru Mikazuki."
I sighed, adjusting the strap of my cloak. "Let's get this over with."
As I stepped through the gate, the world rippled around me. For a heartbeat, I felt weightless—adrift in a sea of stars. Then the ground returned beneath my feet.
I stood in a vast, icy expanse. No wind. No sky. Just a mirror-like floor stretching into the horizon, reflecting endless constellations above.
A voice echoed around me.
"You carry silence like a blade."
"Better than noise like a club," I replied, glancing around. "You gonna show yourself or are we playing hide and seek?"
From the horizon, a shape emerged—massive, sleek, and ancient. A dragon, its body woven from frost and starlight, its eyes like twin galaxies.
I froze.
The creature's presence was overwhelming. Not in the loud, roaring sense. It was quiet. Patient. Like a blizzard watching you sleep.
"You are veiled in restraint," the dragon said. "And pain."
"Yeah, well. Everyone's got baggage."
"Why do you hold back your truth?"
I hesitated. Not because I didn't have an answer, but because I didn't want to give it.
"Because truth makes you vulnerable," I said eventually. "And I've been stabbed enough times for one lifetime."
The dragon studied me for a moment that felt like eternity.
Then, it bowed its head.
"Then let us carry the burden together."
In a flash of silver-blue light, it surged toward me. Not to attack—but to merge.
Power coursed through my veins. Cold and infinite. My vision blurred with stars.
Then it was over. I stood alone again, but not empty. I felt... connected.
The gate reappeared before me.
When I stepped out, the courtyard was as I left it—except Kaien's brows lifted ever so slightly.
"Yoru Mikazuki," he said. "Congratulations."
I didn't respond. Just walked to the side, ignoring the stares.
Minutes later, Akari emerged. Her hair shimmered with an embered glow, and fire danced beneath her skin.
We locked eyes.
"Yours look cool," she said.
"Yours looks angry."
"It reflects my soul."
"Explains a lot."
We stood together in silence as the others finished. Some emerged glowing, others trembling. A few didn't come back.
The instructors didn't comment. But the looks on their faces said everything.
This wasn't just a ritual. It was a filter.
Later that night, I sat by my window, the stars clearer than ever.
Inside me, the dragon stirred.
"We are bound now. But the path forward will test more than your magic."
"Great," I murmured. "More tests."
I glanced at the sky.
Somewhere out there, things were moving. And I had a feeling I wouldn't stay in the shadows forever.
Akari's voice rang in my head from earlier.
"I need someone to annoy."
I smiled faintly.
Maybe I wouldn't have to walk this path alone after all.