The morning sun broke through the curtains of my dorm room, casting a golden light across the floor. As I stretched, the air seemed to hum with a certain quiet anticipation. The weight of the day—my eighteenth birthday—felt almost overwhelming, but I couldn't explain why. I had spent so many years in my past life with little to no celebration, and this world was so different. Yet today, it felt different. I knew that something significant would happen, but I wasn't sure what.
I lay there for a few moments, lost in thought. The events of the last few weeks had been both thrilling and nerve-wracking. The discovery of my powers, the mysterious visions, and the subtle yet growing connection I had with Kai Xu. My heart clenched at the thought of him, but I quickly pushed the feeling aside. Today wasn't about him. Today was about me.
I rose from my bed, pulling on the soft white robe of the Healers' Faculty. The delicate fabric swished as I moved, and I couldn't help but wonder what the future held. This robe, like the others, was a mark of where I was—at least for now. I still felt a little out of place in the Healers' Faculty, though I had developed a deep appreciation for alchemy and the art of healing. But deep inside me, there was a pull. A knowing that something greater was waiting for me, hidden in the depths of my soul.
I glanced around the room at my roommates—Aerin, Mira, and Caius—who were still deep in sleep. It had been a quiet morning, and I didn't want to disturb them. But as I got dressed and prepared for the day, the weight of my thoughts seemed to grow heavier.
Today marked not only a personal milestone but also a powerful turning point. I wasn't sure if I was ready, but the pull of destiny was too strong to ignore. The mysterious prophecy, the echoes of my past life, and the strange connection to the divine all seemed to converge on this day. I could feel it in my bones—the stirring of something powerful deep inside me.
Later that afternoon, as I sat in the courtyard, the breeze cool against my skin, I felt a ripple of energy. The air seemed to change, thickening with power as if the world itself was waiting for something. My heart raced, and a strange sensation washed over me, as if something were awakening deep within my soul.
"Sky?"
I turned to see Iris standing before me, a soft smile on her face.
"You look a bit lost in thought," she said, her gaze studying me carefully.
"I am," I replied honestly. "It's... my birthday."
Iris raised an eyebrow, a knowing look crossing her features. "Yes, it is. I suspect that something significant will happen today. You should be prepared."
I nodded, swallowing hard. "What do you mean by that?"
She hesitated, then glanced around as though she didn't want to be overheard. "The ability you've been waiting for—the one that has been growing inside of you—will likely reveal itself today. The power of the divine. You've unlocked it before, but today, it will come into full bloom."
I froze. "You mean the Divine Sense?"
Iris gave a small nod. "Yes. It's time. Trust yourself."
A deep breath filled my lungs, and I closed my eyes. Iris's words echoed in my mind, but there was also a growing sensation within me—an energy pulsing, both familiar and strange. I had felt this before, a deep, unexplainable pull from the depths of my being, but today, it was stronger. The world around me seemed to shift, the wind picking up as though it were alive. It was as if I could sense everything around me at once—the rustling leaves, the fluttering of distant wings, even the subtle thrum of life within the stone walls of the academy.
A flash of warmth spread across my chest, and I gasped as something inside me clicked into place. The power of the Divine Sense had been unlocked. I could feel it, see it, even before I fully understood what was happening.
It was as if I could peer into the very souls of those around me—feel their emotions, their intentions. It was overwhelming at first, but the more I focused, the clearer it became. A rush of images and sensations flooded my mind.
The first thing I felt was the presence of Iris—calm, steady, but also cloaked in something she wasn't sharing. Beneath her poised exterior, I felt an underlying sadness, something from her past that she kept hidden. But there was also an immense sense of warmth and care. Iris had always felt like a guiding light in my life, and now I understood why.
Next, I turned my attention to the students passing by in the courtyard. Some were full of excitement and laughter, their emotions bright and untainted. Others, however, were weighed down by anxiety, doubt, and fear. A young woman walking alone, her eyes cast down as though the world was pressing on her, her heart heavy with self-doubt. I wanted to reach out, to comfort her, but there was a strange pressure in my chest that made it impossible to act.
It was then that I felt it—a darker, more twisted presence. Something that made the air around me grow heavy, the light dimming as if to shield me from the weight of it. I couldn't pinpoint the source at first, but I knew this wasn't a presence I wanted to deal with. The aura surrounding this person was toxic—filled with malice, anger, and something even darker. I shuddered involuntarily, trying to pull myself away from the overwhelming sensation.
I opened my eyes, gasping for breath. I was trembling, my body not used to such a flood of emotions. But something had changed—something had shifted inside me. I was no longer just Sky, the girl with powers no one could detect. Now, I was someone who could sense the very hearts of those around me, someone who could feel their truths and their lies.
"That... that was incredible," I whispered, though my voice sounded hollow to my own ears.
Iris was watching me, her expression unreadable. "It's only the beginning. The more you trust your sense, the more you will understand about the world—and those within it. But be careful, Sky. Not everyone can be trusted, and not everyone who crosses your path has good intentions."
I nodded slowly, still trying to process the enormity of what had just happened. It was as if I had opened a door to a world I hadn't known existed, a world where I could understand people in ways I never thought possible.
"Thank you," I said quietly, looking up at Iris. "For helping me."
She smiled faintly. "I'm only showing you the path. It's up to you to walk it."
I stood there for a few moments, letting the weight of the day wash over me. My eighteenth birthday had not been just a simple milestone. It had been a gateway to something far greater. And as the sun began to set, I couldn't help but feel that this was only the beginning of a journey that would lead me to places I could never have imagined.
As night fell over the academy, the cool air seemed to bring a certain clarity. I wandered back to the dorm, my heart still pounding with the strange, new sensations of the day. There was so much I didn't understand, but I was beginning to piece things together.
When I reached the dorm, Aerin, Mira, and Caius were already inside, discussing their plans for the upcoming days. They paused when they saw me, and a strange, unspoken understanding passed between us. They knew something had changed, but none of them spoke of it directly.
"Sky," Caius said with a knowing smile. "How do you feel?"
"I..." I hesitated, my mind still spinning with all that had happened. "I feel different. Something has... unlocked."
They exchanged glances, but no one pressed me further. I was grateful for that. I didn't have the words yet to explain what had happened—what I had felt, what I had learned about myself and the world around me. But I knew that whatever it was, it was just the beginning.
This was my first step into a greater power, a greater understanding of the world. The Divine Sense was only one of the many abilities I would come to harness, and as I sat with my friends that night, I couldn't shake the feeling that the prophecy was drawing closer—closer than I had ever imagined.
And the path ahead would be one filled with both danger and discovery.