The wind shifted.
It wasn't just the breeze of changing seasons or the high-altitude winds brushing against the academy's spires. This was different. Thick with intent, so dense with silence that even sound seemed reluctant to exist within it.
Aevion's footsteps came to a stop.
He stood alone beneath the crimson tree on the southern edge of the academy gardens, where petals never wilted, and no birds dared to land. It was a place forgotten by noise, yet remembered by time.
He could feel it.
A presence.
Older than magic.
Heavier than memory.
His fingers closed slightly. Not in fear—he didn't fear things. But in recognition. His instincts—the same instincts that once made nations bow—quietly stirred like an old beast exhaling for the first time in centuries.
The world around him... dimmed.
Not darker. Just quieter.
As if even the air were holding its breath.
Then he heard it.
A hum.
Soft. Light. Childlike.
"La, la, la, la~"
It was sweet, rhythmic. The sort of melody someone would hum while braiding flowers in a field, far from danger or death. Completely unbothered by the world.
And impossibly close.
Aevion turned his head—
And saw her.
A girl.
Standing beside the great crimson tree, as if she had always been there.
Her hair was a wavy waterfall of honey gold, nearly glowing against her pale skin. Her eyes—bright lavender—shone like stardust distilled into liquid. A white ribbon wrapped her hair loosely, with a little flower pinned to the side. Her dress, frilly and simple, danced slightly in the breeze, as if it too was alive.
She was... cute. So cute that it felt wrong. Ethereal. Almost too perfect.
And she was staring directly at him.
"Hmm," she hummed thoughtfully, tilting her head. "You're Aevion."
He didn't answer immediately. Not out of hesitation, but because—oddly—he didn't feel compelled to speak.
Instead, he observed her.
No detectable Nexis signature.
No scent of danger.
Yet… every molecule of his body screamed she is not normal.
She smiled.
"I like your eyes. They remind me of crushed amethysts soaked in moonlight." She beamed proudly, as if that compliment was her greatest accomplishment today.
Aevion blinked once. "Who are you?"
The girl placed a finger to her lips and grinned.
"I'm one of the Twenty Great Phantoms. But you can call me Yui~!"
The breeze shifted again. Trees trembled ever so slightly—not out of wind, but something deeper.
Great Phantoms.
One of the 20 beings known across the world as entities that surpassed logic, transcended magic, and walked freely through dimensions as whispers, stories, or nightmares. Most nations didn't even believe they were real.
And yet, one was smiling in front of him like a child offering a flower.
"You're not afraid?" Yui asked, blinking slowly.
"No," Aevion said.
She stepped closer.
"Not even a little?"
Still, he shook his head. "You're not scary."
Her smile widened. "You're not either. That's what I like about you."
He didn't know what that meant. But she said it with such gentleness, as if it was a long-awaited realization.
Suddenly, Yui crouched on the stone bench beside the tree, arms resting on her knees, watching him with sparkles in her eyes. "Wanna know a secret?"
Aevion tilted his head.
"I've been looking for you."
"…Why?"
She held up one finger. "Because you smell like forgotten stars."
Aevion blinked.
"I don't know what that means," he replied flatly.
"Neither do I!" she said cheerfully. "But I still like it!"
There was a pause. A long one. Yet not awkward.
She was radiant, warm in a strange way—not burning, not bright. But soft, like the comfort of a memory that never actually happened.
Aevion sat down beside her.
The moment he did, Yui's smile turned even softer.
"Most people try to kill me when they see me," she murmured. "Or run. Or beg. Or call me a curse."
"…You're not a curse," Aevion said calmly.
Her shoulders relaxed.
"You don't ask questions, do you?" she whispered.
"Only when they matter."
Yui smiled again.
"Good. Because I don't like being asked why I cry when I sleep."
The air dropped a degree.
But Aevion didn't speak. He didn't offer comfort or pity. Just… presence.
And that was enough.
They sat beneath the tree in silence. For minutes, maybe hours.
Time wasn't measured here. Only moments were.
At some point, Yui leaned against him. Her tiny frame barely brushing his arm. And for the first time in her endless, quiet existence
She didn't feel alone.
The morning air was crisp and still, carrying with it the soft scent of jasmine and earth warmed by the rising sun. Aevion lingered beneath the crimson tree where Yui sat quietly, humming a gentle melody. The garden felt suspended in time, as if the world itself held its breath for a moment.
"I have to go," Aevion said softly, breaking the silence.
Yui's bright lavender eyes followed him with a mixture of curiosity and something else he couldn't quite place. "Already? The day's just beginning."
He glanced toward the towering spires of the academy where the first bell would ring soon. "Class doesn't wait."
Her smile was a quiet thing, almost wistful. "Be careful," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Aevion nodded and turned away, his footsteps echoing softly on the cobblestones as he made his way toward the main grounds.
As he walked, the gardens slowly gave way to the bustling halls of the academy. Students hurried by, voices rising and falling in a constant hum of activity. He barely noticed them.
Then, near the entrance to the library wing, two familiar figures emerged from the crowd.
"Mira. Liora," Aevion greeted.
Both girls looked different than before — tired, a little worn, but safe.
"We've been gone," Liora said quickly, glancing between them. "A week. Sorry we didn't tell you."
Mira nodded, her usual cheerful smile softened by exhaustion. "We had to... deal with something."
Aevion's brow furrowed. "What happened?"
Liora hesitated before answering. "It's complicated. But we're back now. And things are... different."
There was a brief pause, the weight of unsaid words hanging heavy between them.
"We should get to class," Mira said, gently nudging Aevion forward.
The three moved together through the corridors, settling into their seats just as the bell chimed, signaling the start of lessons.
Hours passed in a blur of lectures, magic demonstrations, and quiet note-taking. Despite the normalcy of it all, Aevion found his mind drifting — to Yui, to the crimson tree, to the strange feeling that something was shifting just beyond the edges of his perception.
When the last class ended, the sun was already dipping low, casting long shadows through the academy's grand windows.
Liora leaned closer, her voice low and serious. "We need to go back. To the Library of the End."
Mira's eyes sparkled with a mix of excitement and caution. "There are things there we need to find. Things we can't ignore."
Aevion nodded, the familiar pull of the unknown settling deep in his chest.
Together, the three prepared, gathering their things quietly as the academy began to empty around them.
Outside, the twilight was falling.
The journey to the Library was about to begin