The next morning, the academy corridors buzzed with a restless energy. Sunlight filtered through the tall windows, catching on polished floors and half-awake students dragging their satchels.

Khael walked beside Kaen, hands tucked in his pockets.

"Well…" Kaen stretched, his voice casual, "there's still no mission. Sensei said it might take a while."

He gave a toothy grin that didn't quite match the frustration flickering in his eyes.

Khael smiled kindly. "Well, good luck with your mission — if you get one before me."

They shared a brief laugh, the sound light against the heavy, humming atmosphere of the academy.

Then a shout cracked the hallway air.

Khael and Kaen turned. At the far end of the corridor, Matthew Lomwel had a younger student pinned against the wall, his fists slamming into the boy's stomach with merciless rhythm. Yet Matthew was smiling wide, bright, almost euphoric.

Gasps scattered among the watching students. No one stepped in.

Then Matthew's head turned, as if sensing them. His smile faltered for a fraction of a second when his eyes locked onto Khael. Then like a spooked wolf he shoved the gasping boy aside and bolted down the hall, laughter echoing behind him.

Khael's eyes narrowed. His vision sharpened, picking up the ripples in the air.

That Shinrei… overflowing, unstable.

It wasn't just the heat of battle or raw emotion. There was something hollow threaded through Matthew's aura a strange, echoing leak that dragged at the edges of the soul.

That's not normal. If it keeps spilling like that…

Khael's jaw tightened.

(At this rate, he'll become a Voidborn.)

The thought chilled him, even with the summer light pressing in through the glass. He remembered too vividly what came later in the manga, Matthew's death, Caishin's fall, Andromeda's knife-edge choices.

Across the hall, another figure stirred.

Shigeo Motome leaned against the window frame, his posture lazy, his storm-dark curls brushing against the breeze sneaking through the cracked glass. His deep blue eyes tracked Matthew's fleeing form, unreadable.

He exhaled softly, almost to himself.

"…What a complicated world."

The words hung in the air like a riddle no one wanted to solve.

Khael's chest tightened. He glanced at Kaen who only frowned, clearly unsettled but without the context to understand.

But Khael knew. Every piece, every unexplained gap in the manga's tragedy was unfolding here, before his eyes.

And if he didn't act soon… history would repeat itself.

…

Meanwhile, at the Academy – Faculty Hall

The sharp echoes of voices from panicked students spread through the academy halls like ripples across still water.

"Did you hear? Matthew lost control—"

"Shinrei, it was pouring out of him like a storm—"

"Someone's hurt! They said he attacked!"

The rumors flitted like sparrows, growing darker with every retelling.

Inside the faculty chamber, silence pressed against the walls. A dozen instructors sat rigid, their faces shadowed with unease. Finally, the scrape of a chair broke the stillness.

Sensei Shun Asamaru stood, shoulders heavy but eyes steady.

"Let's go," he said firmly, his tone carrying the weight of command. "If Matthew's Shinrei is flaring like they say, we can't delay. He could fall into Void influence at this rate."

Chairs scraped back in answer. Several instructors rose immediately, their expressions carved with seriousness.

But before the first step was taken, the door creaked open.

A figure stood in the threshold.

Professor Lok.

His crooked frame hunched beneath his long robe, yet his presence poured into the room like an ink stain, darkening the air. Even the light through the high windows seemed to dim.

Lok's lips curled into a thin smile as his gaze swept across the room.

"Don't trouble yourselves," he said calmly, his voice cutting through the tension like a whisper of frost. "Leave the matter of young Matthew to me."

A silence fell heavier than before.

Shun's eyes narrowed, a flicker of unease stirring in his chest. His voice was low but steady.

"With respect, sir, our duty is—"

Lok's interruption was swift, sharp, and absolute.

"—Are you questioning me, Asamaru?" His tone lashed like a whip. "Do you think age has stolen my ability to discipline a child?"

The words struck the room like hammer blows. Several teachers looked away, their spines stiffening, unsure whether to speak.

Shun's fists curled at his sides. A warning echoed in his instincts, loud and unyielding.

(Why… why does it feel like he's eager about this?)

Lok's gaze locked onto him, unblinking, merciless, daring him to resist.

The weight of it pressed like iron stakes into Shun's chest. Slowly, painfully, he exhaled and glanced at the others. Their hesitation mirrored his own.

He sighed, lowering his eyes.

"…Very well. Professor Lok… handle him." His voice was restrained, but each word carried steel. "But know this — Matthew is still a student, despite his record. Bring him back safely."

For a fleeting second, irritation cracked Lok's composure. His lips twisted, somewhere between a smirk and a snarl.

"Tsk." He clicked his tongue, his smile curdling. "I know, I know… don't order me around. Children lecturing their elders—tch, tch, no manners at all."

The tap of his cane followed him as he turned away. Each strike against the wooden floor echoed like the tolling of a clock.

The faculty chamber held its breath as he left.

And in the shadows of his mind, his thoughts slithered like serpents.

(Now then… let's pay a visit to our little seedling. The sooner he breaks, the sweeter the fruit. Kekeke… )

The door shut softly behind him.

The room remained still for several moments, thick with unease.

Shun's jaw tightened.

(Something's not right. If I'm wrong… then Matthew will be saved. But if I'm right… then we've just handed him over to the wolves.)

The silence lingered, oppressive. None of the teachers could shake the feeling that the academy's halls had just grown colder.

…

Meanwhile Andromeda Ban

The noise from the hallway reached him like sparks carried on the wind. Students rushing, whispers swelling. A name repeated again and again.

Matthew Lomwel.

Andromeda Ban clenched his fist until his knuckles ached. His eyes narrowed, burning with a mixture of disgust and buried resentment.

(That bastard… I really hate him.)

His gaze shifted to the corner of his room where a small, loyal shape stirred.

The Echo Beast

Andromeda's voice cut through the tension, steady and cold.

"Let's go, Junjun."

The dog barked sharply, "Arf! Arf!" tail swishing, as if sensing its master's emotions.

And together, they left, Andromeda moving quickly, Junjun padding beside him both shadows threading their way toward the chaos Matthew had left in his wake.

….

Meanwhile Khael and Kaen

Two figures moved swiftly down a quieter hall, their footsteps echoing faintly.

Khael walked with his eyes half-lidded, but his senses stretched sharp and far. The faint pulse of Shinrei in the air clung to his skin like static. His nostrils flared subtly.

Thanks to the Dragon Knight System the secret only he could see, only he could wield he caught traces others would miss.

The scent of Shinrei overflow… bitter, sharp, tinged with something wrong.

His dragon blood stirred. Half-human, half-dragon, his instincts were keener than any hound's.

"Let's go, Kaen." His voice was low, urgent.

Kaen cracked his knuckles, straightforward as ever.

"Hah. Then let's beat some sense into that bastard."

His honesty rang like steel no hesitation, no fear.

But Khael said nothing more. Inside, his thoughts tightened like coils.

This isn't just Matthew losing control… something's twisting his aura.

At the side overlooking the corridor, a figure leaned lazily against the railing.

Shigeo Motome.

The boy yawned, his storm-dark curls catching the faint breeze. His eyes tracked Khael and Kaen's hurried pace below.

From behind him, a voice laced with sharp curiosity cut in.

"Aren't you going to follow them, Shigeo?"

Saya Kurenai. Her eyes glinted with knowing amusement as they pinned him.

Shigeo tilted his head lazily, hands in his pockets.

"Why wouldn't I?" he replied, pushing off the railing. His steps carried him in the same direction as Khael and Kaen.

Saya's brow lifted.

"I mean… why else would you go down the very path they just took?"

Shigeo half-turned, a ghost of a smirk tugging at his lips.

"I'm not following them." His tone was lazy, dismissive. "I'm just going to find a quiet spot to relax… that's all."

But Saya only narrowed her eyes, studying him. Her instincts whispered otherwise.

Shigeo kept walking, his figure vanishing down the hall, his true intent hidden beneath the mask of indifference.

To be continue