🌑 Chapter 56
The night after the incident in the forest, Aeren couldn't sleep.
His dreams were no longer random. They were visions.
He saw cities in ruins.He saw a glowing throne in a palace of stars.He saw himself… floating above time, watching it rewind and fast-forward like pages of a book.
And most terrifying of all—he saw the sigil behind his back…Unfolding into twelve glowing eyes, each holding a different rune of power.
🏫 Back at Sinjai Academy
The Academy was buzzing with whispers.
"Did you hear? A Level 7 Ravager just... died in the forest. Collapsed.""The teachers think it was a power surge… but nothing was found.""Could it have been… Varnyx again?"
Aeren walked through the corridors, keeping his head low. Anshi stayed close, watching him more carefully than ever.
She had noticed it.
His reflexes. His observation. His instinct to dodge blows even before they came.The way his words sometimes felt like they could enter your mind.
"Are you… really okay?" she finally asked during training.
Aeren hesitated. "No. I'm scared."
He paused.
"But I don't know if I'm scared of what's coming… or of what's waking up inside me."
🧪 Secrets of the Sigil
Meanwhile, in the academy's archive chamber, Headmaster Kaelron stood with the three Diamond-tier Seekers.
He projected a floating sigil—Aeren's back mark captured by a brief magical glimpse during the forest event.
"This mark… it's older than any known bloodline. It predates the 2014 Rift Event."
One teacher stepped forward. "It matches the crest found in the Timeless Codex, the one that warns about a vessel…"
Kaelron's eyes narrowed.
"We've been feeding a dragon unaware of its own wings."
🧪 The Competition Draws Near
The second round of the First-Year Ranking Tournament was just days away.
This time, it was team-based. Aeren, Anshi, and two others from Class-1 had formed a group:
Feroz: A tactician with a shadow-based power, Silver-rank.
Lia: A healer-in-training with rare wind magic, Stone-rank.
Their objective?
Survive five waves of coordinated monster attacks in a simulated dungeon, while facing ambushes from rival student teams.
Victory = promotion + rare bloodline catalyst.
Failure = disqualification… or worse.
But…
Something darker was waiting beneath the dungeon.
🕳️ In the Shadows…
Beneath the Academy, in tunnels sealed for decades, someone moved.
A figure in bone-white robes knelt before a massive circular portal—the "Eye of Abyss."
"He carries the Sigil of Time… It will ripen soon."
Beside him, a black flame burned in a lantern, whispering in an ancient tongue.
"Send the Wraith-Twin. Let the boy break… or awaken."
🧭 The Dungeon Opens
The day of the battle arrived. All first-year students gathered at the portal gates.
Aeren's team stood ready. Everyone wore their seeker bands, pulsing with energy.
The sky rumbled—not with thunder, but with fate.
As the gates opened, Aeren looked at his hands.
"I'll hold back. I have to. If I lose control again… someone might die."
But deep inside him, the Sigil pulsed… hungry.
Watching. Waiting.
📘 End of Chapter 56