Narrator's Voice:
When truths are unmasked, the world doesn't always cheer. Sometimes, it just... watches. And in the silence between glances, decisions are made, alliances shift, and destinies take shape.
Scene 1: Festival of Fractals
Vantaria's festival grounds were aglow with hanging lanterns, radiant glyphs spiraling through the sky, and floating stalls drifting lazily in midair. The Festival of Fractals—a celebration of individuality and unity—was the academy's oldest tradition.
Kael and Zayen strolled through the buzzing plaza. Zayen wore a crooked paper crown and a suspiciously smug grin. "I got us into the gravity-dodge tournament."
Kael narrowed his eyes. "That's not a real event."
"It is now." Zayen winked. "I might've bribed the event makers with glowing cotton candy."
"Zayen!"
They passed a group of third-years doing synchronized flame dancing, an illusionist contest run by the Arclight Division, and a booth selling "soulbound trinkets"—charms that reacted to your pulse.
Hidden among the fun, however, Kael noticed something off. Whispers. Hushed conversations that ended as he passed.
It wasn't about him.
It was about her.
Scene 2: A Ghost from the Past
Riven wandered alone.
She wasn't hiding anymore. No bandages, no disguise. Her hair tied loosely back, her usual cold expression slightly cracked under the flicker of festival lights.
"Isn't that her?"
"She used to dress like a guy, right?"
"She's… kind of cool, actually."
She ignored the murmurs and approached a mirrored stall. The sign read: "See your Inner Self."
Her reflection stared back—eyes harder than glass, shadows under them. But the mirror shimmered—suddenly overlaying a faint crown of flame atop her head. Her bandages returned in the illusion, glowing faintly.
A voice—sharp as winter.
"Interesting. You haven't changed at all."
Riven turned.
A girl stood behind her. Lean. Tall. Sapphire-sharp eyes. Short white hair braided with black thorns.
Kyria.
Her old rival. A former top cadet of the Dusk Order. The one Riven beat in a trial duel—by breaking her own blade.
"Still wearing masks?" Kyria said, arms folded.
"I only need one now," Riven replied.
They stared each other down, festival lights reflected in their eyes. The crowd felt miles away.
"That crown suits you," Kyria said flatly. "Shame it's fake."
"Like your honor?" Riven replied.
Tension coiled between them.
Scene 3: Echoes and Embers
Meanwhile, Kael bumped into someone. Literally.
A guy in a long dark coat, face half-covered by a slanted mask, handed him a scroll and vanished into the crowd.
Kael blinked. "...Weird."
He unrolled the scroll.
A map of Vantaria's sub-catacombs, dated centuries ago. On it, a symbol burned faintly—the same symbol etched onto the medallion he wore beneath his shirt.
Zayen peeked. "That looks cursed."
Kael: "It's probably cursed."
Zayen: "So we're going?"
Kael smirked. "Of course."
Scene 4: A Message in the Flames
Back at the mirror stall, after Kyria stormed off, Riven stared at her reflection again. The crown of fire still hovered.
"Fake…" she muttered.
"Or foreshadowing."
A voice behind her again—but this time, familiar. A calm, otherworldly presence.
Vaelion Skye.
Cloaked in layered garbs, eyes hidden behind a translucent veil, he seemed… there and not there. A cameo that flickered between planes of reality.
"You carry more than you understand, Riven Korr."
She turned. "Do I know you?"
Vaelion only smiled.
"Not yet. But you will. When the Soulfruit ripens, and the Crown devours, you'll remember this moment."
And just as suddenly, he vanished.
Scene 5: Lighthearted Chaos
Elsewhere, Zayen joined a food-eating contest and nearly exploded from a "lava pepper dumpling."
Kael: "You good?"
Zayen: "If I die, bury me with my snacks."
They both laughed, even as Kael secretly kept glancing at the scroll in his coat.
He felt it in his bones—tonight wasn't just a festival. It was the calm before something big.
Scene 6: Fireworks and Foresight
As fireworks painted the sky, Kael saw Riven again—standing still in the center of it all. Alone. Lit by the soft shimmer of the soul-mirrors.
He walked over. She didn't turn.
"You okay?"
Riven glanced up. Her eyes weren't cold anymore. Just… quiet.
"It's strange. I thought being seen would be terrifying. But it's kind of… freeing."
Kael gave a small smile. "You look like yourself."
She looked at him. Really looked.
"You're not afraid of me?"
"I'm more afraid of Zayen's cooking."
She laughed. Softly. And something in her guard cracked.
End of Chapter 3: Echoes Beneath the Firelights
Narrator's voice fades in:
And so, the firelights faded. But in the glow, truths sparked. Old rivals returned. Fate whispered. And from shadows… the trials began to stir.