Morning arrived quickly, and Lyra was already awake before the sun fully cleared the horizon.
She stepped into the small backyard, carrying a heavy plastic bucket of water to tend to her mother’s flowers near the fence.
As she walked across the dirt path, she suddenly froze, checking her stride and stepping completely around another long line of garden ants marching through the grass.
Myrmor watched the movement silently from his perch on her shoulder.
“…Why do you always move around them?”
Lyra smiled down at the tiny trail.
“They’re busy. They clearly have somewhere important to be, and I’d feel bad interrupting their work.”
Myrmor looked away from her face, focusing his tiny golden eyes on the workers marching through the dirt.
“…Good.”
Without another word of explanation, he vanished, slipping quietly beneath the fabric of her sleeve.
Lyra blinked, pausing with the water bucket.
“…Myrmor?”
There was no answer.
She carefully searched her shoulder and checked her cuffs, but he was gone.
Completely, entirely gone.
At that exact microsecond, a gentle morning breeze swept through the yard, carrying a single, calm sentence directly into her mind:
“Your first lesson begins now.”
Lyra’s eyes widened in sudden alarm.
“…What do you mean by that? Myrmor!”
But there was no reply.
She stood entirely alone in the backyard, marking the very first time she had been without his presence since the Awakening.
The bright morning sunlight filtered through the narrow alleys of the eastern district, casting long, sharp shadows across the quiet neighborhood streets.
Walking down the pavement, Lyra felt an unsettling, hollow weight in her chest.
For the first time since yesterday’s ceremony, she felt truly alone.
“Myrmor?” she tried whispering into her collar.
No answer.
She checked her left shoulder, searched her sleeves, and even unzipped her backpack to look inside.
Nothing.
The little ant had completely vanished without a trace, leaving her with nothing but his parting words.
“Your first lesson begins now.”
“What lesson?” she muttered under her breath, looking down at her empty hands.
No one answered her.
Her mother watched her from across the wooden table, setting down her teacup.
“Still thinking about it?”
Lyra nodded honestly.
“I don’t even know where Astral Academy is, Mom. I’ve never seen it on any regional map.”
Her mother smiled warmly, reaching over to pat her hand.
“Then today, we’ll go find out.”
The city library was significantly busier than usual when Lyra arrived.
Most of yesterday’s newly awakened students from the district were already there, eagerly flipping through thick reference books and searching for information regarding the various academies that had sent them invitations.
Large, leather-bound books lay scattered across the heavy wooden tables, and historical maps covered the stone walls.
In the corners, several students were proudly holding up their official white letters, comparing their entry stipends and contrasting different combat tracks.
Lyra kept her head down, quietly weaving through the crowded aisles until she reached the central information desk.
“Excuse me, mister…”
The elderly librarian looked up from his ledger, offering a kind smile.
“Yes, young lady? How can I help you?”
“I wanted to ask if you have any records or directories on a place called Astral Academy.”
The librarian’s smile instantly froze.
“…Astral?” He adjusted his thick glasses, his brow furrowing as he racked his brain.
“I’ve worked in this establishment for thirty-seven years, child. I’ve never heard of such an academy existing in Aetheria.”
Lyra blinked, her heart sinking slightly.
“Nothing at all?”
“I’m afraid not,” he murmured, looking intrigued.
He disappeared into the restricted archive room at the back of the library.
Nearly fifteen minutes passed before he finally returned, carrying three incredibly dusty, weathered books.
He laid them out on the desk, carefully searching through the indexes of each one.
Still, there was absolutely nothing.
He let out a heavy sigh, closing the final cover.
“I’m sorry, dear. If such a place truly exists, it simply isn’t recorded in any public or municipal archive.”
As Lyra thanked him and turned away from the desk, a familiar, mocking voice cut sharply through the quiet library aisle.
“Well, well… if it isn’t the Ant Queen. Are you searching for schools now?”
A harsh round of snickers erupted from behind a row of bookshelves.
Three boys from yesterday’s awakening ceremony stepped out, completely blocking her path to the exit.
The tallest of the trio crossed his arms, a arrogant smirk plastered across his face.
“I heard a rumor that not a single academy in the entire district wanted you. What happened? Did even the insect vocational schools reject your pathetic soul?” Visit novelping . com for the full chapter.
His friends burst into a fresh wave of loud laughter, drawing stares from the surrounding tables.
Lyra remained perfectly calm, keeping her voice steady.
“I’m not looking for trouble. Please let me pass.”
“Too bad,” the tallest boy sneered, stepping closer.
“We are.”
With a sudden flash of light, the boy summoned his Beast Soul.
A small, grey furred Stone Rat materialized and landed heavily on his shoulder, its dark eyes beadily tracking Lyra.
“Rank G,” the boy bragged, leaning in.
“Still a hell of a lot stronger than a common ant.”
Several nearby students looked over at the commotion, recognizing the emblem on the boy’s jacket.
Nobody stood up to intervene.
Lyra slowly clenched her fists at her sides, her heartbeat quickening against her ribs.
Myrmor was still nowhere to be found; she was completely, terrifyingly on her own.
The boy took another aggressive step forward, thrusting his chin out.
“Go on then. Summon your beast. Let’s see it. Or is the little bug hiding because it’s terrified?”
More laughter echoed through the aisle.
For a brief, agonizing second, Lyra’s instincts screamed at her to turn and run away.
Then, the vivid memory of yesterday flashed through her mind, the roaring plaza, the public ridicule, the empty mailbox.
Running away forever wouldn’t change the fact that she had to face this world.
She stopped, took a deep breath, and slowly extended her right hand.
A tiny, ordinary black ant climbed out from her sleeve, resting quietly on her finger.
The boys stared at it for a moment before laughing even harder than before.
“That’s it?” the leader mocked.
“I’ve seen bigger insects crawling around in my garden weeds.”
On his shoulder, the Stone Rat bared its sharp teeth, its claws scraping aggressively across the polished wooden floor as it tensed its hind legs.
The boy smirked down at her.
“Looks very terrifying.”
Lyra looked down at the tiny ant on her fingertip.
“…I’m scared,” she whispered softly, her voice steadying.
“But… I won’t run anymore.”
The ant gently tapped her skin with one of its tiny front legs, almost as if it were understanding and agreeing with her words.
Without warning, the Stone Rat suddenly lunged off the shoulder, flying straight toward her face.