—Whispers Before the Hunt
The evening sun hung low over Crownshade Academy, its light breaking into fractured shards of gold through the tall spires and glasswork windows.
Shadows stretched long across the grounds, as though the entire academy itself was exhaling after a day of rigor and ambition.
Aeron Blackthorn returned to his dormitory with the quiet composure of someone whose body had been pushed past exhaustion yet still carried discipline in every step.
His shirt clung to his skin, damp from sweat, but his breathing was steady, refined by relentless training.
Each movement carried not the reckless energy of youth but the deliberate calm of someone sharpening a blade—not for ornament, but for survival.
When he stepped inside, the faint, familiar chime echoed in his mind.
[System Notification]
[Quest: The Emberwood Groves – Into the Wilds
Objective: Investigate the source of the beastly disturbances.
Recommended: C-Rank combat power.
Rewards: Unknown.]
The blue glow lingered in the air before his eyes.
Aeron sat at the edge of his bed, elbows resting on his knees, fingers laced together as he studied the words.
“Another quest,” he murmured.
His voice was calm, but his gaze sharpened at the final line.
“And this one feels different.
Not just another test within these walls.
It’s about the world outside…”
His eyes narrowed at the word Unknown.
He had no fondness for uncertainties.
In his life before this one, the unexpected had been the crack through which death itself had entered.
Yet the system—whatever force bound itself to his soul—never offered anything without purpose.
If it wanted him to enter Emberwood, then something of weight awaited there.
Leaning back, he let out a slow exhale.
“So… preparations first.”
A single thought brought up the translucent screen.
[Status Window]
[Name: Aeron Blackthorn
Strength: 22
Agility: 21
Stamina: 20
Mana: 25
Skills: Flame Manipulation (Intermediate), Perception (Basic), Mana Reinforcement (Basic)
Division: C (First Year)
Active Quests:
1.
Unveil Professor Synthia Moonlight’s Identity
2.
The Emberwood Groves – Into the Wilds]
A faint smile curved his lips.
“Step by step.
Stronger every day.”
The academy prized theory, demanding essays, diagrams, and endless debates on magical structures.
But Aeron already knew: theory alone wouldn’t save him from the teeth of a beast or the blade of a rival.
His survival had always rested on the willingness to push his body and mind until both screamed—and then to keep going.
He closed the screen with a thought, reaching for the towel at his bedside.
His muscles ached in a dull, familiar rhythm, but even pain was an ally—it reminded him he was alive, still moving forward.
Evening—
The sharp rap of knuckles on wood drew his head toward the door.
Aeron rose, steps soundless across the floor, and opened it.
On the other side stood Lyra.
The half‑wolf girl shifted her weight from one foot to the other, her wolf ears twitching faintly, her hands clasped in front of her.
“Um… dinner.
I thought… maybe we could eat together?”
Her voice was timid, almost uncertain, but Aeron caught the steadiness in her eyes.
It was a change.
The first time they had met, she had clung to him out of fear, drowning in whispers of prejudice.
But now… now she was trying to stand on her own.
He studied her for a heartbeat, then inclined his head.
“Alright.”
Her shoulders eased, as if she’d been holding her breath.
The two of them carried their trays to the Division C common room.
It was a small, almost forgotten space.
The academy’s other dorms buzzed with life, their common halls filled with laughter, rivalry, and arrogance.
But Division C?
So few students resided here that the silence itself felt permanent, as though the walls had resigned themselves to neglect.
To Aeron, it was a kind of peace.
To Lyra, perhaps, a sanctuary. This chapter is updated first at g.com.
She fiddled with the edge of her sleeve before finally speaking.
“You… you don’t treat me differently.
Everyone else… when they look at me, they see my ears, my tail, the part of me that doesn’t belong.
But you…”
Aeron met her gaze with the same calmness he always held.
“You’re just Lyra.
That’s all.”
The words were plain.
Simple.
But to her, they carried the weight of something rare.
Her cheeks flushed, and she quickly looked down, biting her lip as though to hide the smile tugging at her mouth.
A small, fragile warmth bloomed in her chest.
Her tail gave the slightest swish before she stilled it, embarrassed.
.
.
.
The moment hung between them until the door creaked again.
Aira Everdon stepped inside, her presence filling the room like sunlight breaking through a shuttered window.
Her golden hair caught what little light lingered, her steps confident, practiced.
She didn’t belong in Division C—everything about her radiated Division A’s refinement—but she didn’t seem to care.
“There you are!” she said, her voice bright.
Her eyes found Aeron instantly, then flicked toward Lyra with a flash of something unreadable before settling back into a smile.
“I was looking for you.”
Lyra’s posture stiffened.
Aeron remained composed.
“What for?”
“Nothing urgent,” Aira replied, sliding her tray beside his without hesitation.
“I just… wanted to check in.
You’ve been avoiding me since morning.”
“I wasn’t,” Aeron answered simply.
His tone was even, but Aira’s lips pressed into a thin line before curving again.
“Still the same as always, huh?”
She launched into chatter about her day—how Professor Arkwell had praised her mana refinement, how Division A’s sparring matches had ended in her favor, how rumors buzzed around the corridors about the next academy evaluation.
Her words flowed with ease, her hands occasionally gesturing, her smile radiant.
But her energy faltered when she realized Aeron wasn’t reacting much beyond the occasional nod.
The edges of her confidence trembled, and for a moment her voice softened into something almost vulnerable.
“You really don’t change,” she murmured, half to herself.
The silence was broken by Lyra’s soft laugh.
“He’s like that with everyone.”
Aira blinked, eyes narrowing ever so slightly as they landed on Lyra.
She studied her for a heartbeat longer than courtesy demanded—the keen poise, the way Lyra’s ears angled toward Aeron at the slightest movement, the way her body seemed to ease in his presence.
So, Aira thought, she’s more than just another classmate.
But outwardly, she smiled again, voice light.
“I suppose that’s true.”
The air between the three was subtle tension, unspoken and fragile, like sparks dancing just before a flame.
.
.
.
By the next morning, Crownshade’s corridors buzzed.
“A boy from Division C?
They say he silenced Renholt with a look—”
“Division A’s president herself spoke to him—”
“Even Professor Moonlight’s paying attention.
There must be something strange about him.”
The gossip slithered like smoke, impossible to grasp yet impossible to ignore.
Aeron moved through it in silence, ignoring every whisper. This chapter is updated first at g.com.
He had no interest in their curiosity or their jealousy.
But he noticed.
He noticed the way Lyra’s ears pressed flat when insults about “half‑bloods” drifted through the air.
He noticed the way Aira’s temper flared when someone mocked Division C in her hearing, her golden eyes flashing in warning before she forced herself to walk away.
This academy loves to judge, Aeron thought.
But in the end, only strength silences all of it.
Practical Training –
That afternoon, the practice grounds shimmered under the heat of his flames.
Aeron stood alone at the center, his palm raised.
Fire roared to life, coiling tighter and tighter under his control.
Sweat traced the lines of his jaw and spine, his muscles straining as mana surged.
The air shimmered, warping under the pressure of compressed heat.
His vision blurred at the edges, but he held firm.
His entire body screamed to stop, but he didn’t relent.
With a final exhale, the flame burst into a perfect, sharp‑edged sphere, balanced and controlled.
He let it fade, his shoulders rising and falling.
Better.
Stronger.
But not enough.
Never enough.
From the sidelines, Lyra watched.
She hugged her books to her chest, her silver eyes wide with awe.
To her, Aeron seemed unyielding, a force that would never allow himself to be broken.
He never stops.
No matter how hard it is.
Her ears tracked every crackle of heat; she could almost smell the char in the air.
And not far off, half‑hidden behind a group of Division B students, Aira watched too.
Her brows furrowed as she took in the sight of Lyra’s gaze, unwavering and admiring.
Even Lyra is here every time, she thought.
If I’m not careful…
.
.
.
Night descended, washing Crownshade Academy in quiet.
The moon hung high, spilling pale light over rooftops and courtyards.
In his room, Aeron sat cross‑legged on the floor, his damp hair clinging to his forehead.
The soft blue glow of the system illuminated his features.
[Quest Reminder:
The Emberwood Groves – Into the Wilds]
His hand tightened into a fist.
“Tomorrow… I’ll step into Emberwood.”
The thought sparked no fear.
Instead, it ignited a sharp thrill that coiled deep in his chest.
For the first time since awakening in this world, he wasn’t walking into danger because he had to—he was choosing to.
Far beyond the walls of Crownshade, somewhere deep within Emberwood, a faint howl echoed on the wind.
It carried through the night like a warning… or an invitation.
Aeron’s lips curved faintly.
His eyes narrowed,
gleaming with firelight that wasn’t there.
“Seems you’re waiting for me.”
The silence of the dormitory settled around him.
But for Aeron Blackthorn, the hunt had already begun.