"Those damn final years. I’m gonna teach them a lesson myself." Edwin spat the words as he kicked a loose pebble across the road.

His jaw was still tight from the morning’s humiliation. The image of Lena’s mocking smile burned in his mind.

"Don’t forget about me," Jin added, a slow grin spreading across his face.

He twirled a short practice blade on his finger like a toy. The idea of a little payback cheered him up more than he wanted to admit.

"Hey guys. What are you doing?" Cecelia’s voice cut through their plotting.

She stepped into the small cluster of first years with a steady gait.

Her face looked paler than usual, but her eyes held the old calm everyone trusted.

Elysia hurried forward as soon as she saw her. "Cece? You were absent for three days... What happened to you? I came to your home and you were asleep." She was worried.

Cecelia blinked and looked at Elysia.

She still held that small distance in her face.

"Last time I went to Elaris," she said slowly, "and I went inside a pathway. I can’t seem to remember well after that." Her fingers trembled slightly when she said the word pathway, as if the memory hurt.

"Where is that?" Jin asked, leaning forward.

"Inside Elaris City itself," she replied.

Edwin’s eyes sharpened. "Take us there," he said before he could stop himself.

Anger made him reckless.

"But it’s evening right now," Cecelia protested. The sun was already low, painting long shadows across the road.

"It’s alright, we are here," Elysia said, stepping forward.

"If there’s something wrong, we’ll deal with it together."

Edwin’s stubbornness and Elysia’s protectiveness pushed the decision.

Instead of going back to their homes, the four of them turned toward the path leading to the city.

The rest of the academy buzzed around them, but their little band moved with a purpose.

They reached the Terminal before the sun set completely.

A few merchants shouted as students and travelers filed in.

Lamps glowed with blue flame, and the sound of harnessed spirits hummed on the floor, ready to pull the gates.

They paid the fare — a few coins for each of them — and stepped in.

The attendant waved his hand and the gate hummed alive.

"So why did you go there?" Elysia asked once they were seated.

The platform rocked gently as the Terminal prepared to move.

Cecelia looked at them. She chose her words carefully.

"Actually... I was following Kael."

Elysia felt a small coldness spread across her chest. She forced a smile and hid her thoughts.

(So it’s Kael’s secret strengthening or his future plan... I must destroy it.)

The idea flashed through her mind without permission.

She shook the thought off and smiled at Cecelia. "Then show us where. Lead the way."

Edwin’s brow furrowed. "Why would you follow him?" he asked, half to Cecelia and half to himself.

Kael’s name always made him bristle in ways that were hard to admit.

Cecelia’s eyes narrowed for a second. "I wanted to see what he was doing," she said simply.

"I thought I should know. If someone on our team disappears, we should know why. I couldn’t just sit and wait."

Jin snorted. "So you were following him like a cat. That’s dedication — or obsession."

He flashed a teasing smile but looked around at Elysia and Edwin for support.

They didn’t join in the teasing.

The Terminal shuddered and the gates opened.

Elaris City rose up when the platform landed — spires and crowded streets layered like a puzzle.

They stepped down into a narrow street. Elaris was lively in the evening.

Merchants shouted their bargains. Street performers moved through the crowds with practiced grace.

The group kept close. Elysia’s gaze swept the crowd, watching for anything odd.

Edwin walked with his hands inside his pocket trying to look natural and failing.

Jin moved easily among the people with enjoyment.

"Where to?" Edwin asked, scanning the street signs that hung from crooked buildings.

"Just follow me," Cecelia said firmly, glancing back at them through the thick crowd.

Her pace quickened as they moved deeper into the streets of Elaris.

The market was still lively — vendors shouting, children laughing, and carriages rumbling over the cobblestones — but the four students slipped through like shadows.

Elysia, Jin, and Edwin kept close behind her, their eyes darting from the bright stalls to the dim alleyways they passed.

"Where are you taking us, Cece?" Jin asked after a few minutes, panting lightly as they descended a sloping street that grew darker with every turn.

"I followed Kael from here last time," Cecelia replied without slowing down.

"We’re almost there."

Elysia’s gaze narrowed. The deeper they went, the fewer people there were.

"Are you sure this is?" Edwin muttered, glancing around uneasily.

"This place looks abandoned."

Cecelia didn’t answer immediately. She simply pointed ahead, as if she was following a half-remembered dream.

Finally, they reached a wide archway of cracked stone.

The faint lettering above it was half-worn away by time, but enough remained for them to read the faded words:

"City of Graylight."

"Is this the one?" Elysia asked softly, stepping forward.

"Yes," Cecelia said.

"This is it."

Elysia stared at the name carved into the stone. (City of Graylight... I can barely remember anything about this place. But why does it feel so familiar?)

(Did I ever come here before in the future?)

Without another word, Elysia stepped inside the archway.

"Hey—wait!" Edwin called, reaching out to stop her.

But Elysia was already gone, swallowed by the dim light beyond the arch.

Jin sighed and shook his head. "There she goes. Never listen."

Cecelia took a deep breath, eyes flickering with worry. "Let’s go. We can’t let her wander in there alone."

At Kael’s dorm.

The window was half-open, letting in the cool breeze that rustled the pages of an open book lying on his desk.

He muttered to himself, tracing the symbols with his finger.

"So this rune connects the mana flow... and this one stabilizes the core energy. If I combine them—"

A sudden knock broke his concentration.

Before he could respond, the door creaked open and two familiar faces peeked in.

"Hey, Kael!" one of them called.

Kael looked up, slightly startled but not annoyed.

"Yoi," he replied casually, using his usual laid-back tone.

The two classmates stepped in, curiosity written all over their faces.

One of them looked around the room.

"You’re studying magic? It’s already past lights out."

Kael shrugged. "Couldn’t sleep. Figured I’d use the time."

The second classmate crossed his arms. "Well, that explains why you never hang out with us. Always training, always reading."