Academy Showdown - Book I - Rise of the Phoenix

Prelude: A Dreamy Haze

"██████? Are you awake?"

She opened her eyes to the sound of her brother's voice. As her vision cleared, she saw him standing over her bed, fully dressed in his navy blue jinbei. The moonlight poured through the curtains, casting a soft glow around the room.

"O-onii-chan?" she murmured, sitting up. "Where are you off to at this time of night?"

"Do you not remember? You said you wanted a closer look at the full moon. Tonight it's supposed to be so close, it's nearly as big as The Yolk."

His words made her eyes light up.

"Really?!"

He brought a finger to her lips, gently silencing her. "Shh, keep your voice down. If Ekwefi hears us, this whole venture will be for naught."

She nodded, recalling the last time their head butler had caught them sneaking out late at night.

"Yes, of course," she whispered.

Her brother smiled, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "Alright then, come." He turned and knelt on the floor, offering his back.

With her heart racing, she climbed out of bed and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, trusting in his steady grip. "The others are waiting. ████ found the highest spot in all of Little Hōjō. You'll love it. Hold on tight, okay?"

"Mm."

With his sister secure, he slid open the balcony door and leaped gracefully into the trees below. The cool night air brushed against her face as they sped silently through the branches, the rustling of leaves the only sound in the stillness. The anticipation within her grew. Her condition had kept her confined for so long, and now, finally, she would see the full moon up close.

They landed softly at the base of a steep hill. She noticed that her brother wasn't wearing his usual geta, but instead a pair of black tabi boots designed for stealth. He darted up the hill effortlessly, clearing it in seconds.

By the time they reached the top, her heart fluttered at the sight of familiar faces waiting for them. But the moment blurred as a soft voice pierced through her thoughts.

"██████? Please, you must wake up."

Suddenly, she found herself running barefoot through grassy fields on one of the rare days when she felt strong enough to leave the mansion. She laughed as █████ chased her playfully. Her brother and ████, having just finished sparring, watched with warm smiles.

Once they tired out, █████ pulled a flower from behind his back and tucked it into her hair. It wasn't a strelitzia, her favorite, but a chrysanthemum × morifolium—a hardy garden mum.

"H-Happy birthday..." he mumbled shyly, his cheeks flushed red. Her brother and ████ teased him, earning a flustered retort.

The voices whispered in her ears again, soft and ethereal: Love... Joy... Prosperity. Their meaning felt important, as if they were hinting at something she needed to understand.

Her fingers brushed the petals, and she smiled. The garden mum wasn't a strelitzia, but it held its own meaning from the one who gave it to her.

"██████? Please, wake up!"

When she finally came to, her eyes widened in horror. Fire blazed across everything—the compound walls, the flower gardens, and beyond. ████'s home was destroyed.

"—?!"

Bodies lay everywhere—bloodied, motionless. Men, women, and children. Her stomach lurched at the sight.

"No..."

"██████?! ██████!!"

Her brother's voice. She turned and saw three figures standing over him. He was on his knees, weeping as he held a lifeless body in his arms. The long blonde hair, the emerald green eyes now cold and empty...

She doubled over, nausea threatening to overtake her. "No, it can't be...! How is this possible?!"

"██████, child. It is time for you to wake up."

She spun toward the voice behind her. A tall figure stood there, clad in a red hooded coat marked with a blackbird in flight. His mask, white with a black ombre forming a bird's beak, stared back at her.

Before she could process it, an overwhelming pulse of energy coursed through her, and everything went blurry again.

"She's having those dreams again."

"That she is, love ♥. Unlocking her true potential has produced... fascinating results."

"Contact the headmaster. I believe she's finally ready for the unit project."

Though submerged in deep sleep within the hydraulic bio chamber, she could still perceive the voices clearly, as though she were awake. The blurry outlines of her captors hovered beyond the glass, watching her closely. It had been four long years since they took her from her home—her family, her friends.

Years of experimenting on her DNA and forcing her to fight countless mabeasts had brought her to this moment. Now, it seemed, they were ready to move on to the next phase of their twisted plan.

The time has come, sweetheart, came a familiar, disembodied voice, soft and coaxing. You are finally strong enough to escape this prison... I know what you truly desire most. You long to see your brother again, don't you? You miss him...

Yes... she replied. I would do anything to see him again. I still dream of him... He has grown so much.

Then tonight, you will escape. And once you reunite with him, come find me... I will show you the truth. And then... you can show him.

The voice faded, leaving her filled with a renewed sense of purpose. As her captors moved into the next room, their conversation fading behind the thick walls, her heart surged with determination. She was finally going to be free.

A quiet smile tugged at her lips, and she began to hum a familiar tune to herself—the same melody her brother always hummed to her at bedtime.

Freedom was so close now, just within reach. All she had to do... was wait.