Aethercrest // FayeYoko, LingOrm, MilkLove

Chapter 12

Seiryu's POV

It was dark—so dark that it felt as if the entire world had fallen into silence, swallowed by an endless shadow. Aethercrest... no, it was more than just the academy. All of Aetherion had changed. I stood alone, gazing over what had once been the heart of our world, now nothing but a ghost town. Streets that should have been alive with voices were empty, shrouded in an eerie stillness that pressed down on me. The silence was suffocating, pressing down on me until I felt like I could barely breathe.

"Let's see where your loyalty truly lies."

The voice was sharp, almost a whisper, yet it echoed through the empty city as if it came from everywhere at once. Sinubukan kong hanapin kung sino at nasaan ito. I was looking everywhere, hoping to find whoever was speaking, but nothing but darkness stared back. Only darkness.

Then something happened—an invisible pressure began to close around my throat, slowly at first, then tightening with each breath. Gasping, I tried to pry the invisible force away, but my fingers only grasped at empty air. Para bang may mga kamay na nakasakal sa akin, draining the air from my lungs. My knees buckled, and I fell, clawing for breath. My lungs screamed, my vision blurred, the world slipping away.

With a final, shallow breath, I jolted awake.

The dark faded, replaced by the dim glow of my room, and I lay there, chest heaving, my skin damp with cold sweat. I forced myself to take a deep breath, feeling my heart pound against my ribs as I tried to shake off the terror that clung to me like a shadow.

"Another dream..." I murmured, pressing my hand to my chest, willing my pulse to slow. But the fear lingered, stubbornly refusing to release its hold. I glanced at the clock—5:30 a.m. "Great," I muttered. Not like I'd be getting back to sleep now.

The morning light seeped through the windows as I made my way to the Shuren Hall, where the others were already gathering for training. Despite the night's restlessness, the weight of my nightmare lingered, casting a strange unease over the day. As I entered, Kaminari and Yume were already sparring, exchanging blows with a focus so intense they barely noticed me.

"You look like death," Sonata commented, throwing me a quick, teasing grin as I joined them.

"Tell me something I don't know," I replied, trying to shake off the lingering chills.

Master Kaito's voice carried through Shuren Hall, his tone calm but firm, as he moved among us, observing our progress and giving advice.

"Concentrate on controlling your mana flow," he called, nodding approvingly as Kaminari launched a perfectly timed attack spell. "Mana is an extension of your energy. Learn to command it with both strength and precision para hindi n'yo ito nasasayang." Master has been giving us lessons about our mana usage simula nang halos maubos na ang mana ko sa laban nung nakaraan.

I focused, feeling the pull of my mana from deep within. I steadied my breathing, letting my mana gather in my hands, feeling its warmth as it pulsed under my skin. The energy felt more turbulent than usual, a reflection of the unease simmering within me. I focused, pushing away thoughts of last night's dream, letting the mana flow.

Master Kaito's steps echoed, moving toward Yume and Kaminari as he advised them on combining techniques for greater impact. Around me, each of my friends worked on refining their skills, honing in on that elusive balance between power and control. There was an intensity in the air—everyone was more focused than usual, the weight of recent events pressing on our shoulders.