[One day after Luca lost consciousness]
The morning sun spilled softly through the tall windows of the dormitory, illuminating the room in gentle hues of gold. I stood before the mirror, fastening the final clasp of the Arcadia Academy uniform. The white and silver threads shimred faintly under the light—an attire symbolizing both purity and power. Appropriate, perhaps, for soone like .
"Finally... today is the day," I murmured, brushing a stray strand of hair behind my ear.
I had expected to arrive at the Academy a month later. The opening of Beastridge Mountain had changed everything. Arcadia Academy, holding the largest quota of entries into the sanctum, had adjusted its admissions accordingly. The Church saw this as no re coincidence—it was divine orchestration. And so, I was sent early.
"The divine revelation urged to enroll... The ghost of the past is returning."
My fingers paused on the hem of my sleeve.
"And the key to solving it is here, within these halls."
I exhaled slowly. No room for nerves. No ti for uncertainty.
I had already been inford—I was to join Class A, the elite class. The class where the chosen resided. Five students who had forged contracts with the legendary weapons themselves. Chosen by relics of myth. Destined, perhaps, to shape the era.
"One of them holds the key," I thought, the image of Excalibur flashing in my mind.
"Especially the one who drew that blade..."
The quiet clink of tal broke my thoughts. On the side table lay a small, broken brooch—tarnished with ti, its edges cracked, the once-elegant design long dulled by age.
I picked it up delicately, as one might handle a fragile mory. Slipping it into my pocket, I whispered, "I’ll uncover the truth this ti."
I left the room.
The marble halls of the Academy stretched ahead—grand, ornate, and yet brimming with life. Chatter echoed distantly. Footsteps, laughter, the clinking of swords and staves.
But within was only stillness.
Each step I took toward Class A felt like a step toward inevitability.
The grand doors of Class A creaked open.
I stepped in alongside Professor Seraphina, the click of her boots echoing against the marble floor as the murmur of students halted mid-sentence. All eyes turned—curious, cautious, a few awestruck. My entrance, though quiet, had drawn all their attention.
"Hey everyone," Seraphina began with her usual brisk tone, "this is the new transfer student I spoke about."
She glanced toward , and I offered a polite nod, hands folded neatly before .
"This is Aria, the Saintess of the Holy Kingdom. So you can make friends, but make sure to maintain decorum."
That title—Saintess—fell like a sudden chill in the air.
A ripple of surprise, breathless awe, and shifting glances followed. No doubt, they had heard the na before. They simply hadn’t expected it to stand here, in flesh and blood.
The Saintess attending their academy—it was unheard of.
Before anyone could respond, a girl stood up from her seat.
"Professor," she asked, her voice laced with urgency. "Can we ask... how is Luca doing?"
The na stilled the room.
No more murmurs. No idle movent. Only quiet tension thick in the air.
I tilted my head slightly.
Luca?
Why did that na shift the atmosphere so abruptly?
Seraphina’s expression softened. "He is stable for now, student Lilliane. But we don’t know when he’ll regain consciousness."
Lilliane exhaled—a sharp, shaky breath. Relief flickered across her features. Others followed suit—bodies easing, silence lifting slightly.
Interesting.
Who exactly was this Luca to warrant such reaction? This wasn’t the worry of casual classmates.
Seraphina turned to again. "Saintess, you may take any seat you prefer."
I gave a short nod, letting my gaze sweep the classroom.
And then I felt it.
Light.
Not blinding. Not unrestrained. Steady. Deep. A familiar resonance that only those attuned to the divine could recognize.
My eyes settled on a boy near the window.
Golden-haired. Calm. Controlled.
Aiden.
Without hesitation, I walked to the seat beside him and sat down.
So this is the one who holds Excalibur.
"The light doesn’t lie."
For now, I remained silent.
But I kept watching.
It didn’t take long before I started settling into life at the academy.
After that awkward first day in Class A, where the re ntion of a boy nad Luca had changed the entire atmosphere of the room, I quickly grew curious. Who exactly was he? I didn’t know him at all, yet his na seed to carry a weight heavier than any title.
Over the next few days, I got to know the students of Class A—particularly the ones bound to the legendary weapons. Aiden, the boy who radiated with divine light, confird my suspicions the mont I sat next to him. The mont I’d taken the seat beside him, a gentle warmth had brushed against my skin—so familiar, like the gentle pulse of holy energy during prayer. It had to be Excalibur. There was no mistaking that sacred light.
Aiden was quiet and composed, but not unkind. He never forced conversation, yet he answered my questions patiently whenever I asked. I ca to learn that his friends—Kyle with his easy smile, Selena with her aloof beauty, and Lilliane... the quiet but intense girl with stormy eyes—were the other wielders.
They welcod easily. Maybe too easily. For soone who had spent her whole life behind temple walls, praised and placed on pedestals, it was strange to be treated... like a peer. As if I could laugh with them. As if I belonged.
It was... nice.
Two weeks passed quickly.
And today there was a news that Luca Valentina has regained Consciousness.
Everyone left whatever they were doing and visited Luca.
Still, I couldn’t help but notice the pattern. Every day, without fail, at least one of them would ntion Luca. His na was never far from their lips. Whether it was Kyle checking his watch and muttering, "I’ll drop by to see him after class," or Selena casually packing sothing extra from the canteen and saying, "He might like this when he wakes up," it was clear that their thoughts lingered on him.
Even Lilliane, usually sharp-tongued and closed-off, would soften—just a little—whenever he was brought up. Her tone grew quieter, as though saying his na was a prayer.
Curiosity gnawed at more with each passing day.
Finally, after nearly a week, I asked.
It was after a practical session where Kyle had—once again—missed his shot, and Aiden had flawlessly cleared the challenge. We were seated under a tree, catching our breath, when I turned to him.
"Hey... Aiden. Can I ask you sothing?"
He looked up from his water flask and gave a small nod. "Sure."
"This Luca... who is he? You all speak of him so often. Is he a classmate?"
Aiden’s expression shifted. It wasn’t drastic—he was too composed for that—but there was a flicker of sothing in his eyes. Pain? Guilt?
"He’s not just a classmate," Aiden said quietly. "He’s... one of us."
"One of the five?"
He nodded. "He received the fifth legendary weapon. The sabers."
I blinked. Sabers? That wasn’t recorded in any holy scripture or relic list. I’d have to look into that later. That can explain the unprecedented last phenona which I observed.
"What happened to him?" I asked gently.
Aiden sighed. "He was gravely injured during a fight 2 weeks ago. He... saved Lilliane,and all of us.."
My gaze shifted unconsciously toward Lilliane, who was sitting a little away, tying her hair into a braid. Her fingers trembled slightly. She was listening.
"I see..." I murmured.
"He’s stable now," Aiden added, as if trying to reassure both and himself.
I stayed silent for a mont, absorbing it all.
"He must be important to all of you," I said eventually.
Aiden smiled faintly. "Yeah. He’s our friend... and more than that, he’s—" He stopped himself, then shook his head. "Never mind."
That answer only made more curious.
One afternoon, as we left the cafeteria, Aiden turned to .
"We’re going to visit him. Do you... want to co along?"
The question caught off guard. My first instinct was to decline politely. I didn’t know him. Visiting soone unconscious... soone I’d never t—it felt intrusive. And worse, I was the Saintess. If soone unknown woke up and saw standing beside their bed, wouldn’t it be overwhelming?
"I... appreciate the offer," I said, offering a small smile, "But I think it would be better if I wait until he wakes up. Otherwise, I’ll feel like an intruder."
Aiden nodded, not pressing further. "Fair enough."
The days continued to pass, and with every little mont, the shadows of fate felt more tangled. Every ti I held the broken brooch tucked in my pocket, I rembered the divine vision: The ghost of the past will awaken. The key lies among the chosen. And every day, I felt it stronger.
Three weeks passed.
I wouldn’t say I bonded with them. But I understood them.
Tomorrow, we will leave for Beastridge Mountain.
And perhaps... the place where threads of destiny will begin to weave into sothing irreversible.
The place shown in my revelation.
The reason I was sent early.
The reason I now sat among Class A.
Our travel would be by carriage—no other thod permitted by the mountain’s ancient wards.
As the nas of the carriage groups were delivered to us, my eyes landed on mine:
Professor Seraphina
Aria
Selena Weiss
Eric Luca Valentine
Luca Valentine, hmm...
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