[Vol 1.] Chapter 3: The Veilwalker’s Awakening

The dorm hall buzzed with chatter, luggage wheels skimming over polished floors, and students crowding around the glowing assignment boards mounted on the wall. Lunar glyphs pulsed softly above each dorm sector, organizing names by rank and section. “Dorm 4-C… 4-C…” Yuki muttered under her breath, scanning the list. There it was. Takahashi, Yuki — Dorm 4-C. Isami, Ren — Dorm 4-C. Liorin, Kaia — Dorm 4-C. Yuki adjusted her bag strap and turned wordlessly toward the eastern wing. The hallways curved like crescent moons, lit with soft blue sconces and smooth crystal tiles that shimmered beneath each step. The door to 4-C slid open at her approach, reading her ID chip with a soft ping. Inside, the room was clean and efficient — three beds, three desks, and a shared central lounge with a crescent-shaped couch and a floating tea table. Lunar insignias decorated the walls subtly, pulsing faintly with protective wards. One girl was already inside — kneeling on her bed, humming while arranging flower-shaped pins and tiny vials of glowing mist along her shelf. Her hair was short and ocean-green, her eyes bright with a soft coral tint. A little sprout-creature with leafy ears bounced beside her pillow. “Oh!” she gasped when Yuki entered. “Hi there! You must be Yuki, right? I’m Kaia — Waxing Crescent Bloomcaster!” She extended her hand with a wide smile. “Healing, stamina boosts, aura mending... and probably the worst at folding fitted sheets.” Yuki gave a half-nod, brushing past her. “Yeah. Yuki Takahashi.” Kaia tilted her head. “What phase are you?” Yuki’s steps slowed. “...I’m a Null.” Kaia blinked. “Oh… I mean, that’s fine! Some of the strongest Lunars in history started out as Nulls. Or so I’ve read…” Yuki tossed her bag on the corner bed and began unpacking in silence. No expression. No reply. Kaia smiled awkwardly and went back to arranging her shelf. A few minutes later, the door opened again. A second girl stepped inside, tall and poised, with sharp dark eyes and her black hair pulled into a sleek braid. She wore the school’s uniform like it was part of a military code — not a wrinkle in sight. She gave a slight bow. “Ren Isami. Bladeborn. Last Quarter Moon.” “Kaia Liorin! Crescent Bloomcaster!” Kaia beamed again, standing up and giving a dramatic spin. “Yuki’s a Null, but she’s suuuper fast. I saw her combat score!” Ren glanced at Yuki. “Takahashi. I saw it too.” Yuki kept unpacking, her voice dry. “Can we not talk about it?” Ren didn’t push. She moved to her bed and began unpacking with silent precision, folding each item with perfect creases. But after a long pause, she spoke again — this time softer. “Your aura’s strange.” Yuki frowned, still facing away. “What’s that supposed to mean?” Ren closed the drawer. “It’s not empty like most Nulls. It’s faint… clouded. Like it’s hiding something.” Yuki stiffened. “I’m not saying that to judge,” Ren continued calmly. “Just an observation.” “Whatever you’re sensing,” Yuki muttered, “it’s not there.” Kaia, sensing the tension, chimed in: “Well, maybe it’s something still awakening! Wouldn’t that be cool? Hidden potential and all that!” Yuki stayed silent. Ren gave a faint shrug. “Maybe.” Kaia flopped onto her bed with a dramatic sigh. “Soooo… icebreaker game?” “No,” Yuki and Ren said in sync. Kaia groaned and buried her face into her pillow. “Ugh. You two are so dramatic.” Yuki sat on the edge of her bed, unzipping the side pocket of her duffel, pulling out a folded hoodie and a small, leather-bound notebook. She turned it in her hands once, then tucked it into the drawer without opening it. “You’ve got a serious ‘mysterious lone wolf’ vibe going,” Kaia muttered, her voice still half-smothered in the pillow. “Do you practice that in front of a mirror, or is it just natural?” Yuki didn’t answer. Ren didn’t look up either. “If she did, she wouldn’t tell you.” “True.” Kaia flipped onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. “But if we’re gonna be roommates all year, I’m gonna need at least one fun fact about each of you.” Yuki gave her a look. “Like what?” “Like… favorite moon pastry? Weirdest scar story? Hidden crush? I don’t know, anything to prove you’re not government-trained assassins.” “I prefer moonberry tarts,” Ren said without pause. “No scars. No crushes.” Kaia blinked. “Wow. Okay. Thanks, Ren.” Ren tucked her uniform into a drawer. “I don’t lie.” Yuki sighed. “I don’t have any favorites.” Kaia narrowed her eyes playfully. “Now that’s a lie. Everybody has a favorite something. A food, a smell, a song…” Yuki stood and walked toward the window. She hesitated before answering. “…Snow. I like snow.” Kaia sat up, eyes lighting up. “See? That wasn’t so hard. Snow is a vibe.” Ren’s head turned slightly. “Fitting.” Yuki glanced back. “What’s that supposed to mean?” Ren paused. “You breathe colder than the rest of the room.” Yuki stiffened. Kaia perked up. “Wait — I thought that was just the dorm’s air system. Are you saying she’s radiating cold?” Ren nodded once. “Not enough to frost, but noticeable. It’s… subtle. Like frost on the edge of glass that hasn't formed yet.” “I said I was a Null,” Yuki muttered. “No one’s accusing you of lying,” Ren replied. “I’m just pointing out what I see.” Kaia rubbed her arms. “Okay, okay, both of you chill — no pun intended.” She looked at Yuki. “So maybe you’ve got some weird aura frost thing. Who cares? You’re clearly strong — your sparring match against that fourth-phase guy during orientation signups? You flipped him flat on his back.” Yuki didn’t respond. She just stared out the window again. Below, students still swarmed the courtyard, the dorm lights flickering on one by one like stars falling into place. Kaia finally broke the silence with a groan. “Alright, well, whether we’re dorm full of secrets or not, I am making tea. Anyone want some?” “No,” Ren said. “…Sure,” Yuki said, surprising both of them. Kaia blinked. “Wait. Really?” Yuki shrugged. “I like it cold.” Ren arched an eyebrow. “Tea is meant to be hot.” Kaia jumped up and grabbed a pouch of dried herbs from a drawer under her desk. “Not this one! Lunar mint blossom. Super refreshing cold — and it glows if you steep it long enough.” She hummed while working, her sprout-creature bouncing excitedly on the counter, sniffing the steam. The room filled with a soft, sweet scent. Yuki leaned against the wall, arms folded, eyes distant — but a little less tense. Kaia poured the glowing tea into floating ceramic cups that hovered gently over the table. One floated to each girl. “To Dorm 4-C,” she said, lifting her cup. Yuki hesitated… but then lifted hers too. Ren stared at hers a moment, then finally, silently, lifted it as well. The cups clinked. Just beneath Yuki’s fingertips, the surface of her tea shimmered — tiny crystals forming for a heartbeat before melting away, unnoticed by the others. Later that night, the dorm had fallen silent. Kaia was already asleep, curled in a tangle of blankets, her sprout creature nestled in the crook of her neck, softly snoring in sync with her. The room had dimmed to a gentle lunar glow, the moon-phase lights adjusting automatically based on the hour — now a faint waning silver hue. Yuki lay on her bed, eyes open, staring at the ceiling. She couldn’t sleep. Not with Ren’s words echoing in her head. “It’s not empty like most Nulls… It’s faint. Clouded.” She turned onto her side, facing the small desk beside her bed. The notebook she’d tucked away earlier sat half-pulled from the drawer, as if nudged open by something unseen. Yuki narrowed her eyes. She slid out of bed silently, opened the drawer, and pulled out the book. Its leather cover was worn — a remnant from home. Or… whatever home used to be. She opened it slowly. Blank. Page after page, completely empty. Until one near the back. A crude sketch — made years ago. Snowflakes. A mountain. And a girl, drawn in shaky pencil lines, standing alone at the top. Yuki’s hand hovered over the drawing. As her fingertips brushed the paper… the ink shimmered faintly. Frost curled along the page’s edge. She pulled her hand back in alarm — the frost vanished. Her heart pounded. Behind her, a voice. “You feel it too, don’t you?” Yuki spun. Ren was sitting up in her bed, arms resting on her knees, eyes sharp but calm. The moonlight glinted off her braid as she stood and walked over, barefoot, utterly silent. “…How long have you been watching?” Yuki asked, her voice low. “Since you opened the book.” “I told you—” “You’re not a Null,” Ren interrupted, her tone neutral, not confrontational. “Not truly. I don’t know what you are yet… but there’s something in you. Something old. Something… sealed.” Yuki’s grip on the notebook tightened. “You shouldn’t be able to generate frost subconsciously. Especially not in your sleep. Your breath left crystals on the window.” Yuki looked away. “I didn’t ask for any of this,” she whispered. “I know,” Ren replied. Yuki blinked, surprised by the softness in her voice. “But you’re not the only one with secrets.” There was a beat of silence between them — cold air lingering faintly between their bodies. “Just… don’t freeze the hallway when you wake up late for class,” Ren added with a rare flicker of humor. “I hate slippery floors.” Then, without another word, she turned and returned to her bed, laying down and facing the wall. Yuki stood in silence for a moment longer, the notebook in her hands still cold to the touch. She looked out the window — toward the distant moon hanging like a silver eye in the sky — and finally whispered: “…What’s happening to me?” Outside, snowflakes began to fall — light and impossible. It wasn’t snowing anywhere else. Only above Dorm 4-C. The morning sun spilled pale light across Lunaria’s training grounds, where rows of crystalline pillars shimmered under the sky like frozen stars. Cadets gathered eagerly in the Elemental Training Yard, eyes bright with anticipation. The air buzzed with energy — sparks of elemental magic danced here and there, flowing like liquid light. Yuki stood with the others, clutching her training satchel tightly, heart pounding with a mixture of dread and determination. “Today, you will all be introduced to the Phase Feedback Crystals,” the instructor announced, her voice carrying easily across the courtyard. She was a tall woman with silver hair and piercing violet eyes, wearing the Ascension Hall uniform with an authoritative grace. “These crystals are attuned to your lunar resonance and elemental affinity. When you touch one, it will react — glowing with the color and intensity of your phase power.” A line of smooth, faceted crystals floated midair at waist height, each pulsing softly with a faint internal light. Yuki’s gaze dropped to the nearest crystal — pale and serene. Her breath hitched. Don’t hesitate. But she did. Other cadets stepped forward confidently, placing their palms on crystals that flared brightly — fire blazing, water rippling, lightning crackling. When it was her turn, Yuki’s hand trembled as she reached out. The moment her skin brushed the crystal’s surface, the air around it seemed to chill sharply. The crystal’s gentle glow shifted suddenly — freezing over from the inside out in a web of crystalline frost. Then, with a sharp pulse of dark-blue light, it emitted a sudden shockwave. The cadets around her jumped back, startled. A sharp crack echoed as tiny frost shards drifted like snowflakes to the ground. The instructor’s eyes widened for just a moment, but she quickly waved off the incident. “A minor anomaly — nothing to worry about.” Murmurs rippled through the crowd. But from the shadowed balcony above, a figure observed intently. A Veilwalker teacher — cloaked in deep indigo robes that seemed to blend with the shadows themselves. Their face was obscured beneath a hood, eyes gleaming faintly in the dim light as they scribbled notes on a slender slate. No one noticed. Except for Yuki. Her heart thundered as the pulse from the crystal seemed to echo inside her — awakening something buried deep beneath the surface. The Veilwalker’s gaze locked onto hers for a brief moment before they vanished silently into the school’s labyrinthine corridors. Yuki withdrew her hand, breath shaky. Whispers swirled. “She’s not a Null.” “She’s something else.” And the quiet truth hovered between them all — Yuki power was breaking the rules. “Cadet Takahashi, please see me after training.” The voice was calm but carried an unmistakable edge of authority. Yuki’s nod was subtle, her expression carefully neutral despite the tightness coiling in her chest. She gathered her gear silently, each movement precise but weighed down by the heavy stare of dozens of eyes lingering too long. The rest of the day passed in a haze — lectures, combat drills, passing faces blurring into one another — but none could erase the haunting image of the crystal fracturing beneath her touch, nor the shadowy figure’s unblinking gaze. As dusk settled and students began to filter out of the dormitory building, Yuki’s footsteps echoed alone in the cooling corridor. Suddenly, a figure stepped from the shadows, blocking her path. “Cadet Takahashi, isn’t it?” The man’s voice was low, resonant, and carried the weight of command. Yuki halted, eyes steady. “Yes.” “Come with me.” His tone was firm, leaving no room for refusal. Before she could respond, the man reached out and grasped her arm. A sharp contrast pulsed beneath his grip — a sudden chill that bit through her skin, tiny wisps of frost curling faintly at the edges of his fingers. He paused, narrowing his eyes as if sensing something unusual. “Cold,” he murmured under his breath, almost to himself. Yuki tightened her jaw but said nothing. The night air around them seemed to still — a quiet tension hanging between the unexpected frost and the man’s piercing gaze. “Sorry for what I’m about to do, Takahashi...” The man’s voice was low, almost regretful, but his eyes betrayed no hesitation. Before she could react, his hand shot forward, striking sharply into her abdomen with brutal precision. The air whooshed out of her lungs as a searing pain exploded beneath his palm. Her vision blurred. The world tilted wildly as darkness crept in from the edges. Yuki’s knees buckled, but the man’s grip tightened on her arm, steadying her as she crumpled silently to the ground. Her last conscious thought was a cold spark — something stirring deep inside her, like frost forming beneath the surface. When she woke, she was alone. The room was dim, lit only by the faint glow of moonlight filtering through a narrow window high above. Her body ached, but her mind raced — questions swirling with a new, strange clarity. Why had he attacked her? And what was this cold feeling crawling under her skin? The door creaked open, and footsteps echoed softly. “Welcome back, Cadet Takahashi,” a calm voice greeted from the shadows. Before her stretched a long chamber lined wall-to-wall with crystalline pillars, each one glowing softly in different colors—fire-red, ocean-blue, lightning-yellow, and earth-green. Atop each pillar hovered a multifaceted power crystal, similar to the one in her class, humming with latent energy. “Impressive, isn’t it?” the calm voice echoed again from the shadows. Yuki tensed but said nothing, trying to read the room. A figure stepped forward, cloaked in deep silver robes that glimmered faintly like starlight. His eyes were sharp, silver—piercing through the gloom. “These crystals measure the elemental affinities and power levels of every Lunar trainee. Each one is tuned to a specific energy.” He gestured, and the nearest crystal pulsed, projecting a holographic display showing flames dancing within. “We’ve never had a Null shatter one of these before. But you…” His gaze flicked to her, “...you did.” Yuki swallowed hard, heart pounding. “I don’t understand. I’m supposed to be nothing. No powers.” He smiled thinly. “That is where you are mistaken. Your power is hidden — dormant, or perhaps... misunderstood.” The man motioned toward a larger crystal at the center of the chamber, its glow a pale, shimmering blue unlike any other. “Place your hand on this.” Yuki hesitated, but her curiosity overpowered her fear. Slowly, she extended her hand, palm trembling, and pressed it against the smooth surface. The crystal flared to life — brighter than any before, sending waves of cold radiance through her arm. Her breath hitched as an icy surge pulsed from the crystal into her, freezing the air around her fingertips into delicate frost patterns. Numbers and symbols spun in the air — then settled, glowing softly: Element: Cryomancy. Power Level: Unclassified. The chamber was silent but charged. The man gestured toward a sleek, crystalline pedestal at the far end of the chamber. Atop it rested a freshly polished power crystal, waiting silently. “It’s time to retake the Phase selection test,” he said, voice calm but carrying weight. “This crystal will attune to your true lunar phase — the core of your power and identity.” Yuki’s heart pounded as she approached, every nerve alive with anticipation and fear. She glanced at the man, who nodded encouragingly. Taking a deep breath, Yuki placed both hands firmly on the crystal’s smooth surface. For a moment, nothing happened. Then a soft pulse of darkness radiated outward, subtle but undeniable. Shadows curled around the crystal, twisting and shifting like living smoke. A faint whisper filled the room, almost inaudible, like a secret carried on the wind. Suddenly, a silver crescent moon glowed vividly above the crystal — the symbol of the New Moon. The crystal flared once more, sending a ripple of cool shadows that danced over Yuki’s skin like a veil. Projected above the crystal, bold letters appeared: Moon Phase: New Moon. Path Name: Veilwalker. Core Trait: Stealth & Subtlety. Description: Masters of concealment, illusions, and manipulating shadows. Powers focus on deception and evasion. The man stepped closer. “This is your path, Takahashi. Embrace it. Hone it. Become the shadow that protects the light.” Yuki nodded slowly, a calm resolve hardening in her gaze. The restraints on her wrists faded, and the chamber’s ambient glow brightened, as if welcoming her newfound power. Still stunned, she turned and walked out of the chamber. Each step echoed softly through the quiet corridors of Lunaria. Her mind raced, replaying the crystal’s shadowy glow and the words that now defined her destiny: Veilwalker... shadows... concealment... The weight of it all pressed heavily on her chest. As she reached the dorm building, her legs trembled slightly. The hallway felt unfamiliar, as if she was seeing it through new eyes. Her hand hesitated on the door to 4-C before pushing it open. Inside, Kaia and Ren looked up immediately. Concern and curiosity flashed across their faces. “Yuki! Where’ve you been? We were worried,” Kaia said, sitting up on her bed. Ren’s sharp gaze pierced her. “You look different. What happened?” Yuki swallowed hard, the truth catching in her throat. “I… I retook the test.” Kaia tilted her head. “And?” She took a deep breath, steadying herself. “My phase… it’s not what I thought.” Her voice was quiet but certain. “I’m a New Moon. A Veilwalker.” Ren raised an eyebrow. “Veilwalker?” “The path of stealth and shadows,” Yuki explained, her icy blue eyes flickering with a faint, cold light. “Masters of concealment, illusions, and manipulating shadows.” She paused. “And… I think I have powers. Ice powers.” Kaia’s eyes widened. “Ice? That’s amazing! I didn’t even know Veilwalkers had elemental powers.” Ren’s expression softened. “That would explain the cold aura I sensed earlier.” Yuki nodded. “It all makes sense now. I just didn’t understand it before.” Kaia bounced off her bed, excitement bubbling up. “This is so cool! You’re going to be incredible.” Ren smiled faintly, folding her hands neatly. “We’re here if you need help. This changes things, Yuki.” For the first time, Yuki allowed herself a small, genuine smile. “Thanks. I think… this is just the beginning.”