Chapter 6

Scene — “Where the exam didn’t measure power… but power responded anyway”
Royal Academy of Magic / Evaluation Chambers — Phase I: Elemental Exam
8:03 a.m. — The portals closed. The chambers activated. And judgment began in silence

Distribution
The 120 applicants were guided by the instructors into separate chambers.
Each room had enchanted walls, surveillance runes, and a conjuration circle at its center.
The six princesses of Arathen were assigned together, as was Princess Lileth.
Their robes vibrated with contained energy.
Their faces were serious.
No privilege.
Only structure.

Kagayaku was assigned to a different chamber.
With a mixed group of applicants.
Some looked at him with curiosity.
Others with disdain.
He didn’t look at anyone.

Beginning of the exam
The instructor gave no instructions.
No explanation.
He simply walked to the center, dropped the scrolls onto an enchanted table…
and spoke.

Instructor (dry voice, emotionless) 
“The exam is protected by a magical shield.
Break the seal.
Respond.
You have thirty minutes.”

The scrolls floated toward each applicant.
Everyone began conjuring.
Some with wide gestures.
Others with spoken words.
The shield was firm.
It didn’t yield easily.

Kagayaku received his.
He didn’t conjure.
He didn’t speak.
He simply placed the tip of his index finger on the center of the scroll.

The shield broke instantly.
No sound.
No light.
It simply dissolved.
He began to answer.
Calmly.
Without looking at anyone.

Results
At the end, the scrolls returned to the instructor.
He reviewed them with a rapid-reading seal.
One by one.
Until he reached Kagayaku’s.

Instructor (reading without lifting his gaze) 
“Kagayaku. Four correct answers out of ten.”

An uncomfortable silence.
Then… laughter.
Some applicants mocked.
Others exchanged restrained smiles.

Applicant (quietly) 
“That’s the prince?
That’s all?”

Applicant 2 (laughing) 
“Breaks the shield… but can’t answer.”

Instructor (raising his voice sharply) 
“Silence!
The score does not define the phase.
Kagayaku, you may proceed to mana channeling.”

The young man stood.
He didn’t look at anyone.
He didn’t respond.
But before crossing the threshold…

The gesture
Without anyone noticing, Kagayaku gently rubbed the tips of his fingers.
A minimal pulse.
Invisible.
But effective.

The scrolls of the mocking applicants began to vibrate.
A new shield formed over them.
Denser.
More complex.
Impenetrable.

The applicants tried to break it.
Spells.
Strikes.
Nothing worked.

Applicant 1 (frustrated) 
“What’s happening?
I can’t open it!”

Applicant 2 (trembling) 
“This isn’t the original shield!
Someone changed it!”

The instructor watched them.
He said nothing.
But his eyes shifted for a moment toward the door…
where Kagayaku had already exited.

Scene — “Where mana flowed… and water repeated in six voices”
Royal Academy of Magic / Mana Channeling Chamber — Phase II
8:27 a.m. — The air is contained. The sphere spins. And the elements begin to reveal themselves

Environment
The Channeling Chamber was circular, made of enchanted white stone, with walls that breathed soft light.
At the center, a sphere of pure crystal —nearly two meters in diameter— floated above an obsidian pedestal.
It spun slowly, pulsing as if it had a heart of its own.

Around it, the applicants stood in formation.
The first twelve had been called: five students, the six princesses of Arathen, and Princess Lileth.
The channeling instructor, a woman in a blue robe with silver trim, held a floating registry tablet.
Her voice was clear, not harsh, but left no room for distraction.

Instructions
Channeling Instructor 
“This sphere is designed to receive your mana flow.
Do not force it.
Simply allow your energy to connect.”

She walked toward the pedestal, the sphere spinning faster as it sensed the applicants’ presence.

Instructor 
“The color the sphere adopts will reveal your elemental affinity.
After that, your statistics will be displayed:
Control, stability, projection, and depth.
There is no score.
No competition.
Only reading and record.”

Channeling begins
One by one, the applicants approached.
Placed both hands on the sphere.
Closed their eyes.
Breathed.
The crystal responded.

1. Student: Renar
The sphere lit up in light blue.
Stats:
Control: Medium
 Stability: High
 Projection: Medium
 Depth: High
Instructor 
“Renar. Element: Water.”

2. Student: Veyra
The sphere vibrated in deep brown.
Stats:
Control: High
 Stability: Medium
 Projection: High
 Depth: Medium
Instructor 
“Veyra. Element: Earth.”

3. Princess of Arathen: Airi
The sphere lit up in intense blue. Pure water.
Stats:
 Control: High
 Stability: High
 Projection: Medium
 Depth: High
Instructor 
“Airi. Element: Water.”

Airi (removing her hands, confident) 
“As always. Precise. Clean.”

4. Princess of Arathen: Sayra
The sphere glowed in light blue, with silver edges.
Stats:
 Control: Medium
 Stability: Very High
 Projection: Low
 Depth: High
Instructor 
“Sayra. Element: Water.”

5. Princess of Arathen: Elen
The sphere turned dark blue, nearly violet.
Stats:
 Control: High
 Stability: High
 Projection: High
 Depth: Medium
Instructor 
“Elen. Element: Water.”

6. Princess of Arathen: Hana
The sphere vibrated with bright blue, almost electric.
Stats:
 Control: Very High
 Stability: Medium
 Projection: Very High
 Depth: Medium
Instructor 
“Hana. Element: Water.”

7. Princess of Arathen: Kaela
The sphere lit up in deep blue, with white sparkles.
Stats:
 Control: High
 Stability: High
 Projection: High
 Depth: High
Instructor (with respect) 
“Kaela. Element: Water.”

Kaela (serene) 
“I forgot we’re sextuplets.”

8. Princess of Arathen: Nira
The sphere showed a soft blue, almost transparent.
Stats:
 Control: Medium
 Stability: High
 Projection: Medium
 Depth: High
Instructor 
“Nira. Element: Water.”

9. Princess Lileth
The sphere lit up in pure red, with golden sparks.
Stats:
 Control: Very High
 Stability: High
 Projection: Very High
 Depth: High
Instructor (noting precisely) 
“Lileth. Element: Fire.”

10. Student: Daren
The sphere vibrated in astral violet.
Stats:
 Control: High
 Stability: High
 Projection: Medium
 Depth: High
Instructor 
“Daren. Element: Electro.”

11. Student: Korrin
The sphere turned dark gray.
Stats:
 Control: Medium
 Stability: High
 Projection: Low
 Depth: Medium
Instructor 
“Korrin. Element: Darkness.”

12. Student: Yalen
The sphere glowed in intense red.
Stats:
 Control: High
 Stability: Medium
 Projection: High
 Depth: Medium
Instructor 
“Yalen. Element: Fire.”

Instructor (closing the tablet) 
“First group recorded.
Next group, prepare yourselves.”

Kagayaku remained silent.
He hadn’t been called yet.
But the sphere…
already seemed to spin faster.
As if it was waiting for him.

Scene — “Where mana broke the limit… and silence bore witness”
Royal Academy of Magic / Channeling Chamber — Phase II
8:41 a.m. — The air stopped. The spheres shattered. And no one spoke the same again

Environment
The Channeling Chamber remained in absolute silence.
The enchanted white stone walls vibrated with a tension that didn’t come from spells, but from what was about to happen.
The floating torches crackled with steady flame—until they began to flicker.
The crystal sphere —placed atop an obsidian pedestal— trembled slightly, as if it sensed what was approaching.
The students watched from their positions, unmoving.
The six princesses of Arathen —Airi, Sayra, Elen, Hana, Kaela, and Nira— stood together, solemn.
Princess Lileth remained standing, arms crossed.
The channeling instructor held her floating tablet, expressionless.
The director observed from the back, without intervening.

Kagayaku is called
Channeling Instructor 
“Kagayaku. Step forward.”

The name alone was enough to silence everyone.
Kagayaku walked forward among the students.
His stride was firm, unhurried.
His white hair fell over his shoulders.
His pale skin reflected the glow of the runes.
His golden eyes didn’t look at anyone.
Only at the sphere.

First attempt
Kagayaku extended his hand.
The sphere trembled.
And just as his fingers brushed the crystal…

It split into four pieces.
No explosion.
No sound.
It simply broke.
As if it couldn’t contain what touched it.

Everyone fell silent.
The students stepped back.
The princesses looked at each other.
Lileth didn’t blink.

Airi (softly) 
“That’s not normal.”

Sayra (frowning) 
“It didn’t even react. It just broke.”

Elen (looking at the director) 
“Is he going to say something?”

Instructor (calm, showing no surprise) 
“Bring another.”

Second attempt
A new sphere was brought in.
More resistant.
Denser.
It was placed on the pedestal.
Kagayaku approached again.
Placed his hand.

The sphere shattered.
Faster.
Cleaner.
And before they could examine the fragments…

Both spheres turned to dust.
The dust rose.
And vanished.

Hana (softly) 
“It didn’t even let us understand what happened.”

Kaela (looking at the instructor’s tablet) 
“No record. No reading. Just dust.”

Director (without raising his voice) 
“Bring the professors’ sphere.”

Third attempt
A smaller sphere —one meter in diameter— was brought in.
Its core was living obsidian.
It was placed carefully.
The room remained silent.

Instructor (unchanged tone) 
“Try again.”

Kagayaku placed his hand.
The sphere trembled.
And then…

Electric sparks began to emerge from the crystal.
The floor vibrated.
The runes lit up.
The torches across the academy crackled…
and extinguished.
One by one.
And then…

They reignited.

The sphere changed color.
It didn’t spin.
It didn’t glow.
It simply changed.

One by one:

· Water

· Fire

· Wind

· Earth

· Electro

· Darkness

· Nature

· Light

And then…

+∞
A symbol appeared beside each element.
A “+∞” floating above every color.

No one knew what it meant.
Only the director.
But he…
said nothing.

Reactions
Nira (trembling slightly) 
“All the elements…? Is that even possible?”

Sayra (staring at the sphere like she didn’t want to get closer) 
“That’s not affinity…”

Kaela (softly) 
“What is that symbol?”

Lileth (without looking away) 
“What… is this?”

Instructor (closing the tablet without writing) 
“…No readable data.
No record.
The sphere… isn’t showing statistics.”

Director (still, silent)
He watches.
He doesn’t intervene.
But his eyes…
are already recording what no one else can understand.

Scene — “Where battle takes shape… and fear is no longer hidden”
Royal Academy of Magic / Grand Elemental Arena — Phase III: Confrontation
9:12 a.m. — The trials are over. The battle begins. And everyone is looking in the same direction

Setting
The Grand Elemental Arena rose as the heart of the academy.
An enchanted coliseum of living stone and circular architecture, surrounded by floating stands held aloft by runic pillars.
The perimeter torches burned with blue flame, and the sky above the arena was clear—
as if the weather itself had been conjured not to distract.

At the center, a combat platform over 100 meters wide, divided into elemental sections:

· Fire

· Water

· Nature

· Wind

· Earth

· Electricity

· Darkness

· Light

Each section pulsed with its own energy, waiting to be activated.

The 120 applicants stood in formation, grouped by elemental affinity.
The princesses of Arathen —Airi, Sayra, Elen, Hana, Kaela, and Nira— along with Princess Lileth, occupied an elevated balcony with direct view of the arena.
The director stood at the center, flanked by the combat instructors.

Reactions after Kagayaku’s channeling
Student 1 (softly, trembling) 
“He’s going to fight seven…
One for each element.”

Student 2 (watching the arena) 
“That’s not a trial.
It’s a sentence.”

Student 3 (voice cracking) 
“What if there’s no creature that matches him?
Are they going to create seven… just for him?”

Student 4 (to his companion) 
“What if we’re… not in the same academy as him?”

Kagayaku’s sisters and Lileth
Airi (watching the arena, serious) 
“He’s always been different.
But this… this isn’t fair.”

Sayra (clenching her hands) 
“He didn’t even ask.
He didn’t even hesitate.”

Elen (looking at the director) 
“Are they really going to let him face this alone?”

Hana (without sarcasm) 
“It’s not that he can’t.
It’s that he shouldn’t have to.”

Kaela (quietly) 
“He’s not defined by the elements.
The elements are being defined by him.”

Nira (looking at Lileth) 
“You knew?”

Lileth (eyes fixed on Kagayaku) 
“No.
But I felt it.”

The director speaks
Director (firm voice, projected by magic) 
“All applicants have completed the first two phases.
Now begins the third: elemental confrontation.”

Silence falls.
The sections of the arena begin to glow.

Director 
“Each battle will be between opposing affinities.
We seek reaction, adaptation, and control.”

Combat pairings

· Fire vs Water

· Nature vs Fire

· Wind vs Earth

· Light vs Darkness

· Electricity vs Fire

Director 
“Each confrontation will be observed by the combat instructors.
The arena will adapt to the conditions of each duel.
Applicants will be called by affinity.
And at the end…
one will face seven.”

Everyone turns toward Kagayaku.
He remains in formation.
He doesn’t speak.
He doesn’t move.

Reactions in the stadium
Student 5 (softly) 
“What if he doesn’t survive?”

Student 6 (looking at the ground) 
“This is insane…”

Narrator (like stone that has seen battles… but never one like this)
“The arena is ready.
The elements are defined.
And the battle…
is no longer between students.
It’s between what is expected…
and what cannot be explained.”

Scene — “Where battle began… and fire found its form”
Royal Academy of Magic / Grand Elemental Arena — Phase III: Confrontations
9:18 a.m. — The air grew tense. The arena awakened. And the elements stopped being theory

Setting
The Grand Elemental Arena stretched like a circle of judgment.
The enchanted ground was divided into elemental sectors, each with its own texture, temperature, and vibration.
The floating stands were filled with students, instructors, and observers.
The perimeter torches burned with blue flame, and the sky above remained clear—
as if the weather itself had been conjured not to distract.

At the center, the duels began.
Each student would face a creature designed to counter their magical affinity.
The evaluating masters recorded every movement from their elevated posts.
The director stood silently, eyes fixed on each confrontation.

First combat — Water Applicant vs Fire Creature
The first applicant, water affinity, stepped into the fiery sector.
The ground was cracked, hot.
From the circle emerged a fire creature:
A being of living embers, limbs of magma, and glowing eyes.

The applicant conjured a liquid barrier.
The creature pierced through.
The student retreated, launched a water blast.
The creature split, reformed, and charged.

The impact threw him to the edge of the field.
The safety system activated a containment rune.
Just as the creature prepared to finish him

A direct discharge from the central pedestal disintegrated it.
The combat ended.

Evaluating Master (noting) 
“Delayed reaction.
Low control.
Survival instinct triggered.”

Second combat — Light Applicant vs Darkness Creature
The second applicant, light affinity, entered the shadow sector.
The ground turned opaque.
The torches extinguished.
From the center emerged a floating creature:
A shapeless entity of black mist, with suspended red eyes.

The applicant raised his hands.
A sphere of light formed above his head.
The creature launched shadow tendrils.
The student dodged, focused his mana, and hurled the sphere.

The light pierced the mist.
The creature dissolved.
The field lit up again.

Evaluating Mistress (noting) 
“Precise projection.
High control.
Good use of environment.”

Third combat — Princess Lileth vs Water Serpent
Lileth stepped into the aquatic field.
Her red cloak dragged across the damp ground.
The air was heavy with vapor.
From the circle emerged a five-meter creature:
A serpent of pure water.
Fluid body, seamless.
Luminous white eyes.
It slid silently, each movement leaving moisture in the air.

Evaluating Master (softly) 
“Creature level: superior.
Pure element.
Stable form.”

Channeling Mistress 
“Lileth shouldn’t face that alone.”

Director (without turning) 
“But she will.”

Combat development
The serpent struck first.
A water whip extended from its body.
Lileth dodged.
Her cloak singed slightly on contact.

Lileth (softly) 
“Good.”

She extended both hands.
A column of fire erupted from the ground.
The serpent recoiled.
But didn’t flee.
It split into three streams.
Encircled Lileth.

Humidity rose.
The fire weakened.
Lileth closed her eyes.
Breathed.
Focused her mana in her chest.

A controlled explosion.
Pure fire.
It didn’t scatter.
It condensed.
Formed a spear.

Lileth (firm voice) 
“This isn’t to burn you.
It’s to stop you.”

The spear pierced the serpent’s center.
The water rose.
Dissolved.
The white eyes dimmed.

Evaluating Master (noting) 
“Absolute control.
Precise projection.
Adaptation in adverse environment.”

Channeling Mistress 
“And emotional containment.
She didn’t use her full power.”

Director (expressionless) 
“She observes.
She doesn’t repeat.
She doesn’t hesitate.”

Scene — “Where fire wounded… and water responded with one voice”
Royal Academy of Magic / Grand Elemental Arena — Phase III: Confrontations
9:26 a.m. — The battle wasn’t fair. But the roar that followed… wasn’t either

Setting
The Grand Elemental Arena was charged.
The sky began to close with dense clouds.
The torches flickered, as if unsure whether to stay lit.
The fiery sector activated: the ground cracked, the heat became unbearable, and from the central circle emerged a superior combat creature.

A fire minotaur, over four meters tall.
Body of hardened magma.
Incandescent horns.
And in its hands, two red-hot axes that scorched the ground with every step.

The six princesses of Arathen advanced

· Hana — tactical, frontal, first to move

· Airi — steady, precise

· Sayra — silent, defensive

· Elen — strategic, restrained

· Kaela — deep, observant

· Nira — intuitive, swift

All with water affinity.
All bound by blood.
All in perfect sync.

Combat begins
The minotaur roared.
The ground trembled.
The axes spun.
And without warning

One axe struck Sayra, who dropped to her knees.
Her left arm burned.
The others froze.
They gasped.
The air thickened.

Hana (without looking back) 
“That’s enough.”

Ten water spears rose around the minotaur.
They didn’t strike.
They surrounded.
They marked.

Transformation
Airi (to the others, without raising her voice) 
“Now.”

The five sisters joined hands.
The water around them began to spin.
Their bodies lifted.
They merged.
And in seconds

A thirty-meter aquatic dragon formed.
Liquid scales.
Eyes of blue light.
Wings extended like currents.
Mouth open, roaring with a vibration that shook the stands.

Final coordination
Hana (focused, unmoving) 
“Chains.”

Two water chains extended from her arms.
Hooked the minotaur’s ankles.
Then its arms.
Then its neck.

The minotaur struggled.
The axes sliced the air.
But not the water.

The dragon rose.
Its mouth opened.
A sphere of liquid energy formed inside.
The clouds above the arena darkened.
The air thickened.
The torches extinguished.

Kaela (from within the dragon) 
“This isn’t punishment.
It’s response.”

The roar became a discharge.
A column of pure water descended from the sky.
Struck the minotaur.
The chains held.
The spears closed in.
And the body fragmented.
Dissolved.
Extinguished.

Reactions in the stands
Student 1 (standing, speechless) 
“That was… them?”

Student 2 (hand over mouth) 
“A dragon?
A water dragon?”

Student 3 (trembling) 
“Did you see how they looked at it?
It wasn’t rage.
It was resolve.”

Student 4 (to his companion) 
“And Hana…
didn’t even blink.”

Student 5 (softly) 
“If that’s what they do together…
what will Kagayaku do alone?”

Reactions from the instructors
Evaluating Mistress (not writing yet) 
“Fusion without rupture.
Coordination without error.”

Strategy Master 
“That wasn’t an attack.
It was execution.”

Narrator (like a current that doesn’t stop… when it meets others)
“The sisters didn’t fight.
They united.
And the water…
wasn’t launched.
It was held.
Because when six voices merge…
the roar needs no explanation.”

Scene — “Where the last one stepped forward… and the world held its breath”
Royal Academy of Magic / Grand Elemental Arena — Phase III: Final Confrontation
9:56 a.m. — The sky closed. The creature emerged. And the name no one dared to speak… was spoken

Setting
The Grand Elemental Arena no longer felt part of the world.
Clouds had gathered above the coliseum as if the sky itself had bowed.
The torches were extinguished.
The runes on the ground vibrated without pattern.
The students were silent.
The instructors stopped writing.
The princesses of Arathen stood.
Princess Lileth didn’t blink.

The call
The director stepped forward.
His voice wasn’t amplified.
It wasn’t raised.
But it was heard in every corner.
As if the air carried it by its own will.

Director (resonant voice) 
“And the final applicant…
Kagayaku Izanagi Hoshi.”

The emergence
The ground trembled.
The runes lit up.
And from the center of the arena, as if rising from a rift between worlds…

The creature appeared.

Hydranthos — The Hydra of Eight Elements
A beast 400 meters tall.
Covered in obsidian-black scales, marked with arcane runes glowing in shifting colors—
as if a volcano of magic was sealed beneath its skin.
Its eight heads rose to the sky like living towers, each representing a different element.
Each distorted the environment around it:

· Fire: spewed black flames wrapped in burning ash, with curved horns and eyes glowing like lava

· Water: open gills, breath of dense mist forming acidic rain upon contact

· Electro: crackled with wild lightning, violet eyes, mane of living bolts

· Nature: sprouted roots and poisonous thorns, surrounded by green spores

· Earth: like a living mountain, crystal fangs, impenetrable stone skin

· Wind: moved air at impossible speeds, invisible eyes, howls that split the sky

· Light: shone like the sun, golden scales, blinding radiance

· Darkness: cloaked in liquid shadows, voice like whispers born from the abyss

Kagayaku appears
From the arena’s entrance, without prior sound, without magical announcement…
Kagayaku Izanagi Hoshi walked toward the center.
White hair.
Golden eyes.
Pale skin.
No weapon.
No cloak.
No expression.
Only him.

Reactions in the stands
Student 1 (voice cracking) 
“That… that’s what he’s going to face?”

Student 2 (covering their mouth) 
“Why isn’t he carrying anything? No staff, no shield… nothing?”

Student 3 (not blinking) 
“What if he… already is all of that?”

Student 4 (to their companion, trembling) 
“Did you see how the darkness head looked at him?
Like it knew him.”

Student 5 (softly, unmoving) 
“This isn’t a fight.
This is something we shouldn’t be watching.”

Kagayaku’s sisters
Hana (with clenched fists) 
“He’s not entering.
He’s descending.”

Airi (watching the hydra, unblinking) 
“Each head…
each element…
and he’s unprotected.”

Elen (quietly, eyes fixed) 
“What if this isn’t a trial?
What if it’s a conversation?”

Kaela (closing her eyes for a moment) 
“He won’t fight like we did.
He’s going to respond.”

Nira (to Sayra, voice trembling) 
“Do you think he’s afraid?”

Sayra (without looking, firm voice) 
“He doesn’t have room for that.”

Lileth
Lileth (softly, eyes never leaving him) 
“If the world wants to know what Kagayaku is…
this creature will have to ask first.”

Narrator (like a sky that dares not rain… because it still doesn’t understand what it sees)
“The last was called.
The creature appeared.
And the silence…
is no longer respect.
It’s recognition.
Because when the air stops…
it’s not from fear.
It’s because something is about to change.”

Fragment — “Where fear wasn’t shouted… but was felt in every word”
Grand Elemental Arena / Floating Stands
9:57 a.m. — The battle hasn’t begun. But faces are already confronting it

Student reactions
Student 1 (staring at the creature, unblinking) 
“That’s not an enemy.
It’s a warning.”

Student 2 (voice trembling) 
“What if it’s not designed to lose?
What if it’s here to measure him?”

Student 3 (gritting teeth) 
“How do you prepare for something like that?
He doesn’t even have a weapon…”

Student 4 (whispering, as if afraid to be heard) 
“The heads…
they look like they’re waiting.
Not attacking.”

Student 5 (eyes locked on Kagayaku) 
“Why does he walk like he’s been here before?”

Student 6 (to her friend, eyes fixed) 
“Did you see how the ground doesn’t touch him?
Not even the dust dares.”

Student 7 (soft voice, nearly breathless) 
“This isn’t magic.
This is something else.”

Student 8 (arms crossed, holding back a tremor) 
“If he falls…
what does that mean for all of us?”

Student 9 (quietly, as if speaking to himself) 
“What if he didn’t come to win?
What if he came to end something?”

Grand Elemental Arena / Royal Observation Balcony
9:58 a.m. — The battle hasn’t begun. But the ground has already responded

Setting
The clouds above the arena had grown denser.
It wasn’t raining.
But the air was humid, heavy
as if holding something that shouldn’t fall yet.

The floating torches remained extinguished.
The runes on the ground vibrated in silence.
The creature —Hydranthos— didn’t move.
Its eight heads stayed raised, watching, breathing, distorting the space around them.

From the elevated balcony, the six princesses of Arathen and Princess Lileth watched without speaking.
The wind barely brushed their cloaks.
Not a word.
Until Kagayaku took his first step.

The step
A single movement.
No momentum.
No spell.
Just one foot advancing toward the center of the arena.

The ground cracked beneath his step.
Not from force.
From presence.
As if the earth didn’t know how to hold him.

Reactions from the sisters
Hana (watching the ground, unblinking) 
“That wasn’t magic.”

Airi (soft voice) 
“Not even intention.”

Sayra (pressing her fingers against the balcony’s edge) 
“It was him.”

Elen (eyes fixed) 
“Did you see how the earth head recoiled?
Like it felt him.”

Kaela (softly, nearly breathless) 
“He’s not showing anything.
And he’s already changing everything.”

Nira (to Lileth, without turning) 
“Do you think it’ll strike first?”

Lileth
Lileth (arms crossed, expressionless) 
“No.
Hydranthos won’t attack.
It will wait.
Because even it…
wants to know what Kagayaku is.”