Chapter 1 — "Whispers in the Academy"

The city of Eclipsera stretched endlessly beneath the pale morning sky, a fractured metropolis that whispered of past glories and present dangers. Skyscrapers leaned at impossible angles, glass shards clinging to their skeletal frames. Cracked streets weaved between buildings like veins, glowing faintly with the residual energy of Elementals who had once dominated the world. Even the wind carried a strange hum, resonating with the faint pulses of magic lingering in the air.

Itsuki walked carefully along one of these streets, hood pulled low over his dark hair. His hands were tucked into his sleeves, thumbs brushing against his fingertips. 

He moved slowly, almost as if afraid that even the sound of his steps might provoke the city itself. Despite the faint shimmer that followed him, energy he could barely control, he felt invisible. He wanted to be. He always wanted to be invisible.

He had witnessed things the night before he wished he could forget. Four thugs had cornered him while he walked home, minor Elementals looking for trouble. And then she appeared, Akari, the crimson-eyed girl who moved like a shadow in fire and smoke. 

She had ended the confrontation before he could even think, and her sudden presence had left him frozen in shock and awe. He didn’t even know her name, but he would never forget her smile. Or the way she had watched him afterward, as though he were hers by default.

Shaking his head, Itsuki tried to push the memory away. It doesn’t matter. None of that matters today.

The Academy rose ahead of him, a jagged mix of old ruins fused with strange crystalline structures that pulsed faintly with elemental energy. Inside, students were already moving toward the training halls, some practicing control of fire, water, or air, others refining the rare abilities that few could hope to master. Itsuki slipped through the doors quietly, careful not to draw attention.

“Hey, Itsuki!”

He looked up to see two girls approaching him, walking faster than he had expected. One had wind-swept hair and a warm smile, Rina. The other, Yuzuki, was more imposing; dark hair framed her face, and the spark of lightning flickered faintly around her fingers as she walked.

“Morning,” Rina said kindly. “You okay? You look… exhausted.”

“I’m fine,” Itsuki replied quietly. “Just… a bit tired.”

Yuzuki smirked, flicking a small spark from her fingers. “Tired? You look like you barely slept because you’ve been daydreaming again. Or maybe… because you got your butt saved by that crimson-eyed freak last night?”

Itsuki flinched slightly. “I-I was there… but I didn’t… I didn’t see much. I was just… walking.”

Rina nodded slowly. “I figured as much. But still, everyone’s talking. Four guys disappeared in seconds. People are calling it the work of a monster.”

Yuzuki rolled her eyes. “If you had done something, they’d still be alive. You should’ve at least... pfft, tried to hit them once. Show them they can’t mess with you.”

Itsuki’s hands clenched. “You know me. I don’t… I don’t want to hurt anyone. I'm not that type of person...”

Yuzuki scoffed and flicked a small bolt of harmless electricity toward a nearby training dummy. “You’ve got powers for a reason. Don’t act like this world’s going to care about your morals. Use your power, or you get stepped on. Simple.”

Rina’s tone softened, but her eyes were sharp. “Yuzuki’s right, Itsuki. You can’t just let people walk over you, no matter how gentle you are. Control your power. Defend yourself. It’s why you have it.”

“I… I understand,” Itsuki muttered, though his voice was hesitant. “But I’m… afraid. Afraid I’ll hurt someone. Afraid I’ll lose control.”

Rina laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. “We’ll help you. You’re not alone.”

Yuzuki snorted, flicking another spark toward the floor. “Yeah, yeah. Just… try not to look so miserable. And if anyone talks too much trash, at least show them you’re not a pushover.”

Itsuki’s lips curved into the faintest of smiles. “I’ll… try.”

By midday, class ended, and students began to filter out, heading to dorms or training halls. Itsuki and Rina left together, walking down a corridor lined with elemental sigils glowing faintly in the walls. They chatted quietly about the upcoming exercises, but neither noticed the shadow flitting along the upper balconies.

Yuzuki, however, had stayed behind in the classroom, packing her bag at her desk. She muttered under her breath about how Itsuki seemed so fragile, so different from the rest of them. “He really doesn’t know how dangerous he is, does he?” she murmured, shaking her head.

The air thickened. The faint hum of energy seemed to shift. Then the smoke came, black and curling, snaking along the floor like living shadows. Her heart raced.

Before she could react, a figure materialized from the darkness. Crimson eyes burned into hers, framed by long black hair streaked with red. The air seemed to vibrate with her presence, heavy and suffocating.

Yuzuki tried to step back, but a hand shot out, pinning her shoulder to the wall. Another pressed against her chest, trapping her completely.

“OW! W-who… who are you?!” she gasped, struggling. "What the hell do you want from me?!"

A low, calm voice answered, chilling in its intensity. “You know exactly why I’m here.”

Yuzuki’s eyes narrowed. Something about this presence felt… familiar, terrifying. “…Wait… are you… the crimson-eyed maniac? The one that killed the four guys near that one fountain?!”

The figure’s jaw tightened, and the smoke around her seemed to lash like tendrils. “How dare you call me that!”

Yuzuki swallowed hard, realizing she was face-to-face with the infamous killer from the rumors. Her voice trembled, but she needed answers. “I… I just need to know… why are you here? Who… who are you—”

“I told you,” Akari hissed, crimson eyes narrowing. “Leave him alone. That’s all you need to know.”

Yuzuki’s pulse quickened. She summoned courage she didn’t feel. “…Him… you mean… Itsuki? You’re here… because of him?”

Akari’s eyes flared, the red deepening to an almost glowing scarlet. “Of course. Who else? He is mine.” The smoke coiled tighter around her, pressing against the walls like living shadows.

Yuzuki’s knees shook. “He's yours? Wait… you… you’re obsessed with him?! That’s… that’s just… sick! You’re… some kind of… weird freak!”

Akari’s crimson eyes narrowed, the shadows around her flaring with sudden intensity. “How dare you speak to me like that?” she hissed, her voice cold and sharp, laced with fury. “I told you… leave him alone. Forget what you saw. Forget what you heard. Or…”

“P-please!” Yuzuki cried, tears welling in her eyes. “I won’t tell anyone! I swear! I’ll stay away! I’ll… I’ll do whatever you want!”

Akari stepped back slightly, letting the smoke curl and twist around her as she regarded Yuzuki with a mixture of affection and menace. “Good. Remember your fear. Remember who controls it. He is mine… and you… you are nothing.”

Yuzuki collapsed to the floor, trembling, every breath shaky as the weight of Akari’s obsession and threat pressed into her mind. She stared up at the fading shadows, realizing fully that she had just survived an encounter with a force far beyond her comprehension.

A soft, almost playful giggle echoed from the windowsill where she had vanished. “Forget me. Forget tonight. But never forget… he belongs to me.”

The classroom fell silent again, but Yuzuki’s trembling did not end. The memory of crimson eyes, black smoke, and the cold touch of Akari’s presence would haunt her forever.

"What the... what the hell just happened...?" Yuzuki said, shocked and terrified by what just happened.