Chapter 13 - Eclipse

“Akari!”

A fist slammed against the heavy metal of the dorm door, the sound echoing down the sterile hallway of the school’s living quarters.

“Akari! Open up already! Akari!”

Mei’s voice was hoarse. There was no answer from within—only a silence so thick it felt like it was leaking out from under the doorframe. Mei eventually slumped against the wall, her chest heaving as she caught her breath.

A shadow fell over her. Kagemura stood there, his hands buried in the pockets of an impeccable black suit that made him look like a mortician.

“...How’s she handling it?” he asked, 

Mei curled into a ball, hiding her face against her knees. “She shut down. She hasn’t moved since yesterday. She just… locked the doors and hasn’t said a word.”

Kagemura nodded slowly, his gaze drifting toward the far window where the city of Virelia stretched out, oblivious to the tragedy.

“How are her friends…?” Mei’s voice was a whisper.

Kagemura rubbed the back of his neck, his expression tightening. “Rika’s torn up. Hasn’t stopped crying for hours. Yuto… hasn’t said a word. And it looks like Ami and Seraphine have gone MIA.”

Mei shot up, her eyes wide with a mix of fury and fear. “What happened to them? What really happened?!”

“It was… a recon mission,” Kagemura began, the words sounding hollow. “The Order got a tip that could lead to a Zanshu. They were ambushed. A Blighted creature found them and… it wasn’t a fight. For your sake, and Akari’s, I’ll spare you the details. Whatever attacked them was fast. The higher-ups won't tell me anything else.”

“How can you talk about this so casually?!” Mei screamed, clutching his lapels. “My sister’s friends are dead! What if she’s next?! No one signed up for this!”

“Everyone signed up for this!” Kagemura snapped, his voice cutting through her panic instantly. “This is what it means to be a Lucent. From the moment we are born with this power, we fight the Blight. That’s Akari’s job. My job. Team Astra’s job. And soon, it’ll be yours.”

He crouched down, forcing Mei to look at the jagged scar that lanced through his eye and down his neck. “This is my constant reminder. Every day I wake up and look in the mirror, I remember. Being a Lucent means accepting death. That’s the conclusion I came to long ago.”

Mei shook her head, tears blurring her vision as she turned to leave. “I’ll go check on Rika. Just… be careful with her.”

Kagemura closed his eyes, With a faint zap, he transported himself into the dark room.

Akari was lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling. The only light came from the digital clock on the bedside table, casting a sickly green hue over her pale face.. She didn't move a muscle, her eyes fixed in a motionless, stoic stare. Kagemura sat on the edge of the mattress.

“Akari,” he whispered.

She didn’t respond.

“I get it. Not even a week has gone by, and you’ve lost someone close to you. I know how it feels to have your world crumble. Death… there is often no rhyme or reason for it. But what matters is that you are alive, Akari. Alive to change the world.”

Still, she didn’t budge. She looked like a porcelain doll, abandoned to the winds..

“Years ago,” Kagemura continued, his voice dropping into a haunted register, “I fought an enemy. This thing was incomprehensible, without measure. It took pride in playing with us. It laughed psychotically while it tore my unit apart. I fought as hard as I could, yet it slaughtered them all. It left me as the only survivor… but not before giving me a reminder I’d never forget.”

Akari’s eyes finally shifted. She turned her head slowly, staring deep into Kagemura’s soul with a wistful, distant expression.

“What did it look like?” she asked.

Kagemura blinked, surprised by the sudden lucidity. He looked away, his jaw tightening. “...A knight in armor so white, it was like staring into the sun.”

Akari suddenly leapt off the bed, her movements jerky and hyper-active. She began stretching her legs, a strange, happier energy radiating from her. “Then I know what I gotta do!”

Kagemura’s face contorted with worry. “Are you… okay?”

Akari turned back to him. She smiled—a bright, blindingly cheerful smile that didn't reach her hollow eyes. A small splash of dried blood was still crusted on her cheek. “Of course!”

I have to be a hero, for Kana! It’s what she wanted for me… I can't let her down by being sad!

Kagemura stood up, his brow furrowed. “Even if you try to find them, you’ll be slaughtered. It wouldn't be a contest. You'd die in minutes.”

Akari’s eyes only grew more determined, glowing with a faint, unstable light. “Then teach me. I want to know everything. Please! As much as you can tell me!”

Kagemura hesitated. He saw the fire in her, but it was a fire that was consuming the girl underneath. “Then follow me. Maybe you can do what I couldn't.”

Hundreds of people stood on a windswept hill overlooking the glowing reservoirs of Virelia, all dressed in pristine mourning white. Four graves sat empty at the crest of the hill.

The Principal, a man finally coming out of hiding, stood before the crowd.

“It is with a heavy heart that I announce that Team Astra is no more,” he droned, his voice amplified by various speakers. “I assure you, we will do everything in our power to catch the enemy that did this to such valued pillars of our community. No amount of apologies can revive what was lost.”

As the coffins were lowered, Akari stood at the front, her gaze locked on the wood. She looked to the side. Rika was audibly sobbing into her hands, her shoulders shaking with a grief that looked physically painful. Beside her, Yuto stood like a statue, his fists clenched so tight that droplets of blood began to seep from his palms and onto the grass.

Akari scanned the crowd. Weird… I thought that they’d be here. Ami and Seraphine were nowhere to be found.

A sudden, heavy clack sounded behind her, followed by a soft "Oof!"

Akari turned. A woman bumped into her, She had voluminous black hair that she adjusted while frantically pushing her glasses up.

“Uhm… I’m so sorry to do this while you’re grieving!” the woman whispered, her voice a mix of professional polish and frantic nerves. “I’ve been assigned to help you with PR… My name is Hotaru. Kisaragi Hotaru.”

“...PR?” Akari tilted her head.

Hotaru offered a soft, genuine smile. “The Order wishes for you to rise and shine brighter! …But if you ask me? You’ve been through a lot. I want to help you carry that weight. That’s what a hero does, right?”

Before Akari could respond, a cold, elegant presence cut through the air. A woman with hair like spun silk and sharp eyes approached them.

“Akari, dear!”

...You again…

“Allow me to introduce myself properly,” the woman said, “I am Shizuka Hayasaka. And as a future member of this family’s legacy, I believe it is time we discuss your trajectory.”

“But I don't want this!” Akari said with pure desperation.

“But don’t you want to be famous? To be well-known?” Shizuka leaned in,staring into Akari’s eyes.. “Yuto is unlike us. We gaze above all things. We stand at the echelon. Play your role, Akari, and the world will never be able to hurt you again. We are having a soiree tomorrow night. I expect to see you there.”

Akari paused, her breath hitching.

This is just what Kana would want! If I’m famous, I can save everyone. I’ll follow the dream, Kana. I’ll be the sun everyone needs!

Miles away from the funeral, the wind howled through the courtyard of Virelia Academy, barren and empty on a cloudy day.

Seraphine walked behind Ami, her book tucked under her arm as usual. Ami walks around the school, scanning the halls frantically.

“What is it you’re looking for?” Seraphine asked, 

“Something… I don’t know…” Ami whispered, clutching her chest. “I just can't believe they’re gone.”

“...I’m not supposed to share this yet,” Seraphine said, stopping. She held out a hand. “But I will if it brings you peace of mind.”

In her palm lay a charred, blood-stained bandana.

“This is—?!” Ami gasped.

“I was told to hold onto it,” Seraphine said with a saintly smile. “To wait for the team to recover. But I can’t stand to see you so broken. This is her last gift to you.”

Ami reached out, her fingers trembling as they brushed the fabric.

The moment her skin touched the bandana, her world shattered. Memories flashed in her brain like lightning strikes. Screams that ended in wet thuds, the sickly-sweet metallic smell that filled the air. She saw four bodies hitting the floor in a spray of red.

“You will never get away with this,” a raspy, dying voice echoed in her skull.

Ami fell to her knees, clutching her head as her breathing spiraled. Seraphine immediately knelt beside her, pulling Ami into a tight, comforting hug.

“It’s alright, Ami-chan,” Seraphine whispered into her ear.

Averting her eyes for one blurry moment, Ami looked toward the entrance of the building. There, standing in the mist, was a figure. It was Kana, smiling as brightly as she did the day they met. As Ami’s mind began to wander.

Chapter 13 - The End.