Selena, Kyle, and Lily made their way into the Whispering Forest, the air alive with whispers of magic and the faint glow of runes scattered among the ancient trees. The forest seemed to hold its breath as if watching the cadets gathered at its heart.

Selena turned to Lily with a soft smile. "Charlotte and the others should be here already. Let's go find them."

They followed the sound of chatter and soon came upon the central clearing where Professor Livana was guiding students through their bonding ritual.

Dozens of first-years stood in clusters, excitement radiating from their faces as glowing circles pulsed with energy. Spirits flickered faintly in the air, still waiting for their destined companions.

Selena raised her voice lightly, her tone playful. "Well, Livana, it looks like the students are really enjoying your class."

The heads of the cadets turned immediately toward the voice. Livana looked up, adjusting her glasses as a wide smile spread across her face. "Well, well, Selena. So you finally found the time to visit this old friend of yours from your busy schedule."

Selena chuckled, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "You already know how things have been lately. I hardly have a moment to breathe with all the responsibilities outside the academy."

Livana laughed warmly. "I was only teasing. Come, we're almost done—only a few more students remain to bond with their spirits." Her gaze drifted to Lily and Kyle. "And who might these two be?"

Selena gestured gracefully. "This is Lily. My mother adopted her a few months ago, so she's now my little sister." She then pointed toward the tall boy beside her. "And this is Kyle Celestian, the adopted grandson of Swordmaster Marcus Reed."

Livana's eyebrows rose with intrigue. "Oh, wonderful. It'll be an excellent experience for them both to see how we train here."

Lily's eyes, however, were already searching restlessly. Her gaze swept over the gathered students until a familiar voice called from behind.

"Are you trying to find us? We're right here!"

Her ears perked immediately. She spun around to see Alden, Ava, Charlotte, and Seraphina approaching with warm smiles.

"Big sis Lily!" Alden called, waving exaggeratedly.

Lily's face lit up as she rushed forward and threw her arms around them. "I missed all of you so much!"

The four embraced her in return, their smiles softening. "We missed you too," they said almost in unison.

But Lily quickly puffed out her cheeks, her eyes narrowing. "Then why didn't you come visit me even once after I got discharged from the hospital?"

The group froze, their expressions twisting uncomfortably. They shifted on their feet, avoiding her gaze.

"Well… we wanted to…" Charlotte began.

"But…" Seraphina added.

"It's complicated," Alden muttered.

Lily's heart clenched. She recognized that look. 'They think Brother's gone… that's why they stayed away.'

Tears welled up in her eyes—though not entirely genuine—as she let her voice tremble. "After Brother was gone, I was all alone… and none of you came to visit me. I was so mad at you all."

The four of them flinched as if struck. Guilt weighed heavily on their shoulders. For six long months, they had kept their distance, each too afraid to tell Lily the truth, each too cowardly to risk her hatred. Instead, they had chosen to support her from afar.

Selena leaned down, whispering just loud enough for Lily to hear. "Don't overdo it. If you push too far, they'll catch on."

Lily stiffened, quickly wiping her fake tears. Then she straightened and forced a small smile. "But… since I've found a new family now, I forgive you all. After all, you did keep sending me gifts these past few months."

A collective sigh of relief escaped the four. "Thank you, Lily. That means more than you know."

Lily puffed her chest proudly. "You're welcome!"

As Lily spoke, several nearby students found their eyes drawn to her. Her beauty, so gentle yet radiant, left them entranced, their gazes lingering far longer than was appropriate.

The air grew heavy.

Alden stepped forward, his aura flaring like wildfire. He drew his sword halfway from its scabbard, his voice cold and sharp. "Keep your lecherous eyes to yourselves, you bastards, or I'll gouge them out myself. That's my sister you're staring at."

The students immediately snapped their gazes away, whistling and pretending to be fascinated by the trees.

Kyle, standing off to the side, watched everything unfold with an amused smirk. 'This is better entertainment than I expected.'

Suddenly, footsteps echoed. Someone walked toward Lily with deliberate grace.

Elaria Moonshade Lareth'Thalas, the haughty elf, approached as though the ground itself belonged to her. Her silver hair shimmered, and her eyes gleamed with cool superiority. She stopped before Lily, tilting her head.

"So, you're Alex's sister," she said. "I can see the resemblance… though your personality is far better than his ever was."

Charlotte immediately stepped forward, fire in her eyes. "Watch your tongue, Elaria. That's her brother you're insulting."

Elaria ignored her, still facing Lily. " Well, I'm sorry for your loss."

Lily's lips trembled as she whispered, "It's okay. My brother… he was a good person at heart, no matter how troublesome he could be."

Elaria chuckled lightly. "I doubt that."

Charlotte bristled. "Don't listen to her, Lily. She's cranky because Alex dumped her ass when she asked him to the ball."

The forest erupted with laughter. Elaria's face turned crimson. "Y-you—! Now you watch it, Charlotte. There will be consequences."

Charlotte smirked, crossing her arms. "Oh? I'd like to see that."

The tension spiked, both of their auras flaring dangerously. The ground cracked beneath their feet.

Before it could escalate, selena's sharp voice cut through the forest. "Enough! Quiet down, all of you!"

Both girls froze, the air instantly clearing.

Livana turned her gaze to Elaria, her tone stern. "Elaria. It's your turn now. Go."

Elaria's jaw tightened, but she turned away without another word.

As she clicked her tongue, striding toward the glowing magic circle with the air of someone who owned the ground she walked on.

Lily tugged lightly on Selena's sleeve, whispering, "Did my brother cause that much trouble inside the academy?"

Selena's lips curled into a knowing smile. "Why don't you ask them?" She tilted her head toward Charlotte and the others.

Lily blinked and turned. Alden rubbed the back of his head, groaning. "Don't make me remember that, Lily."

Ava chuckled mischievously. "Should we tell her about the cafeteria incident?"

Seraphina folded her arms, shaking her head in disbelief. "Oh, I'll never forget that as long as I live."

Lily looked between them in confusion. "What are you guys talking about?"

Ava grinned, her tone playful. "Well, once a student tried to bully your brother by throwing food on him and me. But Instead of backing down, he started a food fight in the entire cafeteria. That one student got beaten up very badly because of your brother, and all of us—including half of the second and third years—got punished. Meanwhile, your brother was ? Nowhere to be found."

Lily's eyes widened in shock. "He did what?!"

Alden sighed. "Yeah. And after that, all of us were punished. Except him."

Lily paused, then murmured in a low voice. "That does sound like my brother…"

Before they could continue, all eyes turned to the summoning circle. Elaria's body began to glow faintly, her eyes snapping open with an aura of triumph.

Livana leaned forward eagerly. "Did you manage to bond with one?"

Elaria smirked, flicking her finger. "Who do you think I am professor livana ?"

A massive shadow passed over them. A deafening roar shook the clearing as a wyvern descended from the skies, its wings casting a storm of wind. It landed beside Elaria with a heavy thud, lowering its head in deference.

Livana's glasses glinted as she exclaimed, "As expected of a princess!"

Lily's mouth fell open. "Wow… so this is a spirit?"

The others smiled knowingly. Alden gestured toward Veythron, the serpent spirit coiled lazily around his neck. "Be extra nice to her, or I'll make you regret it."

The serpent hissed softly and, surprisingly, nodded before slithering toward Lily. Ava's unicorn trotted forward, radiating soft light, and Seraphina's snow fox bounded happily into Lily's arms.

Lily squealed in delight. "Kyaaaa! Look, look—they like me too!"

Alden's grin softened. "Of course they do. Who wouldn't like someone as cute as you?"

The spirits crowded around Lily, rubbing affectionately against her hands. Her laughter rang out like music, bright and innocent, warming the hearts of everyone watching.

----

But Kyle's attention was elsewhere now. He had moved silently, standing face-to-face with Ethan, who hadn't looked away from him once.

The voice of Ethan's mind whispered coldly in his head. [Careful. This boy is also an avatar… but for some reason, I can't detect which god he serves.]

Ethan's eyes narrowed. 'An avatar? Just who is he?'

Kyle smirked knowingly. "Looks like you figured it out, didn't you?"

Ethan stiffened for a moment before forcing a smile. "Figured out what?"

Kyle leaned closer, voice calm but sharp. "Don't act dumb. You sensed it—I'm an avatar too."

Ethan's jaw clenched, his tone low. "Maybe I did, maybe I didn't. But who the hell are you? You're not normal. In my entire life, I only got this kind of feeling from one person… and he's not in this world anymore."

Kyle's smirk widened. "Why? Did you kill him?"

Ethan's expression darkened instantly, golden sparks flickering in the air around him. "Watch your tongue, or you'll regret it." His aura flared, shaking the leaves above.

Kyle chuckled softly. "Why don't we settle this with a fight to the death, then?"

Before Ethan could reply, a firm hand landed on his shoulder.

"I've been calling your name for a while now," Livana said sharply. "Why are you ignoring me?"

Ethan blinked, quickly retracting his aura. "Ah… sorry, Professor."

"Good. It's your turn now. Step into the circle," she ordered.

"Yes, ma'am," Ethan replied, shooting Kyle a sharp glare before walking toward the magic circle.

As Ethan stepped away, his thoughts churned. 'That kid… I don't get a good feeling from him. It's like he's evil incarnate itself.'

Meanwhile, Kyle's eyes flickered as a glowing window appeared in front of him.

[Quest Completed: Piss off the Hero of Light.]

[Reward: 1 Lucky Charm, 1000 Abyssal Points.]

Kyle clicked his tongue. "Just this much, huh?"

Before he could dismiss it, a sultry, booming voice came saying "Well, well… if it isn't the Dark Lord himself "

Kyle's lips curled into a dangerous smirk. "And if it isn't the Queen of darkness herself."

From the shadows of the forest, a figure approached. Lilith emerged, her presence carrying both elegance and menace.

"It's been a short while now, hasn't it?" she said smoothly.

Kyle inclined his head with mock courtesy. "Indeed. Two months since we cleared the fourth floor of the Tower of Ascension."

------

A/N:

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