Morning rain streaked the gray stone of Ouroboros Academy, the air cool and sharp.
Asher stood before the towering facade, its spires cutting into the mist, his scarred face tense as he stared.
His recent CCT performance had sparked whispers among peers, and a group of second-years passed, tossing compliments.
"Nice moves, Rook!" one called. Asher forced a tight smile, muttering, "Thanks," but his stomach churned. He hated the attention.
Rowan appeared, clapping a hand on Asher's shoulder, voice teasing. "Look who's Mr. Popular now."
Asher groaned, shoving his hands into his pockets. "I liked my life before this."
Theo jogged up, grinning. "Whoa, Asher, everyone's being nice to me too. You getting this?"
Asher's scowl deepened. "This isn't me."
The academy bell clanged, a sharp call for assembly. Rowan smirked. "Mondays and Thursdays—how'd I forget?"
"Let's move," Asher said, turning.
Theo hesitated.
"Wait, Theo, you still got that note?" Asher asked.
"It's with Nico," Theo replied. "We hit the library last night, but found nothing."
Asher sighed. "Alright, let's go."
The assembly hall buzzed with students, packed shoulder-to-shoulder. Asher, Theo, and Rowan claimed seats near the back, the clocktower's faint tick seeping through the walls.
Lira slid in beside them, her bandaged hands fidgeting, followed by Nico, who nodded. "Hey, crew."
They returned muted greetings. A prefect snapped, "Quiet, or you're in trouble."
The head prefect, a tall figure with a commanding voice, took the stage, silencing the crowd. "Good morning, Ouroboros. I am here to announce to you,.three weeks from now, July 16th, we host The Alignment.
Alumni will visit, assess the academy, and likely donate to us.
There'll be a party, games—sponsored by them."
Murmurs of excitement rippled through the hall.
"All First-years, stay after," he added, stepping down.
Asher leaned toward Rowan, whispering, "Why?"
"Probably decorations," Rowan muttered, rolling his eyes.
The assembly ended, and first years gathered as others filed out.
Four prefects stood before them: Alice (deputy head), Seline (rank 6), Torren (rank 9), and Elara (rank 11), her red boots catching the light.
Alice's voice was crisp. "You're here for The Alignment prep. First-years, we'll handle decorations under me and Torren, meeting daily after classes. Or you could join the singing crew with Seline and Elara. Sign up now, for whichever suits you."
Lira stood, smirking. "Singing, definitely. See you guys."
"I'm in," Theo called, following her.
Asher glanced at Nico. "Guess it's us three—where's Rowan?"
Nico pointed. Rowan was signing up for singing, whispering, "Less stress."
Asher sighed. "Just you and me, then."
Post-sign-up, they headed to class, Lira lingering behind. "Gotta check something," she said, eyes distant.
Asher turned to Nico. "That note— Theo said you had it, can I have it"
Nico frowned.
"I thought he had it. I dropped it in the library."
Theo cut in, confused. "No, I thought you picked it up after I searched."
Asher's jaw tightened, disappointment sharp. "So neither of you has it? Where could it be then?"
Nico and Theo exchanged guilty looks.
"Must've left it in the library," Nico admitted.
"Somebody Kill me," Asher groaned, picturing the note lost forever.
Lira hurried across the rain-slick quad, spotting Darel leaning against a pillar, his face half-hidden by his hood. She almost greeted him but stopped, remembering his sharp words.
He noticed her, voice low. "Any visions last night?"
She shook her head, nervous. "No. What's wrong?"
Darel's eyes were serious. "I translated the writing.
Il es despertus means HE'S AWAKE."
Lira's breath caught, hope mixing with fear. "He's Coming for me, Whatever is awake?"
Darel leaned closer. "No doubt it's from Morgan's killer. I'm still figuring out how it ties to you."
Darel kept talking, but lira couldn't hear him... His voice was fading.
Lira opened her mouth, but the world warped.
Black fire engulfed the academy, its stones bleeding red. Screams echoed, and fiery words—HE'S AWAKE—burned in the air.
She was having it, again.
A voice, deep and chilling, purred, "Good, good."
Lira screamed, "Who are you? What do you want with me?"
No answer.
The ground cracked, the sky split, trees blazed.
She ran, hands over her ears, the voice booming, "I need you."
The world shifted again—she stood before the clocktower, its face scrawled with fiery numbers: 16.7.
The voice whispered, "Come."
Lira gasped, snapping back to reality, panting like she'd sprinted a mile.
Darel held her arms, worry creasing his face. They were near the library, not the quad.
"He—He—" she stammered.
"He what?" Darel pressed.
"He wants me at the clocktower, midnight …or else" Lira's voice trembled.
"Or else what?, calm down lira" Darel asked.
"He didn't say," she whispered.
"The academy was burning, bleeding. Screams everywhere. He said he's listening, he needs me. There was another writing, 16.7 on the clocktower."
Darel's eyes narrowed, piecing it together. "July 16th. The Alignment."
Lira's face paled, fear tightening her throat. "What?"
"He wants you there," Darel said, his gaze steady but grim. She stared back, terror in her silver eyes.
The morning class ended, the bell ringing sharply.
Professor Hale, his voice dry, assigned a textbook problem set before dismissing them.
Asher, Theo, and Nico stepped into the hall, Rowan absent. Asher's annoyance flared. "I can't believe you two lost the note. I trusted you."
Theo raised his hands. "It's a misunderstanding. We'll sort it out."
"A misunderstanding?" Asher snapped. "Really?"
Nico cut in. "Maybe it's still in the library. Let's check there."
Asher nodded, firm. "Good plan. Since you lost it, you two find it."
Prefect Kael approached, voice sharp.
"Asher Rook."
"Yeah, that's me," Asher said, a flicker of fear rising.
"Headmaster Talus wants you. Now."
Asher's mind raced—series of thoughts coming into his head. "I'll be there," he said.
"Now," Kael insisted.
"Find it," Asher whispered to Theo and Nico, following Kael.
Talus's office was warm, a fire crackling in the hearth.
The headmaster sat in a rocking chair, his twin glass clock eyes glinting on his desk.
"Asher Rook," he said, voice smooth, "a name I've found… interesting lately." He gestured. "Sit."
Asher sat, heart pounding, offering a stiff, "Sir."
Talus leaned forward, eyes piercing. "You didn't happen to have a brother, did you?"
Asher froze, shock hitting like a blade. He'd never mentioned his brother to anyone, How did Talus know.
Memories flashed—Morgan showing him a photo in the library, a man at the CCT mentioning his scars, a familiar face. His brother.
Asher's voice caught. "How do you—"
Talus smiled, cold and knowing, cutting him off. "Potential runs in families, doesn't it?"