Fairy Academy had never felt so loud.
Whispers rippled through the marble halls as the twelve Celestial Warriors returned, cloaked in lingering starlight and unseen pressure. Students paused mid-step. Instructors straightened unconsciously. Even the ancient wards embedded in the academy walls hummed faintly, reacting to the cosmic resonance clinging to them.
They had left as prodigies.
They returned as something else.
Lyra walked at the center of the group, her steps steady—but only because she forced them to be. Beneath her calm exterior, her body trembled in waves she fought to suppress. The Divine Phoenix Flame slumbered deep within her chest, quiet for now, yet its presence felt heavier than ever.
Too vast.
Too alive.
Her fingers curled slightly at her side as a sudden wave of weakness washed over her. For a brief moment, the corridor tilted.
Orion noticed instantly.
He slowed just enough to fall half a step behind her, close enough that only she could hear him. "Lyra," he murmured, voice low and warm. "Lean on me."
She wanted to refuse.
She didn't.
Her shoulder brushed his, and the simple contact grounded her before the dizziness could deepen. No one else noticed. To the world, the Phoenix Princess walked tall, her Celestial Crest glowing faintly at her collarbone.
Inside, she felt like glass.
---
A Hero's Welcome That Felt Hollow
Applause broke out as they entered the central courtyard.
Students gathered along balconies and staircases, eyes wide with awe. Some whispered her name. Others whispered Legendary Twelve. A few stared at Lyra with something closer to reverence—or fear.
Headmistress Celestina stood near the fountain, her expression unreadable but her eyes sharp. Beside her, Headmaster Aldric inclined his head slightly, acknowledgment rather than celebration.
"Well done," Celestina said when they stopped before her. "All of you."
Her gaze lingered on Lyra a fraction longer than the others.
"You may rest today," Aldric added. "Classes are suspended for you. Recovery comes first."
Recovery.
The word echoed unpleasantly in Lyra's mind.
She nodded automatically, bowing with the others, playing her role perfectly. When dismissed, the twelve dispersed slowly, drawn back toward the house they now shared—a quiet, elevated residence reserved for them alone.
As they walked, laughter broke out behind her. Kai joked about nearly dying at least three times. Mia teased Rafael for shielding her too obviously. Life pushed forward, stubborn and warm.
Lyra listened.
She felt very far away from it.
---
The Cost of Fire
By the time they reached the house, Lyra's limbs felt heavy, as if gravity itself had doubled. Each step demanded focus. The Divine Phoenix Flame had saved them—but it had taken something in return.
She retreated to her room without a word.
The door closed softly behind her.
Only then did she allow herself to sag against it, breath shuddering as she slid down to the floor. Her chest burned—not painfully, but deeply, like embers pressed too close to skin.
Her hands shook.
I died.
The thought came unbidden, sharp and absolute.
She pressed a trembling palm against her sternum, where the Phoenix Flame slept. Images flashed behind her eyes—
Darkness.
A crushing impact.
Her heart stopping.
Then fire. Endless, devouring fire.
Lyra curled in on herself, nails biting into her sleeves.
I came back… but what if next time I don't?
What if the flame consumed her instead?
---
Nightfall
The sun dipped beyond the academy spires, painting the sky in gold and violet. Lanterns ignited one by one outside the house. Dinner passed quietly. Lyra ate little, exhaustion dulling her appetite.
When night finally settled, she lay in bed, staring at the ceiling.
Sleep refused to come.
The moment she closed her eyes, it began.
A battlefield stretched across a broken world.
Stars burned out overhead.
Nyx Tenebris stood in the distance, her smile calm, inevitable.
Run.
Lyra tried—but her feet wouldn't move.
She looked down.
Flames wrapped her body, divine and merciless. Her reflection shimmered in the air before her—not human, not gentle.
A goddess.
Cold. Untouchable. Alone.
"No—" Lyra gasped, bolting upright, breath tearing from her lungs.
Her heart hammered violently as sweat chilled her skin.
It wasn't the first vision.
And deep down, she knew it wouldn't be the last.
A soft knock came at the door.
"Lyra?" Orion's voice. Careful. Concerned.
Her throat tightened. "…I can't sleep."
The door opened.
He crossed the room without hesitation and sat beside her, arms opening instinctively. Lyra didn't wait—she leaned into him, burying her face against his chest as if the world itself might tear her away if she didn't hold on.
His arms wrapped around her, firm and warm.
"I'm here," he whispered. "I've got you."
Her breathing slowly steadied, syncing with his heartbeat.
"I'm scared," she admitted quietly. "Of Nyx. Of the war. Of… me."
Orion didn't interrupt. He only tightened his hold.
"You're still Lyra," he said gently. "The girl who protects others even when she's terrified. Power doesn't change that."
She closed her eyes, clinging to his warmth.
Only then—finally—did sleep take her.
---
Outside, the academy stood silent beneath the stars.
And far beyond its walls, unseen by any mortal eye, something ancient and vast turned its attention—watching the Phoenix Princess who had died once already.
The first trial was over.
But the cost had only begun to reveal itself.