--- *Whispers of the Conservatory***
Ardenia's dawn broke like a song.
Soft golden rays moved across Crescent Haven's courtyard, warming the dew-kissed stones and stirring the air with the scent of blooming sonare lilies—flowers that chimed faintly whenever touched by sunlight.
Bungo stepped outside barefoot, feeling the ground breathe beneath him. Each inhale of the wind carried faint melodies, like the entire world whispered in harmony.
Kairo stumbled out behind him, rubbing sleep from his eyes, his twig-sticks tucked behind his ear.
"You wake up too early," he grunted.
"I just… feel pulled." Bungo gazed toward the horizon, where mountains rose like jagged black piano keys touching the sky. "Something keeps calling."
Kairo followed his gaze. "The Conservatory?"
Bungo nodded.
Rell's voice suddenly cut through the air. "HEY! Newbies! Morning drills!"
Rell and Lumi ran toward them, each carrying an instrument case. Rell had his lute strapped across his back, while Lumi dragged a little messenger bag sprinkled with sparkles and stickers.
"Today's important," Lumi said, shimmering with excitement. "Mother Lyra says the Conservatory is hosting an Observation March."
Kairo frowned. "What's that?"
Rell puffed out his chest dramatically. "A show of power! Students from the **Conservatory of Arcs** perform for the public so new talents can discover their calling and apply."
Lumi leaned in. "If you catch their eye, you can get scouted—even without noble status."
Bungo felt something spark deep in his chest.
A chance.
A path.
A stage.
But before he could fully imagine it, a thunderous *BOOM* shook the sky.
The ground trembled.
Children gasped, looking upward as a massive dragon-like shadow streaked across the sky—its body composed entirely of swirling musical notes. A beast made of pure Aural energy.
"Is that—" Kairo whispered.
Rell answered, eyes wide. "Yes. A **Melody Wyrm**. Only high-level Harmonists can summon one."
As the creature soared overhead, its roar split into chords—deep bajos, sharp violins, haunting chimes—all vibrating in perfect harmony. The sound crashed down on the courtyard like a wave.
Kids stumbled back.
Lanterns flickered.
Bungo, however, stepped forward.
He didn't know why.
He just felt the sound calling his bones.
The wyrm's roar hit him like a gust of wind—yet instead of knocking him down, the pressure folded into him… merging… settling deep in his chest.
His heartbeat synced with it.
**TUM. TUM. TUM-TUM.**
His vision blurred.
For a moment, he wasn't in Crescent Haven.
He stood on a vast shimmering stage made of midnight obsidian, a thousand spirit lights watching him. The air thrummed with an ancient rhythm—primitive, powerful, familiar.
Then—
a hand touched his shoulder.
"Bungo!" Lumi shook him. "Helloooo? You glitched out!"
The courtyard snapped back into focus.
Children whispered.
Rell stared. "That was weird. Are you okay?"
Bungo touched his chest, unsettled. "I… heard something. A rhythm."
Kairo narrowed his eyes. "Like a memory?"
"No. Like… something waiting."
Mother Lyra approached them, her steps soft yet commanding.
"Bungo," she said quietly, "you felt its call, didn't you?"
He didn't answer, but she understood.
Mother Lyra looked up at the fading shadow in the sky. "The Observation March begins today. You four will go."
Rell and Lumi squealed with excitement.
Kairo blinked. "Us? Even the new kids?"
Mother Lyra smiled. "Especially the new kids."
She placed a hand gently on Bungo's head.
"In this world, talent is discovered early. And Bungo…"
Her eyes softened.
"You are resonating with forces far older than you realize."
Bungo's heart thumped.
His palms grew warm.
He didn't know what power waited inside him… only that it stirred whenever rhythm filled the air.
And in Ardenia, rhythm was everywhere.
---
THE TOWN OF LYBREN — Observation March Grounds
The streets overflowed with color and sound as Bungo and the others walked through the lively town. Floating lanterns drifted overhead, glowing in blues, pinks, and golds. Street performers danced on platforms of vibrating air. Flutists painted illusions in the sky—dragons, storms, dancing silhouettes.
Kairo was practically vibrating. "This place is nuts."
Rell pointed proudly at a distant massive structure carved into the mountain. "That's part of the Conservatory! One of the smaller auditoriums!"
"Smaller?" Kairo choked. "It looks like a palace!"
Lumi clapped her hands. "Wait till you see the main one. It touches the clouds!"
As they turned a corner, a hush spread through the crowd.
People stepped aside.
A group of older teenagers walked down the center of the street wearing long navy coats embroidered with silver threads shaped like musical bars. Each carried an instrument—some elegant, some terrifying.
Their auras shimmered like heatwaves.
"Arcs students," Rell whispered in awe.
Bungo stared.
One of them—a boy with jet-black hair—carried a narrow flute carved from midnight stone. His eyes were sharp, cold, unreadable. When the sunlight hit him, the air around him refracted like glass bending sound waves.
He looked powerful.
Majestic.
Untouchable.
Until he passed Bungo.
Then…
he paused.
Just a second.
His eyes flicked toward Bungo's chest—
as if sensing something no one else could.
Then he continued walking.
Lumi tugged Bungo's sleeve. "That was **Soren Blackfall**—one of the top first-years."
Bungo turned, watching the boy disappear into the distance.
He didn't know that Soren's name would one day be carved into his nightmares.
He didn't know that the rhythm inside him—the new warmth in his chest—would one day explode in grief and fury.
He only felt a strange, instinctive tension in the air.
As if something had begun.
Something impossible to stop.
---
At the center of the town, a massive stage lit up with cascading lights. A booming voice announced:
"Let the **Observation March**… BEGIN!"
The crowd roared.
Magic flared.
And Bungo felt his heartbeat racing to a rhythm he didn't understand yet—
a rhythm that would one day shatter worlds.