The sky above Eclipse Academy was still fractured.
Not violently—just enough to remind everyone that reality itself had been wounded.
Floating islands moved slowly now, guided by newly placed stabilizers. Cracks in space shimmered faintly like scars that refused to fade. Students worked in silence, repairing barriers, reinforcing runes, and restoring structures that once felt eternal.
No one celebrated survival.
They understood the truth.
This was only a pause.
The Weight After Power
Arakio stood alone at the edge of a drifting platform, staring into the void beyond the academy. His Aura Blade was inactive, but the hunger inside him was not asleep.
It was thinking.
Ever since the Arc Villain had appeared, something fundamental had shifted. Stage 5 was no longer a future possibility—it was a door that had already begun to open.
And Arakio was afraid of what lay beyond it.
If I step through… will I still be myself?
Footsteps approached.
Jiho stopped beside him, resting his hands on the railing.
"You didn't lose control back there."
Arakio didn't look at him.
"I almost did."
Jiho nodded.
"And you stopped. That matters."
The Council's Decision
Deep within the academy's central tower, the Senior Council gathered. Holographic projections of fractured realms floated in the air, rotating slowly.
Kairo spoke first.
"The rifts are stabilizing across multiple dimensions. That confirms it—the convergence is progressing."
Lyric crossed her arms.
"If the Arc Villain completes alignment, the laws of individual worlds will collapse. Defense alone won't be enough."
Selene's gaze sharpened.
"Which means Arakio must be prepared to ascend."
Silence followed.
Finally, Drax spoke.
"Or be destroyed by his own power."
The conclusion was clear.
Arakio would undergo controlled Stage 5 preparation.
Whether the academy was ready or not.
Training Beyond Power
The Chamber of Eternal Reflection had never been used like this before.
Instead of focusing on strength, the chamber was recalibrated to test mental stability, emotional resonance, and identity anchoring.
Arakio stood at the center.
No weapons.
No external energy.
Only himself.
The hunger rose immediately.
Not aggressive.
Curious.
What are you without us? it asked.
Arakio clenched his fists.
"I am still me."
The chamber responded by manifesting illusions—visions of endless power, broken worlds, people kneeling before him, and others… running in fear.
He did not attack them.
He endured them.
That was the lesson.
Anchors of the Self
Jiho, Riko, and Ayakio were allowed into the chamber one by one—not as fighters, but as anchors.
Jiho brought logic and restraint.
Riko brought defiance and fire.
Ayakio brought emotional balance and unconditional presence.
As their energies resonated with Arakio's, something remarkable happened.
The hunger did not grow louder.
It grew stable.
For the first time, Arakio felt it clearly.
Hunger was not a curse.
It was a force that required identity to shape it.
Without self, it became destruction.
A Warning from the Void
That night, Arakio dreamed.
He stood in a vast empty space—no stars, no ground.
Only hunger.
But this time, it spoke clearly.
Stage 5 is not power.
It is permission.
Permission to exist beyond limits.
A shadow formed in the distance.
Not the Arc Villain.
Something older.
Watching.
Arakio woke up sweating.
The convergence was not the true end.
It was the beginning of something deeper.
Chapter 13 Summary / Cliffhanger
Academy repairs and quiet aftermath
Arakio struggles with fear of losing himself
Council confirms convergence is advancing
Decision: controlled Stage 5 preparation begins
Training focuses on identity, not strength
Friends act as emotional and mental anchors
Hunger revealed as a force shaped by self
Cliffhanger: a deeper presence watches from beyond the void