Kuoh Academy – Old Building Hallways

  Early that morning, he had received a message from Tsubaki.

  Kaelan walked like a zombie. Deep dark circles under his eyes. A headache. The Resonance pulsing beneath his skin, as if it refused to shut down.

  He leaned against the wall, breathing deeply.

  “I can’t… I can’t keep having dreams like this every day,” he whispered.

  The echo of the dream still clung to him.

  Raynare. His Resonance speaking to him. The threat of breaking him from the inside.

  It was too much.

  As he tried to steady his breathing…

  A warm scent filled the hallway.

  Subtle at first, then stronger. Like summer air drifting over heated metal.

  Kaelan tensed.

  His heart stopped for a split second.

  No.

  No.

  It can’t be this soon.

  But then he heard footsteps.

  Elegant. Measured. With a rhythm far too confident, far too aristocratic to belong to a normal student.

  And when he turned the corner—

  He saw him.

  Riser Phenex.

  Kaelan felt as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped over his head.

  The immaculate white suit. The burning feathers in his aura. The fire that seemed to move in time with his breathing.

  The Phenex heir. Rias Gremory’s future fiancé. The beginning of the most destabilizing arc of the first year.

  Riser’s arc had already begun.

  Kaelan felt his legs weaken.

  Not from physical fear… but from what he knew.

  The engagement. Rias breaking from within. The almost-kidnapping. The Rating Game in ten days.

  Issei’s humiliation. Political pressure. Everything that was coming.

  It had all started.

  Riser noticed him.

  “Oh,” he said with an aristocratic smile. “It seems I surprised someone.”

  Kaelan swallowed.

  He had to act normal. As if he knew nothing. As if he hadn’t read the canon.

  “G-good morning,” Kaelan forced out, trying not to let his voice crack.

  Riser approached.

  He didn’t walk.

  He flowed.

  Like fire when it decides to advance.

  “You look pale, boy,” he remarked. “Bad dream?”

  Kaelan almost laughed from sheer nerves.

  If only you knew…

  “Something like that,” he replied.

  Riser studied his face a second longer than necessary.

  Kaelan felt the Resonance vibrate. As if reacting to the fire. As if answering his presence.

  Riser frowned, intrigued.

  “Hm. Such an… unstable aura,” he said. “Like a fire still learning how to become a flame.”

  Kaelan almost stepped back.

  He can’t sense my Resonance. He can’t. He shouldn’t.

  But he did.

  Riser Phenex felt something.

  Kaelan forced himself to breathe.

  “Excuse me, sir,” Kaelan said. “Are you…?”

  Riser smiled, inclining his head slightly, like an actor enjoying his audience.

  “Riser Phenex. Third son of House Phenex, noble of the Underworld.”

  A chill ran through Kaelan.

  He didn’t have to fake surprise. It was real.

  “And what… are you doing here at the academy?”

  Riser adjusted his glove.

  “I’ve come for a family matter,” he replied with dangerous smoothness. “You know… engagements, responsibilities, agreements between noble houses.”

  Kaelan’s mouth went dry.

  He’s here. He’s coming to see Rias.

  Riser walked past him.

  But just as he passed, he murmured:

  “Do not fear, Arverth.”

  Kaelan froze. How did he know his surname?

  Riser smiled without looking back.

  “Those who carry fear in their chest tend to recognize its scent in others.”

  Kaelan’s skin prickled.

  He’s not talking about me. He’s talking about Rias.

  Riser continued down the hallway toward the Occult Research Club.

  And before turning the last corner, he spoke aloud, casual and unconcerned:

  “Today, I’ll speak with the Gremory heiress. Just… a small reminder of our engagement.”

  Kaelan felt his stomach twist.

  It’s begun.

  It’s really begun.

  Kaelan arrived still feeling sick to his stomach.

  The encounter with Riser had been like receiving a slap shaped like a future prediction. But there was no time to process it—Sona had summoned him immediately.

  When he opened the door, he found Sona standing before a desk covered in documents. Tsubaki, serious as always. Saji, arms crossed… with dark circles that suggested he hadn’t slept well either.

  The rest of the peerage was absent. This was a closed meeting.

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  Sona looked up.

  “Arverth. Punctual. Good.”

  Kaelan swallowed and stood beside Saji.

  Tsubaki closed the door behind him.

  Saji muttered without looking at him:

  “Early-morning missions are always a bad omen…”

  Kaelan ignored the comment.

  Sona spoke without preamble:

  “This morning we detected a magical anomaly at the edge of our territory. A minor creature breached the district barrier.”

  Kaelan’s eyes widened.

  “A creature? What kind?”

  Tsubaki answered:

  “A Stray Fragment. Remnants of rogue devils that fail to properly disintegrate and remain as aggressive specters.”

  Kaelan remembered how dangerous they were in canon. Not lethal to trained devils, but a serious risk to humans… and to someone with an unstable Resonance.

  Saji raised his hand.

  “President, shouldn’t I go alone? Arverth is still—”

  Sona cut him off with a look.

  “Saji. I need you to work together.”

  Saji clenched his teeth.

  “…Understood.”

  Kaelan felt a mix of fear and adrenaline.

  Sona walked toward the map projected on the magical screen.

  “The fragment moved toward the industrial zone. It’s not powerful, but it has a dangerous trait: it absorbs magical vibrations… especially uncontrolled ones.”

  Kaelan felt his skin prickle.

  Saji glanced at him sideways.

  “Perfect. A creature that feeds on your bad-day aura. Lovely.”

  Kaelan ignored him.

  Sona continued:

  “Arverth, your objective is to control your Resonance enough not to feed it. Saji, yours is to neutralize it if Arverth fails.”

  Saji smiled with a hint of pride.

  “That I can do.”

  “But,” Sona added firmly, “if Kaelan stabilizes his aura… you will not intervene. I want to see if he’s capable.”

  Kaelan felt a sharp pinch in his chest.

  Sona… trusting him?

  Saji raised an eyebrow.

  “You’re really going to let him handle a Stray Fragment?”

  “He won’t be alone. You’ll be there,” Sona replied. “And if either of you loses control… you’ll waste my time. And I’m not in the mood for that.”

  Kaelan and Saji tensed in unison.

  Tsubaki handed each of them a small device.

  “Magical communicators. Any deviation, call us.”

  Sona gave Kaelan one last look.

  “This mission isn’t about measuring power,” she said. “It’s about discipline. Arverth… show me that the training wasn’t a waste.”

  Kaelan nodded firmly.

  “I won’t disappoint you, Sona-sama.”

  Saji snorted.

  “Well then. Let’s see if you survive.”

  Tsubaki opened a dimensional window to the industrial district.

  Sona spoke before they stepped through.

  “And Saji…”

  He turned.

  “Yes, President?”

  “Don’t be cruel. Not today.”

  Kaelan almost blinked in surprise. So did Saji.

  “…I’ll do my best,” the blond lied.

  And together, they entered the portal.

  The area was deserted. Old buildings. Rusted machinery. Broken cables.

  A dark mist floated between shipping containers.

  Saji walked ahead.

  Kaelan followed, trying to control his breathing.

  “Listen, Arverth,” Saji said quietly. “This isn’t a written test. If your aura goes out of control, that thing will eat you alive. And I’ll have to save you.”

  “Does that bother you?”

  “A lot. But it bothers me more if you die on my watch.”

  Kaelan didn’t respond.

  A noise echoed through the metal.

  A growl. A reverberation.

  The fragment appeared.

  A shadowy shape with visible bones, white eyes, and a split jaw, floating and warping.

  Kaelan felt his heart race.

  The shadow reacted to his aura immediately.

  Saji muttered:

  “Of course… of course it’d react to you first… useless emotional aura…”

  Kaelan closed his eyes.

  Breathed.

  He felt the Resonance stir.

  The shadow reacted instantly.

  It didn’t advance.

  It stretched.

  As if the air itself had turned viscous around Kaelan.

  The Stray Fragment emitted a low, irregular shriek, its exposed bones vibrating like taut strings. The mist around it compressed… then pulled toward him.

  Kaelan felt the impact.

  Not physical.

  Emotional.

  A direct tug at his chest, as if fingers had been sunk into his aura and were closing tight.

  “Tch!” Saji spat. “It’s latched onto you.”

  Kaelan clenched his teeth.

  The Resonance answered immediately.

  Too fast.

  Too strong.

  The blue-red pulse expanded without permission, and the fragment fed on it like a starving animal. Its form became more defined, denser. The split jaw snapped shut with a wet crack.

  Kaelan felt dizziness rise from his stomach.

  “No…” he murmured. “Not like this…”

  He breathed.

  Forced the air in.

  Tried to do what he’d practiced.

  Inhale. Hold. Lower the pulse.

  But the memory of the dream returned uninvited.

  Control me… or I’ll break you.

  The Resonance trembled.

  It didn’t explode.

  But it didn’t obey either.

  “Arverth,” Saji warned tensely. “It’s growing.”

  The fragment lunged.

  It didn’t walk.

  It collapsed the space between them.

  Kaelan raised his good hand on pure instinct and pushed out a pulse—twisted, imperfect. The aura burst out fragmented and uneven.

  The result was immediate.

  The Stray Fragment shrieked… but it didn’t disintegrate.

  It writhed, expelling part of the absorbed energy in a dirty explosion that slammed Kaelan into a rusted container.

  The impact knocked the air from his lungs.

  “Arverth!” Saji shouted.

  Kaelan dropped to his knees.

  His head rang.

  His chest burned like he’d swallowed molten metal.

  The Resonance throbbed chaotically—wounded, furious.

  “…damn it…” he gasped.

  The fragment advanced again, now more erratic, more dangerous. It wasn’t stable… but it wasn’t weak either. It was something broken, looking to finish breaking something else.

  Kaelan tried to stand.

  His legs didn’t respond.

  “Don’t move!” Saji ordered.

  The Absorption Line activated—Saji’s Sacred Gear.

  The golden cord lashed out like a whip, wrapping around part of the fragment’s spectral body and forcibly draining its energy. The shriek it emitted was sharp, unnatural.

  Even so, the creature didn’t vanish.

  Saji clenched his teeth.

  “Now, Arverth! While I’ve got it unstable!”

  Kaelan looked up.

  He saw the opening.

  And the risk.

  If he released more aura… he could lose everything.

  If he didn’t… the fragment would break free.

  He swallowed.

  This time, he didn’t push.

  He held.

  He forced the Resonance to compress inward, even as it hurt. Even as it burned. Even as something inside him resisted.

  The fragment reacted badly.

  Deprived of “easy” energy, it began collapsing in on itself. Its shape blurred, unstable, like a poorly tuned image.

  Saji pulled the Absorption Line taut.

  “Now!” he roared.

  The seal detonated in light.

  It wasn’t clean.

  It wasn’t elegant.

  The Stray Fragment tore apart into irregular scraps of dark smoke and magical residue that crackled against the ground before fading.

  Silence.

  Heavy.

  Uneven.

  Kaelan collapsed onto his back.

  Breathing was difficult.

  His hands trembled.

  The Resonance still vibrated—injured, forcibly contained.

  Saji released the line and exhaled slowly.

  “…That was close.”

  He walked over and looked down at Kaelan.

  “That wasn’t control,” he said seriously. “That was resistance.”

  Kaelan closed his eyes for a second.

  “I know.”

  Saji clicked his tongue.

  “But…” he added, awkwardly, “if you hadn’t stopped when you did, I’d be scraping what’s left of you off the floor right now.”

  He extended a hand.

  Kaelan hesitated… then took it.

  “Thanks,” he murmured.

  Saji hauled him up with a rough pull.

  “Don’t thank me.” He glanced sideways at him. “Thank the fact that you learned when to stop before breaking yourself.”

  Kaelan nodded, still dizzy.

  He didn’t feel strong.

  He didn’t feel victorious.

  He felt… alive.

  And this time, that was enough.

  Sona and Tsubaki were waiting.

  Saji spoke first.

  “President… mission complete. The fragment was eliminated.”

  Sona nodded.

  “Good. And Kaelan?”

  Saji glanced at him… and said:

  “…Useful. He was useful.”

  Kaelan almost collapsed from the emotional impact of that word.

  Sona studied him.

  And for the first time since breakfast… her eyes showed something close to satisfaction.

  “Good work, Arverth.”

  Kaelan felt the Resonance calm slightly. Not because of him.

  Because of her.

  Student Council Office – Minutes after Riser Phenex leaves the Gremory building

  The sound of quick footsteps echoed through the hallway.

  They weren’t panicked.

  They were precise. Tense.

  Tsubaki Shinra entered without knocking and closed the door behind her.

  “President,” she said. “It’s happened.”

  Sona looked up from her documents.

  She didn’t ask what had happened.

  She simply set her pen aside.

  “Confirmed?” she asked.

  Tsubaki nodded.

  “Riser Phenex entered the old building without prior notice. He introduced himself to Rias… as a representative of his house.”

  Sona leaned back in her chair.

  She didn’t sigh.

  She didn’t clench her teeth.

  She simply closed her eyes for a moment.

  “How did Rias react?”

  “Badly,” Tsubaki replied bluntly. “She didn’t yell. She didn’t argue. But… she broke. Akeno and Kiba are with her now.”

  Sona opened her eyes.

  “Good,” she said. “Let them stay.”

  Tsubaki hesitated.

  “You won’t go see her?”

  “Not now.” The answer was immediate. “If I appear, it becomes a political matter. Rias needs personal support, not a strategic ally right now.”

  Tsubaki bowed her head in acceptance.

  Sona stood and walked to the window.

  From there, she could see the academy grounds: students walking, laughing, arguing over trivialities.

  The world went on.

  “Was there a formal announcement?” she asked.

  “Not yet,” Tsubaki replied. “But he made it clear the engagement still stands. And that he expects a public response.”

  Sona closed her eyes briefly.

  “Then the Rating Game is inevitable,” she murmured. “Ten days, as tradition dictates.”

  Tsubaki frowned.

  “That will shake the entire academy.”

  “Yes.” Sona rested a hand against the glass. “And not just the Gremory.”

  She turned.

  “We need stability. Discreet patrols. Minor missions, but consistent. Nothing that escalates… but nothing neglected either.”

  “Understood.”

  A brief silence followed.

  Not awkward.

  Measured.

  Tsubaki spoke carefully.

  “President… Arverth was involved in a minor mission this morning. He completed it. But—”

  “But it cost him,” Sona finished.

  Not because she felt it.

  Because she already knew.

  “Yes.”

  Sona nodded slowly.

  “Then don’t expose him more than necessary. But don’t isolate him either.” She paused. “This conflict will stir strong emotions. And Arverth… still doesn’t know how to navigate that.”

  Tsubaki watched her closely.

  “Are you worried he’ll break?”

  Sona took a moment to answer.

  “I’m worried he’ll try to carry too much,” she said at last. “And that no one will ask him to.”

  Tsubaki bowed her head.

  “I’ll take care of it.”

  Sona turned back to the window.

  “Rias will need time. Kaelan will need structure. And this school… will need no one to lose control first.”

  She turned, firm.

  “They must not break too soon.”

  Tsubaki nodded.

  “So it will be.”

  Tsubaki left the office.

  Sona remained alone.

  Not with visions.

  Not with mystical premonitions.

  With incomplete information.

  With difficult decisions.

  With the uncomfortable certainty that the board had already been forced to move.

  Sona sat back down, interlaced her fingers… and thought:

  “Not yet.”

  Nothing more.

  

  Sorry for the short pause — it’s been about four days since the last update, but the story is very much alive and moving forward.

  See you in the next one.