SOLIS

  The halls of the Academy buzzed with whispers and murmurs as Ethan made his way back to his dorm after the Gifting Ceremony.

  It wasn’t just because he had received a living creature —it was because of the way the cat appeared. The moment Solis had materialized, the energy in the chamber had shifted, as if something powerful had stirred awake.

  And people had noticed.

  As Ethan walked, he could feel the stares. Some students tried to be subtle about their curiosity, while others openly glanced at him, whispering to their friends.

  One person, however, was watching more intently than the rest.

  Lysandra.

  From across the hall, her sharp eyes lingered on him, or rather—on the twin-tailed cat resting lazily on his shoulder.

  Ethan didn’t acknowledge her, but he could feel it—her curiosity, her irritation, her interest.

  He sighed. “Great. Just what I need.”

  Ignoring the attention, he picked up his pace and finally reached his room.

  The moment Ethan stepped inside, Solis leapt from his shoulder, landing smoothly onto his desk. His silver eyes locked onto Ethan’s—piercing, ancient, unblinking.

  And then he spoke.

  “It’s been a while, Fireborn.”

  Ethan froze.

  His breath caught in his throat. His mind reeled at the name—Fireborn.

  “What did you just call me?”

  Solis tilted his head slightly, watching Ethan’s reaction.

  “Fireborn.”

  The word sent a strange shiver down Ethan’s spine, as if something deep within him had recognized it, even though he didn’t understand why.

  He took a step closer, his voice quiet but demanding.

  “Who is fireborn?”

  Solis’s tails flicked lazily, but his eyes never wavered.

  “You, of course.”

  Ethan’s heart pounded. “I'd know if it was my name.”

  The cat’s gaze narrowed slightly, as if he had expected this response.

  “You don’t remember… but you will.”

  Ethan clenched his fists. “Enough with the riddles. Just tell me—”

  But then, Solis spoke words that shook him to his core.

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  “Your sister sent me.”

  Ethan’s body went rigid. His throat dried.

  “Sophia…?”

  Solis nodded. “Yes. And she has a message for you.”

  Ethan felt his entire world tilt.

  How?

  He stepped forward, his voice a whisper filled with desperation.

  Solis didn’t answer immediately. He only continued staring into Ethan’s eyes, his presence heavy, filled with something mysterious.

  And then he said—

  “Time is running fast, Fireborn. You need someone to teach you, to awaken your full potential.”

  Solis’s voice dropped slightly, carrying a weight that sent chills through Ethan’s bones.

  “I’m here to help you remember fireborn.”

  Just as Ethan was about to press Solis for more answers, the door swung open.

  Orion stepped in, grinning as usual. His gaze immediately landed on the twin-tailed cat, now curled up on Ethan’s desk.

  He froze.

  Then, with a slow, exaggerated nod, he said, “Well. That explains the stares.”

  Ethan raised an eyebrow.

  Orion gestured at Solis. “You do realize that half the Academy is still talking about you, right? First, you ace the entrance, then you pull a magical cat out of thin air? At this rate, you’re either a legend in the making… or a walking mystery no one can figure out.”

  Ethan sighed. “Yeah, well, I’d prefer a little less attention.”

  Orion smirked, strolling into the room and shutting the door behind him. “Not gonna happen, buddy.”

  He turned back to the cat. “So? What does it do? Can it actually talk?”

  Before Ethan could answer, Solis shifted slightly, opening his silver eyes just enough to observe Orion.

  “I do many things,” the cat said, his voice calm, measured—wise, yet carrying an air of quiet authority.

  Orion stared.

  Then he let out a low whistle. “Alright, that’s cool.” He rubbed his chin. “So, what, are you some kind of guide? A protector?”

  Solis closed his eyes again, resting his head on his paws.

  “That… is for Ethan to decide.”

  Orion let out a mock sigh. “Figures. Even the talking cat speaks in riddles.”

  Ethan shook his head. “Trust me, I’m just as confused as you are.”

  Solis remained still, but his presence filled the room—like something far older than them both had settled there, watching, waiting.

  Orion flopped onto his bed, stretching his arms behind his head.

  “Anyway! Enough about your mysterious feline friend—I came here to celebrate!”

  Ethan raised an eyebrow. “Celebrate?”

  Orion grinned, holding up his hands. “Duh! Our gifts! We’re officially Virgo adepts now!”

  Ethan blinked. With everything that had happened, he hadn’t even stopped to think about that.

  They were no longer just students—they were recognized adepts of Virgo.

  For the first time in a while, he smiled.

  “Yeah. I guess we are.”

  Solis’s tail flicked slightly, as if in amusement.

  Not long after his conversation with Orion, Ethan was summoned to his mentor’s office.

  A formal notice had been slipped under his door, carrying Alaric’s signature and an urgent tone.

  Solis, still resting lazily on Ethan’s desk, opened his eyes the moment Ethan read the note.

  “Seems your mentor is eager to meet me.”

  Ethan sighed, rubbing his temples. “Of course he is.”

  He grabbed his coat and made his way through the Academy halls, the twin-tailed cat seated effortlessly on him, as if he weighed nothing at all.

  Students stared as he passed, but Ethan ignored them. He had bigger things to deal with.

  The door to Alaric’s office was already open when Ethan arrived.

  Inside, the mentor sat at his desk, arms crossed, eyes sharp, his gaze immediately locking onto the floating cat beside Ethan.

  “Close the door.”

  Ethan did as told and stepped forward.

  Alaric leaned forward slightly, studying Solis with silent intensity.

  “A living gift from the Gifting Ceremony…” he murmured, his voice filled with something between curiosity and caution.

  Then, slowly, he stood and approached.

  The closer he got, the more his brow furrowed.

  “This has never happened before.”

  Ethan glanced at Solis, but the cat remained perfectly still, observing Alaric with his silver eyes.

  Alaric reached a hand toward the cat, as if to inspect him up close.

  But before he could touch him—

  Solis spoke.

  “You know I’m not a toy, right?”

  Alaric’s hand paused mid-air.

  His expression barely changed, but Ethan swore he saw the corner of his mouth twitch slightly.

  Slowly, Alaric withdrew his hand.

  “Noted.”

  He turned his attention back to Ethan.

  “What does it do? Aside from talking?”

  Ethan crossed his arms, shaking his head. “I don’t know. Haven’t figured that part out yet.”

  Solis let out an amused hum.

  “You could just ask, you know.”

  Ethan blinked. “Wait—what?”

  Solis stretched lazily before flicking one of his twin tails in slow, deliberate circles.

  Then—the air in the room shifted.

  A faint ripple spread through the space before them, as if reality itself had just bent.

  Then—a portal opened.

  It was subtle at first, like a shimmer in the air, but within seconds, a full, clear gateway formed—an oval of glowing energy.

  Beyond it, they could see another location entirely.

  The portal led outside the Academy building—to one of the training courtyards. From where they stood, they could see students walking, completely unaware that a piece of Alaric’s office had just been connected to the outside world.

  Silence filled the room.

  Alaric’s expression was unreadable as he slowly turned back to Ethan.

  “…Interesting.”

  Ethan, meanwhile, was still in shock.

  “You can open portals?”

  Solis, as if unimpressed by his own abilities, simply curled his tail again and the portal vanished.

  “I can do many things.”

  Ethan swallowed.

  “I have a lot of questions.”

  Alaric folded his arms. “So do I.”

  Solis let out a small sigh.

  “Then I suppose we have much to discuss.”