Sunlight Rage Academy was buzzing with energy. The courtyard was flooded with students, some chatting, some sparring, some simply observing. But today's energy was different — even the sky seemed brighter, as if the world itself anticipated a shift.
Bo and Jin stood in front of the large announcement board near the main hall, where a golden parchment gleamed under sunlight. A crowd had gathered.
"Group formations?" Bo squinted at the board. "Don't tell me we're being sorted like spirit herbs into jars."
Jin didn't answer right away. His golden eyes scanned the parchment. Master Lu Han's seal shimmered at the bottom, confirming it was official:
> All students must form a Circle — a team of 4 to 6 members — to qualify for future inner academy trials. Circles will share quarters, train together, and compete as one.
Group registration closes in three days.
Jin's brows knit together. A team, huh? He never liked working with others, not since… everything changed. Not since his father disappeared. Since his mother stopped smiling. Since he started hiding his pain behind lazy smirks and long journal entries.
"I'm guessing we don't get sorted by personality?" Bo asked, looking up at him. "Or else I'd be with the handsome idiots. Like you."
Jin rolled his eyes. "Thanks."
Around them, students were already moving — calling out to friends, discussing group names, arguing over who would lead.
Yooha stood near the old stone fountain, quietly reading the announcement. Her calm presence stood out in the chaos. A few girls approached her, eager to team up, but she politely declined them all.
Bo leaned in. "Think she'll form her own group?"
"Probably," Jin muttered, still undecided. Would she want me on her team?
Suddenly, Master Lu Han's voice echoed across the academy grounds. "All student quarters have been reassigned. Each Circle will stay in a shared villa within the Inner Dorm Halls. No team, no room."
Bo gasped. "No group, no place to sleep?!"
Jin rubbed his temples. "This academy's a battlefield."
Nearby, Xie Luan walked by with wind swirling around his feet, a smirk playing on his lips. His gaze briefly met Yooha's. They didn't speak, but the tension was loud enough to be heard.
Bo whispered, "Maybe we form a Circle first and deal with the drama later?"
Jin didn't reply.
Instead, he turned to stare at the blue skies above. Somewhere beyond them, his father's past still waited. Somewhere in this academy… answers were buried.
But first, he needed a team.
End of Episode 32( continue)