Thunder rumbled in the distance. The air had a strange tension—like the whole academy was holding its breath.
Commander Rayen called the six members of Unit 9 to the central hall. He looked more serious than ever.
"We've received word," he began, "that each of you was not chosen by accident. Long before you were born, there was a prophecy… about six shadows with light in their veins."
Teaha raised a brow. "You mean… us?"
Rayen nodded. "And tonight, we test it."
He handed each of them a scroll marked with ancient sigils. "These scrolls will guide you to the Temple of Origins. You must go alone. Face what's hidden within you."
They all exchanged glances—tense, unsure, yet excited.
Later, Nisa stood outside the temple's gates. The moment she stepped in, the air shifted.
A familiar voice echoed inside her mind:
"You don't know me yet, but I've waited lifetimes for you…"
Her surroundings shifted. She was no longer in the temple, but in a memory—someone else's. A war, a sword drenched in light, and a man who looked just like Bihoo… standing beside a girl with her face.
Suddenly, Nisa gasped, falling to her knees.
Outside, Bihoo clutched his chest, staggering in his own trial. "What was that?" he whispered, sweat on his brow. "That girl… I knew her. I've fought beside her before."
Somewhere, lightning struck the academy wall, and the jade marks on both their waists pulsed.
To be continued…