A few hours later, Luna stood alone on the dormitory terrace, her silver eyes fixed on the moon hanging in the night sky.

Cold air bit at her exposed skin, but she didn’t move to go inside.

Her hand rested on the metal, fingers drumming an irregular pattern that matched her scattered thoughts.

The other hand clutched a crumpled piece of paper, the edges digging into her palm.

Her eyes dropped to the paper, smoothing it out against the railing despite knowing every word by heart already.

Luna,

I’m joining a military training center in the Northern Region. My progress has stagnated these past few weeks. I need to get stronger, and this is the fastest way.

I’ll be completely safe there. The instructors are all high-rank awakeners, and the security is better than the Academy. So, don’t worry about me.

Take care of yourself while I’m gone. I’ll be back soon.

- Damian

Her fingers clenched, crumpling the note again until her knuckles went white.

’Safe? You think I’m that stupid, Damian?’

Her mind went back to Damian’s birthday, that moment on the balcony when Sebastian had pulled him aside.

She’d been watching them from inside the room, her Emotional Spectrum skill passive and always active, showed her the truth beneath people’s masks.

Sebastian’s emotions had been chaotic, swirling with worry and something that looked like helpless rage.

Damian’s had been worse, controlled on the surface but turbulent underneath, crashing against each other like waves in a storm.

Only one thing could make both of them feel like that.

’Mom and Dad!’

Her heart slammed against her ribs.

Thump

The magnification side effect of her skill kicked in immediately, taking the spike of fear and multiplying it.

Thump Thump

Her breathing went shallow, chest tightening as panic fed on itself and grew exponentially.

Thump Thump Thump

Her hands started shaking, the crumpled note trembling between her fingers.

’Calm down... Breathe... Just breathe.’

Air dragged into her lungs, held for three seconds and released slowly.

The hammering in her chest didn’t stop, but it slowed fractionally.

’There was no grief radiating from them... Which means they’re still alive...’

The observation cut through the panic like a blade.

The logic helped, giving her something solid to hold onto.

’They’re probably in some kind of trouble...’

Her eyes burned.

’But at least they’re not... dead.’

Tears formed anyway, hot and unwanted, sliding down her cheeks despite the rational thoughts.

She wiped them away with the back of her hand, smearing wetness across her skin.

’Coward...’

’You couldn’t even say goodbye to my face... Just left a note like I’m some stranger....’

Her jaw clenched hard enough to make her teeth ache.

’We’re supposed to be family... We’re supposed to trust each other, lean on each other when things get bad.’

The note crumpled further in her fist.

’Instead you run away in the middle of the night and leave me with lies written on paper... Safety? You prob–’

Before she could finish her thought, reality tore–

CRACK

–And a dimensional tear opened in the air beside her, edges crackling with golden light.

Luna spun, her body moving into a defensive stance as her Aura flared instinctively.

A figure stepped through the tear.

He was tall, easily two meters, with golden hair that seemed to glow with inner radiance flowing down past his shoulders.

Eight wings extended from his back, massive and white, covered in feathers that caught the moonlight and reflected it in impossible ways.

His face was beautiful in a way that felt wrong, too perfect and too symmetrical, like looking at a statue carved by someone who’d never actually seen a human smile.

He wore white robes that shifted and moved despite the still air, covered in script Luna couldn’t read.

Luna took three quick steps backward, her chained blade materializing in her hand.

But then she paused.

There was no malice radiating from him, no hostile intent or predatory hunger.

Just curiosity colored with determination and something that felt like urgency.

’Is he... a Light Bearer?’

The realization hit her like cold water.

Not much was known about the Light Bearer race since they never attacked humans and Earth had no portals connected to their worlds.

The only information Luna had encountered came from obscure academy texts about major races beyond the portals.

Second strongest race in the entire universe, the texts had claimed.

Just below demons in raw power.

The being’s eyes met hers, and when he spoke, his voice carried something that didn’t belong in human vocal ranges, but he spoke in human language with efficiency.

"Please don’t be scared of me, child." His head tilted slightly. "I mean you no harm."

Luna’s grip on her chained blade didn’t loosen, but she stopped backing away.

Her voice came out steady despite her racing heart.

"Who are you? What do you want?"

The Light Bearer’s wings folded slightly, making himself appear less imposing.

"My name is Azareth." He paused, as if expecting recognition that didn’t come. "I belong to the Order of Light Bearers. I don’t have much time before this dimensional tear becomes unstable, so I will keep this brief."

His expression became distant, almost sad.

"For thousands of years, my kind has been at war with the demons. We are the barrier that keeps their major forces away from younger worlds like yours, the shield that prevents total extinction for worlds too weak to defend themselves."

His white wings spread wider, feathers rustling.

"But we are dying... Our numbers reduce with every battle. The war cannot be won through attrition when we have no reinforcements."

His eyes locked onto Luna’s with sudden intensity.

"Our Oracle has seen paths through the chaos, glimpses of possible futures where we survive. She has sent me and many others like me across the entire known universe to find talents capable of turning the tide."

His hand extended toward her, palm up.

"And finding you cost me considerably. The barriers around your world are resistant to normal methods. I burned decades of accumulated power just to force this tear open."

Luna’s mind worked rapidly, processing implications.

"You want to recruit me?"

"I want to offer you an opportunity." Azareth’s voice gained urgency. "The demons will come for your world eventually... They always do. When that happens, your entire species will be slaughtered like cattle."

His wings flared wider.

"But if you come with me now, you can gain power beyond anything your world could ever provide. Training from beings who’ve fought wars spanning millennia. Access to skills and knowledge that would take your kind centuries to develop naturally."

He took a step closer.

"You must come with me now, before the opportunity is lost forever."