Chapter 1

That dream again.

I don’t know when it started, but lately, I’ve been having these dreams—or maybe I should call them nightmares.

I stood in the midst of a battlefield.

“Ah… it’s that scene again.”

The sound of bloodcurdling screams echoes around me, but I’ve long since grown numb to it.
Flames rage across the city, swallowing buildings as they crumble into ash and steel. The ground shakes beneath me. I watch as people flee from the chaos, their expressions twisted in terror.

Their bodies pass right through me.

In the center of the chaos, I saw the same figure in the sky.

Floating above the crumbling city, she looked almost serene—her body adorned with scales that shimmered like broken starlight. Two dragon wings curled from her back, majestic and terrible, a cruel contrast to the destruction below.

Yet, for some reason, I could never make out her face. It was always distorted, like a half-remembered dream.

I watched as she conjured numerous black spears, hurling them down toward the approaching knights without hesitation. The spears tore through their bodies mercilessly—leaving nothing behind, not even a corpse.

The scene suddenly shifted. This time, I stood in an open field. Two figures before me: the dragon from before, and a man with white hair holding a long sword. The man with white hair stood tall, clad in a simple, well-worn black cloak that fluttered slightly in the wind.

His face was blurred, like the dragon standing before him, yet despite the haze, I felt an unsettling familiarity—like I should know him, but couldn’t quite place why.

Then, in the blink of an eye, both figures lunged toward each other. The sharp clang of metal meeting scaled flesh rang through the air.

The clash sent a shockwave rippling through the air, shaking the ground beneath my feet. The force of their collision tore through the field, uprooting trees and shattering the earth like fragile glass.

My gut screamed at me to stop them from killing each other. Yet, no matter how I tried to shout, my voice was always swallowed by the wind as the two continued their relentless deathmatch.

Suddenly, a sharp, burning pain stabbed through my temples, blinding and overwhelming. It felt like the clash had ripped open something inside me, and my knees buckled as I gripped my head.

A familiar voice echoed in my mind.

“Caelith… wake up…”

“…”

“WAKE UP!”

I snapped my eyes open, gasping for air.

“H-Huh?! What's going on…?!”

I looked in front of me and there she was—my older sister, Elysia, standing over me with that frown plastered across her face. Her long dark hair cascaded around her shoulders, and her sharp, almond-shaped eyes burned with a mixture of disappointment and frustration.

“Are you alright, Caelith?” she asked gently, but with concern in her voice.

“You’ve been like this for the past few days. Maybe you shouldn’t stay up so late every night.”

“I’m fine,” I mumbled, clutching my head. I tried to recall the dream I just had, but for some reason, everything felt fragmented.

Weird, I can’t seem to remember anything even though I just wok—Before I utter another thought, my sister started talking again, her voice cutting through the haze:

“Alright, since you’re awake, go wash up and come down for breakfast. You don’t want to be late.”

“Late for what?” I asked

She gave me an exasperated look, one eyebrow raised, as if I should have known the answer already.

“Today the entrance exam for Ascalon Academy did you forget?”

My mind went blank for a moment before it finally clicked.

The entrance exam.

Ascalon Academy—the most prestigious magic school in the empire. A place where gifted mages and swordsmen were trained, their skills sharpened through years of intense study and practice. Where even nobles fought tooth and nail to get in.

“Right… I remember now…wait…IT’S TODAY?!”

Elysia sighed. “Never mind that—just hurry up and wash up.”

I quickly dragged myself out of bed and shuffled into the restroom.

I stared at the reflection in the mirror—jet-black hair messily framing my face, a few unruly strands falling over my eyes. A decent face… or at least, I think so.

I’m turning seventeen this year… I thought, watching my tired eyes blink back at me.

I quickly washed up and made my way downstairs. My sister was already at the table, quietly eating her breakfast.

It was just the two of us in this house.

Our mother passed away five years ago, and not long after, our father walked out on us. Since then, it’s only been Elysia and me. She's six years older than me—more like a guardian now than a sister.

As I sat down across from her, I blurted out, “Hey, sis… don’t you think it’s the perfect time to find someone?”

She froze mid-bite, then shot me a sharp glare.

“Mind your own damn business, you brat.”

A brief awkward silence followed before Elysia spoke again.

“I’ve thought about it… but now’s not the right time. I’ve got enough to deal with, looking after you and handling my own mess.”

“Sis, I’m not a kid anymore…” I retorted.

She raised an eyebrow.

“Oh yeah? Do you remember what happened the last time I left you alone in the house for three days?”

I stayed silent, knowing exactly what she was getting at.

She let out a chuckle and gave me a small smile.

“Don’t worry about me, alright? I’m happy… as long as you’re doing okay.”

I could only smile back.