Dim fluorescent lights flickered weakly, competing against the harsh sunlight through the tall glass windows. On any other day, the newly polished mahogany furnishings, and shining desktop monitor would invite visitors to admire the room’s prestige and authority. But now, the room felt more like a courtroom than a standard principal’s office. The man sitting in the quilted executive chair loomed over Misty, ready to decide her fate.

  A trembling Misty shifted in the visitor’s chair, her face streaked with tears. Herman Petroski was sitting at his desk, arms crossed, with his thick eyebrows furrowed. The only sound breaking the silence was the hum of the air conditioner.

  She fidgeted with the bruise on her wrist—a throbbing reminder of the security guard’s iron grip. Yet another tear rolled down Misty’s cheek, and her stomach dropped in hopelessness. It was over. Everything was over…

  Herman was certainly going to call Misty’s father. Expulsion wouldn’t even be the worst of it. Her stomach twisted at what would happen after he picked her up. He would never demonstrate what he would do to Misty in front of the principal. He would only do that behind closed doors, where no one would hear her cry for help…

  And she would be trapped in that maelstrom of violence and despair forever, not even freed after she turned eighteen…

  Herman exhaled deeply before breaking Misty’s thoughts. “So, Miss Tash. It didn’t take you long to wind up here,” he muttered in a deadpan tone, dripping with sarcasm. “Assaulting a student on your first day…you really wanted to start off with a bang, huh?” He shook his head while shrugging. Then, he raised an eyebrow, changing his tone. “You wanna explain yourself?”

  “I…” Misty stammered, heaving rapidly, her body trembling with fear. “I didn’t mean to…”

  “‘Didn’t mean to’…what? Waste my time? Cause a scene? Injure your classmate who’s in the nurse’s office as we speak?!” Herman punctuated each with a wave his hand.

  “H-he grabbed me!” Misty clutched her wrist blurted desperately through sobs.

  Herman shook his head. “Sorry, but ‘he started it’ doesn’t fly when we have a strict ‘zero tolerance’ policy at this school. I can’t change the rules.”

  Misty sunk further into her seat, her head slumping below her shoulders. She remained silent, surrendering to whatever punishment she would receive.

  Herman’s gaze lingered on Misty, tearful and defeated. He lifted his eyebrows, softening his glare into an expression of pity. He opened one of his drawers, and a glint of gold flickered…but he chose to ignore that for now. He took out Misty’s profile, and started to read aloud. “It says here that you have a ‘communication disorder’ and an ‘attention disorder’…hmph. I always get the characters.”

  He then flipped the pages as if looking for more information. “…And you have a sister named Raphaelle,” Herman finished, although…Raphaelle wasn’t mentioned in the report. But Herman had to do something to ease the tension, even if it was resorting to his least favorite activity…small talk. “So, what’s she doing right now?”

  Misty didn’t even lift her head. “She’s dead,” she mumbled.

  Herman stood from his chair and walked beside Misty. Misty looked up in surprise as Herman’s mountainous height towered over her. “I know…”

  Misty looked up nervously with widened eyes. “How did you know…?”

  “Let’s just say that it’s a coincidence that you’re in my office. And I told you that you wouldn’t see the last of us.” Herman went back to his desk to reach for his phone, which made Misty grimace and squirm.

  Herman caught sight of Misty’s discomfort and assured with an unchanged expression, “Don’t worry, I’m not going to call your parents…at least, not this time.” He went back and quietly tapped on his phone. Any minute now…

  Within a few minutes, the young teacher’s assistant swung the door open, with a large stretch and yawn. Not too far behind her, the young custodian cautiously stepped in, and closed the door behind him.

  “You said this was urgent,” the teacher’s assistant groaned, pouting like a small child. “If not, then you owe me a snack break!” She pointed her finger at Herman, glancing to the side in disinterest.

  “It is urgent, now keep your voice down.”

  Misty looked at both of them in confusion. Oliver simply smiled and awkwardly introduced himself. “Good morning. You might not have noticed me before, but I’m the principal’s brother. I, um…hope you’re feeling okay.”

  “Oh, sweetie.” Aria then turned to Misty, and knelt to her level with a comforting voice. “You look like you’re going to melt in that chair! I hope Mr. Tightwad here wasn’t too hard on you.” She winked, gesturing her thumb at Herman, who scowled and crossed his arms at that remark. “By the way, I heard you kicked some rich boy butt today!” Aria patted Misty’s shoulder in congratulations.

  “Aria, don’t encourage her,” Herman informed sternly, his eyebrow twitching.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  “Oh, come on!” Aria put her hands on her sides and puffed her cheeks in protest. “She’s gotta start learning how to defend herself if she’s going to be a proper Birthknight!”

  Misty blinked in surprise and curiosity. Both Herman and Oliver swiftly turned their heads to her. Oliver’s eyes widened in shock, and Herman’s stoic face now twisted in a sweaty, nervous glare.

  “Aria… Ix-nay on the…” Herman hissed through gritted teeth, then sighed, shaking his head. “Argh…Never mind.”

  Misty looked around, confused. What was going on? Why is the principal’s brother working here of all places? And why was the teacher’s assistant treating the principal like an old college buddy?!

  …And what on earth was a Birthknight?!

  “What?!” Aria asked, with a nonchalant shrug. “It’s not like a secret anymore. And guess what?” She then turned to Misty and pointed to her nose, with a grin way too wide for her comfort. “You’re one, too!”

  “I’m one, too…?” Misty timidly tried to confirm aloud, her voice trembling.

  Herman groaned, dragging his palm on his forehead in annoyance and frustration. “Cat’s out of the bag, now…”

  “Yeah, can’t you guys see her aura?!” Aria gestured widely with both hands, as if showing her friends the most obvious thing in the world. “It’s like, insanely bright!”

  Misty’s heart almost jumped out of her chest. She immediately climbed into the chair and knelt up looking around, as if desperately trying to find an exit. ‘Aura?!’ Why didn’t she notice that before?! And why could only those three see it?!

  But before she could make sense of it all…a sparkling green and red glow started emanating from Misty’s hands. Overtaken by the shock, she squealed loudly, jumped out of the chair, and fell on her backside.

  “Miss Tash, I understand that this is a shock to you, but could you please contain yourself?!” Herman leaned over his desk and ordered, trying to restrain his voice. “We can’t compromise the secrecy of our Birthknight meetings.”

  While Aria helped Misty off the floor, Oliver leaned into his brother’s ear and whispered, “Maybe it’s better to just show her the Gem Plate.” His voice was steady and soothing, trying to ease the tension in the room.

  Herman gruffly sighed. “I hope you like astrology, kid.”, he grumbled as he opened his drawers once more. He took out the golden object that looked like a shield or a breastplate, adorned with colorful gemstones. Four of them were glowing faintly. Herman presented the large gold object to Misty. Misty studied each gemstone—dark red, a gentle blue, a bright green, and a mysterious deep green one.

  “But I love astrology!” Misty chirped with enthusiasm.

  “Well, good for you,” replied Herman, his tone dripping with cynicism. “Because I didn’t want to believe in it, but I’m stuck being a Birthknight anyway.”

  “Could you please be more positive for five minutes?!” Aria snapped back at Herman. “Being a Birthknight is an honor. And fighting bad guys can be fun.”

  “But it’s also a major responsibility…which cost Raphaelle’s life.” Herman replied, his voice carrying a weight that silenced the room. He then turned back to Misty. “And we’re running out of time. I can’t keep you in my office forever.”

  “You know, why don’t we re-introduce ourselves?” Aria suggested, with a wink and a smile.

  Oliver nodded in silent agreement. Herman then added with a smirk, “Like I said, this is definitely not the last time you’ll see us.”

  After his words echoed, all three raised their hands in unison. Misty’s breath hitched with anticipation. The adults’ bodies were enveloped in a glowing cosmic aura. Misty shielded her face from the intense brightness, but her heart raced in shock and awe.

  The glow of their transformations began to fade, revealing the three Birthknights in their newly unveiled forms. Misty’s wide eyes darted between them, her mind struggling to process what she was witnessing. She jolted backwards in surprise.

  And there stood the same magical beings who saved Misty at the park two days ago, transformed from ordinary faculty members.

  Herman’s body remained relatively unchanged, except his dark hair was gathered in a long, slender ponytail. His eye color shifted from slate blue to a profound garnet.

  However, Oliver’s new form was no longer short and frail-looking. Instead, his body became taller with more imposing musculature, rivaling his older brother’s. His auburn hair cascaded down his back. The gentleness of his gaze remained, however, the hue of his eyes deepened into a brilliant sapphire.

  But most surprising of all, Aria’s developed and voluptuous body had reverted back to a child’s tiny and delicate form. The sheer length and volume of elegant curls were almost comically overwhelming compared to her height. Her wide eyes glowed a verdant emerald.

  Misty froze in place, unable to decide whether to speak or to approach the three. Her mouth was agape, and her lower lip quivered.

  “H…how…?” she finally managed to stammer, her voice barely above a whisper.

  “It’s a long story…” The small girl admitted sheepishly, rubbing her arm. Her voice seemed to carry unspoken truths. But then she immediately put her familiar wide smile back on. “But don’t worry about us! We need you to touch that Gem Plate!”

  Misty stood frozen before the Gem Plate, her trembling hand hovering inches from its surface. The gemstones glimmered faintly under the office light, but the bluish-green one seemed to call to her. “Which one is this…?” Misty asked, her voice almost cracking.

  “That’s the alexandrite one,” Aria explained. “It’s really beautiful for a June baby, isn’t it?”

  “June? I thought I was—” Misty gasped aloud and almost retracted her hand as the deep green gem started flashing a purplish-red. Her breaths came shallow and uneven. Shock, doubt, and curiosity swirled within her.

  Finally, she reached out, her fingers brushing against the stone. A sudden warmth surged through her, as though the gem recognized her touch. The alexandrite flared brilliantly, its light shifting wildly between a mysterious bluish green and a vibrant purplish red. Misty gasped, the air knocked from her chest, as a cosmic aura erupted around her, engulfing her in light.

  The world around her dissolved. Herman’s office faded into nothingness, replaced by an infinite expanse of space filled with glittering stars. Shooting stars streaked across the void, and swirling wisps of color danced like living constellations. Misty could hear whispers—soft, indistinct voices that sent shivers down her spine. They felt ancient, heavy with wisdom and sorrow. Her school uniform dissipated into stardust, and in its place was the shape of a dress as if she was wearing the cosmic atmosphere itself.

  Her gaze was drawn upward, where words materialized in the starlit sky: “Misty Tash.” The text glimmered for a fleeting moment before fading, replaced by a new name that shone brighter than the stars around it: “Claira Stelling.”

  Misty’s voice trembled as she finally spoke. “Who… who’s Claira Stelling?” she asked, her words barely audible, lost in the vastness of the dimension.

  Herman’s voice echoed through the cosmic realm, deep and resonant as if carried by the stars themselves. “I think Claira Stelling…” he began, his tone heavy with significance. “…might be you.”