Orin Alpheratz (15 years old) Location: Solaris Date: Year 873 / Crow Cycle (3) / Hunter's Day (7)

  Orin stared at the strange boy, still trying to process what had just happened. How had he taken out both guards so effortlessly? His eyes hadn't caught a single movement. Not even a blur.

  Was it speed? Or stealth? Or something else entirely?

  Whatever the method, one thing was clear: this guy wasn't normal.

  His gaze dropped for a moment to the two blood-soaked corpses lying at Felis's feet. It was a grotesque sight, the air still thick with iron and silence. But Orin didn't have time to dwell on the horror, not when his friends were still in danger.

  “Who... are you?” Orin asked cautiously.

  Felis gave a dramatic sigh. “I believe I've already answered that, haven't I?” He swept into another theatrical bow, the motion graceful and almost comically refined. “My name is Felis. Charmed again.”

  His tone was light, playful even, but his eyes... those pitch-black eyes carried something else entirely. Something that made Orin's skin crawl.

  There was a darkness in him... a calm, bottomless kind of darkness...

  “That's not what I meant,” Orin said, this time more firmly. “How did you get here?”

  “Oh, that.” Felis straightened, placing a hand over his chest with an exaggerated flourish. “I'd love to say it's all thanks to my world-class stealth—because it is—but I'd be remiss not to credit my dear companions.” He gestured vaguely westward, a smile tugging at his lips. “They're currently keeping the guards busy at the West Gate. Thanks to their little performance, I had the perfect window to slip in undetected.”

  He glanced down at the blood beginning to pool around his boots.

  “Well... almost undetected.”

  “West Gate...?” Orin echoed, the pieces slowly fitting together in his mind. “That means... you're one of the Start Children.”

  The moment the words left his lips, Orin took a step back and raised his dagger, instincts kicking in. If Felis truly was one of them, then he couldn't afford to lower his guard. These weren't people you could trust.

  And yet, Felis didn't move.

  He remained perfectly still, hands resting casually behind his back, entirely unfazed by the weapon pointed at him.

  “Start Children...” he repeated in a whisper, as if tasting the name on his tongue. “Yes, I suppose that's what most people call us these days.” He smiled faintly. “Although, if you asked the Dhamarr higher-ups, they'd insist on Children of the Desert. Much more dramatic, don't you think?”

  He chuckled to himself, then tilted his head.

  “But... I think I like Start Children better. Has a nice ring to it.”

  Despite the calm, fluid grace in Felis's every movement, Orin couldn't shake the feeling of unease crawling up his spine. There was something wrong about him. Something his instincts couldn't ignore. Every cell in his body was screaming.

  This person is dangerous.

  “You don't need to be so tense,” Felis said with a casual smile, though the curve of his lips did little to reassure Orin. In fact, it only made him more alert.

  “I just came to chat,” he added lightly. “You have no idea how boring the trip from Dhamarr to here was... I nearly died of tedium.”

  But just for a moment, just a blink, Orin saw it. A subtle shift in Felis's posture. A lowering of his guard. Whether it was real or just bait didn't matter. It was the only opening he was going to get.

  “ACTIVATE HUNTER SKILL: Speed Up 10%.”

  The world tilted ever so slightly. Orin felt his body grow lighter, the weight in his limbs vanishing as adrenaline surged. With his dagger clenched tight, he lunged forward, aiming straight for Felis's chest.

  But—

  Felis vanished.

  A fraction of a second later, Orin felt cold metal press against the skin of his neck.

  He's behind me!

  “Speed Up, ten percent,” Felis whispered softly into his ear, voice playful and unbothered. “Not bad. But even with that boost, you're still slower than me, naturally slower. I haven't even activated anything yet.”

  A chill ran down Orin's spine as he stood frozen, the dagger trembling slightly in his grip.

  Then, without warning, the pressure vanished. Felis stepped away and strolled leisurely over to the chair where Orin had previously been restrained. He sat down with a casual grace, resting one ankle over his knee.

  “If I'm being honest,” Felis said, reclining comfortably, “you don't stand a chance against me. Not as you are now.”

  He tilted his head and smiled again, this time more genuinely.

  “But don't worry. I told you... I’m not here to fight. I just came to talk.”

  Orin, having now grasped the overwhelming difference in ability between them, made a quick decision. Fighting was out of the question, at least for now. If there was even the slightest chance to get out of this situation through words alone, he would take it.

  “...What is it you want to talk about?” he asked cautiously, unsure if that was even the right question.

  Felis tapped his chin dramatically, putting on a show of deep contemplation. “Hmm... let's see. Ah, I know! Wouldn't it be wonderful if you came with us to Dhamarr?”

  He paused theatrically, then gave a mock wince.

  “Wait, that didn't sound right at all. How about this instead? Your destiny lies in Dhamarr. Therefore, you should come with us.”

  So that was it.

  It was all starting to line up in Orin's head, and he didn't like the picture it was painting. The very same day the Church of Luminia made their move to seize control of the academy, that was the day Schedar revealed his origins were tied to Dhamarr. Now, Star Children had infiltrated the school with the goal of bringing Orin there.

  No coincidences. Not anymore.

  And Wind had warned him. Something was interfering with his timeline. If that was true, then all of this... all of it might be connected.

  But even with so much uncertainty, Orin's response came without hesitation.

  “No. I'm staying here. I have to save my friends,” he said firmly, raising his eyes to meet Felis's. “If you plan to take me by force, I'll fight you.”

  Felis blinked once. Then, to Orin's surprise, he simply let out a sigh and leaned back in the chair.

  “Again with that bravado?” he said, sounding more amused than irritated. “You really are exhausting.”

  He waved a hand dismissively. “I merely offered my escort services, considering the delightful mess the soldiers caused by occupying the academy. But of course, you're free to refuse.”

  Felis's expression grew more enigmatic, his voice dipping into a near-whisper.

  “After all... it's already written in the stars that your path leads to Dhamarr. There's no rush to force the inevitable.”

  Orin narrowed his eyes. “So it's true... My origins really are in Dhamarr, aren't they?”

  For the first time, Felis's expression changed. His eyes widened slightly in surprise, before a quiet, almost childlike laugh escaped his lips.

  “Heh... So that's what you think?” Felis said, amusement dancing in his voice. “Well, it's not entirely true... but it's not entirely wrong either.”

  He rose from the chair with a fluid motion, stepping closer.

  “I think you'll come to understand everything once you're in Dhamarr.”

  Before Orin could respond, the door swung open with a loud bang, and another figure burst into the room.

  This time, it was a girl, around his age, maybe slightly older, with brown hair pulled into a loose ponytail and sharp green eyes. She was panting heavily, as if she'd just sprinted across the entire academy.

  “Finally! I found you, Felis!” she gasped between breaths.

  Felis turned to her with a relaxed smile, utterly unfazed by her dramatic entrance.

  “Ah, our little priestess finally graces us with her presence.”

  The girl stomped over, her eyes flaring with frustration. “You disappeared and left me alone! There were guards everywhere, you know! Do you have any idea how hard it was to get here?!”

  Felis offered a halfhearted shrug, his tone completely casual. “Not really. I didn't see any guards on my way here. Well... except for those two.” He motioned lazily toward the bodies on the floor. “But anyway, let's not dwell on the details.”

  He gestured between the two.

  “Let's get to the introductions. Orin, this is Aran. She's only a year older than you, so you two might get along. Oh, and she was born on Solaris, too... More importantly, she's our priestess. We brought her in case we needed healing magic if you were injured... but it looks like you held up just fine.”

  Orin turned toward the girl, Aran. The moment their eyes met, she gave him a polite bow.

  “Nice to meet you, Orin,” she said with a calm, composed voice. “We've been looking for you for a long time.”

  There was something gentle in her tone, but Orin didn't lower his guard. Born in Solaris... and yet she was with the Star Children?

  That contradiction unsettled him, but there was no time to ask questions. Not now.

  Right now, his mind was focused on one thing only: escaping this place... and saving his friends.

  "I don't know what business you have with me. But if you don't intend to get in my way, I don't have any more time to waste here. I have to rescue my friends," Orin said.

  Felis, hearing this, jumped up and said:

  "Very well, I'll help you," he said, to Orin's surprise. "I'll take care of any guards we encounter along the way."

  Orin didn't know how to respond; he couldn't understand this boy named Felis. His actions and motivations seemed a mystery to him, and he didn't know if he could trust him or not, but time was running out, and he needed to know if his friends were okay.

  "Fine," Orin finally said. "But if your intention is to help me so I can accompany you to Dhamarr, you'd better forget it."

  "Again with that..." Felis said in an exaggerated tone of disappointment. "I told you, I only came to talk to you... but since we're here, lending a hand doesn't seem like a bad idea."

  Felis turned to Aran.

  "Aran, what about Mahasim?" he asked to the girl.

  "He's preparing transport and securing the escape route," she said. "Are you planning on taking the other captured children to Dhamarr as well?"

  "Of course not!" Felis said, waving her hand disapprovingly. "I'll help Orin get his friends out of school... after that, Mahasim can arrange for them to be transported safely to an inn in Solaris. But after that, they'll be on their own."

  He turned to Orin.

  "Does that sound okay to you?" he asked.

  Despite the heavy aura and the deep darkness in Felis's eyes, Orin had no better option at the moment than to make a temporary alliance with them. And perhaps, along the way, he could learn more about Felis's intentions and motivations.

  "All right!" he replied, nodding his head. "Let's go after my friends."

  The three of them stepped out of the cramped room and into a dimly lit hallway. The air was still, almost unnaturally quiet. In the distance, a lone window cast long shadows on the floor, outside, the sky was turning a soft shade of violet. Evening had begun to fall.

  Orin glanced at Felis, who had suddenly stopped walking. With his eyes closed and brows slightly furrowed, Felis looked like he was concentrating on something only he could perceive. Before Orin could ask what he was doing, Aran gently raised a finger to her lips.

  A moment later, Felis spoke.

  “There's movement in one of the nearby rooms,” he murmured, his voice calm but alert. “People. Likely guards. We'll probably run into them soon... so do me a favor, Orin, stay in the rear and don't interfere.”

  His tone wasn't mocking, but it wasn't an order either.

  Orin met his gaze for a second, then nodded in agreement. Aran did the same.

  They advanced, every step slow and deliberate, their footsteps muffled by the stone floor. Orin leaned slightly toward Aran, lowering his voice.

  “So... how did someone from Solaris end up living in Dhamarr?”

  Aran didn't seem surprised by the question.

  “I'm not really sure,” she replied softly. “I've lived in Dhamarr for as long as I can remember. It wasn't until recently that the Oracle revealed I was originally born in Solaris.”

  “Huh... sound familiar?” Felis chimed in with a smirk, glancing back over his shoulder. “You two might have more in common than you think.”

  Orin fell silent.

  He still wasn't sure how much of his supposed origin story he believed. Everything felt like a half-formed puzzle. And right now wasn't the time to wrestle with missing pieces.

  Their slow advance came to a sudden halt when Felis raised a hand, signaling them to stop. They had reached a fork in the corridor, and Felis narrowed his eyes toward the right path, as if listening to something only he could hear.

  “What is it?” Orin asked.

  But before Felis could reply, a deafening crash echoed through the corridor, metal against stone. Instinctively, Orin turned his head toward the sound... and his eyes widened.

  Down the hallway, Perseus stood, sword in hand, blood running down his arm. He was locked in a brutal fight against two guards from the Church of Luminia.

  “Perseus...!” Orin whispered, his heart tightening.