The lecture hall was different today.
There was a kind of hush in the air, as though the walls themselves had grown solemn. Outside, the sun still hung in a perfect arc above the towers of the academy, casting warm light through the stained glass windows. Yet inside, the mood was somber, the chatter among students quieter than usual, the laughter dulled to whispers.
I took my seat near the back, Cassian to my right, Lyra and Alira to my left --- the two light user.
Today's lecture was being given not by our usual professor, but by a scholar from the capital, a tall, aged man in layered robes of white and gray. His hair was silver, but his voice carried the strength of someone who had spent a lifetime shouting down ignorance. A thick tome floated beside him, suspended by a gentle trace of wind magic.
"My name," he began, "is Historian Velen. I was summoned here today to speak to you not of what is, but what may come to pass."
I leaned forward instinctively.
"You have all heard of demons—immortal creatures from the dark realm, banished eons ago by divine decree. But few understand the depth of their threat... or the dark hearts of those who would see them returned."
The book opened in the air, flipping to a weathered page etched with ink and gold. On it, I saw a depiction of a dark figure—horned and towering, wreathed in shadow, with wings like tattered banners.
"Demon King Azrael," Velen said, his voice heavy with gravity. "Banished to the demon realm after the War of Elysium. But his influence lingers. We believe—no, we know—there are cults in our world who worship him. Who believe in his return."
A shiver passed through the room like a silent wave.
"They call themselves The Veiled Sun, but they are actually a bunch of demonic cultists. Their goal is to shatter the barrier that keeps the demon realm sealed. And they do not act alone. There are those—hidden, waiting—who believe that Azrael's reign will bring power, freedom... or destruction."
Cassian glanced at me. I didn't meet his gaze.
Velen's tone softened, almost reverent. "But there is another side to this tale. A prophecy. One whispered by seers, guarded in sacred texts, and passed down by the archangels themselves."
He turned a page. Another image revealed itself—this one radiant, impossible to look at without awe. A figure descending from the sky, trailing light like fire, wrapped in spirals of divine flame.
"A Savior," Velen said. "One who will fall from the heavens, nameless and lost, but marked by the Divine. They say he will awaken amidst mortals, walk among them, and rise as their final hope. His mark will shine, and those who believe in him will be strengthened. He will be the only one capable of ending the Demon King's return... and if he falls, the world may fall with him."
The room was so quiet I could hear the flutter of pages.
"Some say the mark is a spiral," he continued. "Others, a sun with wings. Either way, it is said to appear on his body... and on the bodies of those who follow him in truth and faith."
My chest felt tight.
I didn't know why. But the description—it struck too close. The way I had fallen from the sky. The mark on my chest. The dreams that refused to leave me alone.
"Perhaps it is mere legend," Velen said. "Perhaps not. But beware of the signs. The cult is growing bolder. There have been sightings of demons crossing into our realm again—weak ones, for now. But if the Veiled Sun succeeds, the barrier will fall."
The bell rang. No one moved.
Only when Velen quietly closed the book did we stir, rising in slow motion, lost in thought.
As I walked out into the corridor, I passed a mirror near one of the support pillars. I paused.
There I was—still myself. Pale skin, faintly touched by the sun from my journey, dark hair that always seemed to fall a bit too messily over my forehead. My eyes—gray, flecked with something almost gold if the light hit right—looked back at me, older than I remembered. Tired. A little haunted.
And just beneath my collar, when the fabric shifted, I saw it again. Faintly glowing in the mirror's reflection.
The spiral.
I covered it quickly and looked away.
Cassian caught up beside me. "You okay?"
"Yeah," I lied.
But the words of the prophecy wouldn't leave me alone.
And in the depths of my memory... the dreams began to stir once more.
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