A New Path

Sylis and Fenix followed closely behind the Headmistress as she led them toward her office on the upper floor of the academy's main building. The immediate threat of the invaders seemed to be under control, but the academy remained on high alert. Every instructor was stationed at key points, standing guard while awaiting reinforcements dispatched directly by the Universal Government.

This was the first terrorist attack in history on the world's most prestigious Awakened academy. A feat like this wasn't something that could be executed without an extraordinary level of resources and coordination.

Upon entering the office, they found Elias and Rika already inside, seated and waiting. Standing beside them was an agent—Marcus. Fenix recognized him immediately. Marcus had been the second person he saw after his Awakening.

"Marcus, looks like you got here before me. That makes things even easier," the Headmistress remarked as she stepped inside.

"Just as you ordered, ma'am," Marcus responded with a composed tone.

"Stop calling me 'ma'am.' I'm not that old, and I've known you since you were a kid. Just call me Selene," she replied, irritation creeping into her voice.

Marcus simply nodded, offering a faint smirk, but said nothing more.

"Alright, enough with the pleasantries," Selene continued, her tone sharpening. "By now, you should all have a general idea of why you're here."

Elias and Rika exchanged glances before nodding, though they still harbored doubts. Meanwhile, Sylis and Fenix remained silent—they already understood perfectly.

"That makes things easier," Selene said, exhaling a slow breath. "As you may have realized, what happened in the SoulRealm wasn't a coincidence. I can't go into too much detail, but I can assure you that all of you are in danger as long as you remain in the academy."

She let those words hang in the air for a moment before continuing.

"Because of this—and what has just transpired—I am forced to take drastic measures to ensure your safety."

The atmosphere in the room tensed. Fenix could see the shift in the expressions of everyone present.

"What I'm about to tell you hasn't been made public yet, but it will be in the coming hours," Selene went on. "The other students are no longer in danger. Reinforcements will arrive soon, and once they do, the academy will be fully secured. However, your case is different."

She straightened, her gaze stern. "I've decided to temporarily shut down the academy for the next few months until things settle down. During this time, each of you will return to your respective families. Sylis, your family will continue to provide you with the protection they always have. Elias and Rika, arrangements have already been made for your relocation. You'll be moved to a secure residence near the capital, one with the same level of security as the city or the academy itself."

Selene then turned her gaze toward Fenix, her expression unreadable.

"And Fenix," she said, "I need to speak with you privately about your situation. For now, that's all."

A heavy silence filled the room as the weight of her words settled over them.

Fenix remained deep in thought. 'What does she want to talk about?' He decided not to dwell on it too much—he would find out soon enough.

The silence was broken by Sylis.

"This can't be serious. You've never closed the academy before. What's going to happen to those who have nowhere to go?"

Selene's voice remained calm as she responded,

"Yes, Sylis. The decision has already been made, and this is how it will proceed. Those who have no home to return to will be assigned housing in Avalon, just as we did during the evaluation test. As you probably already know, Avalon is one of the government's strongest and most impenetrable Strongholds in the world. Nothing hostile can breach its walls."

Sylis didn't argue further. She simply nodded and said,

"I understand."

Still, a thought lingered in her mind. 'What about Fenix? Where will he go? What does the Headmistress want to discuss with him? Is it about what happened during the evaluation?'

This time, Fenix was the one to interrupt.

"How long do we have before leaving the academy? I need to gather some things from my room."

Selene replied smoothly,

"There's no need to worry about that. Once you are in a safe location, all your belongings will be sent to you."

Fenix exhaled slightly.

"So there's nothing left to do then."

Selene finished,

"Wait here until further notice. The escorts and your family, Sylis, should arrive soon to take you back."

With that, she turned and left the office, heading outside to issue orders and make an official announcement in the conference hall.

Marcus remained inside, standing guard just in case. The four of them—Sylis, Fenix, Elias, and Rika—were left alone in the room. A brief conversation followed, and Sylis was the first to speak.

"I'm sorry. It's my fault you're all in this mess." Her voice carried a hint of guilt and frustration.

Elias and Rika immediately responded,

"Don't worry about it. It's not your fault—it's the fault of the ones who caused this."

Fenix nodded, agreeing.

"This isn't on you, Sylis. None of it. I'm sure the ones responsible will be found soon, and justice will be served. Besides, no one lost their lives in today's attack. And those who were injured are already receiving treatment."

His words seemed to ease her guilt, and for the first time in a while, a bit of relief crossed Sylis's face.

As Fenix finished speaking, the doors suddenly swung open.

Selene walked in first, followed by over thirty Awakened guards marching in formation. And at the very back of the group—stood a man whose presence alone felt suffocating.

Theron of Arventis.

Sylis's father. A warrior of eight Soul Cores. One of the strongest Awakened in history.

He looked to be in his early forties, his physique exuding a natural commanding presence. His silver hair fell effortlessly, the same as his daughter's. 'So that's where she got it from,' Fenix thought absentmindedly. His ocean-blue eyes were piercing, carrying a depth that spoke of countless battles and victories.

Even from a distance, standing near him made the air feel heavy, as if his very existence weighed upon the room. But as soon as he approached Sylis, he deliberately softened his aura, making it less overwhelming for those nearby.

Soon, Selene gave a signal to the 30 guards, instructing them to split up and escort Elias and Rika to their respective destinations.

The guards responded immediately, moving with strict discipline as they divided into two formations of fifteen, each led by a captain—one a man, the other a woman.

Without hesitation, they approached their assigned students.

The male captain stepped in front of Elias, while the female captain approached Rika.

With firm but respectful voices, both captains spoke at the same time.

"Please, follow us."

Elias and Rika exchanged brief glances, understanding that this was simply protocol.

They nodded in compliance and followed their respective escorts out of the room, disappearing through the doors as their footsteps echoed down the hall.

Now, the room was emptier

With that, only Sylis, Theron, Marcus, Selene, and Fenix remained in the room.

The air felt heavy.

Two of the strongest forces in the world, or at least close to that level, were present in the same room. And then there was Fenix—sitting nervously in a chair, cold sweat running down his back.

His skin went pale when a deep and firm voice broke the silence.

"Is it him?"

It was Theron.

And there was no doubt that the "him" he was referring to was Fenix.

Fenix's mind spiraled into panic.

'What have I done? I haven't done anything wrong… right? Sure, I've spent time with his daughter here and there, but it's not like I did anything improper, did I?'

Before his thoughts could run wild, a single, sincere-sounding word pulled him back to reality.

"Thank you."

Theron extended his hand toward him, waiting to be shaken.

Fenix, still stunned, didn't immediately respond. He slowly stood up and hesitantly took the man's hand. Theron's grip was firm—his hand rough and calloused, the hand of a warrior. Fenix could tell that if he applied even a little more pressure, he might break his fingers.

But the real shock came after the handshake.

Theron pulled him in and wrapped him in a tight embrace.

"Thank you for saving my little girl," he said.

Fenix, for the first time in a long time, felt helpless. His ribs screamed for relief as the immense pressure of Theron's arms squeezed him. 'He's going to crush me to death—someone help!'

Luckily, Sylis came to his rescue.

She yanked her father by the ear.

Fenix caught a glimpse of her face—her cheeks slightly flushed, an expression he had never seen before.

'Cute.' He thought before quickly shaking his head to focus.

Once Fenix's life was no longer at risk, Theron took a step back and turned toward his daughter.

"It's time to leave, Sylis."

Then, he nodded toward Selene.

"Thank you for everything, Selene. I'll be in touch."

Selene crossed her arms.

"Take care, old man. And make sure nothing happens to your daughter."

Theron let out a short huff.

"Don't worry about that. We already know who was behind this. Soon, there will be a meeting between the Five Great Houses and the government to deal with this issue. We won't let things escalate further—millions of lives could be at stake."

Selene nodded gravely.

Sylis, now standing close to Fenix, looked at him with a gentle smile.

"Take care, alright?"

Fenix returned the gesture with a small nod.

"You too."

With that, Sylis and her father turned to leave.

But just before stepping out, Sylis glanced over her shoulder.

"Don't forget to text me. I gave you my number for a reason this time—use it."

Fenix chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Alright, alright. I'll keep you updated on my days."

Just as he said that, a sudden chill ran down his spine.

A powerful gaze bore into him.

Fenix stiffened and turned his head slightly—meeting the piercing eyes of Theron.

His blood ran cold.

Sylis, completely unfazed, tugged on her father's ear again, dragging him away.

"Stop intimidating him, dad."

As she walked out, she looked back one last time.

"See you around, Fenix."

And with that, Sylis and Theron left.

Now, only Marcus, Selene, and Fenix remained in the room.

The business with the academy was settled. The professors and guards had received their orders.

And now…

It was time for the real conversation to begin.