Chapter 6: Unseen strings

The academy halls were bathed in the soft, golden light of the late afternoon sun.

Students bustled about, their laughter and chatter filling the air.

Cain, however, was far from energized. He stifled a yawn as he trudged through the corridor, his hands stuffed in his pockets.

The day had been uneventful, and he was already counting down the minutes until he could retreat to the comfort of his dorm.

"Another normal day, huh?" he muttered to himself, his voice tinged with a hint of boredom.

Or so he thought.

As he turned a corner, his shoulder lightly brushed against someone. The contact was brief, but it was enough to snap him out of his lethargy. He glanced up, ready to offer a quick apology.

"Ah, sorry about—"

The words died in his throat.

Standing before him was a girl he had never seen before. She was tall, with crimson hair that cascaded down her back like a waterfall of fire.

Her golden eyes, sharp and piercing, seemed to bore into his very soul. There was an intensity in her gaze that made him feel as though she could see right through him, dissecting every thought, every emotion.

"…You should watch where you're going," she said, her voice cool and measured.

Cain blinked, his mind racing. There was something about her, something familiar, though he couldn't quite place it.

It was as if he had met her before, in a dream or a distant memory. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't recall where or when.

Why does she feel… familiar?

He shook off the strange sensation and forced a chuckle, rubbing the back of his head in a gesture of awkward apology.

"Uh, yeah. My bad," he said, trying to sound casual. "I'm Cain. You're new?"

The girl, Ravena studied him for a moment longer than necessary before nodding curtly.

"Ravena. Transfer student."

There was an awkward silence as the two of them stood there, neither sure of what to say next.

Cain felt like he should say something, anything to break the tension, but her piercing gaze made it hard to think. Finally, he managed to stammer out a weak farewell.

"W-Well, I guess I'll see you around."

He turned and walked away, his heart pounding in his chest.

As soon as he was out of sight, a figure materialized beside Ravena. It was Lyra, her mischievous grin lighting up her face.

"That was cold," Lyra teased, her voice dripping with amusement. "You sure you don't wanna throw yourself at him and cry about how you missed him?"

Ravena shot her a glare, but there was no real heat behind it.

"Shut up."

Lyra giggled, clearly enjoying herself.

"Still, he doesn't recognize us at all. It's kinda sad, isn't it?"

Ravena adjusted her glasses, her expression unreadable.

"That's why we're here."

The combat training hall was a vast, open space filled with the sounds of clashing weapons and grunts of exertion. Cain stretched as he entered, already dreading the lesson.

Their usual instructor was out sick, and a substitute had been brought in for the day. Cain wasn't sure what to expect, but he had a feeling it wasn't going to be pleasant.

"Alright, listen up."

The voice that rang out was deep and commanding, instantly drawing the attention of every student in the room. Cain looked up and instantly felt a chill run down his spine.

Standing at the front of the class was a man who exuded power.

He was tall, with silver hair that gleamed under the fluorescent lights and cold, calculating eyes that seemed to see right through everyone in the room.

His aura was that of a hardened warrior, someone who had seen countless battles and emerged victorious.

"My name is Orion," the man said, his voice carrying an air of authority. "I'll be filling in as your instructor."

Cain instinctively straightened his back, his senses on high alert. Something about this guy felt… off. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but there was an undeniable tension in the air.

"First, a demonstration," Orion continued, his gaze sweeping across the students before landing squarely on Cain. "You. Step forward."

Cain blinked, caught off guard.

"…Me?"

Orion nodded, his expression unreadable.

"Yes. Show me what you've got."

A fight? Cain sighed inwardly. Why did he always get dragged into these things? Reluctantly, he stepped forward, taking a lazy stance.

He wasn't particularly worried, he had been through enough sparring matches to know how to hold his own.

"Whenever you're ready, teach," Cain said, his tone casual.

Orion's lips curled into a faint smirk.

"I won't hold back."

Cain returned the smirk, though there was a hint of unease in his eyes.

"Neither will I."

The match began.

Cain moved first, his body instinctively falling into a familiar rhythm. He threw a punch, expecting Orion to block or dodge but the man simply vanished. Cain's eyes widened in shock.

> What—?!

Before he could react, he felt a light tap on his back. He turned slowly, his heart pounding in his chest. Orion stood there, completely relaxed, his stance unbreakable.

"You're dead," Orion said calmly.

The entire class went silent, the tension in the room palpable. Cain stared at Orion, his mind racing.

The man was strong, far stronger than anyone he had ever faced before. But what Cain didn't know was that Orion was holding back, tremendously.

"Sloppy footwork," Orion said, his voice cutting through the silence. "If this were a real fight, you wouldn't last five seconds."

Cain's jaw tightened, but he said nothing. He couldn't argue with the truth. Orion was right he had been careless, overconfident. But there was something else nagging at him, something he couldn't quite put into words.

Orion's gaze lingered on Cain for a moment longer before he turned to address the rest of the class.

"Class dismissed."

As the students began to file out of the room, Cain remained behind, his mind still replaying the fight. There was something about the way Orion moved, something familiar, though he couldn't quite place it.

Orion watched him from the corner of his eye, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.

He doesn't realize it… but that body of his still remembers.

Deep within the academy, hidden behind layers of secrecy, a meeting was taking place. The room was dimly lit, the air thick with tension. A woman in dark robes stood before a shadowy figure, her head bowed in deference.

"The reinforcements have arrived," she said, her voice low and measured.

A chuckle echoed through the room, sending a shiver down her spine.

"Just as expected," the shadowy figure replied, his voice dripping with malice.

The woman hesitated for a moment before speaking again.

"Shall we eliminate them?"

The figure's chuckle turned into a full-blown laugh, the sound echoing ominously in the confined space.

"No. Let them play their little game. In the end… they will only hasten their own downfall."

The meeting ended as quickly as it had begun, the woman disappearing into the shadows. The war in the shadows had begun, and the players were already moving into position.

Later that night, Cain lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling. His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, each one more confusing than the last.

The fight with Orion kept replaying in his head, the memory of the man's cold, calculating eyes haunting him.

Why did it feel so… nostalgic?

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. He was overthinking things, he had to be.

There was no way he had met Orion before, no way he could have known someone like him. And yet, the feeling persisted, gnawing at the edges of his mind.

"Bah, I'm overthinking things," he muttered to himself, though the words did little to ease his unease.

Little did he know, the past was already catching up to him. And this time, there was no escaping it.