The bell rang for the last period, echoing like a signal of doom in the sleepy classroom. Slumped over their desks, half the students were already napping, and the other half yawned with vacant stares. Only three voices kept the room alive: the weary teacher scribbling complex equations on the board and two nerdy students near the front row, engaged in a silent battle over who could solve them faster.
Up in the corner seat by the window, Zaire sat quietly, his eyes only pretending to follow the whiteboard. His mind was elsewhere — on Rael's spiritual form watching over him, on the faint burn in his veins when he used Anubis's power, on the storm that was quietly building within.
How do I even begin to train with this? he thought. What if I lose control? What if it consumes me?
Just as the thought passed, a chill brushed the back of his neck. He looked around casually.
That's when he saw her.
Aristea Bernowel.
She was staring at him from the front row — calm, focused, as if she had been studying him all period. When their eyes met, she raised her hand and gave a small, subtle wave.
Zaire blinked, then gave a lazy wave back.
Weird girl... he thought, but with a faint smirk.
The bell rang. This time, it felt like a prison gate opening. The classroom erupted with life as everyone rushed for the doors.
Outside, Reina, Elior, and Zaire stood near the school's front courtyard.
"So," Elior said, swinging his bag over his shoulder, "bubble tea or ramen?"
"I'm more of a coffee-and-cry person after math class," Reina muttered, rubbing her temples.
Zaire chuckled. "Let's get ramen. Crying can wait."
As they began to walk, Reina caught sight of Aristea, walking alone as usual.
"Hey, Bernowel!" she called out.
Aristea turned, startled.
"You wanna come with us?"
Aristea smiled faintly and shook her head. "Thank you, Reina, but I've got something to finish today. Maybe next week."
Zaire glanced back as Aristea entered her sleek black car, a driver opening the door for her.
"She's always like that?" he asked.
Reina nodded. "Yeah. Most girls think she's stuck-up because she doesn't talk much, but… I think she's just different. She's always reading something ancient. She's strong on her own, doesn't chase cliques."
Zaire hummed, thoughtful. "Interesting."
---
That night, Zaire lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, the same questions spinning in his mind. But something changed.
A cold shiver slipped through the room.
From beneath the door, black smoke crept in — slow, thick, and alive. Rael, curled in his corner, stirred as the smoke reached them both. It swirled, wrapping around Zaire and lifting him like a feather.
In an instant, they weren't in his room anymore.
They stood in a vast desert of darkness, stars glittering above like embers. Before him stood Anubis — tall, his jackal-head marked by glowing golden lines, arms crossed with a mischievous grin.
"You've been lazy," Anubis said flatly.
"I was in class," Zaire muttered, arms folded.
"And now you're in mine."
Zaire raised an eyebrow. "What is this place?"
"Your subconscious — my domain. Here, time is not a concern. You can train without losing a minute on Earth. Handy, isn't it?"
Rael appeared beside Zaire in his spiritual form — glowing eyes and all — wagging his tail like he was about to watch fireworks.
"So what's first?" Zaire asked, standing straighter.
Anubis gestured. A silhouette formed — Zaire himself, made of glowing smoke. "Your first lesson is simple. Life force. You'll learn how to sense it, channel it, and not die while doing it."
Zaire sighed. "Great."
---
The training wasn't simple at all. Zaire was pushed, pulled, and dropped until he could barely breathe. He tried to strike the dummy Anubis summoned, but his power flickered like a dying bulb.
After what felt like hours, Zaire dropped to his knees.
"Okay," he panted, "maybe it's... six in the morning now? I've got college at eight, and I'm gonna pass out in homeroom."
Anubis chuckled darkly. "Only thirty seconds have passed on Earth."
Zaire's face went blank. "...What?"
"Time flows differently here. So stop whining."
"I hate you."
"Good. That means we're making progress."
Rael barked once, tail wagging.
Zaire grumbled and muttered something about collapsing before vanishing back into his bed with a heavy thump.
---
Meanwhile, under the same moonlight that bathed the Grimveil estate, a figure stood on a rooftop across the city.
Wrapped in robes, a silver mask glinting under the stars, the figure whispered:
"The pieces move. The old blood awakens. The war will begin… sooner than expected."
End of Chapter 5