Chris remains seated even after Instructor Ria finishes her explanation.
The other Zodicians slowly begin moving around him, some discussing the newly revealed information while others prepare to leave the academy, but Chris remains completely still.
His mind is elsewhere.
Questions continue rummaging through his thoughts, colliding with one another as he tries to connect the fragments of information he has gathered.
The ancient book inside the Bibliotheca...
The forgotten Moonstraught clan sign...
The strange history of the forbidden Myojin...
And now...
Instructor Ria's explanation about Life Attributes and their connection to resonance.
Everything feels connected.
Like pieces of a massive puzzle that had been scattered throughout existence, only now beginning to find their rightful positions.
Instructor Ria had unknowingly given him the missing detail he had desperately needed.
The explanation of attributes...
The creation of elements...
The process of resonance...
The possibility of an element being created through a Tanjō...
It had provided the final thread linking the ancient book and the present world.
...
Instructor Ria eventually exits the Scorpio Academy, leaving the Zodicians behind.
The large doors close behind her, and the atmosphere gradually returns to normal.
But Chris remains lost in thought.
His eyes lower slightly as he begins replaying every word she said.
A Tanjō creates an entirely new element.
An element can evolve through refinement.
A Myojin can be born from a unique life attribute.
The information circles repeatedly through his mind.
Then...
A possibility emerges.
A hypothesis.
Chris's eyes widen slightly.
"The Demon Blood Moon Eyes..."
His heartbeat subtly increases.
"What if they are not simply a Myojin?"
He begins connecting the information.
"What if they are a Myojin born from a Life Attribute created through Tanjō?"
The more he thinks about it, the more the pieces begin aligning.
The ancient text spoke about a forbidden Myojin within the Moonstraught Clan.
A power that only a select few could awaken.
A power connected to the moon.
A power that had eventually disappeared.
But Instructor Ria's explanation changes everything.
Chris continues analyzing.
"No one was able to resonate with it except those of the Moonstraught Clan..."
His fingers slowly tighten.
"Meaning the attribute itself was never truly destroyed."
The thought sends a strange sensation through him.
"What if it was never gone?"
"What if it was simply waiting..."
"Waiting for someone capable of resonating with it again?"
More questions immediately follow.
If the element still exists...
Where is it?
Why did the Moonstraught Clan lose access to it?
Why was their clan stripped of its sign?
Why was their existence reduced to being considered worthless?
His thoughts continue accelerating.
One answer creates three more questions.
Three questions create even more possibilities.
But for the first time...
Chris feels like he is approaching the truth.
He carefully arranges his thoughts and reaches his conclusion.
The Demon Blood Moon Eyes...
They were not merely a technique.
They were not simply an inherited ability.
They were an element created through Tanjō.
An element that later became a Myojin after generations of refinement by the elites of the Moonstraught Clan.
But something went wrong.
The element's energy eventually became unstable.
Instead of only empowering the clan...
It began consuming them.
Corroding them.
Destroying those who could not properly resonate with its existence.
And the final user of that power...
The entity described within the ancient book...
Was the last one who truly awakened it.
Chris's breathing slows as the conclusion settles within his mind.
The Demon Blood Moon Eyes did not vanish.
The element itself was never erased.
It still exists somewhere within existence.
Waiting.
Dormant.
Hidden.
But no one had been able to resonate with it again.
Not until now...
...
Chris looks ahead, his expression becoming serious.
For the first time since entering the Zodiac Academy...
The mystery surrounding his clan no longer feels like an endless void.
There is a path.
A possibility.
And somewhere along that path...
Lies the forgotten power of the Moonstraught Clan.
Chris rises from his plinth.
His conclusion still echoes through his mind.
The Demon Blood Moon Eyes...
A Tanjō-born Life Attribute...
A forgotten Myojin...
The more he thinks about it, the more determined he becomes to uncover the truth behind his clan.
Without wasting another moment, he leaves the Scorpio Academy in search of more answers.
...
As Chris steps through the towering exit of the academy, he is once again reminded of the sheer magnificence of the Zodiac Academy itself.
The pathways stretching beyond the academy seem endless, extending across vast landscapes that could each pass for their own cities. White crystalline walkways, constructed and constantly maintained by swarms of generative nanobots, branch in countless directions, connecting the twelve academies like celestial arteries. Above them, ribbons of nanobots spiral gracefully through the air, rebuilding pathways, bridges, and platforms whenever students crossed them. The academy feels less like a school...
...and more like an entire civilization devoted to cultivating Zodicians.
Chris barely notices any of it.
His thoughts remain consumed by the mystery surrounding the Moonstraught Clan.
As he continues treading along the pathway...
Thud.
He collides shoulder-first with another Zodiacian.
The impact forces Chris backward.
The other Zodiacian barely moves.
Chris loses his balance completely and lands flat on the ground.
...
The Zodiacian slowly turns around.
It is the curly-top orange-haired Zodiacian who had questioned Instructor Ria about the repercussions of Tanjō.
The moment his eyes settle on Chris...
His expression changes instantly.
Annoyance.
Disgust.
Irritation.
"What the hell, asshole?"
His voice is deeper than the growl of a prowling tiger.
"Are your eyes fucking cranny or what?"
Chris plants his right foot firmly against the ground and pushes himself back onto his feet.
He brushes the dust from the back of his Chrono suit before looking up.
The height difference is immediately obvious.
Chris stands at six feet two inches.
The Zodiacian towers over him at six feet four inches.
Chris exhales quietly.
"Hey..."
"I'm sorry."
"I really didn't mean to."
"I wasn't paying attention."
His voice carries genuine remorse.
...
The curly-top Zodiacian says nothing at first.
Instead...
He slowly walks toward Chris.
One step.
Then another.
Until barely an inch separates them.
Chris has to tilt his head slightly upward to meet his gaze.
The Zodiacian looks down at him with the eyes of someone examining prey.
Without warning...
A mixture of dark brown and burnt orange aura begins seeping from both sides of his body.
The aura flows slowly at first before thickening into dense streams that coil around his arms like living smoke.
His already dark brown irises deepen further, becoming almost black beneath the pressure of his own aura.
The surrounding air grows noticeably heavier.
...
"I'll forgive you..."
He speaks slowly.
"This time."
His words are calm...
Yet somehow more threatening because of it.
Then...
He clenches his right fist.
The force alone causes the muscles in his forearm to tighten.
Veins immediately rise beneath his skin, wrapping around his hand like thick cords.
A faint cracking sound escapes from his knuckles.
A crooked smirk spreads across his face.
Chris notices something else.
His canines.
They are nearly two inches longer than his incisors.
Combined with the predatory smile...
The entity standing before him no longer resembles an ordinary student.
He resembles a hunter.
One born to dominate.
One that devours anything reckless enough to cross his path.
The Zodiacian leans in just enough for his shadow to fall across Chris.
"The next time you bump into me..."
He lets the sentence hang in the air.
His smirk widens.
"...will be your end."
Silence lingers between them.
The Zodiacian withdraws his aura as naturally as he had released it.
Without waiting for a response, he turns his back to Chris and calmly continues down the expansive pathway leading away from the Scorpio Academy.
His footsteps gradually disappear into the endless grounds of the Zodiac Academy.
Chris watches him leave.
The encounter lasts less than a minute...
Yet it leaves behind a lingering pressure that refuses to disappear.
Without another word, Chris steadies himself and resumes walking.
The mysteries surrounding his clan still outweigh every other distraction.
And somewhere within the endless academies stretching before him...
He is convinced the next answer awaits.
Chris pays no attention to the threat the curly-top Zodiacian had just made.
The words barely linger in his mind before they are swept away by something far more important.
His clan.
The Moonstraught Clan.
The forgotten Myojin.
Every step he takes is accompanied by another thought, another theory, another attempt to piece together everything he has learned.
For the first time in his life...
He feels as though he has finally found a pathway leading toward the truth.
That realization alone drives his mind to the very peak of its reasoning.
He carefully revisits every conclusion he had drawn inside the Scorpio Academy, refusing to rush his thoughts. Instead, he dissects them one by one, searching for flaws, missing links, and hidden meanings.
A Tanjō creates a new Life Attribute.
That attribute is refined.
The refinement gives birth to a Myojin.
Only the Moonstraught Clan could resonate with it.
The logic fits.
Yet something is still missing.
Chris narrows his eyes.
There are two missing pieces he cannot answer.
If the Moonstraught Clan had supposedly been annihilated...
...then why does the clan still exist today?
And...
If the Life Attribute was never destroyed...
...what form does it currently exist in?
Those two questions refuse to leave him.
He remembers every page of the ancient book almost perfectly.
Every sentence.
Every warning.
Every description.
He repeatedly arranges the information inside his mind, attempting to connect one piece to another.
But no matter how many times he reconstructs the sequence...
The final pieces refuse to fit.
Something...
Someone...
Or some event...
Is still missing from the story.
...
Then...
An idea flashes through his mind.
His eyes widen.
"Rhys..."
Without another thought, Chris immediately changes direction.
He breaks into a run.
...
The pathways of the Zodiac Academy stretch endlessly before him, connecting one magnificent district to another through colossal walkways maintained by countless nanobots. Above him, streams of shimmering machines continuously reconstruct bridges, reinforce pathways, and reshape the academy's architecture without interrupting the endless flow of Zodicians moving between academies.
Chris races across them without slowing.
As he leaves the Scorpio Academy district behind, the nanobots coating his Chrono suit begin shifting once more.
The deep purple coloration gradually dissolves.
Layer after layer...
The suit returns to its original pristine white.
His footsteps echo across the expansive pathway as he heads directly toward the Lyceum.
...
After several moments of running...
The familiar structure comes into view.
Even from a distance, the Lyceum radiates grandeur.
Its towering architecture overlooks an enormous gathering area where countless Cathedra’s have been elegantly erected by the academy's nanobots. Students occupy nearly every section, studying, conversing, or simply resting beneath the immense structure.
Chris scans the area.
Then...
He spots him.
Rhys.
Sitting casually at one of the corner Cathedras.
Without slowing down, Chris rushes toward him.
"Hey, Rhys!"
Chris calls out between breaths, panting heavily from the run.
Rhys immediately turns.
The moment he sees Chris struggling to catch his breath, a grin spreads across his face.
"Bro..."
He chuckles softly before standing.
"Chill."
"Take it easy."
"No one's chasing you."
Rhys places his right hand gently against the center of Chris's back, patting him a few times to help him steady his breathing.
His relaxed demeanor immediately eases some of Chris's tension.
"Here, bro."
"Take a seat and chillax."
"No one's after you."
Rhys says with an easy smile as he lightly guides Chris toward the nearby Cathedra.
Chris finally sits down, inhaling deeply before exhaling a long breath.
The exhaustion from running slowly begins to fade.
After a few moments, he looks back at Rhys with a grateful smile.
"Thanks, Rhys..."
"I already feel so much better."
He lets out another breath before continuing.
"It was honestly lucky you were here."
"You just saved me a whole lot of trouble."
"If you hadn't been here..."
"I would've had to search the entire Lyceum for you."
His voice still carries traces of exhaustion, but the urgency behind his words remains unmistakable.
Rhys laughs lightly.
"I figured it'd be something important."
Chris hesitates for only a second.
His thoughts immediately return to the Moonstraught Clan.
The ancient book.
The missing pieces.
He looks directly at Rhys.
"Hey, Rhys..."
His voice becomes noticeably more serious.
"Can I ask you something?"
Rhys doesn't hesitate.
His smile only widens.
"Go on."
"Anything for you Aniki-chan..."
He gives Chris his signature carefree grin.
Chris takes a slow breath before asking the question that has been lingering in his mind since Instructor Ria's lecture.
He looks directly at Rhys.
"I wanted to ask you about your clan's Myojin..."
"...the Aethel Links."
Chris's voice carries unmistakable eagerness.
He hopes Rhys can provide the missing piece that the ancient book could not.
...
The reaction is immediate.
Rhys' expression dims.
The carefree smile that had been resting on his face disappears almost instantly.
His playful energy...
His usual joking demeanor...
Everything seems to vanish with that single question.
A heavy silence settles between them.
Chris watches as Rhys lowers his gaze.
His aura, usually warm and energetic, becomes strangely cold.
Not physically freezing...
But emotionally distant.
The cheerful atmosphere surrounding him fades into an unsettling chill.
His jaw slowly tightens.
His teeth begin grinding against one another.
The faint sound makes Chris realize just how deeply the question has affected him.
For a brief moment...
Neither of them speaks.
...
Chris immediately regrets asking.
His shoulders lower slightly.
"Hey, Rhys..."
"I'm sorry."
"If I overstepped my boundaries..."
"You don't have to answer."
His voice carries genuine disappointment.
Not because his question went unanswered...
But because he never intended to hurt his friend's feelings.
...
Rhys remains silent.
He closes his eyes for a few seconds.
Then...
He takes a long, controlled breath.
The tension slowly leaves his shoulders.
When he opens his eyes again, the warmth that defines him has not fully returned...
But neither has the anger.
He looks at Chris.
"No..."
"It's alright."
A small smile returns to his face.
"I'll tell you."
He exhales quietly before continuing.
"After all..."
"You're my best friend."
Chris says nothing.
He simply listens.
...
Rhys leans back slightly against the Cathedra before beginning his story.
"Aethel Links..."
He pauses briefly.
"That's the Drack Clan's Myojin."
"According to my dad..."
"It was brought into existence through a technique called Zokusei."
His eyes drift into the distance as though recalling a story he had heard countless times growing up.
"It wasn't simply an element that already existed."
"It was created."
"A form of creating an entirely new element by using an existing emblem and platform..."
"...then aligning yourself completely with it."
Chris listens without interrupting.
Every sentence feels important.
Every word could be another missing piece.
Rhys continues.
"The Aethel Links were created by my family's bloodline."
"Zokusei requires a sacrifice."
"The part of your body where the element is destined to reside..."
"...must first be offered."
Chris' eyes narrow slightly.
A sacrifice...
Just as Instructor Ria had described.
Rhys nods faintly as though confirming Chris' thoughts.
"My dad told me it all began with one of our ancestors."
"A very distant one."
"He sacrificed both of his hands..."
"...because that was where the element was meant to live."
Chris unconsciously glances toward Rhys' hands.
The Aethel Links.
Living chains.
It suddenly makes perfect sense.
Rhys continues speaking.
"Back then..."
"Every member of the clan desired the element."
"So the head of our bloodline made a decision."
"He demanded that every single member of the clan offer one drop of their blood."
His voice grows quieter.
"That blood became the covenant."
"The promise."
"Anyone who contributed their blood..."
"...would be allowed to resonate with the element once it was born."
He pauses.
"But..."
His expression hardens.
"Those who refused..."
"...or failed to offer their blood..."
"...would perish the moment the element came into existence."
Silence follows.
Even Chris finds himself unable to speak.
The price is far greater than he expected.
Rhys slowly nods.
"That was the contract..."
"The head of my bloodline created."
"He sacrificed his hands..."
"He fulfilled every other requirement needed from his own body..."
"...and then..."
Rhys lowers his head.
"He added one final clause."
Chris waits.
Rhys' voice becomes almost a whisper.
"He sacrificed..."
"...his own life."
The words linger heavily between them.
"He offered his life so that every future descendant of our bloodline would possess the highest possible compatibility with the Aethel Links."
A faint smile appears on Rhys' face.
One filled with pride...
And sorrow.
"He fulfilled the ritual."
"The Aethel Links were finally born."
He closes his eyes.
"And..."
"He died."
Rhys takes another brief pause.
He leans back against the Cathedra, allowing the weight of the story to settle before continuing.
After a slow breath, he speaks again.
"The Aethel Links didn't just become an element..."
"They became part of the Drack Clan itself."
His eyes drift toward his own hands.
"The Aethel Links reside within the arms of those of the Drack bloodline, taking on the form and color of each person's Life Pulse energy."
Chris listens attentively, refusing to interrupt.
Every detail feels valuable.
Every sentence seems capable of filling another gap in his understanding.
Rhys continues.
"The structure of the element is made up of one massive coiled line, surrounded by straight vine-like emblems."
He raises one hand, tracing invisible patterns through the air as he explains.
"Each vine resembles a lightning-pulsed vein."
"They aren't ordinary vines."
"They look alive."
"They continuously carry flowing aura through their entire structure."
"The more the element is refined..."
"...the more vines it develops."
"And the longer those veins become."
He smiles faintly.
"Mastery determines everything."
...
Rhys lowers his hand.
"But that's only its appearance."
"The truly frightening part..."
"...is what it connects to."
Chris' attention sharpens.
Rhys speaks more slowly.
"The Aethel Link connects itself to the user's physical body..."
"...their mind..."
"...and even their verbal constituents."
Chris furrows his brows slightly.
Rhys notices.
"Think of it like this."
"When our ancestors offered their blood..."
"They didn't simply create an element."
"They gave it a foundation."
"Every member who willingly offered a drop of blood became part of that foundation."
His expression grows solemn.
"Those who tried to run..."
"Those who refused..."
"They were sacrificed."
The atmosphere around them grows noticeably heavier.
"And when the leader of my bloodline poured his own soul into the ritual..."
"...he gave the element something no ordinary Zokusei should possess."
Rhys pauses.
"A consciousness."
Chris' eyes widen slightly.
"A consciousness?"
Rhys nods.
"My dad always told me that consciousness is incredibly rare among elements born through Zokusei."
"But somehow..."
"Our ancestors succeeded."
"They created an element that thinks."
"One that learns."
"One that behaves like a living extension of its user."
He smiles quietly.
"My dad always says he hasn't even come close to mastering it."
"Not yet."
"But before he stopped teaching me..."
"He explained the three fundamental structures of the Aethel Links."
Rhys raises three fingers.
"Foundation."
"Surround."
"And..."
"Restructure."
...
He folds one finger down.
"Foundation."
"The first and most basic structure."
"It is the ability of the Aethel Links to obey the words of their user."
"It is also the element's original form."
Chris listens carefully.
"In its natural state..."
"The Aethel Link appears as a plain living chain."
"It emerges from an expanded aura pore located at the center of your back."
Rhys points behind himself.
"The aura first extends outward..."
"Then forms a circular pore above the extension."
"From that single opening..."
"The chains emerge."
"They begin as ordinary chains."
"Nothing special."
"But through constant growth..."
"Constant refinement..."
"And constant synchronization with their user..."
"They slowly abandon that simple appearance."
"They begin taking whatever form the user envisions."
"They evolve alongside the one who wields them."
...
Rhys folds another finger.
"The second structure..."
"...is Surround."
His eyes brighten slightly.
"My dad said this is where the Aethel Links become truly versatile."
"The chains themselves can be surrounded by other forms of energy."
"Other Life Attributes."
"Other powers."
Chris immediately imagines it.
Rhys nods.
"Someone using the Aries Sign could wrap the chains in flames."
"The chains would still retain every property of the Aethel Links..."
"...while gaining the destructive characteristics of fire."
"It isn't limited to flames."
"Whatever energy you possess..."
"The chains can become a vessel for it."
He leans slightly closer.
"And in the extremely rare case that someone possesses more than one Myojin..."
"...while still carrying the blood of the Drack Clan..."
"They may be able to merge those Myojins with the Aethel Links."
His voice carries unmistakable admiration.
"My dad said combinations like that become terrifying."
"They excel in offense..."
"Defense..."
"And support."
"A complete battlefield weapon."
...
Rhys lowers his final finger.
"The last structure..."
"...is Restructure."
His expression becomes more serious than ever before.
"As I told you..."
"The Aethel Links possess a consciousness."
"They're alive."
"They can think."
"They can respond."
"And just like any living being..."
"They won't give you everything immediately."
Chris remains silent.
Rhys continues.
"You can't force absolute loyalty."
"You have to earn it."
"You have to build trust."
"You have to build love."
"You have to create a bond so deep that your aura pulses begin resonating as one."
He places a hand over his chest.
"When your connection reaches that level..."
"The Aethel Links finally acknowledge you."
"And that's when..."
"They allow you to draw out more of their true power."
Rhys smiles faintly.
"At that point..."
"You gain the ability to completely reshape and rebuild the Aethel Links however you desire."
"The chains are no longer confined to their original structure."
"They can be reconstructed..."
"Remolded..."
"And redesigned entirely through your will."
He leans back against the Cathedra once more, letting out a quiet breath.
"My dad always told me..."
"That's what makes the Aethel Links one of the most formidable Myojins in existence."
"It isn't because of their strength alone."
"It's because..."
"They can change at will."
Rhys sits quietly for a few moments, allowing Chris to absorb everything he has just revealed.
Then he speaks again.
"The Aethel Links weren't created from nothing."
He lightly taps the Cathedra with one finger as he organizes his thoughts.
"They were created using Lithic Mass as their medium."
Chris immediately pays closer attention.
"Lithic Mass?"
Rhys nods.
"Yeah."
"With the aid of my bloodline's aura, Life Energy, and the sacrifice that formed the ritual, our ancestor was able to reshape Lithic Mass into what the Aethel Links have become today."
He slowly flexes his fingers.
"And because every clan member offered a drop of their blood..."
"...he was able to give the element a consciousness."
Chris' eyes narrow thoughtfully.
"So..."
"The skill actually stems from Lithic Mass?"
"Exactly."
Rhys smiles faintly.
"Simply put..."
"The Aethel Links are an extremely evolved and highly developed form of Lithic Mass."
"They've been refined generation after generation until they became something completely different."
"They're unique to only the Drack Clan."
"No one else can recreate them."
He pauses briefly before continuing.
"Other skills can still be derived from Lithic Mass because it's an Indigenous Element."
"But the Aethel Links..."
"They belong solely to our bloodline."
"So our true stem..."
"...is Lithic Mass."
...
Rhys finally breaks away from the lengthy explanation.
He exhales deeply before leaning back once more.
"There are still a lot of things I don't know about the Aethel Links."
"My dad never told me everything."
"But..."
"There is one thing I'm absolutely sure of."
Chris immediately looks back at him.
Rhys lowers his voice.
"I once read it in an Epigraph hidden inside my dad's sanctum."
Chris waits patiently.
"It mentioned a unique function possessed only by the Aethel Links."
Rhys' expression becomes unusually serious.
"It was called..."
"Overdrive."
The name alone carries an unsettling weight.
"My dad never explained it to me."
"But the Epigraph did."
"It said Overdrive is a state where the consciousness of the Aethel Links completely devours the consciousness of its own user."
Chris stiffens.
Rhys continues.
"It can be triggered by an overwhelming influx of emotions."
"Hatred."
"Despair."
"Grief."
"Rage."
"When those emotions exceed what the user can control..."
"...the consciousness of the Aethel Links takes over."
His voice grows quieter.
"The element completely consumes its wielder."
"And what remains..."
"...is no longer truly human."
"It becomes a dangerous epitome."
"One that continues killing..."
"...until someone finally kills it."
Silence settles between them.
After a moment, Rhys lets out an awkward laugh.
"Anyway..."
"My dad said it almost never happens."
"It's incredibly rare."
"I wanted to keep reading the Epigraph..."
"But before I could finish..."
"He caught me."
A faint smile appears.
"He snatched it away..."
"Then chased me straight out of his sanctum."
Rhys chuckles softly.
"I really do miss him."
For a brief moment...
The warmth returns to his face.
Then he shrugs.
"Yeah."
"I think that's practically everything I know about the Aethel Links for now."
...
Chris remains quiet.
Then...
He carefully asks another question.
"Hey..."
"I know I might be crossing my boundaries again..."
"...but..."
He hesitates.
"Why do you hate talking about it so much?"
"The topic genuinely pisses the hell out of you."
"It honestly surprised me."
His voice is filled with concern rather than curiosity.
...
The question lands heavily.
Rhys' entire body stiffens.
For a split second...
His eyes darken.
Chris can almost feel the anger surging through him.
But...
It is Chris asking.
Rhys closes his eyes.
He takes one slow breath.
Then another.
Little by little, he forces the anger back under control.
When he finally speaks...
His voice is quieter than before.
"My parents..."
"They don't know that I know."
Chris remains silent.
"They always told me..."
"My sister went to a special place."
Rhys gives a bitter smile.
"But..."
"I remember."
His gaze drifts into the distance.
"It isn't perfectly clear anymore."
"Most of it is blurry."
"But there are things I'll never forget."
His breathing becomes uneven.
"I remember..."
"An entity."
"It was completely wrapped in darkness."
"I couldn't see its face."
"I couldn't even tell what it was."
"Just..."
"Darkness."
His fists slowly tighten.
"I watched..."
"As that thing used the Myojin inside my sister's own blood..."
"...to rip her apart."
Chris' eyes widen.
Rhys' voice trembles slightly.
"Her Myojin..."
"It wasn't normal."
"The aura..."
"It wasn't aura anymore."
"It pulsed with a black energy."
"A color..."
"That aura should never possess."
He stares blankly at the ground.
"I watched..."
"As her blood was absorbed."
"Little by little..."
"Her body was decimated."
His voice nearly breaks.
"A thick black ooze..."
"Began dripping from her body."
His jaw clenches.
"Even now..."
"I still don't know what that thing was."
He slowly lifts his head.
"It all happened..."
"Around the same time my dad discovered the Void Graph."
Silence.
Then...
His expression changes completely.
His aura darkens.
Dark streams begin leaking from around his body.
His left hand slowly curls into a fist.
Veins rise beneath his skin, wrapping tightly around his fingers.
He bites down hard against his lower lip.
The fury burning within his eyes is impossible to hide.
Without warning...
BOOM!
Rhys slams his fist into the Lyceum wall.
The impact echoes throughout the enormous structure.
Fragments scatter outward before swarms of academy nanobots immediately surge forward, reconstructing the damaged section within seconds as though nothing had happened.
Rhys breathes heavily.
His voice is no longer calm.
"When I find that thing..."
He grits his teeth.
"I'll rip it..."
"...to shreds."
Chris doesn't hesitate.
He immediately reaches forward and firmly grabs Rhys' right arm.
Then he looks him directly in the eyes.
"Hey Buddy... look at me."
Rhys slowly turns his face. His eyes, which only moments ago burn with rage and grief, meet Chris's. The fury behind them has not vanished, but it hesitates, caught by the sincerity in Chris's gaze.
"We're in this together," Chris says quietly, refusing to look away. "We'll find that thing... and we'll rip it apart. We're together forever, and nothing will ever change that. I'll always be by your side."
For a brief moment, Rhys simply stares.
The rage that has wrapped itself around his aura begins to loosen.
The violent pressure surrounding him steadily dissolves into the air until only faint traces remain. His breathing becomes calmer. The veins that had bulged along his clenched fist gradually recede, and the tension in his shoulders melts away.
Slowly...
A smile begins finding its way back onto his face.
It is small.
Genuine.
And far warmer than before.
"Thanks, Chris," Rhys says, steering his eyes toward him. "You really are a good person."
Chris smiles in return.
Silence settles between them, but unlike before, it is no longer suffocating. It is comfortable.
The Lyceum's endless architecture surrounds them in quiet elegance. Gigantic pillars stretch upward until they disappear into the distant ceiling where countless nanobots drift like silent constellations, continuously maintaining every surface. Streams of white light flow gently through the transparent walls, illuminating the colossal Cathedra and the endless passageways beyond it. Even the silence itself feels alive, echoing softly through the immeasurable halls of the Zodiac Academy.
Chris eventually rises from the Cathedra.
"Hey Rhys, I need to get going. I have a lot to do. It was nice speaking to you."
Rhys nods.
"It was nice speaking to you too, bro."
Chris steps forward from the Cathedra and turns back one last time.
He raises a hand.
Rhys returns the gesture with a grin.
Chris answers with a bright smile before slipping both hands into the pockets of his Chrono Suit robe and quietly exits the Lyceum.
The corridors of the Zodiac Academy stretch endlessly before him.
Academies branch into academies.
Walkways merge into floating platforms.
Massive crystalline arches span across distances that seem impossible for a single institution to contain. Rivers of nanobots weave through the air like silver currents, repairing microscopic imperfections before they can even exist. Students travel along countless elevated paths, while distant academy towers disappear into the clouds, making the entire campus feel less like a school and more like an endless civilization built solely for the cultivation of Zodiacians.
Yet Chris barely notices any of it.
His thoughts drown out everything around him.
"Okay..."
"Let's try putting the pieces together."
His pace gradually slows.
"The Demon Blood Moon Eyes are either a Tanjō... or a Zokusei element."
Every word Instructor Ria speaks earlier begins replaying inside his head.
Every page of the ancient book resurfaces.
Every symbol.
Every sentence.
Every mystery.
"Considering its power scale..." he reasons, "if it is a Tanjō, then it should still exist somewhere... but only someone carrying the Moonstraught bloodline would be capable of embodying it."
His eyebrows tighten.
"And if it is a Zokusei..."
He pauses beneath one of the Academy's enormous suspended bridges.
"Then the medium used to create it must still exist."
His heart beats faster.
Another thought forms.
A more dangerous one.
"What if..."
He unconsciously stops walking.
"What if creating an entirely new life attribute from an existing Tanjō or Zokusei is actually possible?"
The idea refuses to leave him.
It grows.
Branches.
Connects itself to everything he has learned.
"If the original element still exists... but can no longer be completely embodied..."
"Then perhaps..."
"The energy released by that element could become the foundation for another life attribute entirely."
Chris's breathing becomes slower.
His mind races far faster than his body ever could.
Countless theories begin assembling themselves like pieces of an enormous puzzle.
"Wait..."
His pupils narrow.
"The book never said the Myojin was destroyed."
He remembers the exact wording.
"It said..."
"All traces were erased."
Not destroyed.
Erased.
Those two words suddenly feel completely different.
His heartbeat quickens again.
His mind instantly begins adding more pieces together.
"If it wasn't destroyed..."
"Then it has to exist somewhere."
He continues walking through the endless Academy pathways without realizing how far he has already travelled.
"What if..."
"With the death of that bloodline..."
"The element simply lost the link that allowed it to return to its creators?"
His thoughts begin tumbling over one another.
"So the book mentioned..."
"Light."
"Moon."
"Eyes."
He repeats each word slowly inside his head.
Almost tasting them.
Searching for a hidden meaning.
His entire hypothesis begins collapsing and rebuilding itself over and over.
He still lacks something.
One final connection.
One final answer.
"The closest connection I have..."
He exhales.
"…is moonlight."
He lifts his eyes instinctively toward the distant sky visible through the Academy's transparent ceiling.
"Moonlight only exists during the night..."
"A full moon..."
Another thought arrives almost immediately.
"Then..."
"There's also the lunar eclipse."
His breathing steadies.
Another missing piece clicks into place.
"Good..."
"One more piece found."
His thoughts dive even deeper.
He continues dissecting every possibility.
Every theory.
Every contradiction.
Determined to force the scattered fragments into a single conclusion.
Without realizing how much time has passed...
Chris eventually finds himself back at the dormitory.
The Academy's artificial daylight slowly fades as evening settles over the colossal campus.
The halls become quieter.
The flow of Zodiacians gradually decreases.
Chris enters the dorm room.
The moment he approaches his alcove, the Synaptic Configuration immediately recognizes both his fingerprints and aura signature.
Soft blue lines illuminate across the opaque borosilicate glass.
A quiet mechanical whisper follows.
The alcove unlocks automatically.
Its glass door slides open.
Warm white light spills from inside.
Chris steps in.
The interior adjusts perfectly around his body.
The thick Polartec and Lycra fibers gently conform to his frame while countless microscopic restoration pores prepare themselves beneath the surface.
The door seals shut behind him.
He closes his eyes.
For the first time all day...
He allows himself to rest.
A while passes.
The restoration nanobots complete their cycle.
Chris suddenly opens his eyes.
Sleep has refreshed his body...
But not his mind.
The questions remain.
If anything...
They have only grown louder.
He quietly steps out of the alcove.
The dormitory remains almost completely silent.
Most Zodiacians are already asleep inside their own alcoves while only the faint humming of distant nanobots fills the enormous building.
Chris leaves the dormitory and makes his way toward the Lyceum sub-building.
The Academy at night is breathtaking.
Towering structures shimmer beneath countless streams of artificial starlight while elevated bridges stretch endlessly between colossal academies. Rivers, gardens and crystalline pathways reflect the moon above, giving the impression that the Zodiac Academy itself has become part of the night sky.
As Chris approaches the sub-building...
He notices someone standing alone beneath the open heavens.
Long blue hair dances gently in the night breeze.
She says nothing.
She simply gazes upward...
At the stars.
"Hi, Cia. It's Chris," Chris says in a warm yet vigilant tone as he slowly approaches, careful not to disturb the serenity surrounding her.
Cia gently turns her head toward him. The silver glow of the moon washes across her face, giving her already delicate features an ethereal beauty. Her sky-blue hair, streaked with deeper ocean-blue strands, sways softly as the cool night breeze drifts through the endless avenues of the Zodiac Academy.
"Oh... hey, Chris. How have you been? It has been a while since we've spoken," Cia replies in her naturally chilly voice. Though her tone carries its usual coolness, there is a quiet softness hidden beneath it, one reserved only for those she considers close.
Chris smiles lightly before sitting a small distance from her.
"What are you doing here in the middle of the night?" he asks in a gleeful tone.
Cia slowly raises her eyes back toward the heavens.
"The stars..." she whispers.
"The stars give me a warm and special embrace that no other human can. Every time I see them... my heart brims with ecstasy."
Her gaze never leaves the sky.
The gentle sea breeze flowing throughout the enormous academy brushes through her long hair, causing each strand to sway gracefully like flowing water. Around the Lyceum's sub-building, silence reigns. It is not the silence of emptiness, but the silence of peace. Towering crystalline pillars shimmer beneath the moonlight, their polished surfaces reflecting countless stars. Far beyond them, colossal academy structures stretch into the distance, disappearing into the endless night like monuments built by the heavens themselves. Suspended pathways woven together by invisible nanobots emit faint silver streams of light, connecting one magnificent structure to another across the academy's immeasurable landscape.
The Zodiac Academy never truly sleeps.
Even at night, countless nanobots continue their silent duties, repairing pathways, polishing walls, maintaining the floating bridges, and preserving every magnificent structure until the academy seems less like a place built by humans and more like a civilization sculpted by existence itself.
Chris quietly sits beside Cia.
Neither of them speaks.
Neither of them needs to.
The peaceful silence filling the academy creates the perfect atmosphere for stargazing.
Chris slowly tilts his head upward.
At first, his eyes follow the countless stars scattered endlessly across the heavens.
Each one sparkles with a quiet brilliance, resembling tiny fragments of aura suspended within an infinite ocean of darkness.
Then...
His attention drifts.
His gaze slowly leaves the stars and settles upon something even more captivating.
The moon.
Its brilliant silver light pours across the sky like a celestial river, illuminating the vast academy beneath it. The enormous towers, floating platforms, distant academies, and towering Lyceums all become coated in pale moonlight, transforming the entire Zodiac Academy into something dreamlike.
Chris cannot look away.
His breathing slows.
His thoughts become silent.
The moon hangs high above everything, watching over the world with quiet elegance.
Its light reflects the brilliance of the unseen sun, piercing through the darkness of night without demanding attention.
It simply exists.
Beautiful.
Silent.
Endless.
Chris continues staring.
His focus sharpens until the rest of the academy seems to disappear entirely.
His eyes remain fixed upon the moon alone.
An unfamiliar warmth spreads throughout his body.
It is gentle.
Comforting.
Almost...
welcoming.
For a brief moment, it feels as though the moonlight itself is reaching toward him.
As though the silver radiance is embracing him.
As though something within that ancient light is quietly calling to him.
His heartbeat quickens.
Then...
Everything suddenly connects.
The scattered pieces of his hypothesis begin assembling themselves inside his mind.
Instructor Ria's lecture...
The ancient book hidden within the Bibliotheca...
The forgotten Moonstraught clan...
The forbidden Myojin...
Tanjō...
Zokusei...
Moonlight...
The final missing piece.
Chris's eyes widen.
His mind races faster than ever before.
"Instructor Ria..."
The realization strikes him with overwhelming clarity.
She is the one who unknowingly placed the final clue before him.
If anyone can help him verify his hypothesis...
If anyone can answer the final question surrounding his clan...
It is her.
Chris finally understands what he has to do.
Tomorrow...
He will meet Instructor Ria.
Only then can he discover whether his conclusion is correct.
Only then can he uncover the truth behind the Moonstraught clan's forgotten Myojin.
Chris slowly rises from beside Cia.
A warm, blithe smile forms across his face.
"It was nice talking with you," he says gently.
Cia turns toward him.
Although her expression barely changes, the faintest curve appears at the corner of her lips.
She gives him a small nod.
Chris returns the gesture before quietly walking away.
The moonlight follows him as he crosses the peaceful academy grounds once more.
The towering structures of the Zodiac Academy stand silently around him, stretching farther than the eye can perceive. Every polished pathway, every floating platform, every academy building, and every distant tower glows beneath the night's silver radiance, making the campus resemble an endless city built among the stars themselves.
Eventually, Chris reaches the dormitory.
As he approaches his alcove, its synaptic configuration immediately recognizes both his aura and fingerprints.
The opaque borosilicate glass softly dissolves apart.
The alcove opens.
Chris steps inside.
The moment he lies at its center, the interior nanobots awaken.
A gentle white mist composed of restorative nanobots envelops his body, repairing muscular fatigue, refining his mental state, and quietly increasing the efficiency of aura production throughout every cell within him.
The glass chamber seals shut once more.
Chris closes his eyes.
For the first time since entering the academy, the countless questions tormenting his mind no longer feel scattered.
He has found the final puzzle piece.
Tomorrow...
Everything begins.
Within moments, sleep overtakes him as the alcove continues its silent restoration throughout the night.
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