Northern gripped the airship's wheel, guiding it through the dark clouds at breathtaking speed. He could control the vessel with mere thought—his mind linked directly to the Tower—but where was the joy in that? Playing air sailor felt infinitely better.
The clouds parted as they surged forward. Northern spotted the Academy's island in the distance, wrapped in a crimson shroud that twisted like smoke. The ominous sight made his chest tighten.
Others couldn't see what he saw of course, he had special eyes. Instructors stood scattered across the deck, shoulders rigid with tension. Student council members took positions at different corners, their faces carved from stone.
Even with the Tower's incredible speed, Northern figured they needed several dozen minutes before reaching the Academy. The journey used to take nearly a full day by conventional flight.
The Tower's unmatched velocity helped tremendously, but limits existed. The island sat far from Verulania—across the continent from Reimgard, which controlled the seas connecting the Northern and Eastern continents to the Central Plains.
This location also bordered the Protector's Barrier. The ice wall, formed by Rughsbourgh, that shielded the continent from the monsters lurking in the Dark Continent and the treacherous waters beyond.
Northern stared ahead, his expression sharp with focus. Footsteps approached from behind.
A young woman with short white hair paused beside him, uncertainty flickering in her eyes.
"Hey..."
Northern's gaze lingered on the horizon before he turned, blinking as if surfacing from deep water.
"Oh, hey... hi."
Nyssira tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her smile soft but fragile.
"I never said... thank you... for saving me."
Northern's laugh came short and easy.
"You don't need to. I'd have done that for anyone. It's not duty—I'm just learning that if I can do something, I should."
Nyssira studied him for several heartbeats, then looked down, still smiling.
"That's a wonderful lesson. But sometimes, don't we get trapped? By morals, responsibilities, the weight of our choices... what those consequences might cost us?"
Northern's face scrunched as the words hit him. He'd barely figured out one truth, and now another wall rose to block his path.
Silence stretched between them. He wrestled with her question, turning it over like a puzzle piece that wouldn't fit.
Finally, he sighed.
"You know what? I'll worry about that later. At least I'll know I did what felt right."
She blinked, surprise lighting her features.
"You're quite the simpleton, aren't you?"
Northern's frown came swift and sharp.
"Watch how you use that word. Someone else might take it wrong. They could get hurt."
Color flooded Nyssira's cheeks. She stepped back, hands fluttering.
"Ah! No, I'm sorry, I didn't mean—"
Northern's smile cut through her panic like sunlight breaking clouds. The expression transformed his face completely. His white hair caught the night's subtle glow, seeming to shimmer with its own light. His blue eyes sparkled with warmth—the whole effect achingly beautiful, almost angelic.
Nyssira fell silent, her breath catching in her throat.
Northern's grin lingered after his brief smile.
"I was joking with you. Or maybe not. Either way, it's fine by me."
She stared at him for a long moment, lost in thought, before snapping back to reality.
"Uh? Ah, yes!"
Northern watched her with raised eyebrows, then slowly shook his head.
More footsteps approached. Ellis nodded respectfully to the young lady before taking his place beside Northern, silence stretching between them.
Northern glanced at the lean boy, noting his dark eyes—surprisingly tender for someone so guarded.
He grinned.
"I heard you cried. Did you really think I'd die that easily?"
Ellis chuckled, crossing his arms.
"Of course not. Why would I waste precious tears on some clones?"
His frown appeared almost instantly.
"But since when can you use clones?"
Nyssira had drifted away by now, positioning herself at the ship's opposite edge to stare into the dark horizon.
Northern shrugged.
"I've always been able to use clones."
Ellis's jaw dropped.
"Whaaaat? Really?"
He counted on his fingers.
"You can tame monsters, you're incredibly fast, you can control fire and ice, you're stronger than anyone, and you can fly! Where did all this come from? What exactly is your talent?"
Northern's grin widened as he looked at his friend.
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
Ellis's expression hardened.
"Try me."
Northern studied him carefully, then smiled and faced forward.
After a moment, his voice cut through the space between them, barely above a whisper.
"I can permanently copy people's talents."
Ellis stared at him with a blank expression.
Northern glanced sideways to gauge his friend's reaction. The guy just stood there, eyes unchanged, completely unmoved.
He'd expected something more... dramatic.
Ellis exhaled and scratched his head.
"Well, I wasn't really expecting you to tell me your talent anyway. I get why people guard that information, and I won't ask you to do something you don't want to. I'm only asking because I thought maybe we were close enough, you know... you didn't have to lie if you didn't want to share."
Northern faced forward and sighed, his eyes drooping halfway in a lazy, tired expression.
'What was I expecting?'
Ellis frowned and started to turn away when he suddenly froze.
Northern's eyes widened at the same instant.
He lunged for the wheel, spinning it with terrifying speed. The ship's bow swung hard to the side.
A heartbeat later—barely that—another vessel crashed into them. This ship, crafted from strange dark and crimson alloy, shattered the concrete around their bow region like glass.
The metal ship drove forward with relentless force. It bore an eerie resemblance to Northern's vessel, only this one radiated menace. On its deck sat a black and red pagoda, twisted and ominous against the night sky.
The pagoda bore a crimson door, and before it stood a man draped in black garments that hung loose around his frame. Other figures in dark clothing worked the ship's controls while more brandished curved swords and wicked weapons, their faces turned rigid, their muscles coiled like springs ready to strike.
Northern studied the attackers for several heartbeats. Then his expression darkened.
He recognized them all. Especially the man.
That crafty bastard who'd slipped through his fingers when hijackers attacked his ship bound for Arcadia.
A grin split Northern's face despite the danger.
'Damn... I was really hoping he'd show up when I could actually copy that talent of his.'