The academy had become quieter after the recent incidents.
Not peaceful.
Just quieter.
The kind of silence that made people uncomfortable.
After dinner, students slowly returned to their dorms while teachers continued discussing security measures around the academy. Ever since Dawn Kingdom returned, strange things had been happening continuously. Even though everyone tried acting normal, the atmosphere around the academy still felt heavy.
The long hallways were colder than usual.
The students laughed less.
And nobody stayed outside too late anymore.
That night, Lucy was sitting near one of the academy balconies with a student from Dawn Kingdom. The academy lights softly glowed around them while cold wind moved through the open corridors.
Lucy smiled lightly.
"So… how was Dawn Kingdom before all this happened?"
The student looked at her quietly for a moment before answering.
"It was peaceful."
His voice sounded strangely empty.
Lucy noticed it immediately.
Still, she continued talking naturally.
"You guys trained together every day?"
The student nodded slowly.
"Yes."
Lucy tried making the conversation lighter.
"You all really scared everyone when you disappeared, you know."
For a moment, the student simply stared at the floor.
Then he smiled.
But something about that smile felt wrong.
Not fake.
Not forced.
Just… empty.
Lucy felt uncomfortable without understanding why.
The student suddenly leaned slightly closer.
And whispered:
"You should run before he wakes up."
Lucy froze instantly.
Coldness ran through her body.
"What…?"
But immediately—
the student smiled normally again.
Like nothing had happened.
"Hm?"
Lucy stared at him in confusion.
"You just said—"
But the student tilted his head.
"Said what?"
Lucy could not answer.
Because now he looked completely normal again.
Like the creepy whisper had never happened.
A strange silence filled the balcony.
Lucy slowly stood up.
"…I should go."
The student nodded politely.
"Goodnight."
Lucy walked away quickly while her heartbeat grew faster.
Something was seriously wrong.
The next morning, Lucy immediately told David, Daniel, and Mary everything.
"What do you mean he suddenly whispered it?" Daniel asked seriously.
Lucy crossed her arms uneasily.
"I'm telling you, his expression completely changed."
"It felt… creepy."
David stayed unusually quiet while thinking deeply.
Then he finally spoke.
"We need to get closer to Dawn Kingdom."
Mary looked toward him.
"You think they know something?"
David shook his head slowly.
"No."
"I think something happened to them."
Silence filled the room for a moment.
Finally Daniel nodded.
"Then we'll investigate quietly."
Lucy sighed softly.
"Hopefully without getting ourselves killed."
Daniel gave a tired smile.
"No promises."
For the next few days, they slowly started spending more time around Dawn Kingdom students.
Not suspiciously.
Just naturally.
Lucy talked casually with some students during meals.
David observed their behavior carefully.
Daniel mostly stayed quieter than usual, but he still joined them occasionally.
And Mary paid attention to details others ignored.
That was when she noticed it.
During afternoon break, one Dawn Kingdom girl moved her hair aside for a moment while drinking water.
And for just one second—
Mary saw something strange behind her neck.
Three small black dots connected like a triangle.
A mark.
Mary's eyes narrowed immediately.
The girl quickly covered it again.
Almost like she was hiding it.
Mary quietly stared at her for a few moments before walking away.
Later that evening, she found Daniel and David near the training hall.
"I found something."
Both immediately looked serious.
"What?" David asked.
Mary lowered her voice.
"There's a mark behind one of the Dawn Kingdom students' necks."
Daniel frowned.
"What kind of mark?"
"Three black dots," Mary replied quietly.
"Connected together."
David's expression changed instantly.
"You think it means something?"
Mary nodded slowly.
"She tried hiding it."
Silence filled the area.
Then Mary looked toward David.
"You check the boys."
David nodded immediately.
"I'll try."
Mary continued:
"I'll observe the girls more carefully."
Then she turned toward Daniel.
"And you…"
Daniel looked at her.
"Rest."
Daniel blinked slightly.
Mary crossed her arms.
"You already overloaded your powers enough."
"We're investigating, not fighting."
Daniel sighed quietly but nodded.
"Fine."
Over the next two days, David and Mary quietly continued their investigation.
And what they discovered made everything worse.
Every Dawn Kingdom student had the mark.
Every single one.
Some tried hiding it naturally.
Some did not even seem aware of it.
But the mark existed on all of them.
Three connected black dots.
Exactly the same.
David sat silently beside Mary and Daniel later that night.
"This can't be coincidence."
Mary nodded quietly.
"It looks almost like a seal."
Daniel stayed silent while thinking deeply.
Then he finally spoke.
"What if they're being controlled somehow?"
Nobody answered immediately.
Because deep down—
they were all thinking the same thing.
Meanwhile, teachers had also started investigating secretly.
Inside the academy security room, several teachers watched damaged forest camera footage repeatedly.
The screens glitched constantly.
Static covered most recordings.
Some cameras showed only darkness.
Others stopped working completely after the attack began.
One teacher sighed heavily.
"This footage is useless."
Mr. Stone crossed his arms while staring at one screen carefully.
"Wait."
The teacher paused the footage.
Static flickered across the screen.
Then—
for only a few seconds—
figures appeared inside the forest.
Dawn Kingdom students.
Walking together.
Following someone deeper into the woods.
But the strangest part—
they did not look kidnapped.
They were calmly walking forward themselves.
Like they were following someone willingly.
The footage suddenly glitched again before turning black.
Silence filled the room.
One teacher whispered:
"What the hell happened to those children?"
Mr. Stone's expression became darker.
Because now—
even he was starting to realize this situation was far more dangerous than they thought.
That same night, Daniel could not sleep properly.
Ever since training with Thrones' power, strange feelings had started growing inside him.
Sometimes he felt watched.
Sometimes he heard whispers.
And sometimes—
he genuinely felt afraid of himself.
Eventually, exhaustion pulled him into sleep.
And then—
the dream began.
Daniel stood inside complete darkness.
Cold wind moved around him while black smoke filled the sky.
At first, he could not understand where he was.
Then slowly—
he saw it.
The academy.
Destroyed.
Buildings burned under dark red flames.
The ground was covered in cracks and broken weapons.
Students were screaming.
Teachers were fighting desperately.
Everywhere Daniel looked—
there was chaos.
Blood.
Smoke.
Darkness.
Daniel's breathing became heavier.
"No…"
Then he saw Mary.
She was kneeling on the ground, injured badly.
Tears filled her eyes.
In her trembling hands was a silver ring.
She looked directly at him.
"Daniel…"
Her voice sounded broken.
"You have to save everyone…"
Behind her, students continued falling one after another.
The entire academy looked like it was dying.
"Everyone is dying…"
Mary's voice trembled.
"Please… do something…"
Daniel stepped backward in horror.
"No…"
Suddenly black energy exploded around him.
His own hands were covered in darkness.
The sword in his hand no longer looked normal.
It looked monstrous.
Alive.
And then—
he realized something terrifying.
Everyone around him was afraid of him.
Not the ghosts.
Him.
Daniel's breathing became uneven.
"No… no… NO!"
Suddenly—
he woke up.
Daniel sat up violently while breathing heavily.
Sweat covered his body.
The room was dark and silent.
Only moonlight entered through the window.
For several seconds, he could not move.
The dream felt too real.
Too detailed.
His hands were still trembling.
Slowly, he looked toward them.
Normal.
No black energy.
No destruction.
Just silence.
Daniel lowered his head quietly.
"…What was that?"
But deep inside—
he already feared the answer.
And for the first time in a long while—
Daniel became truly afraid of Thrones.