Moonborn: The Lost Legacy

The morning sun painted the sky in hues of gold as Keld, Elowen, and Cassian stood outside, ready to depart for Nishapith Academy. Their belongings were packed, their excitement barely contained as they waited for their transportation.

Keld, tapping his foot impatiently, turned to Ryulune. "So, how are we traveling? Car? Bike? Plane? Or maybe a magical dragon?"

Ryulune smirked. "You three will take the train."

Cassian blinked. "A train? But there are no tracks around here... Don't tell me it's going to fly?" He chuckled at his own joke—until Elowen gasped and pointed at the sky.

"Cassian… look." Her voice was filled with disbelief.

Cassian turned, only to see a massive train descending from the sky, steam hissing as it slowed to a hover. His jaw dropped. "You have got to be kidding me…"

Keld grinned. "So, the HSR Train is real."

The train landed with a thud that shook the ground. Ryulune gestured towards it. "Board the train and remember—give it your all in the exam."

With that, the trio stepped inside, taking their seats. The journey was smooth, almost too smooth. Keld, of course, slept the entire way.

When they finally arrived, Keld stretched and yawned. "That was a nice trip."

Elowen rolled her eyes. "You slept the whole time!"

Cassian, still in awe, muttered, "I still can't believe we traveled on a train that flies…"

They stepped out onto the bustling streets of Eldermere, the city surrounding Nishapith Academy. Towering structures, floating platforms, and enchanted lanterns lined the streets. The energy of the place was overwhelming.

Keld clapped his hands together. "Alright! First stop—academy registration. Then, we explore the city!"

Cassian hesitated. "Uh… where exactly is Nishapith Academy?"

Keld shrugged. "No clue."

Elowen sighed. "Give me the map Ryulune gave us."

Keld scratched his head. "I gave it to Cassian."

Cassian blinked. "No, you didn't. I gave it to Elowen."

Elowen narrowed her eyes. "Me? When?"

Cassian crossed his arms. "When you said you wanted to mark important places."

Elowen paled. "Oh… right. But after that, I—" Her eyes widened. "Where did I put the map?!"

Keld and Cassian facepalmed. "You lost it?!"

Elowen panicked, racking her brain. "I left it beside me on the train!"

Keld groaned. "Well, that's just great! Let's go back and find it."

Cassian shook his head. "The train already left."

Keld exhaled sharply. "Now what?"

Elowen straightened up. "Simple. We ask for directions."

After a few wrong turns and some very confusing directions, they finally reached Nishapith Academy. A grand structure with massive gates, magical runes floating above them. They hurried inside and registered, securing rooms at an inn for their stay.

The next morning, dressed and ready, they arrived for the entrance exam. As they received their numbers, Keld noticed something odd.

"Why is our number yellow? Everyone else's is white."

Elowen frowned. "I don't know… but I feel like everyone is watching us."

Cassian nodded. "Yeah… and not in a good way."

Before they could figure it out, a group of arrogant nobles approached. One of them, with a smug expression, stepped forward.

"You country bumpkins, switch your numbers with us."

Keld crossed his arms. "Sorry, not interested."

Elowen and Cassian turned to leave, but the nobles quickly surrounded them.

The leader scoffed. "You think you can just walk away?"

Keld locked eyes with him. "Yeah, actually. That's exactly what we're doing."

The noble sneered. "How dare you, filthy commoners! Do you even know who we are?!"

Elowen smirked. "Not interested, pig-ball."

The noble's face turned red with anger. "How dare you call me that?! My father owns this land!"

Cassian nodded. "Oh, thanks for telling us. Now, can we go?"

The noble gritted his teeth. "Not so fast. If you had just given me your badges, I would have let you go. But now… I want something else."

Keld's hands clenched into fists. (Ryulune told me not to start a fight with nobles. If he hadn't… I'd already have punched this guy.)

The noble's eyes drifted toward Elowen, his gaze predatory. "You… you have a nice body. Why don't you come with me? Maybe then I'll let your friends go."

Time seemed to freeze.

Keld's expression darkened. His body radiated an overwhelming aura of fury. A sharp, oppressive killing intent spread through the academy grounds. The air turned heavy, and every student in the area froze in terror. Even the noble took a step back, his face going pale.

Then, a crushing force descended upon them.

BAM!

Every noble in the area was slammed to the ground, unable to move under the sheer pressure of Keld's rage. Blood trickled from their noses and mouths as the weight intensified.

Keld's eyes glowed with an eerie light. (Ryulune also said—if someone crosses the line… show them what I am.)

He took a slow step forward, the pressure doubling. The noble trembled, unable to speak.

Keld's voice was cold. "So… what were you saying? Something about your father?"

The noble whimpered.

Keld leaned in, his voice a whisper. "If your father is that great… tell him to fix your hands."

With a swift motion, Keld grabbed the noble's wrists and—

CRACK!

A scream echoed through the academy as Keld tore the noble's hands apart, his body hitting the floor like a ragdoll.

The air in the academy trembled as Keld's killing intent surged like a raging storm, spreading so far and wide that even the professors at Nishapith Academy sensed it. Professor Yan, one of the strongest instructors, immediately rushed to the main hall, followed closely by the other top professors, expecting an attack on the academy.

But what they found instead was a single student—the source of that overwhelming, suffocating presence.

Yan stepped forward cautiously, his eyes locking onto Keld. "Enough. Stop this at once!"

But Keld, his eyes still burning with fury, barely acknowledged him. "Wait." His voice was cold, dangerous. "I'm not done talking." His foot moved forward, his intent still pressing down on everyone in the vicinity.

Yan narrowed his eyes. "If you don't stop now, you'll kill innocent students who had nothing to do with this. Look around you, Keld."

At that moment, Elowen placed a gentle yet firm hand on Keld's shoulder. "Keld, he said those words to me. Let me handle this."

Keld's eyes flickered, his rage momentarily subsiding. "Are you sure?"

Elowen nodded. Taking a deep breath, Keld finally retracted his killing intent and took a step back.

Yan exhaled in relief. "Thank you, child. You may have just saved many lives." He then turned to his fellow professors. "Take that boy to the clinic. His hands have been… torn apart."

As the wounded noble was being carried away, Elowen suddenly called out. "Wait."

Everyone turned to look at her.

She smiled—an unsettling, almost sadistic smile. "He insulted me, not Keld. That means my part is still left."

Without waiting for a response, she conjured a flaming missile in her palm. Before anyone could react, she hurled it straight at the noble's leg.

BOOM!

The noble let out a blood-curdling scream as his leg was engulfed in flames. "Now you can go." Elowen's voice was sweet, almost playful, but the glint in her eyes was anything but.

Cassian sighed. "You two do realize we have to meet Ryulune after the exam, right?"

A dreadful silence fell upon them.

Then, realization struck.

Keld and Elowen paled. "Cassian, please don't tell him!" they begged, bowing their heads in unison.

Cassian smirked. "Relax. I'll just say it was self-defense."

Keld and Elowen clapped his back. "You're the best!"

Just then, Professor Jack stormed towards them, his face twisted with fury. "What the hell do you three think you're doing?! I know you're special students, but this—this is unacceptable! You've crossed the line! I am canceling your exam!"

A wave of panic washed over them.

Keld groaned. "We're doomed." His mind raced to the one person they feared the most. "I don't know about you two, but Ryulune is definitely going to make me suffer for this."

The trio shared a nervous glance, their bodies stiff with terror.

But then—a voice rang out.

"There's no need to cancel their exam."

A woman stepped forward, her presence commanding instant respect.

Keld's eyes widened slightly as he stared at her. (She looks familiar… Where have I seen her before?)

Jack turned to her, still fuming. "Headmaster, they nearly killed everyone here!"

The headmaster remained calm. "That was not their intention. They acted out of self-defense. You, of all people, should know that incidents like this happen everywhere."

Jack hesitated. "But, Headmaster—"

"We don't have all day." Her tone was final. "Return to your duties."

Jack clenched his fists but eventually sighed. "Understood."

Keld observed her closely. (She's the only one in this academy who knows my true identity.)

The headmaster then turned to them. Her gaze was sharp but not unkind. "Do not repeat this mistake. This time, I'll ignore it. Next time, I won't."

The trio immediately bowed. "Thank you!"

As their names were called, they exchanged glances.

"All the best."

With that, they stepped into the exam hall, ready to face the next challenge.