Chapter 66 — The Other Half
The alarm continued to echo through the Academy.
Azrael ran.
He didn’t stop to ask where the instructors were going.
He didn’t stop to wonder who had attacked.
Something inside him was pulling him toward the Golden Sanctuary.
The white stone in his hand grew warmer with every step.
Lyra clung tightly to his shoulder, her six tails raised.
"Where is she?" Azrael whispered.
The System answered.
"Resonance Link: Seraphina"
Connection unstable.
Distance cannot be calculated.
Azrael’s expression hardened.
Something happened to her.
He pushed his speed higher.
His footsteps thundered through the corridor.
A group of students moved out of his path.
One recognized him.
"Isn’t that—"
Azrael didn’t hear the rest.
He reached the central transportation platform.
Several portals were already active.
An instructor blocked his path.
"Stop!"
Azrael immediately halted.
"What happened?"
"The Sanctuary is under lockdown."
"Seraphina is there."
The instructor’s expression changed.
"How do you know?"
"I can feel her."
The instructor stared at him.
Before he could respond, the entire platform shook.
BOOM!
A shockwave traveled through the Academy.
The portal leading toward the Golden Sanctuary flickered.
Azrael looked at it.
"If that portal closes..."
"You won’t be able to reach her."
Azrael stepped forward.
"Then open it."
"I can’t."
"Why?"
"The other side is unstable."
Azrael’s eyes became cold.
"Then I’ll stabilize it."
He raised his hand.
The white stone floated above his palm.
Silver light spread through the portal.
The unstable space immediately settled.
The instructor stared in disbelief.
"What did you just do?"
Azrael didn’t answer.
He stepped through.
The Golden Sanctuary was in chaos.
Students were being evacuated from the outer courtyards.
Defensive formations covered the sky.
Elder Solis stood before the massive crack that had appeared above the Sanctuary.
Caelan remained beside Seraphina.
She was staring at the empty sky.
"He knew about us."
Caelan looked at her.
"Who?"
"The man who appeared."
"What did he mean by ’the other half’?"
Seraphina shook her head.
"I don’t know."
Her voice became quieter.
"But when he said it..."
She pressed a hand against her chest.
"I remembered something."
Caelan’s expression changed.
"What?"
"A voice."
"Whose?"
Seraphina closed her eyes.
"A man."
Then she whispered:
"Run."
A sharp pain suddenly struck her head.
She staggered.
Caelan caught her.
"Seraphina!"
Golden energy erupted from her body.
Her wings appeared.
Then disappeared.
Then appeared again.
The energy fluctuated violently.
Elder Solis noticed immediately.
"Everyone back!"
The disciples retreated.
Seraphina’s aura continued rising.
Not because she was intentionally releasing power.
Something inside her was responding.
Her golden wings began changing.
The feathers at their edges turned slightly silver.
Then black.
Seraphina’s eyes widened.
"What is happening to me?"
Elder Solis moved closer.
"Don’t resist."
"I’m not doing this!"
"I know."
He raised his hand.
"Your bloodline is reacting to something."
Seraphina looked at him.
"To what?"
Solis’ expression became serious.
"Your brother."
Silence.
Seraphina froze.
"Azrael?"
Solis nodded.
"Their resonance is connected."
Caelan looked toward the sky.
"So the attack disturbed both of them."
"Yes."
Solis stared at Seraphina.
"And whatever is happening..."
His voice became quieter.
"...has probably been waiting for a very long time."
The portal suddenly opened.
Azrael stepped through.
His eyes immediately found Seraphina.
"Seraphina!"
She turned.
Their eyes met.
For several seconds, neither moved.
Then—
The resonance between them exploded.
BOOM!
Golden and silver energy spread across the courtyard.
The surrounding students were pushed backward.
Azrael immediately rushed toward her.
Seraphina did the same.
They stopped only a few steps apart.
"Are you alright?"
"I’m fine."
"Are you sure?"
She nodded.
Then she looked at him carefully.
"You changed."
Azrael smiled faintly.
"So did you."
Seraphina looked down at her hands.
"I saw something."
"So did I."
Their expressions became serious.
"You first," Azrael said.
Seraphina hesitated.
"I remembered us."
Azrael’s smile disappeared.
"Us?"
"Not here."
She looked toward the sky.
"Somewhere else."
Azrael’s heart tightened.
"I saw a burning world."
Seraphina looked at him.
"So did I."
"I saw wings."
"So did I."
"I heard someone telling me to run."
Seraphina’s eyes widened.
"Mine too."
They stared at each other.
For the first time, they realized their memories weren’t separate.
They were fragments of the same event.
Elder Solis approached.
"Both of you."
Azrael looked at him.
"What?"
"Don’t try to force the memories."
"Why?"
"Because they’re sealed for a reason."
Azrael’s expression hardened.
"We deserve to know."
Solis nodded.
"You do."
He looked toward the damaged sky.
"But knowing something before you’re ready can be more dangerous than not knowing it."
Azrael clenched his fist.
"I’ve heard that before."
Seraphina glanced at him.
"From your master?"
"Yes."
Solis’ eyes narrowed.
"Your master?"
Azrael nodded.
"The old man beyond the Thirteenth Gate."
Solis became unusually quiet.
"You met him?"
"Yes."
"Did he tell you his name?"
Azrael shook his head.
"No."
Solis looked away.
"Then perhaps it’s better that way."
Azrael noticed the reaction.
"You know him."
Solis didn’t answer.
Before Azrael could press further—
A voice echoed through the Sanctuary.
"Enough secrets."
Everyone looked upward.
A black portal had opened above the central courtyard.
The same mysterious figure appeared.
The stranger looked directly at the twins.
"You’re finally together."
Azrael drew Astraeus.
Seraphina summoned her golden blade.
Caelan stepped beside them.
Elder Solis raised his hand.
"Identify yourself."
The stranger ignored him.
His attention remained on Azrael and Seraphina.
"You’ve both grown."
Azrael’s eyes narrowed.
"Who are you?"
The stranger smiled.
"Someone who remembers what you have forgotten."
Seraphina stepped forward.
"Then tell us."
The stranger laughed.
"Not yet."
Azrael’s grip tightened.
"Why?"
"Because your memories aren’t the only thing that was sealed."
The stranger’s gaze became colder.
"Your true power was sealed with them."
The courtyard went silent.
The System appeared before Azrael.
"Unknown Bloodline Reaction Detected"
Resonance with Seraphina: 47%
Sealed Origin Layer detected.
Current awakening: 0.01%
Warning: Further synchronization may trigger forced evolution.
Azrael stared at the screen.
Seraphina suddenly looked at him.
"You saw it too?"
Azrael nodded.
"Yes."
The stranger smiled.
"Now you understand."
He slowly raised his hand.
"Your evolution has only just begun."
A black symbol appeared behind him.
The air became heavy.
Elder Solis stepped forward.
"You will not touch my disciples."
The stranger smiled.
"I don’t need to."
His eyes shifted toward the twins.
"They’ll come to me themselves."
Azrael’s expression hardened.
"Don’t count on it."
The stranger laughed.
"Then grow stronger."
The portal began closing.
"Because the next time we meet..."
His final words echoed across the Sanctuary.
"...I won’t come to speak."
The portal vanished.
Silence returned.
Azrael lowered Astraeus.
Seraphina looked at him.
"What do we do now?"
Azrael looked toward the sky.
Then toward his brotherly connection with her.
"We train."
She smiled.
"Together?"
Azrael nodded.
"Together."
Caelan looked at them.
"That sounds dangerous."
Seraphina smiled.
"It probably is."
Azrael laughed.
"Then we should be ready."
Far away, in a place hidden beyond the Academy’s perception, the mysterious stranger stood before a massive black throne.
Another figure knelt before him.
"Did they awaken?"
The stranger shook his head.
"Not yet."
"Then why retreat?"
The stranger smiled.
"Because forcing them would be pointless."
He looked toward the distant Academy.
"They need to choose it themselves."
The kneeling figure lowered his head.
"And if they refuse?"
The stranger’s smile disappeared.
"Then we remind them..."
"...why their memories were sealed in the first place."
Back inside the Golden Sanctuary, Azrael and Seraphina stood side by side.
Neither knew what their past contained.
Neither knew who had sealed their memories.
Neither knew why someone feared their awakening.
But one thing had changed.
They were no longer walking separate paths.
For the first time since entering the Academy...
The twins were going to train together.
And somewhere beyond the realms, something ancient noticed.
The two halves had finally reunited.