Chapter 67 — Twin Paths
The training courtyard had finally fallen silent.
The strange visitor was gone.
The crack in the sky had disappeared.
Yet nobody relaxed.
The disciples remained scattered across the courtyard while the instructors repaired the damaged formations.
Seraphina stood beside Azrael.
For several moments, neither spoke.
Then she looked at him.
"So..."
Azrael glanced at her.
"So?"
"We’re training together."
He smiled.
"Apparently."
She folded her arms.
"You’ve become more confident."
"I’ve become more tired."
Seraphina laughed.
"That sounds like you."
Caelan watched them from nearby.
"You two really are siblings."
Azrael raised an eyebrow.
"What gave it away?"
"The way you argue without actually arguing."
Seraphina smiled.
"We’ve been doing that since we were children."
Caelan’s expression softened.
"Then you should probably start training."
Azrael looked at him.
"You’re joining us?"
"If Elder Solis allows it."
A voice came from behind them.
"He does."
Elder Solis approached.
"The three of you will train together."
Seraphina looked surprised.
"Three?"
Solis nodded.
"Caelan understands the Sanctuary better than either of you."
He looked toward Azrael.
"And you understand things he doesn’t."
Then his gaze settled on Seraphina.
"As for you..."
Seraphina waited.
"You possess an unusual ability to influence energy without forcing it."
Solis turned toward the damaged courtyard.
"If you combine those strengths properly..."
His expression became serious.
"...you may discover something none of you could achieve alone."
Azrael’s eyes brightened.
"A combined technique?"
"Perhaps."
Solis shook his head.
"But don’t rush toward creating one."
"Why?"
"Because you’re still learning how to fight as individuals."
He pointed toward the training arena.
"Before you learn to fight together..."
"You must understand how the other person fights."
Azrael nodded.
That made sense.
Real cooperation wasn’t simply attacking at the same time.
It required timing.
Trust.
Awareness.
And knowing what the other person would do before they did it.
Solis raised his hand.
"The first exercise is simple."
He pointed toward three wooden pillars.
"Cross the arena."
Azrael looked at the empty arena.
"That’s it?"
"No."
The ground suddenly opened.
Three mechanical constructs rose from beneath it.
Each was humanoid.
Each carried a different weapon.
One held a spear.
One carried two short blades.
The third wielded a heavy hammer.
Solis stepped back.
"Defeat them."
Seraphina drew her sword.
Azrael smiled.
"Finally."
Solis immediately added:
"Without using your strongest abilities."
Azrael’s smile disappeared.
"Of course."
Seraphina laughed.
"You really thought it would be easy?"
"No."
Azrael raised Astraeus.
"I was hoping."
Caelan took his spear.
"Ready?"
Seraphina nodded.
Azrael nodded.
The constructs activated.
CLANG!
The spear wielder moved first.
It didn’t charge Azrael.
Instead, it attacked Seraphina.
Azrael immediately stepped between them.
CLANG!
Astraeus blocked the spear.
The force pushed him backward.
"Seraphina!"
"I see it!"
She moved to the side.
The twin-blade construct immediately intercepted her.
CLANG!
Her sword met both blades.
Caelan rushed toward the hammer wielder.
The massive weapon descended.
He stepped sideways.
BOOM!
The hammer shattered the ground.
Caelan thrust his spear toward the construct’s shoulder.
The construct twisted.
His spear missed.
"These things are learning!"
Azrael shouted.
"They’re reading us!"
Seraphina deflected another strike.
"Then stop being predictable!"
Azrael smiled.
"Good advice."
The spear construct attacked again.
This time Azrael didn’t block.
He stepped backward.
The spear passed in front of him.
Then he moved diagonally.
Astraeus struck the shaft.
CLANG!
The construct’s balance shifted.
Seraphina immediately understood.
She stepped forward and struck its knee.
CRACK!
The construct dropped.
"One!"
Caelan saw the opening.
He drove his spear into the hammer wielder’s wrist.
The weapon fell.
Azrael moved toward it.
"Don’t!"
Caelan shouted.
Azrael stopped.
The construct kicked.
He barely avoided it.
Caelan smiled.
"See?"
Azrael nodded.
"Good catch."
The hammer construct recovered.
Seraphina moved behind it.
"Now!"
Caelan attacked from the front.
Azrael attacked from the side.
The construct couldn’t defend both angles.
BOOM!
It fell.
Only the twin-blade construct remained.
It looked at the three of them.
Then suddenly dropped both weapons.
Seraphina frowned.
"Why did it—"
The construct rushed forward barehanded.
She barely blocked the first punch.
The second struck her shoulder.
Azrael moved to help.
Caelan stopped him.
"Wait."
Azrael looked at him.
"Why?"
"Watch."
Seraphina was already adapting.
She didn’t retreat.
She stepped inside the construct’s reach.
Her sword remained lowered.
Instead of attacking with the blade...
She struck the construct’s elbow.
Its arm bent awkwardly.
Then she swept its leg.
The construct fell.
Seraphina placed her sword against its neck.
"Finished."
The construct immediately powered down.
Silence returned.
Solis nodded.
"Better."
Azrael looked at Seraphina.
"You didn’t use your aura."
"No."
"You relied on positioning."
She smiled.
"I’ve been learning."
Caelan nodded.
"And you?"
Azrael looked down at Astraeus.
"I almost attacked without thinking."
"But you didn’t."
"Because you stopped me."
Solis stepped forward.
"That’s what I wanted."
He looked between them.
"You don’t need teammates who agree with everything you do."
"You need teammates who recognize your mistakes before they become fatal."
Azrael nodded slowly.
That lesson was more important than the battle itself.
Solis continued.
"Again."
The three exchanged glances.
"Again?"
"Yes."
The arena reset.
Three new constructs emerged.
But this time...
They were different.
One had wings.
One possessed four arms.
The third carried a curved blade.
Seraphina looked at Azrael.
"Ready?"
He smiled.
"Let’s see what happens."
Several hours later, the three stood exhausted in the center of the arena.
Their clothes were torn.
Their weapons were scratched.
But all three constructs lay defeated.
Azrael sat on the ground.
"I hate training."
Seraphina laughed.
"You’ve been saying that since we were children."
"And I still mean it."
Caelan sat beside them.
"You’re both strange."
Azrael looked at him.
"You’re still here."
"I made a mistake."
Seraphina laughed again.
For a brief moment, the danger surrounding them disappeared.
They were simply three young people training together.
Then—
Ding.
Azrael’s System appeared.
"Combat Evaluation Complete"
Team Synchronization: 12%
Combat Insight increased.
Resonance Sense increased.
Adaptive Evolution response detected.
Evolution Progress: 35% → 36%
New passive effect detected:
Twin Resonance — Lv. 1
Effect: When fighting alongside Seraphina, synchronization between Genesis and Oblivion energies may increase.
Warning: Ability remains unstable.
Azrael stared at the screen.
"That’s new."
Seraphina looked over.
"What?"
He showed her.
Her expression changed.
"I have something too."
A golden screen appeared before her.
"Twin Resonance Detected"
Compatibility with Azrael: 99.8%
Genesis energy synchronization: Stable
Unknown sealed connection detected.
Further awakening prohibited.
Seraphina’s smile disappeared.
"99.8%?"
Azrael looked at her.
"That’s almost perfect."
"Why isn’t it 100%?"
Neither had an answer.
Caelan noticed their expressions.
"What does it mean?"
Azrael closed the screen.
"We don’t know yet."
Solis, however, had seen enough.
His expression was unusually serious.
"Don’t try to force the missing 0.2%."
Azrael looked at him.
"Why?"
"Because that small difference may be the only thing preventing something else from waking."
The twins exchanged a glance.
Something else.
Again.
There were too many secrets surrounding them.
Too many people who knew things they didn’t.
Azrael stood.
"Then we’ll leave it alone."
Seraphina nodded.
"We’ll discover it naturally."
Solis smiled faintly.
"Good."
He turned away.
"Tomorrow, your training changes."
Azrael raised an eyebrow.
"How?"
"You’ll leave the Sanctuary."
Seraphina looked surprised.
"Where are we going?"
Solis looked back.
"Your first mission."
That night, Seraphina stood alone on a balcony overlooking the Golden Sanctuary.
The stars above were beautiful.
Yet she couldn’t stop thinking about the stranger.
The people who erased your past have finally found you.
She touched her chest.
"Who were they?"
A voice came from behind.
"Still awake?"
She turned.
Caelan stood several steps away.
"Yes."
He walked closer but stopped at a respectful distance.
"You’ve been quiet since the attack."
"I’m thinking."
"About your brother?"
Seraphina smiled faintly.
"Partly."
She looked toward the stars.
"About everything."
Caelan followed her gaze.
"You don’t have to solve everything tonight."
"I know."
She paused.
"But I want to."
Caelan smiled.
"Then tomorrow, we’ll start."
Seraphina looked at him.
"You’re coming?"
"If I’m allowed."
She smiled.
"I hope you are."
For a moment, neither spoke.
The silence wasn’t uncomfortable.
It was peaceful.
Then Caelan reached into his robe and pulled out a small silver flower.
"I found this in the Healing Garden."
Seraphina stared at it.
"For me?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
Caelan looked slightly embarrassed.
"Because you helped me during training today."
She accepted the flower.
"Thank you."
Their eyes met.
Neither looked away immediately.
Then Seraphina smiled.
"Good night, Caelan."
"Good night, Seraphina."
He turned and walked away.
Seraphina looked down at the flower.
A small warmth spread through her chest.
For the first time since entering the Academy...
She wasn’t thinking about evolution.
Or rankings.
Or enemies.
She was simply smiling.
And she didn’t mind that.
Far away, Azrael sat beneath the white tree.
The old master watched him from across the lake.
"You’ve changed."
Azrael looked up.
"Since when?"
"Since you returned."
Azrael thought about it.
"I learned some things."
The old master nodded.
"And your sister?"
"She’s changing too."
"Good."
The old master looked toward the sky.
"Their paths are beginning to align."
Azrael frowned.
"Whose?"
The old master didn’t answer.
Instead, he looked toward the darkness beyond the horizon.
Something was moving there.
Something enormous.
Something that had remained hidden for countless years.
The old master’s smile disappeared.
"Your first mission will decide whether you are ready."
Azrael stood.
"Ready for what?"
The old master looked at him.
"For the world beyond the Academy."
Azrael tightened his grip on Astraeus.
"Then I’ll be ready."
The old master smiled.
"That’s what everyone says."
He looked toward the distant darkness.
"Until the world asks them to prove it."
And somewhere beyond the Academy...
A gate opened.
Not a Gate of the Academy.
Not a Gate of the Trial Tower.
Something older.
Something that had been waiting for the twins.
Their first mission had already begun.