…Where am I?

As the blinding light faded and shapes slowly came back into focus, I realized immediately—this wasn't the academy.

The grassy hill, the wolves, Elena and Lisa… all of it had disappeared as if erased in an instant.

What surrounded me now was an unfamiliar space—quiet, vast, and strangely empty.

A colorless world stretching endlessly, neither bright nor dark, as if it existed outside reality itself.

And I was alone.

"...Elena? Lisa?"

My voice echoed slightly, but no one answered.

Unease prickled down my spine.

I turned in a slow circle, trying to understand this strange place, when—

"Nice to meet you."

The voice came from above.

I snapped my head upward.

There she was.

Lumine.

Floating leisurely in the air as if gravity meant nothing to her, she looked down at me with the same serene expression I remembered—but here, in this silent world, her presence felt even more overwhelming.

Her magical power spilled into the air without restraint.

It wasn't violent or oppressive, but the sheer density of it was enough to make my chest tighten.

What's going on?

Why would Lumine summon me here of all places?

My pulse quickened, and I forced myself to stay calm.

Lumine descended lightly until she hovered a short distance in front of me, her eyes shimmering with curiosity.

"I called you here because I was curious about you," she said simply.

Relief washed through me—at least she didn't drag me here with hostile intentions.

Still, the way she looked at me—like she was examining something rare and hard to understand—made me feel exposed.

She wasn't hiding her power.

Not even a little.

It flowed around her in waves, effortlessly reminding me of the gap between us.

I swallowed hard, forcing my voice not to tremble.

"…Curious about what exactly?"

Lumine didn't answer.

Instead, a faint smile tugged at the corner of her lips—gentle, but carrying an edge that made the air feel heavier.

Her silence felt far more unnerving than any reply.

"But you know…"

Her smile faded as she slowly narrowed her eyes, her expression sharpening into something stern—almost accusing.

"You don't ask about my identity. You're not afraid of me."

The moment those words left her mouth, my entire body stiffened.

"Your eyes." Her voice lowered, almost a whisper. "They look at me as if you already know everything."

Her golden irises locked onto mine—unblinking, penetrating.

Eyes that didn't gaze at me, but through me.

Predatory.

Dangerous.

Like a beast evaluating whether I was prey, threat, or something else entirely.

"As if you already know I won't hurt you," she finished quietly.

…Shit.

I screwed up.

My guard had slipped.

I reacted too casually—too naturally—because I already knew what she was.

Anyone else would be shaking, kneeling, or screaming after suddenly falling into an unknown space and being confronted by someone like her.

A dragon.

A being that could erase me with a thought.

But instead of fear, I'd shown familiarity.

Comfort.

And from her perspective… that was abnormal. Suspicious.

Her gaze sharpened even further.

Should I drop to my knees right now?

Beg for forgiveness?

Pretend to be terrified like a normal person?

My mind scrambled for an excuse—any excuse—before she came to the wrong conclusion.

But suddenly I stop myself from panicking and took a calm breath.

Now I can focus better.

Should I make an excuse?

…No.

Lumine hates cowardice.

If I say something pathetic now, it'll only make things worse.

I swallowed hard, forcing myself not to look away from her sharp, golden eyes.

And as if my stubbornness amused her, Lumine's lips curled into a bright smile.

"You're arrogant," she said. "But I like it."

A quiet breath slipped out of me.

Thankfully, she didn't seem offended by my attitude.

Enduring to the end without lowering my head had been the correct choice.

Just as I was feeling relieved—believing I'd somehow survived her scrutiny—Lumine's voice gently stirred the air again.

"I'll give you a gift."

"…A gift?"

The sudden declaration left me blinking in confusion.

But the next words she spoke drained the color from my face.

"Do your best. If you overcome the trial, you will grow stronger."

A trial.

A special trial from a dragon.

That was not the kind of gift I wanted.

But my wishes didn't matter.

Before I could even protest, Lumine lifted her hand, and dense, overwhelming magical power surged toward me like a tidal wave.

"W-wait—!"

My voice drowned in the roar of magic.

White light exploded around me, swallowing my vision whole.

A massive magic circle bloomed beneath my feet, its lines twisting, shifting, locking into place with brilliant radiance.

And just like that—

I was engulfed completely, dragged into the trial Lumine had decided I needed.

----

Thud—!

"Ugh…!"

A sharp jolt shot through my lower back, snapping me awake.

I groaned and pushed myself upright, blinking away the dizziness.

Where…?

My vision gradually adjusted to the pitch-black darkness enveloping me.

No light.

No walls I could see.

Just an empty, silent void stretching endlessly in every direction.

A chill ran down my spine.

Is this the place Lumine mentioned?

The test…?

As I tried to get my bearings, something stirred in the distance.

Footsteps.

Slow, deliberate footsteps echoing through the darkness—too clear, too heavy, as if the darkness itself were carrying the sound straight to my ears.

I stiffened.

The silhouette began to take shape… then grew clearer… and clearer…

Until it finally stood right in front of me.

And my breath stopped.

"…Louis?"

It was me.

Not a resemblance.

Not a copy.

Me.

Same hair. Same eyes.

Same build, same expression.

Even the faint scar along my cheek from sparring with Julian was perfectly replicated.

The only difference was the smile.

He was smiling—slow, crooked, and cold.

A twisted mirror version of myself.

"Nice to meet you," he said lightly.

My mouth went dry.

It wasn't just that he looked like me.

He felt like me.

Every detail was flawless—my posture, my breathing rhythm, even the faint magical flicker around him.

How?

My mind scrambled for an explanation—any explanation.

There was only one possibility.

One terrifying question I had avoided from the moment I ended up in this world:

What happened to the original Louis when I possessed his body?

I had never dared to look too deeply into it.

Never let myself think about it for too long.

But now… staring into the eyes of the version of me that shouldn't exist…

The answer slowly rose to the surface.

And it wasn't one I wanted to face.

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