Friday morning.
Marina woke up with the soft light of dawn filtering through the window, gently illuminating her room. As she stretched, her gaze fell on the other beds in the room, where her companions were still sound asleep, confirming that it was still early. She had plenty of time to wash and get dressed, without any rush.
With a quiet sigh, she got out of bed and approached the window to watch the rising sun. The fresh morning air caressed her face, carrying the sweet scent of flowers. She let those beautiful sensations distract her from the previous day and the terrible impression she had made. She had no intention of telling Lyceum or Aena about the mead—not so much because she had been involved, but because she wanted to avoid bringing back the dreadful memories.
She had shot Shirei… and had even tried to kiss him.
It had been more than two full days since then, during which she had literally barricaded herself inside just to avoid seeing him.
She threw herself back onto her bed and rolled over, panicking. It was the mead's fault—of course she would never have done such a thing without the intoxicating influence of the divine liquid.
Of course. She shouldn't doubt such a simple truth.
She got up again and rushed to get ready. The less time she had to think, the better. She didn't want to admit she had such intentions for the boy—not even for a single moment. To face the day ahead, she took a hot shower and decided to head to the cafeteria.
To her great surprise, the moment she crossed the threshold of the Seventh House, she saw Shirei waiting just a few meters from the entrance. The unexpected encounter made her freeze—she hadn't expected to see him so early and was mentally unprepared to say anything. Despite everything, his presence brought her a sense of calm she couldn't help but appreciate.
"Shirei! W-why… why are you here already?" she asked, trying not to stumble over her words.
The boy stepped closer, making her hesitate, then pulled a sheet of paper from his pocket. "I received a letter from Lyceum about today's lesson," he explained in a calm voice. "I woke up early and thought I'd take the chance for a light morning run."
Marina nodded, understanding the situation. Still, she chose to keep her distance to avoid the awkwardness of having to talk to him.
"I see," she said with a faint smile. "So… shall we go?"
He nodded in response. "You didn't have any trouble because of what happened a few days ago?"
The daughter of Ien blushed and hid from the eyes of the Blendbreed.
Did he really have to bring it up again?
She took a deep breath and decided to move on, convinced he would follow her. They reached the cafeteria in no time and took the chance to have a quick breakfast. Only after hearing some Blendbreeds comment on their presence there did Marina realize it would be better to leave.
The two headed toward the huts for their lesson, walking very slowly. Marina was anxious about the situation and feared new rumors would begin the moment they were seen together. She only hoped that at the cafeteria they were talking solely about the son of Cragar and not about her with him. She glanced at the violet-eyed Blendbreed, who was as calm as ever.
Right, she told herself, it's all just in my head.
She was overthinking things. She had to be professional and maintain her stance, no matter what had happened between them. The truth was that nothing had happened—she had been intoxicated by the wine of the divine Miula, and he had made things pretty clear.
They were just friends—or rather, a Blendbreed and his secret spy, pretending to be close for mutual benefit.
Marina instinctively kicked the ground. That wasn't what she wanted.
Because of everything that had happened in the past few days, she had avoided talking to Aena and Lyceum. She didn't want to be a spy.Shirei was strange, but he wasn't evil—that, she was sure of by now. He had even shown concern for her after the incident with the Tenebrae.
Couldn't they just stay friends, without her playing double games?
It feels like being back home—like those times we hosted banquets, she thought bitterly. She hated those nights.
As thoughts wandered through her mind, an image of Dahlia appeared before her. The girl smiled.
But you wanted something to happen between you two, didn't you?
Marina blinked several times.
The son of Cragar grabbed her forearm, making her jump suddenly.
"You're overweight."
"Excuse me?!" Marina shoved him away. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"
He couldn't have actually said that. She couldn't believe it. She was probably starting to hallucinate—the strange, fleeting appearance of Dahlia supported that idea.
Shirei looked at her, puzzled. "You were about to walk into that pole. You're overthought."
Marina's eyes widened and she turned to look ahead. Just a few inches from her face stood a wooden post.
"Was that on purpose?" the boy asked, still confused.
The daughter of Ien closed her eyes as her skin flushed deeper and deeper red. Without saying a word, eyes cast down, she quickened her pace toward the huts.
Shirei caught up with her. Though he didn't show it, he was starting to worry about her. The boy searched her face, afraid she might be suffering passive effects from the wound inflicted by the Blade of Discord.
"Are you okay?" he asked again.
Marina nodded and mumbled a thank you before speeding up. They didn't speak another word until they arrived at the huts.
The classroom was already full, and the students were chattering noisily as they waited for the teacher. The moment they saw them enter together, some of them began to laugh and whispered to one another. The daughter of Ien covered her face with a hand. Of course they were going to talk—how could she have even hoped otherwise?
Shirei followed her inside and simply leaned against the wall opposite the entrance. Marina clapped her hands to get everyone's attention and moved toward the board. The lesson was about geography and the Third Generation, according to what was written in the letter.
Strange, she thought, We usually wait until the new year before touching on the older epochs.
She wrote twelve names on the board, then turned and wiped her hands.
"All right, everyone ready to begin?" she asked rhetorically. "This lesson is quite important, so I suggest you take notes."
"Why?" asked a boy in the second-to-last row.
Marina observed them carefully. They were all very young, and only a little over half of them were wearing colored hoodies. Connecting the dots, the daughter of Ien came to a fairly obvious conclusion: the main group, responsible for exploring the Mortal World in search of defenseless Blendbreeds, must have returned.
Marina shot a nervous glance at Shirei—he was supposed to be part of that group as well, which could only mean they wouldn't be seeing each other for a while. On one hand, she was relieved. After what had happened the day before, maybe some distance would be a good thing. On the other hand, she didn't want him to leave. She liked spending her days with the son of Cragar more than she was ready to admit to herself.
After collecting her thoughts, she quickly responded. "In the end, it's history and geography—they're always useful to avoid repeating the mistakes of those who came before you."
"So what?" asked another newcomer. He wasn't dressed like someone from Lilies Park.
"Here we offer preparation for your future, so that you can manage even on your own if you're ever on a mission."
"And why would we even go on one?"
The daughter of Ien smiled. "They're not mandatory, but they can help you prove your worth. By doing so, you might earn the gods' favor for the passing of the masks."
A girl frowned. "The what?"
Perfect! thought the blonde. She had the perfect excuse to begin.
"I'll explain it today. For those who don't know, we are currently in the Fourth Generation of deities. Most of the gods live in Highworld, whose supreme king is Emion."
"The god of the sky, like Zeus?"
"You're free to see it that way, yes," the Blendbreed nodded. "You can imagine Highworld as a kind of paradise—a second golden sky that wraps around the Earth and separates it from space. Suspended in the flow of light are the divine pillars—towers that serve as homes for the gods. The pillars are arranged concentrically and converge in a central plaza with twenty-four thrones, where the deities gather to deliberate. Alongside them are angels and various other beings. Emion is their supreme leader, a direct descendant of the First Generation."
The Blendbreeds didn't seem particularly engaged, though some of them were clearly daydreaming about sitting on those divine thrones themselves.
"Since Highworld is the place where they live and can be considered a sort of heavenly realm, the gods of the Fourth Generation are called 'Celestials.' Pretty intuitive, right?"
Marina took one of the books from Shirei and held it up to show everyone the illustrated page.
"You should find a book under your desks. Open it to chapter five: Arcane Geography—you'll find a map of the place there."
Then she approached the board and began to draw a genealogical tree. At the top, she placed Thebribes, the primordial god.
She kept writing, stopping at the bottom with Emion, then turned to face the class. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Shirei staring at the board with a furrowed brow, as if something didn't sit right with him. She chose to ignore it for now.
"So, follow along. With Thebribes, the First Generation begins," she said, pointing to the top row of names. "Vion, Vela, Decaros, and Galia."
She gave the students a moment to take notes, then prepared to continue.
"Galia, the Ocean, and Vela, the Earth, had twins: Niri and Randi. These two are known as the 'Empyreans,' founders of the Second Generation," she went on, slowly and clearly, trying not to overload them with information. "Everything clear so far?"
The Blendbreeds remained silent.
"Niri and Randi grew until it was time for the Passing of the Masks. This event marks a symbolic death of the gods—as if they enter a state of eternal slumber, known as the Eternal Rest. The masks of one generation are then gifted to the future deities who will take their place."
She moved back to the board. "Now follow me closely. We've already talked about Highworld, and you know the Mortal World, since that's where you've lived until now. Most of you are from southern Italy, right?"
Aside from two or three, all the new arrivals nodded.
"But now, you're no longer in Italy. We're in the Otherworld," she said, and the frightened expressions on their faces almost made her laugh. "No need to be scared! Think of it as a parallel dimension created just for you."
Marina waited, knowing someone would soon ask the inevitable question. It only took a few seconds before a girl raised her hand.
"Who created it?"
The daughter of Ien pointed at the board. "The Empyreans—Niri and Randi."
"The Otherworld is a place mortals can't access, like hidden pockets of the Mortal World. This is where various structures were built to support the Blendbreeds. In Italy, there are only two…" she returned to the board to write.
"To the north, you'll find the Daffodils Academy, managed directly by the Blendbreeds. To the south, the goddess of love founded Lilies Park."
A boy asked, "Which one's better?"
Before Marina could answer, a daughter of Ognia jumped in. "Here, obviously! As soon as they sort you, you even find free clothes on your bed!"
Marina laughed and quickly stepped in to explain. "Lilies Park is special for that reason as well. In the Otherworld, technology doesn't exist, but something has to be done for you Blendbreeds. We try to simulate it using magic and the blessings of certain deities. Day after day, we work to make this place more welcoming and safe. I assure you, the soldiers from the academy don't share the same mindset."
"And it's all free!" added the daughter of Ognia.
Marina smiled as she saw the glowing eyes of the new Blendbreeds and felt a flicker of pride swell in her chest. Lilies Park was the best place—especially thanks to the contributions the Blendbreeds made every single day. After a few seconds, she brought the class back to order so she could continue.
"Alright! Listen up! The sooner we finish, the sooner you can go enjoy yourselves with the other new arrivals. Just don't trample or punch each other."
That was enough to silence them.
"Now let's talk about a very important figure. Around the same time the Empyreans created the Otherworld, Vion and Vela had a son: Rakion."
"Excuse me," asked a girl from the second row—it felt strange to be addressed so formally again. "Didn't Vela have children with Galia?"
"Right, it was quite the surprise. Let's just say Vion wasn't the type to stay still," she winked, earning a few laughs from the older kids. "The passing of the masks took place, and Rakion, as you might imagine, became a deity of the second generation by right."
She paused.
"However, Rakion had other plans in mind…" she added with a faint grimace.
"Like his father, in his youth, he was power-hungry and challenged the twins to a duel. If he won, he'd become the ruler of his generation and would force the two of them into another passing of the masks."
"He won…" Shirei said.
The daughter of Ien turned to him, curious as to how he knew. Eventually, she just replied, "No one likes spoilers."
The boy looked down, feeling guilty, but said, "It was a question, I think."
"Ah… I was joking!" Marina quickly added. "You heard him. Rakion crushed Niri and Randi despite the handicap and remained the only active deity."
It sounded more like a statement than a question, but the Blendbreed decided to let it go for now.
"Then why are there twelve names?" someone asked, pointing at the board.
"Because he built his own empire, choosing to elevate his eleven allies to divinity. His rule lasted for millennia, until he chose to have a child with his consort Uvmis," she hesitated to continue as several thoughts started connecting in her mind. "Their offspring was the divine Emion, leader of the fourth generation, who succeeded Rakion with the final passing of the masks around three thousand years ago."
The same Blendbreed in the second row raised her hand again. "What happened to the gods of the third generation?"
"Unfortunately, there aren't many sources on the topic. Many say they became the stars of the Highworld, while others claim they faded into the Overworld."
Before they could interrupt her again, she added, "Don't worry! The boy standing right here will explain everything you need to know about the last realms."
Cragar's son looked at her, puzzled, as the Blendbreeds began to murmur among themselves.
"Come on, pay close attention—I expect some interesting questions at the end of the lesson!"
Marina stepped aside and looked at Shirei with a smile. She was genuinely curious to hear him explain. Cragar's son moved toward the blackboard without saying a word and began to draw with a piece of chalk. The Blendbreeds leaned in, trying to see past his shoulders. The blonde did the same, then simply waited.
"Good morning," said Shirei as he stepped aside. "I'll just explain the remaining part, so we can all return to our respective homes."
Marina's expression turned disappointed.
She had hoped to catch him doing something he wasn't good at, given his persistent aloofness, yet the boy remained perfectly composed.
On the board were various realms illustrated as concentric circles, leaving no doubt about the overall structure.
"As you've already been told, there are various worlds. Starting from the outside: space, the Highworld, and the Mortal World. In some books, it's referred to by other terms, but those should be obsolete by now."
He pointed to several bubbles he'd drawn.
"Next comes the Otherworld. Based on my colleague's explanation, I'm imagining it like this, but I believe I should have drawn two overlapping places if I understood correctly."
Cragar's son looked to Marina for confirmation. The girl nodded.
"Inside—or perhaps beneath—it lies the Underworld. But you can't just dig to reach it because, in truth, I believe it's contained within the Otherworld. I'm imagining it as a sort of Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise all in one. Try to visualize it like that too."
Marina tilted her head slightly.
What he said was true, but if Shirei only had memories from the moment he woke up on the banks of the Uchia, that meant he had come to that conclusion just from her words. She hadn't taken him for a fool, but she was surprised by how intuitive he was. Coming from someone surrounded by Blendbreeds who only shared the inherited wisdom of their mothers, that was high praise.
"The Underworld is the domain of Cragar, the god of the underworld. I don't know what your books say, but it's a land that's nearly barren," Shirei began, his tone calm and assured.
"It's crossed by five rivers that all converge into a great lake at the center."
He pointed to the chalk lines he'd drawn on the slate board.
"I'll only give you the names of the streams, because I sincerely hope you never get the chance to see them with your own eyes."
Marina stopped him. "No need for that—there's going to be a lesson dedicated to it by the children of Mardi in a few months. They've just arrived, so I don't want to flood them with more information. We've already gone overboard."
The boy nodded, continuing the explanation.
"As I was saying, the rivers feed into the infernal lake, at the center of which stands a small island. On that island rises Cragar's palace."
Shirei's words filled the room, casting an atmosphere of curiosity among the students. Then, in a more solemn tone, he continued, "Beneath Cragar's palace lies the Overworld—an extremely dangerous zone."
The students' expressions grew serious as the Blendbreed continued his description. Marina watched him, drawn in as if by a magnetic pull.
"There, the bodies of monsters are regenerated and virtually immortal, as they will continuously reform. I believe it's due to the magical energy that permeates the place."
A Blendbreed raised her hand to ask for clarification. "Sir, why is it called the Overworld?"
Marina smiled at the word "sir"—she had to admit he had a certain air of authority while explaining.
Shirei took a moment before responding, choosing his words carefully.
"The right name I would use it's Abyss, it would fit better. It's called like this because the scarlet land slopes inward, like a colossal funnel," he explained with a serious expression. "At the bottom of this funnel, there's the true abyss—a vast, dark chasm that even Cragar fears to descend into. I think that Overworld sounds better if compared to the other places. Underworld, Highworld, Otherworld and so on."
His words vanished into the silence of the classroom, while the students absorbed every detail of the mysterious land forming in their minds.
Marina's eyes widened, a spark of realization lighting up her gaze.
Damn…
The truth now stood before her like a sudden, powerful revelation.
She finally understood the purpose of the lesson—and why Shirei had to be the one to accompany her. The puzzle of recent events was assembling in her mind, revealing an intricate plot that connected every single moment. Mr. D'Agostini and the goddess of love were preparing the new Blendbreeds for something.
Something big…
Everything revolved around the battle that had taken place just days earlier.
Marina saw the threads linking together, as if activating her magical visual ability—one after another—like pieces of a mosaic finally snapping into place. Shirei, the Underworld, the Overworld, Rakion… everything was connected. She just had to figure out how.
Her mind raced with thoughts as she tried to grasp the magnitude of the truth that might be hidden.
But even as she began to see the bigger picture, a sense of the unknown crept in. Why was Shirei connected to the Ancient? What dark secret was buried in the Overworld? It all seemed too vast, too unbelievable to be real.
It wasn't hard to accept that every detail of the events since Shirei's arrival had been part of a plan—but she hadn't expected it to be orchestrated by the gods themselves.
The words spoken during the clash with Tefine's son echoed in her head:
I won't be manipulated by the gods again.
It was the truth. Shirei seemed to know it—if only subconsciously.
They're manipulating you.
She had to face reality, no matter how unsettling it was. Shirei was a puppet, being pulled by forces trying to bend him to their will—and the divine Rakion had to be at the center of it all.
She had thought that, because of the passing of the masks, the third generation was resting in eternal slumber. But it seemed she had been wrong.
"And what's at the very bottom?" asked a Blendbreed from the back row, snapping Marina out of her thoughts.
The son of Cragar hesitated. "I don't know. I've never made it that far."
The blonde jumped in to help him out. "Alright! I think that's enough for today. Any other questions?"
A daughter of Ognia raised her hand. "Are you two together?"
Marina's eyes flew wide open and her face flushed red. "Okay! We're done here!"
After declaring the end of the lesson, she quickly exchanged goodbyes with the Blendbreeds present, thanking them for their participation and attentiveness. The students returned her farewell with smiles and friendly gestures.
Now, time to get out of here!
Once she was done, Marina hurried out of the cabin, with Shirei following behind. They left behind the growing atmosphere of gossip the students were stirring up and let the refreshing air of the Interworld wrap around them as they made their way down the path leading to the heart of Lilies Park.
Sunlight shimmered through the leaves, casting dancing shadows on the trail ahead. Birds sang above them, weaving a natural symphony that accompanied their steps.
The two Blendbreeds walked side by side, but Marina was too absorbed by the revelation she'd had to notice how close the son of Cragar was to her. In her mind, every possibility bloomed, collapsed, and reshaped into a new question—one that lacked enough answers to reach any real conclusion.
"You're awfully quiet," Shirei said, trying to distract her, "almost more than me."
Marina shook her head.
She was shaking, not from fear—but anger. Anger at how they were treating him.
She truly hoped she was wrong, but everything felt senseless.
Deciding it was useless to dwell on it without the right tools to solve the mystery, she resolved to speak with Aena and Mr. D'Agostini.
She forced a light smile and changed the subject. "So, Ghost, what will you do with the rest of your morning?"
Shirei looked off into the distance. "I think I'll change and head out for training."
"I see." The daughter of Ien nodded, puffing out one cheek slightly. "Well, I'll see you around then."
"Have a good day, too."
Shadows swirled around the Blendbreed, ready to engulf him, when Marina's eyes widened and she stopped him. "Ah! I almost forgot—the recruitment group should be back. If you want, I can introduce you to them later."
"Thank you."
"Okay…" This was getting awkward. "So, lunch?"
"Sure," Shirei nodded. "See you then."
Before she could say anything else, darkness spiraled around the two of them, and Shirei slipped into the Interworld.