**Volume 2: Upper World**

  **Chapter 81: July 4th**

  February 5th, 11:47 p.m. – Room 105 Dorm (Rebuilt Academy)

  Sky got up from the chair — legs stiff from sitting too long — and opened the door. Lola was standing there — hair messy, eyes red, one sleeve torn from some fight she hadn’t talked about. She didn’t say anything. Just stepped inside — walked straight to the nearest bunk — and lay down on her side, facing the wall. Sky closed the door softly behind her. No click. No sound. Just quiet.

  He went to the bathroom — small mirror above the sink still cracked from the rebuild — turned on the faucet. Cold water. He cupped his hands, splashed his face, rubbed soap in slow circles. Felt like something was on his skin — sticky, heavy, like dried blood that wouldn’t come off. He looked in the mirror.

  Nothing.

  Just his reflection — tired 15-year-old eyes, black ring faded but still there around the left iris, hair wet and sticking to his forehead. He stared for a long second — then his eyes closed.

  Opened.

  White room.

  Endless white — no walls, no floor, no ceiling. Just light that didn’t come from anywhere.

  Sky yelled — voice echoing strange, like it came back wrong.

  “Where the hell am I?!”

  Then he saw them.

  Ray — white hair glowing soft in the white, purple eyes calm, coat open. Leo beside him — bat wings ripped clean off, black blood still dripping from the stumps, yellow eyes dull but sharp. She looked smaller without them — almost human — but the claws were still there, tapping rhythm against her thigh.

  Leo spoke first — voice rough, cracked.

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  “It’s time to stop playing around. Time to end the world.”

  Sky blinked.

  “Huh?”

  Ray stepped forward — slow — hands in pockets.

  “Nephew.”

  Sky’s stomach dropped.

  “You see… we want to end the world so we can bring all the rocks and everything that has energy with us back to a planet of our choice.”

  Sky’s fist clenched — he swung — fast — aiming for Ray’s face.

  Ray didn’t flinch.

  “Silly. This is in your head.”

  Sky froze — mid-punch — arm trembling.

  “What?”

  Ray smiled — small, patient.

  “We have connections to a soul person.”

  Sky’s voice cracked.

  “Who?”

  Ray tilted his head.

  “None of your concern.”

  Sky’s eyes burned — tears building fast.

  “We’ll win. We’ll kill you. No matter what it takes.”

  Ray’s smile didn’t change.

  “It’s okay. No reason to be mad. You’ll live for a good time.”

  Sky’s breath hitched.

  “What… what are you talking about?”

  Ray looked almost sad.

  “Sorry. Can’t tell you at the moment.”

  Sky stepped closer — fists shaking.

  “What is this even for?”

  Ray’s voice dropped — soft, almost kind.

  “To warn you.”

  Sky stared.

  Ray kept going.

  “Still February 5th. The day only has four hours left now. So how about… July 4th?”

  Sky’s eyes widened — heart slamming against his ribs.

  Ray leaned in — voice like a whisper in the white.

  “The day it all happened.”

  Sky’s voice broke.

  “Son of a bitch… I won’t forget that day. Two hundred people. The demons. My heart. That heart. I won’t let you get away.”

  Ray stepped back — smile returning.

  “Bye now. Goodnight, Sky Carter.”

  Sky’s eyes snapped open.

  He was back — standing in the bathroom — faucet still running, water splashing against the sink. He looked at his reflection again — no sticky feeling. Just his face — tired, wet, eyes red from unshed tears.

  Max knocked on the door — soft.

  “Sky? You okay?”

  Sky turned off the faucet — wiped his face with his sleeve.

  “Yeah… just thinking about something.”

  He opened the door — stepped out.

  Max looked at him — shadows curling slow around his ankles — but didn’t push.

  Sky walked to the chair near Kira — dropped into it heavy — elbows on knees, head in hands.

  “July 4th.”

  Kira looked up — katana still across her lap.

  “What?”

  Sky’s voice was quiet — raw.

  “When I was at the Shipping Games… I saw a note. Said July 4th. 12 a.m.”

  Kira’s eyes widened.

  “The day it started.”

  Sky nodded — slow.

  “Yeah. It’s gonna be the day it ends.”

  He looked up — light blue aura flickering faint under his skin.

  “A year of growth.”

  He stood — walked to the desk — grabbed a pen and paper.

  Kira watched him.

  Sky kept talking — voice steady now.

  “On the note it said Shinjuku. All over Shinjuku.”

  He looked at Max.

  “Go tell the head of the school.”

  Max nodded — shadows trailing him as he left.

  Kira stood — katana in hand.

  “Well… I’m the head of the Vein Clan now. I can get the weapons and stuff?”

  Sky looked at her — small, tired smile.

  “Sure.”

  He looked up — at the ceiling — then at the group.

  “We need to train our will energy … or we’ll lose. And their plan will work.”

  Frosty stepped forward — voice small.

  “What’s their plan?”

  Sky looked at her — eyes hard.

  “Don’t worry about it.”

  The chapter ended.

  To be continued…