A dim and dark afternoon. The lively energy of midday was gone, replaced by a calm stillness.

The academy city, once bursting with vibrant energy, now felt unnervingly quiet.

No, it wasn’t calmness; it was closer to a sense of unease.

It was a time when the crisp autumn wind and the still-warm sunshine should have been present. But that expectation vanished along with the bluish mist that had appeared.

For the past few days, the mist had been continuously rising.

At first, it appeared gradually in the plains surrounding the academy city. But as the mist began to spread, …