The night air crackled. Luna took a step back, still trying to process Riven's words, her grip tight on the chipped data module.
But the garden path was slick with dew—and her foot slid.
"Whoa—!"
She stumbled.
Before panic could reach her chest, arms wrapped around her—firm, steady, warm.
Riven had caught her.
For a moment, time cracked open.
Her hands clutched his jacket. His arms held her like she belonged there. Their faces inches apart, breath mingling in the silence. His eyes—so sharp before—had softened.
"Careful," he murmured.
Luna felt the heat rush to her cheeks. She opened her mouth to say something—
But he beat her to it.
"Blushing already? That's, what, +5 LP?"
She scowled. "You wish."
He laughed softly. "Maybe I do."
She didn't pull away. Not yet.
Then—
Crash!
A branch snapped behind them. They jolted apart as someone stepped into the clearing, slow and deliberate.
Han Leejun.
Cool eyes. Perfect posture. A storm wrapped in velvet.
"Well," he said smoothly, tablet glowing in his hand. "What a touching moment."
Riven's smirk vanished. "Did you follow her?"
"I tracked the LP surge," Leejun replied, gaze flicking from Luna to the chip in her hand. "Didn't expect to find the academy's favorite ghost playing knight."
Luna stepped between them. "Stop it. Both of you."
Leejun raised an eyebrow. "You think you understand what's happening? You don't. You're triggering system shifts that could collapse the entire structure."
Riven stepped forward. "Maybe the structure deserves to collapse."
Leejun's eyes never left Luna's.
"You're not safe here," he said quietly. "If you keep climbing, they'll come for you. The administrators. The Watchtower. You won't even see them until it's too late."
The wind stirred the garden petals. Tension crackled between the three of them.
Luna's voice was steady. "Then I guess I'd better learn to climb faster."
---
Back in the Control Hub
An agent watching the garden footage turned to the Headmaster.
"Sir. Luna's LP just rose again. Another 5 points."
The Headmaster smiled faintly, hands clasped behind his back.
"Let the triangle form," he said. "The real test is coming."