CH 7 Celestial Game Hunt
822 Words
**Chapter 7: Whispers in the Wind**
Yuuto woke up with a gasp, the remnants of a dream fleeing like shadows at sunrise. His chest was slick with sweat, and his fingers still tingled with the energy from last night’s battle against the Shadowbound. The room felt heavier—as if something unseen was still watching.
He sat up, rubbing his eyes. The feather from the shrine rested on his desk, now dimmed but not powerless. The app on his phone had changed again.
[Daily Quest Complete: Survival Against the Shadowbound]
[Level Up! Yuuto Kamizaki – Level 4]
[New Ability Unlocked: Aura Sense Lv.1]
[Stat Boost: +2 Strength, +3 Willpower]
Yuuto stared at the screen. "Aura Sense, huh..."
He tapped the new skill. A brief shimmer spread across his vision. Slowly, the world became layered—shadows moved differently, air swirled unnaturally near corners, and faint traces of color hovered around objects and people.
“Is this how I’m supposed to survive this world?” he murmured.
The streets were unusually quiet when he stepped out. The wind had picked up, cold and dry, and carried voices that didn’t belong.
*He bears the mark.*
*He’s still incomplete.*
*The hunt has truly begun.*
Yuuto whirled around, but the whispers vanished. He took the long way to the university, fingers clenched tightly in his pockets. He hadn’t attended class in weeks, but something told him he needed to go back—at least for answers.
The campus looked the same. Students laughed, professors shouted, and the building still carried the smell of old books and cafeteria oil. But something was off. His Aura Sense kicked in.
Most students had faint, hazy auras.
But one person glowed like a dying sun.
Yuuto froze. It was her.
Lyra.
Dressed in the academy uniform, sitting under the sakura tree, reading a book she wasn’t truly focused on. Her presence was sharper, more vivid than anything else on campus.
He approached slowly. She noticed him right away.
“You,” she said, closing her book. “You’ve awakened your next skill.”
“You were expecting me?” Yuuto asked.
Lyra tilted her head. “I felt the change. Aura Sense is rare. Not many unlock it this early.”
He sat next to her, unsure if it was wise. “Why are you here? I mean, really here? Are you watching me?”
She sighed. “The Celestial Hunt isn’t a solo game, Yuuto. It’s not even just a game. Every hunter is being evaluated—for alignment, power, growth, potential alliances. And some of us are assigned roles.”
“What’s yours?”
“I’m your guide. For now.”
He looked at her carefully. Her words were calm, but her aura flickered slightly. "You don't like being assigned."
Lyra gave a bitter smile. “I was supposed to be a leader. Now I’m... babysitting.”
The wind picked up. They both looked skyward. Something dark stirred in the clouds.
Lyra stood quickly. “Another rift’s opening. We don’t have much time.”
“Rift?”
She grabbed his hand. “Let’s go.”
They sprinted off campus, Aura Sense flaring the closer they got to the park. Energy buzzed through the air like static.
Ahead, where the air shimmered like boiling water, a portal opened. Purple light cracked the sky. From within stepped a creature unlike anything Yuuto had seen—skeletal wings, eyes like voids, and a crown of thorns made of flame.
[Celestial Rift Event: Defeat the Riftborn Warden]
[Recommended Level: 6+]
“I’m only level 4!” Yuuto shouted.
“We’ll manage.” Lyra summoned her blade of starlight. “Just follow my lead.”
The battle began with a roar. The Warden lunged, its wings tearing through the air. Yuuto dodged clumsily, casting ‘Status Unlock’ in panic. For a moment, his stats surged. He moved faster—barely fast enough.
Lyra danced like light itself, every movement precise. But the Warden was relentless, and Yuuto knew she couldn’t keep it up forever.
He had to act.
Aura Sense revealed the Warden’s weak spot—just behind its left wing. Yuuto sprinted forward, ducking under a sweeping claw, and drove his glowing palm into the target.
[Critical Hit!]
[Hidden Effect Triggered: Celestial Affinity Surge]
The Warden shrieked. Lyra didn’t hesitate. She leaped, slashing through its core. The creature disintegrated in a flash of purple fire.
[Event Complete]
[Yuuto Kamizaki – Level 6]
[New Title: Rift Survivor]
Panting, Yuuto dropped to one knee. “That... was insane.”
Lyra helped him up. Her hand lingered on his.
“You did well,” she said softly.
For the first time, Yuuto saw something behind her gaze—conflict, pain, maybe even hope.
But neither of them noticed the faint ripple left in the air behind them, nor the shadow that observed from afar.
A whisper followed the wind.
*The Hunt has only just begun...*
- Writer
