The Coral Peacock headquarters looked like it had been plucked from a dream—or a fever one.
Kael stood at the edge of a vast courtyard, gaping at spiraling trees shaped like feathers, glowing stepping stones, and cloud-like vines that drifted lazily across the stone path. The main tower shimmered faintly, not from polish, but because of subtle illusion spells etched into every windowpane and brick. Birds made of colored mist occasionally fluttered across balconies.
He took a breath.
This wasn't Windmere. This wasn't anything like Windmere.
"I've made it," he whispered.
The enormous front doors creaked open with theatrical slowness. A figure stepped out, flanked by what looked like flower petals gently falling—indoors.
"Ahhh, the new sprout," the voice said. "Yes, yes… I could smell unfamiliar mana."
Kael blinked.
Before him stood a tall man with flowing lavender-pink hair, immaculate robes patterned with glistening blossoms, and eyes that shimmered with an almost excessive sparkle. His smile was poised, but behind it sat something wildly unfiltered.
"Kirsch Vermillion," the man said, pressing a hand to his chest and dramatically flaring his coral cloak. "Vice-Captain of this radiant garden of excellence."
"...Kael," he replied simply.
Kirsch examined him. "You're composed. I like that. Too many crumble beneath my beauty. But you—yes, your aura is all brooding wind and mystery. Deliciously serious."
Kael stared.
Kirsch tilted his head and gestured with a flourish. "Well? Don't stand like a startled scarecrow. Come. Let me show you the peacock's nest."
—
The inside of the tower was even more dreamlike.
Walls painted with shifting colors. Paintings that whispered forgotten spells. Staircases that turned into ramps when you blinked too long.
Kirsch narrated every room with dramatic flair:
"This is the Mirage Library. We don't *read* so much as *experience* books here."
"Ah, the Floating Baths. Temperature depends entirely on your mood."
"Here is the Dining Cloud. If the chefs like your posture, the food will float to you."
Kael followed silently, clutching his grimoire behind him.
Kirsch finally turned serious—well, as serious as he got. "You're not just a curiosity, Kael. You're a storm waiting for its center. We have many talented fools here, but few arrive with… six leaves."
Kael looked down. "I'm still learning what it means."
"You'd better learn fast," Kirsch replied, then suddenly smiled again. "But not too fast. Chaos is interesting."
—
*Settling In*
Over the next week, Kael was introduced to his fellow squadmates.
There was *Beau Fairbairn*, who used floral magic and wore ten rings on each hand. He greeted Kael with a full dramatic bow and immediately invited him to an evening of "tea-fueled meditation combat."
*Rick Cornell*, in contrast, barely spoke—only muttering when necessary. His crystal magic shaped the floors of his room into fractals and shifting staircases.
Others included an illusionist who constantly forgot which spell she had cast on herself and a cook who believed seasoning was a form of emotional expression.
Kael was out of place—but not unwelcome.
Still, his nights were quiet.
He often sat by the courtyard pond, watching wind ripple across the water.
Sometimes he'd open his grimoire and stare at the sixth leaf.
Sometimes it pulsed back.
—
*Training Days*
Kirsch was an intense instructor.
Despite his vanity, he took training seriously—and was surprisingly perceptive.
"I want to see your basic spell again," he said one afternoon, sipping lavender tea while sitting on a floating cushion.
Kael raised a hand. "Fracture Gale."
A controlled burst of wind erupted, sharp and precise. It shredded the dummy target in two.
Kirsch clapped, then sighed. "Beautiful, yes. But your focus is too tight. What's the *feeling* of the wind? Rage? Mercy? Regret?"
Kael frowned. "I don't know. It just… responds."
Kirsch floated closer, unusually serious. "You'll never command the sixth leaf through command. You must understand the emotion behind each spell. What memory shapes your magic?"
Kael didn't answer.
Kirsch, for once, didn't push.
He floated away again. "Try again. This time, think of something that made you scream. Then breathe."
Kael's spell that day was stronger—and a little darker.
—
*The Call*
One morning, a crystal orb flickered to life in the main hall. Squad members gathered. Kirsch appeared from a side hallway, adjusting his hair and applying shimmering balm to his cheekbones.
"Ahem," he said, striking a pose. "Announcement!"
Kael stood at the back, silent.
Kirsch spun on one heel. "The boy of wind and mystery, Kael, has received his first mission!"
Beau gasped dramatically. "Already?"
Rick raised one brow. "He's still… unstable."
"Which makes it all the more *riveting*," Kirsch replied, beaming.
He waved a scroll into existence. "Three missing persons from a rural settlement. Signs of dark magic. You'll go with Beau and Rick. Observe, report, and if needed—intervene."
Kael straightened. "Understood."
Beau leaned toward him and whispered, "Rick's quiet, but don't worry. I talk enough for both of us."
Rick snorted.
Kirsch floated down, landing lightly in front of Kael.
He fixed the younger mage with a sharp, unblinking gaze.
"Don't forget what you carry," he said softly. "That book... it has edges. The deeper you go, the more it wants to cut."
Kael nodded. "I'll manage."
Kirsch grinned, spinning away. "Good! Now go brush your cloak. We—can't have you entering danger looking like a wrinkled storm cloud."
Kael blinked. "You want me to… iron my cloak?"
Kirsch gasped. "Iron? No! You must steam it gently with wind magic while humming something tragic. Honestly, do they teach *nothing* outside the capital?"
Beau laughed, tossing Kael a wink. "He's not kidding. Presentation is half the spell."
Rick just walked toward the portal room, muttering, "Ten seconds late already."
Kael adjusted his cloak anyway—more out of habit than vanity—and followed them toward the glowing transportation array.
*Stepping Out*
As they stood at the shimmering portal, Kael looked once over his shoulder at the tower.
It already felt like a second world—one filled with illusions, strange wisdom, and people as unpredictable as the spells they cast.
"Ready?" Beau asked, spinning his staff.
Kael nodded.
"Keep close," Rick said.
The array surged with energy, bathing them in brilliant light. The wind around Kael whispered like a voice just out of reach.
And then—gone.
The Coral Peacock base vanished behind them.
They were on their way.
Kael's first mission had begun.
His answers—and his shadows—were waiting.