Divided by Dawn

The small sun hung over the arena, a silent, burning sentinel. The air crackled with the tension between the three powerful figures. Headmistress Elara was the first to break the silence, her violet eyes narrowing.

"Jurisdiction of the Solari Clan?" Elara's voice was cold as steel. "Master Helia, with all due respect, this is Aegis Academy. We are a neutral institution. The boy was enrolled here, under our care. He is our responsibility."

The woman in white, Helia, turned slowly, her golden gaze meeting Elara's without a flinch. "Neutrality is a luxury, Headmistress. One you nearly paid for dearly with your carelessness. What you see before you isn't just a student with conflicting affinities. He is the living balance point of a cosmic war. A war my clan, and the clan of the... *creature* that accompanies him... understand far better than any academic."

*Creature? Well, that's bold,* Tsukuyomi's voice hissed in Henry's mind as he started to wake up to a splitting headache.

"What do you suggest, then? That we hand over one of our students to a clan that has just as much of a vested interest in the outcome as the other side?" Master Kael shot back, his smoke-hands swirling faster. "That violates all of our principles."

"Your principles almost got you killed," Helia stated flatly. She walked toward Henry's unconscious body. "You see an anomaly to be studied. I see a time bomb that could destroy everything your 'principles' are meant to protect."

Elara took a step forward, an invisible barrier of pure force shimmering in front of her. "Do not come any closer. Don't underestimate the power of this academy, Master Helia. And don't overestimate your own. He nearly killed you both in the blink of an eye," she said, her voice dropping to a dangerous warning. "Don't make the mistake of thinking he couldn't destroy you, too, even if you are the supposed reincarnation of your lost goddess."

A soft, yet chilling, laugh escaped Helia's lips. The small sun above them glowed brighter for a moment. "You confirm my identity and yet you threaten me with my own flawed creation? How audacious, Headmistress."

Helia stopped, her gaze shifting from Elara to Henry. "The Sun Goddess granted him immortality so he could bear the moon's curse. It was an act of balance, not kindness. It was, however, a mistake. A mistake my predecessor made, and one that is now my responsibility to manage."

She turned back to the two professors, her authority now absolute. "Henry will not remain in the common dormitory. He will be moved to the Solstice Tower, in the east wing of the campus. It's the only structure equipped with divine-level solar and lunar containment. He will continue his classes, but his practical training and his 'condition' will be supervised by me. Personally."

"This is unacceptable! You can't just take over our facilities and our students!" Elara protested.

"I can. And I will," Helia said, her voice making it clear the discussion was over. "Joseph trusted your academy to give the boy a chance at normalcy. He failed to predict the scale of power he was dealing with. I will not make the same mistake."

She snapped her fingers. Two guards in golden armor, the same sun symbol etched on their chests, descended from the stands. They lifted Henry carefully, treating him less like a student and more like a precious, unstable artifact.

"Consider this not a takeover, Headmistress, but a collaboration forced by necessity," Helia said as she turned to follow the guards. "You will teach him to be human. I will teach him not to destroy the world."

As he was carried off, Henry's consciousness drifted in and out. He heard the words "Solari Clan," "reincarnation," and "Solstice Tower." It was too much. A new cage, just a gilded one. And a new warden.

*Oh, this just got interesting,* Tsukuyomi's voice said in his mind, a tone of pure delight. *My old... rival... has come out to play. It looks like your school days just got a lot more complicated, my dear Henry.*

And with that thought buzzing in his head along with the pain, Henry plunged back into darkness.