Chinue moved more slowly than the other as he found himself so out of place, but at the same time so at home. The common room quieted as plates vanished on their own, leaving only the faint hum of the hall settling into morning.
He rose, adjusting the cuffs of his uniform. It fit him strangely well, like it's made for him, which it seems it does. Everything here is just so accommodating and measured for these 7 people who are so different from each other, like someone measured their souls. A random thought came into his mind, Obsura Remembers. That was the first truth he had learned, and at every moment, he had been here.
All of them decided to follow the map and go together to class. As they left, the map started to glow and show them the way. The woods warmed. An image of a group of students standing here long ago, laughing, unaware of what's coming, flashed across Chinue's mind.
A fragment which belongs to him but isn't his. A piece of the story world tries to bury itself in time, but time has a funny way of moving in a circle.
"Chinue", Annaya called gently from the doorway. "You coming?"
He turned, the faintest smile touching his lips. "Yes. Just… listening"
Vesper frowned "To what? We don't hear anything"
"You will…Just let your soul listen to it, and you will find it at the right time," Seraphine Noir said with a clarity that no one questioned.
The seven walked together toward the central hall, following the trail of floating symbols that lit up one by one as they approached on the map. The corridors were brighter than last night, yet the light didn't come from lamps. Obscura itself pulsed awake, guiding them with quiet certainty.
The Orientation Hall opened like a great cathedral made of shifting stone and glass. Ceiling arches shimmered with constellations that moved gently, forming new patterns every few seconds. Rows of students from every faction were already seated, whispers weaving through the air like threads of colour.
At the centre stood a circular platform marked with the Academy's crest—seven sigils orbiting a single core. The moment the new students stepped inside, the crest glowed, sensing them.
A tall figure emerged from the upper balcony, robes swirling like ink in water. Headmaster Lucian. His presence silenced the room without effort.
"Welcome," his voice carried effortlessly, calm yet absolute. "You stand at the threshold of Obscura Academy, a place that reveals who you are before even you know it."
The hall vibrated gently, as if agreeing.
"Each of you was chosen not for talent, nor bloodline, nor destiny…" His gaze swept across the hall and paused for a fraction of a second on the seven. "…but because a part of you was already missing in the world outside. Obscura only returns what was always yours."
A soft murmur passed through the students.
Lucian lifted a hand, and seven orbs of light descended above the crowd, each one glowing in a different hue—gold, silver, crimson, blue, violet, emerald, obsidian.
"These represent the Seven Foundations—the forces the world forgets but cannot exist without. Each of you will soon discover where your resonance lies."
The orbs circled overhead, humming like a distant storm.
"Today, you will attend your first assessment. It will not test your strength… but your truth."
Vesper shifted. Annaya straightened. Lyra swallowed. Kaelen exhaled sharply. Chinue's eyes sharpened. Dorian's fingers curled. Seraphine—expression unreadable—didn't move at all.
Lucian's final words echoed through the hall:
"Obscura does not accept answers. It uncovers them."
The doors sealed behind them with a soft, decisive thrum.
Orientation had begun.