The air was heavy with the glow of new crests, the constellations above shimmering as though to acknowledge the Bindings already claimed. Jayden, Cynthia, Kaitlyn, Jordan, and De'Oliver each stood transformed, their marks blazing faintly across their chests, their very presence changed.
But not all had stepped forward.
On the fringes of the gathering, a handful of first-years still lingered, pale and trembling. Some shook their heads violently, refusing the glass when it passed their way. One boy muttered, "This isn't what I signed up for. I never wanted this." Another simply turned and ran for the doors — only to find them sealed.
Maximilian raised a hand. His voice was calm, but it echoed with a weight that pressed against the soul.
"To refuse is not weakness. It is a choice. But understand — this path cannot be walked halfway."
The wisp-light around him flared, and the air rippled. One by one, the hesitant students began to fade. Their outlines blurred like ink in water, their voices muffled cries of confusion. Then, in the span of a breath, they were gone.
No trace.
The hall stood in stunned silence.
De'Oliver's mouth fell open. "Did… did he just—?"
Kaitlyn's voice was quiet but firm. "They were erased. Sent back to their lives."
Cynthia's eyes narrowed. "Not just sent back. Wiped clean. They won't even remember this place."
And she was right. Somewhere far beyond the Academy's walls, those who refused awoke in their beds, memories blank, their invitations forgotten, their lives folding back into the mundane rhythm of ordinary days.
Maximilian lowered his hand, the mythic aura around him settling once more.
"This is no ordinary school. You stand in a place between worlds. Only those who would embrace the future may remain. The rest… return to dust and dreams."
Gasps broke out as the realization struck. Eighteen students had vanished. From the sixty who entered, only forty-two remained.
A shiver ran through the hall. The upperclassmen sat straighter, their gazes weighing heavier upon the new initiates. The message was clear: the first step had already culled the unwilling.
Jayden's grin widened. "Good riddance."
Jordan said nothing, but his fists tightened at his sides. For the first time, he realized the scale of what lay ahead. This was no ceremony. This was a crucible.
And they were already burning.