For a moment, silence lingered heavy in the air, the absence of the vanished students pressing on every mind. Then Maximilian rose from his seat. The mythic wisp that clung to him flared brighter, casting long, shifting shadows across the hall.
He spread his arms, his voice rolling through the chamber like a tide.
"Forty-two remain. Forty-two who have chosen not to flee, not to cower, but to embrace the unknown."
A wave of applause erupted from the pews. Upperclassmen clapped and cheered, their voices echoing from the vaulted ceiling. Even some of the professors nodded, approving. The first-years stood a little taller beneath the roar of recognition, their new crests glowing faintly as though to answer the call.
But then Maximilian lifted a single finger.
The sound died instantly, as though cut away by a blade. The hall fell back into silence, the echoes snuffed out before they could fade.
The Headmaster's gaze swept across the gathered first-years, his voice colder now, measured, undeniable.
"You are to be congratulated, yes. But do not mistake this for triumph. What comes next is no gift. It is no ceremony of crowns and laurels. What happens now… is upon yourselves."
He raised his hand, and for an instant, the constellations above shimmered with fierce intensity, the twelve sigils glowing brighter than before. The blank thirteenth space flickered faintly, then fell still.
"The Chip is not your strength. The Zodian Binding is not your salvation. They are merely keys. What you unlock — and whether you survive what is revealed — will depend entirely on you."
A low murmur rippled through the first-years, their earlier pride cooling to unease.
Jayden's smirk faltered, just slightly. Jordan swallowed hard, the weight of Maximilian's words settling deep in his chest. Cynthia and Kaitlyn both stood with straightened backs, eyes sharp, refusing to look away.
Maximilian lowered his arms, the wisp dimming once more, though its storm still simmered.
"This Academy does not coddle. It forges. And you, children, are not yet tempered steel. You are raw ore — and ore must burn."