"Good morning, Ellian."
The woman who entered the room spoke with a composed tone—neither too harsh nor too soft. She was tall, with an upright posture and cold, unreadable eyes. Her dark academic robe bore a silver embroidery of intertwining rings—an emblem of the Department of Void and Flow.
"Good morning, Professor," Ellian replied calmly.
Professor Lienne walked a few steps closer, hands behind her back, observing him intently.
"I was told by Professor Caer that the Gate of Condensed Void first exploded, and then vanished entirely the moment you stepped through it. Is that correct?"
Ellian nodded. "Yes, that's exactly what happened."
"Mhm…" Lienne tilted her head slightly. "Are you aware how rare such a phenomenon is?"
"I have no idea."
She stared at him for a moment longer, her expression unreadable.
"If a Gate filled with compressed Void couldn't handle your presence, how am I supposed to?" she muttered under her breath, mostly to herself.
Ellian blinked. He didn't understand what she meant, and he didn't try to hide it.
Lienne shook her head and sighed. "In that case, I'll need to conduct a direct examination. I need to feel your Void flow. Step closer, please."
Ellian hesitated but obeyed. She gestured toward a reclining chair at the side of the room.
"Lie down."
He complied, still not fully understanding the purpose. Lienne knelt beside him, her fingers pressing gently against the center of his chest.
"Ellian, can you feel the Void inside you? Anything at all?"
He stared at the ceiling, then closed his eyes. "No... nothing. I can't feel anything."
She didn't reply at first. Her fingers remained still on his chest. Inside, she was troubled.
I don't feel anything either. But if there's no Void, then why did the Gate collapse? And more importantly... how does something like that vanish entirely?
"Ellian," she said again, "try to imagine a stream of water flowing inside your body. But instead of water, imagine Void."
He furrowed his brow, focusing. Lienne closed her eyes as well, trying to detect even a flicker.
And then—something.
It wasn't exactly the Void she knew. No... it was like Void, but distorted. Muddied. Slipping through her perception like mist through fingers. There was motion, a current, something ancient and formless. Something that shouldn't exist.
She jerked back, her face pale.
"What… what is this?" she breathed, taking a shaky step back.
Without another word, she turned and rushed out of the room, leaving Ellian lying there, stunned.
He sat up slowly, staring at the door she had just disappeared through.
"...What was that about? What did she mean?"
No one came for several minutes. Finally, deciding there was no point in waiting, he left the room and began walking back toward his dormitory.
The halls were filled with students, but as he passed them, he noticed something strange. People stared at him—some curious, others cautious. Whispered words followed him like shadows. He didn't understand why.
When he finally reached his room, he found Keon and Tamir already there.
"Ellian!" Keon jumped up from the floor, eyes wide. "Man, what even happened in there? How did you pull that off?"
"Seriously," Tamir added, arms crossed. "I've never even heard of something like that."
Ellian shut the door behind him, rubbing his forehead. "Guys… I honestly have no idea. I don't understand what's going on either."
Keon raised an eyebrow. "You do realize the results are being posted tomorrow, right?"
Tamir grinned. "I'm betting all my credits that you're in. No way they're passing up on someone like you."
Ellian frowned. "What makes you so sure?"
Keon laughed. "Because you're basically a walking anomaly. And come on, the Academy lives for anomalies like you."
Tamir nodded in agreement. "Don't worry, Ellian. We'll all get in. Keon, the girls, me—you too. I just know it."
Ellian looked between his two roommates and smiled softly. "Thanks… I hope you're right."
He turned and headed to the small sink in the corner of the room to wash his face. As water ran through his fingers, he heard Keon mutter behind him.
"You think he's okay?"
Tamir responded quietly, "Hey, what's with you? You believed in him from the start."
"I still do. But belief might not be enough. If they don't accept him… I swear, I'll beg the Dean himself."
Tamir snorted. "They'll accept him. You'll see."
The two resumed their game at the table, their voices blending with the distant noise of the dorm hallway. A few minutes later, Ellian returned and lay down on his bed, staring up at the ceiling.
He didn't say a word.
Eventually, all three of them fell asleep.
---
Morning came.
The Day of Results.
Hundreds of students swarmed the Grand Square of the Academy, eyes scanning the massive stone boards where names were engraved by magic, letter by letter. Each student had to find their name under the first letter of their first name—rows labeled A through Z. The crowd buzzed with nervous excitement.
Keon and Tamir ran off the moment they arrived, each eager to locate their results.
Ellian stayed behind, walking slowly toward the "E" section. He waited for the crowd to thin out before approaching. The square around him was chaotic, filled with laughter, cries of joy, and occasional groans of disappointment. But Ellian stood still, arms crossed, his gaze steady.
Then he heard footsteps behind him.
Turning slightly, he saw Professor Lienne.
"Come with me," she said without further explanation.
He followed her in silence, threading through the mass of students until they reached a quieter corridor. She didn't speak, and he didn't ask.
Eventually, they reached the Vice Headmaster's office.
Lienne knocked once, then opened the door. A stern voice from inside said nothing.
"Vice Headmaster," she began, "this is the boy I spoke of yesterday."
Without waiting for a response, she stepped aside, allowing Ellian in, and then left just as abruptly.
The room was lined with books and artifacts, ancient scrolls and instruments ticking softly. At the far end of the room, behind a tall desk, sat a man in a grey robe with short white hair, completely absorbed in a pile of papers.
Minutes passed in silence.
Ellian stood, unsure if he should speak. The man said nothing, flipping through sheets and signing documents.
Finally, the Vice Headmaster set down his pen and looked up.
"You are now a student of the Academy."
Ellian blinked. "...What? I—thank you."
"Don't thank me," the man cut in sharply. "You were accepted because I want to study you."
There was no malice in his voice, but no warmth either. Only pure, clinical curiosity.
"You're dismissed."
Ellian stood motionless for a second, then nodded quickly. "Understood."
He left the office, still unsure if what had just happened was real.
The moment he stepped into the hallway, he took off running toward the dormitory. His chest felt lighter than it had in days.
When he burst into the room, Keon and Tamir jumped to their feet.
Keon grinned wide. "You too?!"
"Yeah," Ellian laughed, out of breath. "He said I'm in. Apparently, he wants to study me."
Tamir raised an eyebrow. "Wait—the Vice Headmaster told you that?"
Ellian nodded.
They all stared at one another—and then burst into laughter.
"Man, only you would get accepted because someone wants to dissect your soul," Keon joked.
They laughed again, and for the first time in a while, everything felt normal.
The light from the windows grew golden as the sun began to set. Keon and Tamir returned to their game, chatting and laughing. Ellian sat by the window, watching the courtyard below as new students rushed about with their letters of acceptance.
He didn't know what tomorrow would bring, or what the Vice Headmaster truly meant.
But for now, he was in.
And that was enough.