Huff huff
The silence was loud as their chests rose up and down. The training had gone on for an unknown time, but it was evident by the skylight, it was past night.
They seemed to have been there for hours.
Sharing that space, exchanging stories to the world.
Their bodies were sore, clothes damp.
The clashing had stopped.
The air in the training dome hung thick with the heat or exertion, swords still echoing faintly. Kalen sat with one leg stretched out, chest rising slowly. Across, Riven crouched, a wooden sword placed in front of him on the floor.
For a moment, nothing was said...
Standing up slowly, Riven picked up the sword on the floor. Placing it back on the display he'd took it from; he turned around, giving Kalen a short nod.
Not friendly. Not respectful.
Just...a nod.
Kalen looked up, blinking through sweat, and watched Riven walk away in silence, opening the door to the grounds; disappearing from view.
Huff
That night, the air was heavier. Not with tension, but a quiet pressure of what was to come.
The induction wasn't just about class placement, it was about being seen.
------
Riven didn't do much the day after training.
He wandered the outer courtyards once. Ate alone in one the quieter cafes. It was a quiet day for him, but around the academy; it was loud. There was a-lot more students with it being the day before the inductions. The corridors buzzed with noise as Riven stayed in his room most of the time either: scrolling through his phone on Me-tube, or sharpening Mael's Fang(although it didn't it).
When night came, he slept early.
----C(50)P(4)D(12)----
The day was finally here.
07:00 - The alarm buzzed once.
Riven's eyes fluttered open. He silenced the alert with a tap before it could sound again.
Huff
Breathing out.
The air was cool, soft morning light filtering through the curtains.
Outside, the building was already waking - footsteps echoing faintly down stone halls, distant voices buzzing already.
'The days finally here...'
He sat up slowly.
creak
Stepping out of bed, he strode to the bathroom.
Tap tap
The bathroom was narrow, tiled in a dull vanilla. The light flickered from a dim arcane crystal.
Strolling into the shower; he stood beneath it, twisting the valve.
Ching SPSHH!
He let the water run across his back and shoulders. It wasn't hot. It didn't need to be.
He was over quickly, flicking water off his hands as he washed his face.
Drip
When he stepped out, droplets slid down, cascading the floor.
Drying himself quickly, he dressed with a quiet rhythm
The Eldris uniform - its deep charcoal fabric with silver hues and intricate patterns all around, catching the light as he pulled it on.
Seconds passed before he walked over to the desk. Placed in the middle was his storage capsule.
No bigger than his thumb, he activated the activate rune, and there it was; Mael's Fang.
It was there waiting.
He slipped the capsule into the front pocket of his uniform for quick access.
The time of the induction was said to be at 08:00, in the main hall.
It would take a couple minutes getting there, and the the time currently was, 07:28.
'Don't wanna be late, do I?'
Making sure he had everything to go, he ruffled his brown hair; its length longer than before.
He turned to the door, stepping into the hall.
Click
Opening the door, he was met with the corridor or the C Class dorms.
The stone walls here were colder, the air still faint with mana residue. Most doors were cracked open - students halfway dressed chanting spells it seemed.
Other students graced the halls - some yawning, some tightening their sleeves, and others murmuring anxiously.
Passing them by, no-one spoke to Riven as he waltzed to the elevator at the far end.
It glowed faintly, waiting.
Ding!
A chime. The door opened and Riven stepped in with a few others. No-one spoke.
The elevator rode down to the first floor. Here brighter lights filled the space as more students crowded.
Voices collided in bursts - dozens collected either standing or walking to the exit.
Riven walked in unison with other students as they exited the dorms and moved towards the wide archways that led out to the academy's main concourse.
"They're saying this is the largest Elite class selection in history"
"Fifteen spots already filled. If anyone else gets in today, it'll be crazy!"
Riven moved as the students chattered.
"Aelana Cael scorched the floor, like...actual burn marks. She didn't even mean to."
"Seris Halden's so clean with her casting. She's friendly too-"
"Lyria Skorne's got a beast contract with some shadow creature apparently-"
"Naeva-"
The names passed like a breeze.
Students gossiped whilst they marched to the hall, to calm their nerves? Who knows.
But Riven wasn't really listening.
His eyes drifted upwards - past the heads and voices to the towering arch of the Grand Hall ahead.
Blackstone polished like glass. Silver runes woven along the frame. Banners hung, swinging in the morning air.
It felt like something was about to shift.
The closer they got, the more the voices bled together. All folding into a singular hum and buzz.
Riven's steps didn't change.
He passed the outer archway with the rest of the crowd. Glancing left and right, he observed the historic design of it all.
The ceiling stretched high above - vaulted glass and blacksteel ribs holding up light and silence.
A steady glow was cast with floating crystals.
The hall itself was built in a stepped amphitheatre design, with six wide curved tiers of seating wrapping around a central stage in a perfect circle.
Hundreds of first year students - at least three hundred - were filtering into their assigned sections, uniforms catching the soft enchantment lights.
Each row, slightly elevated above the last.
Whilst the students grouped up to sit down, the faculty stood along the left side of the central platform, arranged with their robes marked with different colours and crests.
To the right, a row of raised balconies sat.
Inside these weren't staff.
They appeared to be observers.
They appeared to be noble families; different crests outlined in different booths.
Walking across a row, Riven finally pivoted to take a seat.
The seats were shaped from a dark-stone. Lined with thin runes, they were fitted with light cushions, enough to sit without growing numb, but not to truly feel comfortable.
Everything seemed to be designed to keep the students present. Alert.
Once all the seats quickly filled, a woman in deep midnight-blue robes stepped forward to the centre of the stage.
Amidst the talking, her presence was sharp.
She didn't raise her voice.
She didn't have to.
A soft pulse passed through the hall - a minor spell.
The room began to quiet.
"Settle down", she said, smoothly. "You may whisper a moment longer...but your headmaster is watching".
The last few murmurs fell away.
One or two students straightened. A few stopped mid conversation.
The row of faculty behind the woman, pressuring the silence further.
The woman looked around, nodding before stepping aside.
No sound followed. No magical flare or dramatic wind.
Just, presence.
Suddenly, he was there.
Standing at the centre of the stage, between the shadow and light, was the headmaster of Eldris...
His robes hung still - black layered with silver etched runes. His hair, a dark black, tied back with tints of silvery grey across its plain. A black gem pendant on the centre of his chest, which seemed to absorb the glow around it.
He didn't scan the crowd; his gaze, a hazel brown, fixed straight ahead. Not looking at anyone, but felt by everyone.
He commanded the whole room.
Then he spoke...
No amplification, no enchantment was necessary. Just his calm, balanced voice; more prevalent than most spells.
"First-years of Eldris Academy", he said.
"Welcome".