The faint hum of the Resonance Machine began to fade, its surface dimming as the final names were left uncalled.
Before questions rose, a vibration swept through the hall.
Vice Headmaster Vei Alros, standing in-front, "That will conclude today's evaluations", he proclaimed.
The murmuring halted, silence covering the floor.
"The remainder of the assessments will resume another day. Your instructors will inform of your schedules; for now return to your assigned dorms, or homerooms"
A pause. Her gaze swept the hall, briefly brushing past Riven.
"Let the day settle in your mind. This is the first step you've taken..."
With that, the space began to fade.
It started with light, gentle at first. The glow of the crystal pulsed, then dimmed. The walls that seemed vast, dissolved into nothingness. The platform disappearing as-well.
A voice rang from the fading chamber. Calm. Firm.
"Return to your dorms. You'll receive further instruction tomorrow".
The instructors moved swiftly, forming lines and giving directions, keeping the flow direct and orderly. Beneath that structure, something else stirred...
The crowd wasn't the same as before, that was certain.
Their chatter was hushed, as if something wrong had happened. Heads turning, whispers floating. Most didn't say his name. They didn't need to.
The thoughts of grandeur about the Elite Class was interchanged, with the shock of a Silent being received in-front of them all.
Riven stood in the space for a moment. All those students walking around him. He seemed to be waiting for the world to return to its usual rhythm, but...it didn't.
His eyes moved to the far side of the dispersing group. The Elite Class; silent as ever, but watching. Not all, but enough of them too.
Torin stood with his arms crossed, expression unreadable. Seris' expressions were distant, but a wrinkle on her brow was present. Lyria tilted her head slightly, analysing him. Caelun simply stared.
Jacob didn't look at all.
That said more than any of them.
Huff
He exhaled, almost amused:
'Great...'
'Guess I'm the academy's favourite joke'
His footsteps echoed as he stepped towards the exit. No ceremony or flair.
Hands tucked in his pockets, storage capsule holstered in his front pocket.
Tap tap tap
Conversations erupted, students comparing ranks, powers, rumours. A few glanced at him shortly. Others holding their stare longer, trying to make sense of what was there.
He manoeuvred through the looks and stares, making his way to the first year dormitories.
Past the courtyard. Past the cafeteria. Past the dorm gates.
He walked into the elevator, hitting the button, waiting in silence by himself.
Ding
The soft ding of the doors closing behind him.
Reaching the C Class corridors, the noise of the academy had dulled. The students hadn't returned fully yet, most talking outside or exploring still.
He walked to his room, opening it:
Click
The lights flickered once as he stepped in, then steadied. The bed clean, like it'd been untouched.
He walked to his desk, unbuttoning the front pocket of his jacket.
Ding
He took out the storage capsule, placing its thin design onto the desk.
Slowly, he sat down. Leaning back on a seat.
-----------
The room was high-ceiling-ed and octagonal, tucked behind one of the upper towers of Eldris Academy's western spire. Walls of dark, reinforced stone held a subtle enchantment, keeping the sound inside sealed in.
A long obsidian table stretched across the centre, polished to an extent, that the glyph-lit lanterns hanging overhead reflected off of it.
Five figures sat around said table. Each a division head of the first year cohort.
Their robes varied by field, but the sigil of Eldris burned all the same.
Korreth Halden, Head of Martial Discipline leaned back with a sigh, arms folded. His build was broad, with rough-cut features. A short beard matching the faint streaks of silver in his hair. "I'll say this bluntly. This Elite Class might be the most promising batch we've had in years."
Mireya Varn, Head of Spirit Bonding, glanced up from a stack of floating scrolls, her eyes faintly violet. "The largest as well. Fifteen. It's unheard of".
Jael Cendric, Head of Ki Arts, folded his fingers under his chin. A wiry man with hollow cheeks and a quiet voice. "More than numbers. It's the composition of it all. We've never had someone like Lacura. B Class Mastery in all four mediums...and S-Class potential across them? It defies every precedent."
Korreth grunted. "You saw what he did to the crystal. It looked like it wanted to crack"
Maerth Olin, Head of Magical instruction, older and scholarly, showcasing ink-stained cuffs, "He'll draw attention. Beyond our planet. You know how the Alliance scouts."
Mireya nodded slowly. "If we're serious about the interplanetary tournament this cycle...he gives us a real chance. Him, and perhaps Kalen Voss."
Tasha Renee, Head of Taming leaned forward. She was calm, calculating, with hair drawn tightly back and a voice that always felt judgemental. "Kalen's gravity manipulation is rare. Refined for his age. I'd wager he's only a touch behind Lacura in current form. But he has his...complications."
Korreth glanced sideways. "You mean his family."
Mireya dded softly, "And the fact Seris Halden refuses to speak with him."
That earned a faint smirk from Korreth. "Family dinners are tense."
Jael turned a page in his thin rune-bound book. "Still it's not just those two. Aelana Cael's resonance shook the room. Veyna has a pressure far beyond C Class. Naeva Solene's dual potential is intriguing."
Tasha added, "Fayl Kera...unpredictable. We'll have to test his limits. Mira Dask - deceptively composed. And Caelun Redd..."
They all fell quiet.
Korreth muttered, "That spike. Like something cracked the testing crystal for a moment. Then nothing."
Mireya's eyes narrowed. "A surge that loud only to vanish...I've only seen that once. Long ago."
Maerth raised a brow. "And?"
She didn't answer.
A subtle flicker passed across the centre of the room. Glyphs traced a sigil mid-air. The door opening without sound.
In stepped Vei Alros, the Vice Headmaster.
Her long steps, sharp and direct. A flick of cool air following her entrance, but the true change in the pressure came from behind her...
Headmaster Kael Sarn had entered the room.
Silence fell instantly.
As the two walked to the far end of the table without speaking; the others adjusting in their seats.
They sat slowly.
A pause.
Then: "Speak."
Jael responded. "We were reviewing the Elite Class."
Sarn's eyes remained unreadable, "You are satisfied?"
Korreth nodded once. "More than. It's the first time in years I've felt we have a real contender for the Tournament. Jacob could-"
"He could lose."
The voice cut through cleanly. Not harsh, or cold. Measured.
Vei Alros spoke out.
Korreth turned his head slightly, brow raised:
Vei continued, "I've read the data. Jacob's potential is frightening - but potential isn't control. It isn't readiness."
Maerth Olin scoffed faintly, "You don't think he's ready?"
"I think he's dangerous", Vei followed. "Which is why he's useful. But he's not untouchable".
Jael Cendric leaned back.
"You're talking about the interplanetary bracket?"
Vei nodded. "We won't be the only academy sending monsters in student uniforms...don't forget." she followed, voice lower.
Kael, let the words settle, "And yet, he may be the first we've had in decades who could stand beside the top five".
Mireya Varn flipped through her device. "He's strong. The others aren't weak either."
Vei's voice softened, not in kindness. "They'll all be tested. Jacob shining brighter, will only make him a bigger target."
Mireya Varn smirked. "Well he certainly looked untouchable today."
Vei didn't return the smile, "And yet the one no-one touched wasn't him."
A beat passed. Quiet.
Tasha Renee tilted her head, "You mean the Silent."
"I mean the one none of us saw coming."
The table fell still.