Jael Cendric broke the silence. "I reviewed his prior scan results. A solid C-Class. Magic Medium. Nothing impressive. Then today, he registers as a Silent?"
Korreth muttered, "That was no glitch. You all saw. That was boy was ever calm, even with all the stares."
huff
Mireya exhaled slowly. "The duel. That step he took - there was no trace. I thought it was a trick. I haven't seen something like that."
Maerth frowned, "Nor have I."
Tasha tapped her pen against her notepad. "I teach taming. What he did wasn't ki, nor magic or taming. And there was no spirit presence".
"And that sword", Vei added. "Did you see how had kept it holstered the entire time?"
Korreth glanced at her. "You're saying he was holding back?"
"No", she said softly. "I'm saying we've only seen the surface of something we don't understand."
Maerth leaned forward, eyes narrowed. "Then the question is....do we let it grow?"
A long pause.
Sarn's voice finally cut through the silence:
"We will".
Another silence followed, this one only for a moment.
Jael Cendric glanced sideways. "You know..." he started.
"It reminded me of...the event in Solmir Cradle. Years ago."
Mireya Varn stiffened slightly, "The one that was buried?"
Tasha Renee gave a slow nod, "A boy wasn't it? Blade user. Silent. Moved through a patrol team before they realised he was there."
Korreth Halden folded his arms, "I thought that file was redacted."
"It was," Vei said flatly, "But I was there."
Silence. Then Kael spoke.
"That's enough."
His tone left no room for more questions.
Tension, thick as it was, dissipated like fog burned away.
Kael's gaze swept across the table, pausing on each of them - not as judgement but as warning. "You've all spoken your part, "he said.
"Let that be the end of it. We'll act on what we know. Not what we fear."
Mireya sat back, lips pressed thin. Korreth gave a single nod. Cendric's fingers tapped away.
Kael turned to Vei, "As for the boy", he said. "The Silent."
Vei's eyes narrowed slightly, then she spoke. "He can't remain in the C-Class dormitory. The system flagged his record - there's already chatter among the staff and students. Leaving him there would only escalate things."
"Hmm"
Kael gave a low hum, not surprised or troubled.
"There's a space. Unused. South tower. A single unit that's been vacant for years."
"A solitary dorm?" Jael Cendric asked, lifting a brow.
"It's not a punishment", Kael replied. "It's distance. And perhaps, clarity. For both him and the others."
Maerth Olin leaned forward. "Is that wise? Isn't it better to keep an eye on a situation like him?"
"We'll be watching." Kael said calmly. "More than he knows."
Folding his arms, "What about class assignment", Korreth asked.
Kael didn't answer at first. He stood up. Walking a few steps to the far window.
"He'll not be placed yet."
"You mean-"
Kael's voice cut in. "No class. Not until after the Selection Phase. Let him find his own place."
A silence settled. It wasn't agreement, but it wasn't opposition either.
"He'll be left alone." Vei said, quiet now, "And no one will know where he went."
Kael's gaze didn't leave the glass. "For a while".
------
The door to Riven's room echoed with another set of knocks - louder this time.
A few muffled voices. Then laughter. Then silence again.
He sat on his bed, back straight, bag already packed at his side. The capsule with his sword rested on the desk still.
Another knock, this one softer.
Knock! knock! knock!
"Riven Brown?"
It wasn't a student voice. Firmer. Adult. Tired.
Standing up.
He walked to the door. Opening it, he was greeted two academy staff members waiting.
One older, the other barely older than the students.
Both in dark uniforms with slim armbands, showing the academy crest.
"You've been reassigned", the older one said simply. "Follow us."
No explanation. No apology.
He turned around, grabbing his storage capsule off the desk.
Following them in the process.
The C-Class corridor was still bustling. Word had spread fast as it always did.
As they were making their way to the elevator, conversations dipped into hushes that turned to murmurs.
"Is that the Silent?"
"Yeah that's him."
"Didn't he get null on all four?"
"Guess he's getting expelled..."
A louder voice called out further back, "Hey! Don't forget to thank the machine on your way out!"
Someone else chuckled at the comment.
The staffers didn't glance back or slow.
Neither did Riven.
The elevators opened with a dull chime.
Ding
He stepped inside with them, the chatter sealing off as the door shut.
It was short descent.
No one spoke.
------
The main floor of the dorms was packed now. Students moved in scattered clusters, half talking about the test; the others talking about the Elite Class members standing near the far wall.
Seris Halden stood among them, arms crossed, brows furrowed. She wasn't speaking just observing the corridor.
"Oi", someone muttered near her. "Isn't that..."
Across the hall, Riven emerged from the elevator....
Two instructors flanking behind him.
The noise thinned. Conversations faltered. A few students stepped aside reflexively, others staring openly.
"He's being walked out?", Fayl Kera asked, adjusting his gloves with amusement.
Veyna Aris snorted, "Didn't last long".
Seris' eyes followed him closely. There was no shame. No reaction on his face.
Just the same expression. She didn't know what to make of that.
"Did you see the way he moved?", Mira Dask whispered to nobody in particular.
Torin Vale stood nearby, towering, arms folded, "I saw it."
"You sound impressed", Veyna said, chuckling.
Torin didn't reply.
Rowen Delca and his half-lidded gaze followed Riven, "I thought the way he moved felt off. Not bad. Just...off"
Seris still hadn't taken her eyes off of him.
Something about the way he walked too. Like the duel and the scan. There wasn't a need for validation. He was just....walking.
Before Riven passed them, his eyes flicked once to their direction.
Not up. Not down.
Just straight through.
....
Just like that, he was gone; through the doors, swallowed by the courtyard beyond.
The courtyard was cooler. Wind sliding past him. Instructors ever so silent on either side.
Behind, the murmurs still ever ongoing.
He didn't look back.
The path branched in every direction.
Winding towards the training fields, towards gardens or class halls. But the one they took led far west and then down.
Past whispers poorly disguised, and students loitering.
"That's the silent..."
He couldn't hear the words anymore. Not fully.
The rhythm in his steps matching the pulse in his chest; controlled. Calm.
They passed a wide arch way where the polished stone gave way to older ground. Weeds curled between cracked tiles. The iron-lined fences framing a tower that began to rise in the distance.
It loomed. Not ruined. But forgotten.
Three stories high, faded gold trim still barely visible.
No guards. No crest on its face like the main dorms.
The structure cast a long shadow on the lawn.
He stepped inside.
The door creaked as it opened.
Creak
The hallway beyond was long, narrow and dust-lined; like no breeze had passed in years.
Faint lights dotted the ceiling. Most dimmed or flickered out entirely.
Shadows stretching across the cracked floor tiles.
The footsteps of the instructors echoed louder. Riven's own felt quiet in comparison.
Either side, doors stood closed. Some warped, some cleanly shut. Others slightly ajar, revealing darkness beyond.
A thin plaque was screwed in each - numbers instead of names.
No voices. No sign anyone passed through here recently.
No signs of student life.
Just emptiness.
A place for someone who didn't belong.
They all didn't speak. Neither of them.
Near the far end of the corridor, one instructor finally slowed down.
Turning to a door with a 311 engraved into the frame. It looked no different from the others; but it felt final.
"We've cleared it", the instructor said. "It's yours now".
No ceremony or explanation.
Riven nodded once.
The instructor who spoke didn't meet his eyes.
"You're to remain in the South Tower until further notice", he said, voice firm but not unkind.
"No unauthorised movement across campus. Meals will be arranged. You'll be notified when you're allowed to rejoin".
The silence that followed, carried more than policy.
It carried distance.
No punishment was declared, no crime stated; but the message was clear.
He was no longer part of the first-years' fold.
No longer one of them.
He didn't argue. Didn't ask. He looked past the man to the door
---311---
He nodded slowly.
A thin key card was passed into his hand
"Scan in. You'll be logged".
And then they left.
No parting words. Just receding steps.
He stood alone.
The door hissed as it slid open.
Creakkkk
The room was small. Bare. No nameplate, no sign of life.
Dust motes in the air, and a single bed by the wall; sheets folded, untouched.
He stepped inside.
The door sealing behind him with a final click.
Click.
------
**Author's Note:**
Let me know what you guys think so far! Drop a comment or leave a review - it really helps a lot.
And if you're enjoying the story, don't forget to add it to your collection!
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