The lecture hall buzzed with restless students. The screens behind the instructors flickered with holographic Rift terrain, while floating name grids reshuffled again and again.
Squad trials.
It was the first field simulation of the semester—a test of team coordination inside a D-rank holographic Rift. No stakes, no injury risk… just data collection. Or so the professors said.
A tall instructor stepped forward, voice sharp.
"Squad assignments are randomized. You'll operate in four-man teams. Objectives will vary, but for all of you—this is your first Rift engagement."
Students straightened, eyes flicking to the grid above as names clicked into place.
"Squad Five," the professor called. "Levi Giarden. Charlotte Gravielle. David Ruiz. Kael Navarro."
Levi let out a laugh beside Kael. "Look at that. Destiny loves us, man."
Kael stayed silent.
He glanced at the other two.
David Ruiz was already adjusting the cuffs on his uniform. B-rank, tall, solid frame, with a Desyre Core known for barrier manipulation—Strong Will. A natural defender.
The last one was harder to ignore.
Charlotte Gravielle.
Barely 5 feet tall, black-brown hair tied, fit body, glasses perched on her nose, and a quiet sort of confidence in how she stood. Kael had seen her before—at the edge of drills, laughing with others, always sharp-eyed.
She was staring at him.
Their eyes met for a second.
Charlotte tilted her head. "You're Kael, right? The one who sparred with Levi yesterday?"
Kael nodded once.
She squinted. "You're ranked C?"
"…Yeah."
Her brows furrowed. "Huh. You kept up with him."
Levi smirked. "Don't remind me."
Charlotte turned back to Kael, walking beside him as the squads were led into the sim chamber.
"That doesn't make sense," she said. "You didn't use flashy moves, but your timing was sharp. That footwork. Even your reactions…"
Kael didn't reply.
Kael glanced at her—just a flicker.
And in his mind:
She was beautiful. That much was undeniable. The kind of beauty that didn't need attention it drew it anyway. Even Kael had to admit, few in the academy, maybe even in the country, could match it
She didn't notice his silence. Or maybe she did and took it as permission to keep going.
"I mean, no offense," Charlotte added quickly, "but most C-ranks barely land a hit on Levi. And you were reading him."
"I got lucky," Kael said.
Charlotte narrowed her eyes. "Hmm."
Levi raised an eyebrow, walking backward ahead of them. "Speaking of power—what's your Core again, Charlotte? Never seen you use it in drills."
Charlotte gave a small smile. "Heartglow."
"Sounds poetic," Levi said. "What does it do?"
"It lets me copy Desyre traits of anyone I'm emotionally synced with," she said casually. "Temporarily. If I understand them well enough, I can even fuse abilities—though that part's still unstable."
David let out a low whistle. "So basically... you're the team's wild card."
Charlotte grinned. "Only if I like you."
Kael stayed quiet.
But inside, a quiet thought surfaced: She could copy mine.
The Rift chamber doors opened with a metallic hiss.
Inside: ruins overgrown with spectral vines, fog twisting across shattered pavement, and holographic Riftspawn flickering in and out of view. The simulation engine hummed.
"D-Rank scenario: Containment breach," an automated voice said. "Clear all entities. Seal Rift Node."
David raised a hand and projected a translucent dome of Desyre—light blue, sturdy. "I'll cover the right. Levi, left?"
"On it." Levi cracked his knuckles, Desyre flaring around his limbs.
Kael unsheathed his training blade. Simple. Weighted just how he liked it.
Charlotte smiled and stepped behind them, her aura pulsing faintly—Heartglow syncing in quiet waves. Kael could feel it brushing against his own. She was reading them.
"Let's go," she said.
They moved.
The first Riftspawn lunged from a collapsed wall—long-limbed, glowing red eyes, too fast for a D-rank, but not fast enough.
Levi met it with a downward gravity pulse, flattening it into the rubble.
Two more emerged.
Kael shifted without thinking—slid in low, blade arcing, slicing through the construct's spine in a single clean movement. A blur of motion. No waste.
Charlotte blinked behind him. "Okay. Not lucky."
David's barrier curved to absorb a projectile from behind, and Kael pivoted again, catching a leaping Riftspawn mid-air and slamming it into the ground.
The simulation flickered with the enemy count.
Almost done.
They advanced on the final Rift Node, which pulsed with Riftlight like a heartbeat. Charlotte stepped forward, eyes glowing now as her aura linked with David's.
She raised her hand—and a mirrored version of his barrier sealed the node from within, closing the simulation in a breath of static.
Mission complete.
Then: applause from the other students watching on the observation deck.
The squad stepped out one by one.
Charlotte smiled up at Kael. "You're full of surprises, Kael.
As the last Riftspawn dissolved into code and the simulation faded, the lights overhead hummed back to life. Squad 5 stood in silence—sweaty, tired, but intact.
A voice echoed overhead:
"Squad 5, proceed to Evaluation Hall."
The room was bright, walls lined with Rift stats and scrolling telemetry. Two professors waited with data pads in hand.
"Gravielle," one said, glancing at the screen.
"Empathic syncing was impressive. You've got natural rhythm—but be careful relying too much on emotional alignment. Desyre links can backlash under stress."
Charlotte adjusted her glasses and nodded. "Understood."
"Ruiz. Barrier formation solid, especially during wave compression. But your perimeter timing needs polish. Half-second delays can break squads."
David gave a sheepish smile. "I'll review the timing."
"Giarden."
The second professor stepped forward.
"Aggressive, decisive. A-rank instincts. But you assume you'll always be the strongest on the field. Don't."
Levi smirked. "Message received."
Then both professors turned to Kael.
"Navarro."
A long pause.
"You've got control. Coordination. Good instincts. But no awakened Core. No recorded burst signature. No elemental trace."
He flipped the pad around. The screen showed only neutral vitals and baseline Desyre readings.
"That might be fine in simulations."
He lowered it again, tone sharpening.
"But in live Rift deployments, it won't be enough. You need to awaken—soon. Or you'll be a liability your squad can't afford."
Kael met the professor's gaze. He said nothing.
Just nodded once.
"Dismissed."
They left the room in silence.
Halfway to the cafeteria, Levi elbowed Kael lightly.
"Tough love, huh?"
Kael didn't answer.
But something in his posture had shifted.
Quiet. Focused.
Waiting.