The next few days passed slower than they should've.
Darius didn't leave his room much. No sparring, no flexing around the estate like some of the other selected ones. He only came out when required — elder check-ups, supply lists, a few clan formalities before leaving.
Everyone else was still pretending like nothing weird had happened.
Even Arjun, who wasn't dumb, stopped bringing up Iris and Neil. It was like the whole clan had decided not to poke that wound. Keep everything clean and shiny for the academy folks.
Revan was the only one still enjoying the spotlight.
"Ten days to academy life, boys," he said loudly one morning in the side hall. "Hope some of you don't embarrass the clan once we get there."
Nobody replied. Everyone was tired of his drama.
Darius walked past him without saying a word. No interest in arguing with someone who thought every moment was a stage performance.
The Boundless Nexus hadn't said much either. Just kept pulsing softly at the edge of his awareness. Watching. Like it was waiting for something.
[Ki Root: Tier D+]
[Progress: 93%]
[Estimated Advancement Time (Natural Flow): 18–22 days]
[Mutation Flag: Dormant]
[External Mark Influence: Passive – No current interference]
He didn't know whether that "mark" from the forest was helping him or screwing with him. But it wasn't hurting. Yet.
The transport caravan arrived on the ninth day — sleek black constructs pulled by beast-wolves, energy cores embedded in the wheels. Not flashy, but expensive-looking.
Two for the five of them.
As expected, Revan demanded his own space. The rest didn't argue.
Darius ended up sharing with Arjun and Juno — quiet girl from the east wing, sharp with short blades and no patience for nonsense.
As the caravan rolled past the outer gates of the Acheron estate, the mood shifted.
No more familiar walls. No training grounds. No elder pressure breathing down their necks. Just open sky, thick roads, and the path toward Astral Dawn Academy.
Arjun stretched out his legs and said, "So… any idea what we're walking into?"
"Trouble," Juno replied flatly, not even looking up.
Darius stayed quiet.
His eyes were focused on the horizon. Not because he cared about the view, but because of the familiar tick in the back of his head.
The Boundless Nexus pulsed once.
[Unknown Ki Fluctuation Detected – 3 o'clock, 800m]
[Level: Suppressed]
[Action: Ignore]
Suppressing ki in a random open area wasn't normal. Especially not on a trade road like this.
He didn't mention it.
No need to spook anyone yet.
By afternoon, they reached the mid checkpoint town — Kharvila Post. Small but bustling. Merchants, travelers, a few cultivation mercs walking around. Typical middle-road chaos.
The clan had arranged a short stay here before the final stretch to the capital. They were supposed to rest, eat, and leave by nightfall.
Darius wasn't hungry. But Arjun insisted on checking the local dhaba-style stall just outside the caravan stop.
"Come on yaar," he said, dragging Darius along. "One last decent spicy meal before academy canteen ruins our stomachs."
The place was simple — benches, wooden tables, one old uncle flipping parathas on a hot slab.
Darius sat in the corner, letting Arjun do all the ordering. The food was average, but warm. He barely took three bites when it happened.
A wave of cold air passed over his neck.
Not wind. Something else.
He turned.
A woman in dark travelling robes had just walked past their table. Face covered. Ki barely noticeable — almost like she wasn't there.
But she looked straight at him.
Just for a second.
Her eyes flashed dull red.
Then she was gone. Around the corner. Vanished into the crowd.
Darius froze mid-bite.
Arjun was still busy complaining about the chutney being too watery.
[Boundless Nexus Alert]
[Trace Signal Detected – Match: "Echo Mark Residue"]
[Distance: 12m → Lost]
[Danger Level: Unknown]
[Tracking: Disabled]
"Damn it," Darius muttered, standing up.
He scanned the area. No sign of her. Just regular people going about their business.
He didn't chase. That would be stupid.
But he noted it: the mark from the orb in the forest wasn't random. Someone else had it. Or worse — someone had given it.
And now they'd seen him.
That night, back in the caravan, Darius didn't sleep.
He sat cross-legged, Ki slowly circulating through his body. Trying to calm his nerves. Trying not to think too much.
The system pinged again around midnight.
[Ki Root Tier D+ → Tier C]
[Advancement Complete]
[Physical Output Boost: +6.2%]
[Internal Channel Flow: Stable]
[Special Note: Root Sync Initiated]
Mutation Probability Increased
He exhaled.
Tier C.
In any other world, that would've been a big deal. But in this world? He wasn't even halfway up the ladder.
S was still miles away.
And above that... god knows what else.
Still, something inside him shifted. A tiny hum under his skin. Like a seed stretching for the first time.
His roots were changing. Slowly.
He just hoped they wouldn't outgrow him before he figured out what was going on.