The dawn over Nova Astra City was crisp and cold, the sky brushed with pale lavender as the twin moons sank beyond the horizon. The training fields of Stellar Academy buzzed with excitement as hundreds of students gathered, their uniforms catching the first rays of light.
Orion stood near the back of Squad Astra-13, hands clenched loosely at his sides. The smell of polished steel, distant energy hums, and the murmur of competitors filled the air.
> "So this is the first hurdle," he thought.
Let's see what this world really expects of me.
The trial ground was a wide, circular plaza of white-stone tiles. At its center stood a ring of Resonance Pillars—slender crystal spires that pulsed faintly like living hearts.
Instructor Maren, a stern woman in black and silver, stepped forward. Her voice rang across the plaza.
> "The Core Synchronization Trial measures your natural affinity with Stellar energy.
You will each step into the circle, touch a pillar, and focus. The higher the resonance, the brighter the pillar glows.
Remember: force will not help you. True power comes from harmony."
The crowd rippled with murmurs. For most, it was routine. For Orion, it was unknown territory.
One by one, students stepped forward.
A boy with a blazing orange Core pressed his palm against a pillar; it flared bright gold, earning cheers.
A girl from the Lunar Division closed her eyes and the pillar shimmered with silver, humming like a song.
Orion watched each attempt carefully, noting the patterns of breathing, the shifts in posture. His old soldier's mind—Kael's mind—analyzed every detail.
> They reach inward… and the pillar reacts.
But what if there's nothing inside?
When Rhyden Kael's name was called, the air grew tense. The golden-haired boy strode forward confidently and slammed his palm onto the pillar. The spire flared so bright that for a heartbeat the glow washed over the entire ring.
A few students whistled in awe. Others clapped.
Rhyden turned his head just enough to meet Orion's gaze. "That's the difference between talent and… nothing," he said with a smirk as he left the circle.
Orion didn't answer. His eyes remained fixed on the now-calming crystal.
Finally, the instructor called, "Orion of Astra-13."
The plaza quieted. A few whispers rippled through the students.
> "Why even bother? He's coreless."
"Bet the pillar won't even flicker."
"This should be good for a laugh."
Orion stepped forward slowly. Each footfall sounded loud in the hush.
The pillar stood before him—tall, cool, and humming faintly as if aware of his presence.
He raised his hand. For a heartbeat, his palm hovered over the smooth crystal.
A memory flickered: the baseball in his hand on Earth, the arc of its throw, the ripple in the pond under the twin moons. His chest tightened, that same faint ember stirring.
He pressed his palm to the pillar.
For a long moment, nothing happened.
The crowd shifted restlessly. A few laughed softly.
Then—so faint it was almost missed—a ripple of shadow passed across the pillar's surface. Not light… but a soft, deep pulse, like the far echo of a star being born in the void.
The glow flickered once. Twice. A whisper of dark-violet shimmer laced with silver sparks trembled along the crystal before fading away.
A murmur swept through the students. Confusion, curiosity… unease.
Instructor Maren's brows furrowed slightly but she said nothing. She simply recorded the reading and gestured for Orion to step back.
Back among his squadmates, Orion felt the faint tremor still lingering in his palm.
Lyra leaned closer and whispered, "That wasn't normal. I've never seen a pillar react like that."
Orion's lips curved in a faint, unreadable smile. "Neither have I. But it's a start."
Inside, Kael's thoughts churned.
> That wasn't resonance. That was… something else.
Like the stars themselves were answering me.
The question is… why?
High above the plaza, on one of the academy's observation balconies, a figure cloaked in shadow watched the trial.
Her eyes glinted faintly with moon-silver light.
Seraphine's voice was no more than a breath.
> "So… the Eclipse's core is not gone after all.
Let's see how long you can keep it hidden, reborn one."