The small council room behind the Eastern Hall was now sealed tight, occupied only by a handful of key figures from the Imperial Thaumaturgical Academy. The air still bore the pressure left by Soren's visit earlier that morning. Quietly, everyone present knew: when the Archon himself arrived bearing a scroll sealed by the Emperor, it was never an ordinary visit.
High Rector Caerwyn Haldeir sat at the main chair, eyes narrowed as he stared at the long wooden table before him. His left hand tapped softly against its aged surface as the division heads took their seats.
Magister Valaine from the Arcana Division broke the silence.
"We agree, don't we? This isn't just a warning. The Empire is moving. Which means… we must be ready if they expect students to be mobilized early."
Magister Tharand, head of the Militaris Division, gave a quiet nod.
"We've begun tracking the top-performing students. Even those who don't stand out magically but show high survival instincts. Not all heroes wear robes."
"I agree," said Magister Lenorr from the Dominus Division. "But we must be careful. If we push them into political conflicts too soon, we're creating tools, not people."
Rector Caerwyn exhaled deeply.
"Soren didn't ask us to create tools. But he doesn't want us to produce dolls wrapped in illusions either."
He looked around the room, his voice calm but firm.
"Our duty is not to choose who survives but to shape them strong enough to choose for themselves when the time comes."
Silence followed.
"What about individual evaluations?" Valaine asked.
"Starting next week, we'll conduct special assessments for the top twenty students," Caerwyn replied. "Not just magic capability but character, decision-making, and mental resilience."
Tharand added, "Perhaps it's time… to send a few on minor missions outside the Academy. Supervised, of course. If they're to be the Empire's last wall, they must understand what's trying to break it."
Lenorr gave a crooked smile.
"The Empire never waits for you to grow up, does it?"
Caerwyn nodded slowly.
"Because the enemy never asks if you're ready."
He rose from his seat and exited the room. Beneath his robe, he carried the weight of grave decisions. The students might still be learning theory and technique but the instructors were now preparing them for something far darker than duels or exam scores.
And out there, the world was waiting not for who would succeed, but for who would fall first.