The horn's echo had barely faded when the gates of the academy parted.
Boots struck stone in uneven rhythm.
The messenger stumbled into the courtyard, breath shredded, cloak torn at the hem. Mud streaked his trousers, and the insignia pinned to his chestthe neutral crest of the Branch Officewas cracked down the middle.
Students froze.
Instructors turned.
Even the air seemed to hold still.
He didn't slow until he reached the administrative steps, where two wardens moved to intercept him. The messenger dropped to one knee before they could speak, head bowed, voice hoarse.
"Urgent report… from the outer districts."
The wardens exchanged a look and motioned him forward.
Above them, in the tower, Vice-Principal Elaius had already turned from the window. He didn't need to be told something had changed.
The doors opened.
Inside the Administrative Hall
The hall was colder than the rest of the academy, stone walls etched with old runes meant to suppress mana surges and emotional outbursts alike.
The messenger knelt again.
"Wind Faction representatives have issued a formal grievance," he said. "They're calling today's incident… an act of unilateral aggression."
A faint murmur rippled through the assembled officials.
Elaius raised a hand. Silence returned immediately.
"And?" he prompted.
The messenger swallowed.
"They're invoking Article Seven." "A challenge review."
That earned reactions.
Not panic but interest.
"They want oversight?" one councilor scoffed. "After ambushing Eclipse members?"
"Not just oversight," the messenger continued. "They're demanding evaluation by combat record."
Elaius' smile widened slow, deliberate.
"So they want the battlefield to speak."
The messenger nodded.
"They're also requesting…" He hesitated. "…that Kairo Eryndor be listed as a Class Variable."
That did it.
Even the calmest councilors stiffened.
A Class Variable wasn't a rank.
It was a warning.
A designation reserved for individuals whose abilities could not be reliably measured within standard academy metrics.
Elaius leaned back in his chair.
"Interesting choice of words," he murmured. "Go on."
"If approved," the messenger said, "it allows opposing factions to prepare countermeasures… without restriction."
No limits. No rules. No safety nets.
Elaius laughed quietly.
"They're scared."
No one contradicted him.
Igron felt it before he heard it.
That tightening in the chest. That subtle shift in the air that came when the world decided to push back.
He stood at the balcony overlooking the training yard, watching Riven struggle through controlled drills, Lily practicing formation work beside him.
Kairo was nowhere in sight.
"Article Seven," Igron muttered.
He turned as footsteps approached.
One of the Eclipse scouts bowed quickly.
"The Wind Faction filed a grievance." "Kairo's name is spreading."
Igron exhaled slowly.
"Of course it is."
"Some are calling him a threat," the scout added. "Others… a necessary evil."
Igron's jaw tightened.
"And the academy?"
The scout hesitated.
"They haven't shut it down."
That answer said everything.
Elsewhere A Quiet Corridor
Kairo walked alone.
The stone beneath his feet felt colder than usual. Or maybe that was just him.
Whispers followed him not aloud, but carried in glances, half-finished conversations that died when he passed.
Class Variable. Bone magic. Eryndor.
Names gaining weight.
He paused beside a window overlooking the outer fields.
For a moment, he saw something else entirely A silent road. A glowing rift.
Power displayed is never forgotten.
Igron's words echoed again.
Kairo closed his eyes briefly.
"So it begins," he whispered.
Not fear.
Recognition.
High Above Beyond the Middle Realm
In a chamber of pale stone and floating sigils, a man stood with his hands clasped behind his back.
His son knelt before him, restless, smiling like someone promised entertainment.
"The ripples are spreading faster than expected," the father said calmly. "The academy moves. The factions stir."
"And him?" the son asked. "The one with the bones."
The man's gaze shifted to a projection forming in the air Kairo, standing alone in the forest clearing.
"He has been noticed."
The son's grin widened.
"Then you'll let me go?"
A pause.
Then
"Yes," the man said. "Go enjoy the Middle Realm." "Something… fun is about to happen."
The projection vanished.
Far below, the academy bells began to ring calling students to assembly.
And somewhere in the crowd gathering beneath the tower…
The storm finally began to take shape.