A heavy silence hung in the grand marble hall, thick with the scent of ozone and the metallic tang of dried blood. The survivors of the trial stood in scattered, exhausted groups, the initial adrenaline of survival having worn off, leaving behind a deep, hollow ache. Some were bleeding, leaning heavily on their friends for support. Others just stared into the middle distance, their eyes hollow and unfocused, the horrors of the mist still playing out behind their gaze. Many who had entered the hall that morning with bright, confident eyes were now missing, a stark and unspoken testament to the Academy's brutal first test.
Master Caldor stood upon the dais, his expression as cold and unyielding as iron. His stormy eyes swept over the diminished crowd, offering no comfort, no praise, only assessment.
"You have endured," he said, his deep voice carrying across the hall. "That is all. The trial is complete." With a final, dismissive gesture, he turned and strode from the dais, his silver robes whispering against the marble, leaving them in the echoing silence.
For a moment, no one moved, the finality of his words hanging in the air. Then, a stern-faced woman in the dark blue robes of an Academy Prefect stepped forward, holding a thick leather-bound ledger. Her hair was pulled back in a severe bun, and her sharp eyes missed nothing as she surveyed the battered initiates.
"Initiates," she announced, her voice cutting through the quiet like a whip crack. "I am Prefect Valerius. I will now announce your dormitory and room assignments. Your belongings, if you had any, have been delivered. Find your quarters, rest. Your true training begins at dawn."
A nervous energy rippled through the survivors as they began to gather their wits. The crowd started to move, a slow, shuffling river of sore bodies and frayed nerves heading for the exit. As Kai, Joren, and Page began to follow, a group of nobles pushed past them, their expensive, rune-etched armor clinking with an arrogant rhythm that sounded jarring in the solemn hall.
Leading them was a tall, powerfully built young man with sharp, aristocratic features and slicked-back black hair. His eyes, cold and grey, landed on Kai for a brief, dismissive moment. Kai's system flared instinctively, a defensive habit he was quickly learning.
[Name: Kaelen of House Valerius] [Level: 15] [Health: 9000/9000] [Stamina: 6000/6000] [Mana: 5500/5500]
Kai's breath caught in his throat. Level 15. This had to be the Prefect's son, or nephew—related, somehow. And he was incredibly strong. Kaelen must have felt Kai's gaze, because he stopped and turned, a mocking smirk playing on his lips.
"Well, look what we have here," Kaelen said, his voice dripping with a lazy condescension. He gestured vaguely at Kai. "The boy who survived by screaming and throwing a tantrum. Some people just get lucky, I suppose."
His friends, all clad in similar high-quality gear, chuckled appreciatively. The comment was a clear and public jab at Kai's "Overdrive" moment in the trial—a desperate, uncontrolled burst of power that Kaelen was framing as a clumsy fluke.
Joren bristled, his friendly demeanor vanishing as he stepped forward. "Hey, back off. He saved our lives in there."
Kaelen's smirk widened. He looked Joren up and down, dismissing him with a single, contemptuous glance. "And who are you? Ah, yes. The loud one. How quaint." He turned his attention back to Kai, his eyes lingering for a moment on the faint, silvery-blue phoenix mark on Kai's hand. "Enjoy your luck while it lasts, Initiate. In this Academy, luck runs out. Only true power, the kind you are born with, endures."
With a final sneer, he and his group swept past, their confident laughter echoing off the marble.
"What a jerk," Joren muttered, clenching his fists. "Someone ought to teach him a lesson."
"He's not wrong about one thing," Page said quietly, her sharp eyes watching Kaelen's retreating back. "His power is real. And he's a Valerius. They're one of the most powerful noble families in the kingdom, known for producing exceptional battle mages."
Before Kai could process the encounter, Prefect Valerius's voice rang out again, sharp and clear. "Kaelen of House Valerius, Lyra of the Beast Tamer's Guild, and the rest of your cohort—you are assigned to the Azure Spire, East Wing."
A murmur of envy and awe went through the crowd. The Azure Spire was one of the elite dormitories, a gleaming tower known for its luxurious rooms, private training facilities, and direct access to high-level instructors. Kaelen gave a smug nod to his friends and led them away, not even bothering to look back.
The Prefect continued down her list, assigning students to other grand-sounding halls—Sunstone Hall, the Onyx Tower. Finally, after most of the nobles had been called, she reached their names.
"Joren Hale, Page Elwin, Kai Ardent," she called out, her tone flat and dismissive, as if reading from a grocery list. "You are assigned to Ironwood Hall, West Campus, Room 304."
Joren blinked. "Ironwood? Sounds sturdy," he whispered to Kai, a bit of his usual humor returning. "Probably means the beds are made of rock."
"It's on the older side of campus," Page added, a thoughtful look on her face. "But the West Campus is closer to the Great Library, so that's a benefit."
Kai didn't care what it was called. He had a place. A room. It was more than he'd had since he arrived in this world, and for now, that was enough.
They followed the directions, leaving the grand, central plaza of the Academy and walking down pathways of older, more worn stone. The gleaming marble towers and enchanted fountains gave way to sturdy buildings of dark oak and black iron. The air, which had smelled of magic and polished stone, now smelled of damp earth, old books, and the faint, pleasant scent of woodsmoke. It was clear this was the less prestigious, more practical side of the campus.
Ironwood Hall was a large, four-story building that looked like it had stood for centuries. It was built from massive, dark oak beams and reinforced with black iron, with thick ivy climbing its weathered walls. It wasn't a palace like the Azure Spire, but it had a quiet, enduring strength to it that Kai found comforting. The moment they stepped inside, the smell of old wood polish and aging paper filled the air. The floorboards creaked a welcome under their feet, and the light from the enchanted lanterns was warmer and softer than in the grand hall.
They found Room 304 at the end of a long, quiet hallway on the third floor. It was a simple, spacious room with three sturdy wooden beds, three plain desks, and a large, arched window that looked out over the rooftops of the older part of the Academy grounds.
"Dibs on the one by the window!" Joren shouted, immediately dropping his bag and collapsing onto the bed with a loud, theatrical groan of relief, his boots still on.
Page, ever the pragmatist, walked to one of the desks and immediately began unpacking the heavy, leather-bound books from her satchel, arranging them in a neat, ordered stack.
Kai stood in the middle of the room for a long moment, just breathing. The silence, after weeks of constant danger and the chaotic noise of the trials, was a luxury. He walked over to his bed, the one furthest from the door, and ran his hand over the simple, clean wool blanket. It was real. This was his room. His first real home in this new world. He felt a wave of exhaustion so profound it almost buckled his knees.
He looked out the window. In the far distance, he could see the gleaming, impossibly tall peak of the Azure Spire, its crystalline windows catching the last rays of the setting sun, making it look like a jewel against the darkening sky. It looked like it belonged to another world, a world of power and privilege that was a universe away from this simple, quiet room.
He was at the bottom, looking up.
But as he stared out at that distant, gleaming tower, a new feeling settled in his chest, pushing aside the fear and the exhaustion. It was a hard, quiet resolve. I will get there, he thought, not with arrogance, but with a simple, unshakeable certainty. I will grow strong enough to stand on the same ground as them.
For the first time since he had arrived in Veridia, he felt like he was finally standing on solid ground. And from here, the only way to go was up.
Later that night, the exhaustion of the day finally caught up with them. Joren was already fast asleep, his loud, rhythmic snores filling the quiet room. Page was still awake, sitting at her desk, a small, glowing mana stone providing just enough light for her to read one of her thick tomes, her brow furrowed in concentration.
Kai lay in his bed, staring up at the dark wooden beams of the ceiling. Sleep wouldn't come. His body ached, but his mind was racing, replaying the day's events. The trial, Kaelen's taunts, the imposing figure of Master Caldor, and the quiet promise of this new room.
Are you settling in, Kai? Iris's voice whispered in his mind, soft and clear.
I guess so, he thought back, relieved to have a familiar presence to talk to. It's… a lot to take in.
That boy, Kaelen, she continued, her tone analytical. His stats are high, but his mana control is inefficient. He relies on raw power, not technique. There are weaknesses to be exploited.
Kai felt a small, grim smile touch his lips. Good to know.
Rest now, she advised. Prefect Valerius's words were a promise. Your training begins at dawn. You will need all of your strength.
He closed his eyes, the image of the Azure Spire still burned into his mind. He was an underdog, a misfit in an old dormitory, but he was here. He had a chance. And as Joren's snores continued their steady rhythm and Page quietly turned a page in her book, Kai finally felt the heavy weight of the day begin to lift, and he drifted off to sleep, ready for whatever the morning would bring.