Dinner came and went like background noise — a blur of chatter, half-burnt food, and Kael bragging about how lightning users "metabolize stress faster than normal unlocked."
Jayden ate quietly, tuning out the noise. Every time Kael spoke, Theo winced like he was taking psychic damage, while Reno nodded along, too lazy to argue.
By the time they got back to their room, the Academy's lights had dimmed to a warm amber hue. Outside, the training courtyards glowed faintly under suspended orbs that mimicked starlight. Somewhere in the distance, someone was still sparring — the clang of weapons echoing like distant thunder.
Jayden leaned against the window frame.
The city beyond the Academy walls was faint — more shadow than skyline. For a moment, he thought about home. About the small apartment near Keystone's docks, where the air always smelled of rain and metal. It already felt like another lifetime.
Kael threw himself onto his bed. "Man, this place is weirdly quiet at night. Makes me feel like I should be doing pushups or something."
Theo looked up from the holographic pad he was tinkering with. "Or you could try sleeping, like a normal person."
Kael sat up. "Sleep is for the weak."
Reno yawned. "Then I'm proud to be weak." He pulled a blanket over his head.
Jayden almost smiled. Almost.
He glanced at his wrist.
The faint markings of his rune pattern shimmered — not glowing, just there. Like an echo under the skin. He flexed his hand, and the faint ripple responded, thin blue lines tracing the veins before fading again. He didn't know if it was normal. Maybe it wasn't supposed to happen yet. But it didn't hurt — it felt like breathing through water.
"Still doing that thing with your hands?" Kael asked without looking up.
Jayden froze. "What thing?"
Kael pointed lazily. "You know. That quiet stare like you're watching something nobody else can see. Creepy, by the way."
Jayden hesitated, then shrugged. "Just… trying to focus. The instructor said control takes practice."
"Control, yeah," Kael said. "But you're overthinking it. It's instinct. You don't think to breathe, right?"
Jayden tilted his head. "You overthink everything when you've drowned to death before."
That shut Kael up for once.
Silence stretched between them for a long time.
Theo adjusted his glasses, pretending not to have heard. Reno snored softly under his blanket. The hum of the Academy filled the quiet like a heartbeat.
Jayden drew a slow breath, closing his eyes.
His fingers traced faint circles in the air, absently. Something in him stirred — not loud, not burning. Just… there.
A feeling. A pull.
He wished for it.
Not in words. Just thought.
And the world obeyed.
Lines of faint light formed in front of his eyes — thin, fluid, and blue. They curved and wove together like ink in water until they became a hovering symbol. A rune. His rune.
The air cooled slightly. Mist gathered around his eyes, catching the moonlight as the Codex revealed his unlocked state.
[1st Water Trial — Complete]
[Aspirant: Jayden Vale]
[Classification: Unlocked (Anomaly)]
[Performance Rating: Exceptional]
He focused on the descriptions and he noticed some details he missed the first time due to adrenaline rush.
[Core:Beast
— The beginning spark of unlocked essence. Fluid, adaptable, still forming its shape.]
[Relics- Weapon:Moonshine Blades
— Dual spectral daggers forged from condensed moonwater and tempered under the stillness of a full moon. They shimmer between states — solid when willed, liquid when released. Grants fluid motion, enhanced reaction speed, and blade projection through mist.]
[Special Trait:Water of Reflection
— Allows momentary clarity under duress. The more unstable the situation, the calmer the mind.]
[Legacy Awakening:The Eye of Creation (?)
— No known description.]
The symbols hovered for a few seconds, faint ripples spreading through the air before fading one by one — like ink dissolving back into water.
Jayden stared at the empty space where they'd been.
No sound. No voice. Just the faint rhythm of his heartbeat.
He didn't know what the "Anomaly" meant. Or why the last line had a question mark.
But one thing was clear — this wasn't just power. It was identity.
And for the first time since unlocking, he felt something heavy settle in his chest.
Not fear.
Not pride.
Just a quiet knowing — that the path ahead wasn't designed for someone ordinary.