When the last of the recruits were gone, silence fell over the wide, white hall.
The echo of footsteps faded down the corridor until only the low hum of energy vents remained — a sound soft enough to feel like the building itself was breathing.
Uncle Barns rose from his chair behind the long evaluation table, the rigid professionalism melting from his posture as he turned toward Hugo.
For the first time that day, the carefully neutral mask on his face gave way to something human — a small, genuine smile that reached the corners of his eyes.
"It's been a while, Hugo." His tone was low, warm — a man speaking to family rather than a recruit.
"How have you been faring?"
Hugo relaxed a little, the stiffness in his shoulders loosening. "Good, I guess."
"That's great." Barns chuckled quietly, tucking his sleek black tablet under one arm. "When your mother called yesterday, I was thrilled by the news and couldn't wait to bring you in."
His tone softened, then dimmed, a faint thread of concern weaving through his words. "But it seems you already had some plans of your own."
Hugo didn't reply. He just offered a polite, guarded smile — the kind that said nothing and revealed even less.
Barns studied him for a moment longer, reading the silence, then sighed through his nose. "Very well," he said at last, gesturing toward the side door. "Follow me."
They left the evaluation room behind.
The corridor stretched ahead — long, metallic, and dimly lit by veins of soft light running through the translucent walls.
The glow pulsed faintly, as if the Keep itself had a heartbeat.
Their footsteps echoed in rhythm. Neither spoke.
At the end of the hall stood a tall, silver elevator.
Barns tapped a sequence into the glass panel beside it. A soft tone beeped, and the doors slid open soundlessly.
They stepped inside. The air was cool, sterile.
The elevator began its descent with a faint vibration, light strips shifting from white to deep blue as they sank deeper into the sublevels.
Hugo leaned slightly against the wall, watching his reflection in the mirrored panel. His pulse was steady, but his thoughts were not.
The elevator doors opened with a hiss.
A gust of cooler air brushed past them, carrying the faint scent of mineral water and metallic ozone.
They stepped out into a circular chamber. The walls were built from reinforced white alloy, smooth but scarred faintly with old heat marks — evidence of repeated use.
Hugo's gaze swept the room. It looked part training arena, part lab. A wide, hollow floor with embedded emitters forming geometric patterns; several control terminals stood against the far wall, connected by coiled data cables that pulsed faintly with blue light.
Barns placed his hand on the control slab, and the floor lit up in response — lines of energy tracing intricate sigils that spread outward like veins of light beneath glass.
"This room is shielded from external interference," he explained, his tone all business again. "What we'll perform here is a resonance calibration test — more precise. And it's mostly for people like you that refuse the art."
Hugo nodded slightly, hiding his tension.
Barns turned back to him. "Stand at the center of the circle."
Hugo obeyed, stepping onto the lit pattern. The surface vibrated softly under his boots — a faint hum that made his skin prickle.
From the control slab, Barns entered a few commands. The air around them shifted — temperature dropping a degree, pressure subtly increasing.
A holographic interface projected above the circle, displaying multiple rotating rings filled with numbers and sigils.
"Place your hand on the core pad," Barns instructed, gesturing to a small raised platform before him.
Hugo reached out and pressed his palm against the glass surface. It was cold to the touch.
The device activated immediately. Lines of light ran up his arm, mapping veins, bones, and energy flow.
He felt a strange pull in his chest — as though something deep inside was being scanned, weighed, and measured.
Randalf's voice whispered again from memory on how to deal with the current situation:
"When the scan begins, picture your energy folding inward — veil it with the intent of concealment.Don't resist, don't force. Simply guide it… as water hides under ice."
Hugo closed his eyes, following that instruction.
He imagined his energy — his Eon, that strange, fluid force he'd cultivated last night — bending softly, coiling around itself like mist.
He directed it away from the probing threads of the scanner, compressing its intensity until it thinned, shallow, harmless.
For a few seconds, the lights pulsed wildly — then stabilized into a steady rhythm.
Barns watched the readings scroll across his tablet. His expression changed gradually from mild curiosity to open surprise.
"Well," he murmured, brow furrowing. "This… is unexpected."
Hugo opened his eyes, pretending confusion. "What is it?"
Barns didn't answer immediately. He turned the tablet slightly, as though to confirm the data.
"Resonance Grade — B," he read aloud, still sounding unconvinced. "But…"He tapped another section of the screen. "Cultivation level — Initiate, Minor phase."
The stylus in his hand paused midair. His eyes flicked up to Hugo, searching his face for signs of deceit.
"You awakened… yesterday, didn't you?"
"Yes," Hugo said evenly.
Barns stared at him for a long moment, the air between them thickening. Then he laughed softly under his breath — not mockery, but disbelief. "Impossible," he muttered. "There's no record of anyone reaching Initiate within twenty-four hours of awakening. Even with an A-grade Resonance, that's absurd."
Hugo feigned a puzzled look. "Maybe the machine's malfunctioning?"
But Barns shook his head. "These scanners don't malfunction." He sounded half in awe, half suspicious. "Not unless someone tampered with the resonance frequencies, and that's…" He trailed off.
Hugo said nothing.
Barns stepped closer. "Do you feel any strain?" he asked suddenly. "Dizziness, fatigue, mana turbulence?"
"No," Hugo replied quietly.
Barns circled him once, studying him from different angles as though trying to read something invisible.
"This output…" he murmured. "Your resonance pattern is unusually stable for a first phase Initiate. Most readings show chaotic flow for at least the first month."
Hugo gave a small shrug. "Maybe I'm just lucky."
Barns chuckled faintly at that. "Maybe you are."