Just before the class bell rang, Team Ten stepped into the classroom right on time.
It sat atop a high tower, a half-round room with every window sealed and heavy curtains smothering even the faintest thread of daylight.There were no desks or chairs—only soft floor cushions and low round tables.A rich, heady fragrance hung in the air. A fireplace on one side poured out heat until every student felt wrapped in warmth.
Teacher Calaman stood quietly by the hearth, waiting.
She was a woman of poised maturity: hair coiled high, a sheer gossamer robe veiling her form—beneath which a dense white "mist" swaddled her body.
"Welcome, students. I am Teacher Calaman. This is your first lesson—and your most important one. I will teach you how to summon, use, and trainSoul Energy."
Her voice was gentle, measured, strangely relaxing.
"Soul Energy is the power born of a Flamebearer's extraordinary soul. Only by mastering it can you wield the extraordinary, fight the things in the Black Mist, and protect our friends, our families, our homes—and the Sacred Flame that never dies."
The students settled on the cushions and listened intently.
Calaman paced slowly among the low tables, the edge of her gossamer robe occasionally brushing a cheek—feather-light, ticklish.
"…Our souls have three layers," she said. "The outer Gaseous Layer, the inner Luminous Layer, and at the core, the Soul-Energy Layer.Soul Energy arises in the core, forms as it passes through the Luminous and Gaseous layers, and ultimately answers to our will."
"Good. Now open Extraordinary Souls, page one…"
Pages rustled. Then came long stretches of dense theory.
Rod struggled. He tried to understand, but drowsiness crept in despite his effort—the soft cushions and dancing heat didn't help.
Sleeping in the first class would be unforgivable. He decided to practice the Soul Eye instead.
He drew a breath, summoned Soul Energy, let it flicker at his brow, focused his attention through both eyes—and failed. The ambient distractions broke his concentration.On the third try, the Eye opened.
The world burst into color. Ribbons drifted in the air; countless points of light swam and pulsed.
Rod's sleep vanished at once.This was nothing like the dream.
Wherever he looked, each student became an indistinct humanoid haze of light, with faint luminous veins and firefly sparks glimmering within.
Their souls? Am I seeing their souls?And those sparks—free-floating Soul Energy?
A hand in one of the light-forms brightened, ripples spreading across it—and Cassandra's delighted voice rang out:
"Teacher! I did it! I've awakened my Soul Energy!"
Every hazy head turned toward her.
"Excellent, Cassandra," Calaman said. "Now feel it. Control it. Let it flow through your body…"
Calaman moved into Rod's field of view—and the instant she did, his focus shattered. The Soul Eye snapped shut.Dark-red firelight returned to the dim room. Swaddled in white mist, Calaman bent over Cassandra's hand, guiding her with patient care.A faint, foggy glow flowed over Cassandra's fingers while nearby students watched with open envy.
No one noticed Rod's dumbfounded stare.
Did I imagine that? Hallucinating? Brain worms?He rapped his own skull lightly and re-activated the Soul Eye.
In the instant of shift, he saw it clearly—Calaman's white mist was gone.
—Snap. He lost control again; the Eye closed.
Rod sat there, stunned.
Wayne nudged him. "Don't stare at the teacher, Rod."
A green-haired boy on the other side snickered softly. "She's beautiful. What's wrong with looking?"
Wayne shot him a withering glance. "Have you awakened your Soul Energy yet?"
Color climbed the boy's cheeks. "That's why I'm looking."
"And that helps… how?"
"You don't get it," the green-haired boy whispered. "Souls resonate with souls. If I look at someone with high Soul Energy, maybe it'll spark my inspiration."
Wayne's curiosity ticked up. "If she's that strong, why isn't she at the front?"
The boy shrugged. "No idea. Rumor says it's related to the Dawnlight Fortress."
"And what does that have to do with you ogling her?"
"You don't understand art."
He turned, seeking an ally. "Rod, right? You agree, don't you? The way you were staring—clearly a man of culture."
Spare me. Rod mumbled something noncommittal—and then a thought struck him.He opened the Soul Eye again and looked at Cassandra.
As expected: a blur of misty light, no physical body visible.
In that prismatic, warped world, Calaman alone appeared normal.
Good. So it's not x-ray vision…It must be her misted Soul Energy interfering with the Eye—that's why I can see her body but not her soul.
Which means this so-called "eye that pierces illusion and fog" is, at my current strength, only just matching her veil?
I'm too weak. Rod grimaced. This Eye is a life-saving tool—I need to train it hard.
In a world bristling with threats, an early-warning sense could be the difference between life and death.
So for the rest of the lesson, Rod practiced the Eye in short bursts.Around him, most students struggled to awaken their energy. Calaman moved tirelessly among them, instructing:
"Relax. Close your eyes. Imagine yourself in a boundless void.""Inhale—visualize white currents entering your soul.""Exhale—imagine the soul flowing out with your breath.""Keep your intent focused on your most practiced fingertip. Soul Energy often appears where you're most dexterous.""Good. Better. Continue—you're the best cohort I've led.""You—why do you keep looking at me?"
Extraordinary Souls was a major lecture; when the dismissal bell tolled across the Academy, it was already noon.
Half of Team Ten still hadn't succeeded.
"Don't be discouraged," Calaman said. "Practice steadily, and it will come.""Cassandra, as group leader, assist those having difficulty."
"Of course, Teacher," Cassandra answered firmly.
Calaman smiled and placed a small paper packet in Cassandra's hand."This is Moon-Sleep Dust. It helps with focus—use it in quiet spaces. It will aid your awakening."
Cassandra tucked it away with care. "Understood."
"Class dismissed."
Her sapphire eyes swept over them, pausing for a heartbeat; a faint, unreadable smile touched her lips.She turned toward the fire.Flames leapt, licked at the gauze, and in moments cloaked her completely—and then she was gone, vanished into the hearth.
Without her presence, the room felt suddenly hollow.
Students crowded around Cassandra—some excited, some dejected—most asking about Soul Energy techniques.She was the first in their group to awaken, and the strongest so far.
Except for Rod.He squeezed through the ring of students and opened with:
"I need access to the Kinworth Society Library. Issue me a Society Pass."
(So Wayne had told him: you can't enter the Society's library without a pass, and the minimum authority to apply was a group leader.)
Cassandra's willow-leaf brows shot up.
"Rod! What library? You were absent-minded all class and didn't even awaken your Soul Energy! Without that, you don't count as a Flamebearer. You're coming back with me for training this afternoon—you're not going anywhere."
She lifted a hand. Misty Soul Energy flooded up her arm, and she said, proud as a banner:
"When your Soul Energy is stronger than mine—then I'll get it done for you."