Rafe didn't go with the others.
When the accepted candidates were guided toward the main dormitory complex—laughing, nervous, excited—he was led in the opposite direction.
Alone.
Instructor Kael walked ahead of him without speaking. The path they followed curved away from the central plaza, descending slightly toward a quieter section of the Academy grounds.
The noise faded.
The air changed.
Here, the mana felt… restrained.
Not suppressed.Contained.
They stopped in front of a narrow building made of dark stone, half-hidden behind tall crystal pillars. No banners. No markings. No visible guards.
"This is where Unassigned candidates stay," Kael said.
Rafe studied the place.
It didn't look like a prison.
But it didn't look like a dorm either.
"How many Unassigned are there?" Rafe asked.
Kael answered immediately.
"Right now? One."
Rafe nodded.
"That figures."
Kael unlocked the door with a subtle wave of mana. Runes flared briefly, scanning Rafe before allowing them inside.
The interior was simple.
One bed.One desk.One wardrobe.A single window overlooking a quiet training field.
No decorations.
No luxuries.
No chains.
"This room is warded," Kael said. "Your mana output is limited while you're here."
Rafe felt it—the faint resistance in the air, like invisible hands resting against his aura.
"Safety measure," Kael added. "For you and everyone else."
Rafe accepted that without complaint.
Kael turned to face him fully.
"Listen carefully," the instructor said. "Unassigned status comes with rules."
Rafe met his gaze.
"Rule one: you do not participate in standard classes until reassigned."
"Understood."
"Rule two: you do not duel other students without direct authorization."
Rafe thought of Eiden.
"I expected that."
Kael's eyes narrowed slightly.
"And rule three," he continued, "you do not lie to Academy instructors."
Rafe hesitated.
Just for a fraction of a second.
Kael noticed.
"…Can you do that?" Kael asked quietly.
Rafe answered honestly.
"I can choose what not to say."
Kael studied him for a long moment.
"That answer alone justifies your status," he said.
Kael stepped toward the door.
"You will be evaluated again in seven days. Until then, you train alone."
He paused.
"And Rafe?"
"Yes?"
"For your own sake," Kael said, "do not draw attention."
Rafe almost smiled.
After Kael left, the door sealed shut with a soft hum.
Rafe sat on the edge of the bed and exhaled slowly.
Alone again.
But this time, it felt different.
He wasn't hiding.
He was being watched.
Elsewhere in the Academy…
Eiden Valcrest stood in the Combat dormitory, arms crossed, listening to the excited chatter around him.
"Did you see the instructors' faces?"
"Elite Combat on the first day—insane!"
Eiden barely heard them.
His mind was elsewhere.
On the boy who hadn't been categorized.
On the instructor who personally escorted him away.
Eiden clenched his jaw.
"That should've been me," he muttered.
A figure leaned against the doorway—an older student with sharp eyes and a lazy grin.
"You mean the Unassigned kid?"
Eiden didn't look at him.
"Stay away from him," Eiden said.
The older student laughed softly.
"Why? Curious?"
"Because things that don't fit categories," Eiden replied coldly, "either get erased… or rewrite the system."
The smile faded.
Back in Rafe's room…
A faint knock echoed against the door.
Once.
Rafe stiffened.
He hadn't felt anyone approach.
He stood and opened it cautiously.
A woman stood outside.
Not Kael.
Not Selene.
Not a student.
She wore a long coat marked with the Academy's inner sigil—one rarely seen by newcomers. Her eyes were sharp, calculating, and unsettlingly calm.
"Rafe," she said.
"Yes?"
She smiled faintly.
"My name is Professor Elyra."
Rafe felt the anchor tighten slightly.
"I oversee… special cases."
Rafe stepped aside.
"…Come in."
She entered his room slowly, gaze sweeping over everything.
"So," Elyra said casually, "you're the variable."
Rafe didn't answer.
She turned to him, eyes glinting with interest.
"Tell me," she continued softly,"do you know how many students the Academy has broken trying to understand them?"
Rafe met her gaze.
"…How many?"
She smiled wider.
"All of them."
And Rafe understood something important.
The Academy wasn't just a refuge.
It was a crucible.