The gathering hall did not feel like a classroom.
It felt like a threshold.
Rows of students stood in disciplined lines, yet the stillness was fragile, ready to fracture at the smallest spark. Whispers traveled in short bursts, dying quickly when they reached the raised platform at the center of the hall.
Above it floated the crystal.
It was large—larger than Kai had imagined. Clear as polished glass, yet impossibly deep, as though something waited inside it. Ancient runes circled its core, dim but alert.
Kai Estrada stood among the combat students, arms relaxed, eyes forward.
He watched.
The doors opened.
Instructor Halvar entered first.
His presence alone changed the room. Conversations died. Backs straightened. He looked like a man carved from experience—solid, scarred, unyielding.
At his side walked Assistant Lyra, calm and observant, holding a glowing crystal tablet already filled with empty lines waiting to be written on.
"This evaluation is mandatory," Halvar said once the doors closed behind them. "Before combat training begins, we measure where you stand."
His gaze swept the hall.
"The crystal measures affinity, output, and potential. It does not care about pride. It does not care about background."Some students swallowed.
High above, unseen, magic projections awakened. Instructors across the academy turned their attention toward the hall.
"First student," Halvar said.
Rin Calder
Rin stepped forward carefully.
The hall watched as he placed his hand against the crystal.
A soft deep blue glow spread through it, calm and even.
Water.
There was no explosion of light. No dramatic response.
Just a steady presence.A few students nodded.
"Decent control," someone whispered.
Lyra recorded the result.
Rin stepped down, shoulders easing.
It wasn't impressive—but it was safe.
Victor Hale – Thunder
The next student barely had time to leave the platform before a familiar name stirred the hall.
"Victor Hale."
As Victor stepped forward, a low voice behind Kai murmured, not even trying to hide the mockery.
"Ohh Vincent… that's victor from the Thunder family."
Another voice replied lazily. "Yeah? You want him to take you in as what—slave, friend, or twin brother?"
A few quiet snickers followed.
Victor's hand touched the crystal.
The response was immediate.
Violet lightning snapped inside the crystal, sharp and aggressive. The air crackled faintly.
The hall tensed.
"Thunder," someone breathed.
Victor stepped back, clearly pleased with himself.
Meaning mattered more than spectacle.
Bruce Stonefall
Bruce walked with measured steps.
When his hand met the crystal, amber light bloomed—thick, grounded, unyielding. The platform trembled faintly beneath his boots.
Not explosive.
Enduring.
A few instructors leaned forward in their projections.
"That's proper earth affinity
"Reliable frontline potential
Bruce stepped down without expression.
The reaction around him wasn't loud—but it was respectful.
Lysa Venn
Lysa looked like she wanted to disappear.
She stepped forward quietly, avoiding eye contact.
The moment her hand touched the crystal, the glow changed.
A murky green-violet hue swirled slowly, coiling like smoke trapped in glass.
The hall stilled.
"…Poison?"
"That's rare."
Lyra's stylus paused mid-air before she continued recording.
Poison magic was dangerous—not because it was destructive, but because it was subtle. Unpredictable.
Lysa withdrew her hand quickly and stepped back, face pale.
Whispers followed her—not admiration, not mockery.
Caution.
Above, instructors exchanged glances.
"No backing," one noted.
"High risk. High potential."
Amy Stonefall
Amy stepped forward later, not immediately after Bruce.
Her posture was straight, her expression calm.
The crystal responded with amber light again—but this time it was smoother, cleaner. The glow didn't spread outward. It condensed.
Focused.
"She's different," someone murmured."She's not pushing it."
Lyra nodded slightly as she recorded.
Amy stepped down quietly.
She didn't stand with normal students afterward.
But she didn't stand with the proud ones either. what's up with this diferent stonefall descendants they're actually more than usual don't you think professor elian said to his colleagues leo and sandra yeah i heard they united because a family member came out and stop the divisons among them all so i guess is normal for their offsprings to come in a bunch like this
Evelyn Frostwyn – Ice
Evelyn's presence cooled the hall.
When she touched the crystal, frost-blue light spread like creeping ice, thin and precise.
No wasted motion. what a powerful magic i wonder if i go up against her can i use my water magic to beat her a girl who looks like someone who's ready to jump the gun any minute chipped in heads around her turn immediately wondering if she was sick or something.
lyra comment: No excess."She's sharp.""Control-focused."
Evelyn stepped away calmly.
Aurelius Frostwyn
Aurelius followed later.
The reaction was different.
The crystal didn't just glow—it condensed, forming brief crystalline patterns before dissolving back into light.The hall reacted this time.
"That's rare."
"Same element, different level."
Meaning mattered.
Clara Pyrope – Fire
Clara stepped forward without hesitation.
The crystal ignited.
Crimson flames churned within it—hot, disciplined, alive.
The warmth spread outward, controlled but undeniable.
Instructor Halvar's lips twitched upward.
"Textbook Pyrope," someone whispered.
Clara stepped down, her silver eyes steady.
She didn't need to look proud.
The hall already knew.
A boy later revealed metal magic, the crystal glowing steel-gray, heavy and dense.
Another student manifested sound magic, the crystal vibrating faintly, humming with unseen resonance.
Each reaction added another layer.
Another future path.
Kai Estrada – Dormant
"Kai Estrada."
Kai moved.
Not rushed No hesitant.
The hall was quieter now—experienced.
He stepped onto the platform.
Placed his hand on the crystal.
Nothing.
No color.
No vibration.
The crystal stayed clear.
Silence followed.
Lyra checked the reading once.
Then again.
"…Dormant," she said finally. "No active affinity detected."
A ripple passed through the hall.
Some students frowned.
Others scoffed.
Kai stepped down calmly.
Above, instructors leaned closer.
"No reaction at all?"
"Record him.""Watch him."
In a distant office, a lone instructor's gaze remained fixed.
Meaning was forming.
And Kai Estrada returned to his place, unaware that his silence had spoken louder than any glow some students started having doubts of their choices after taking the evaluation. kai well that was unexpected as he was leaving he bumbed into Alex ahh sorry i was lost in my thoughts kai appologised actually it was you i was about looking for just now