The academy gates opened at dawn.
Vahn stood among the crowd outside, hands in his pockets. The building rose above them in layered stone and steel, reinforced with suppression lines that pulsed faintly under the surface. Wardens lined the entrance, watching everyone who passed through.
Crowns glowed as students walked forward. Some shone brightly. Others barely reacted.
Vahn's wrist stayed bare.
"Eyes forward," a Warden said as they entered. "No activating abilities inside the hall."
Inside, the signing chamber was wide and circular. Resonance pillars stood in a ring, tall slabs of dark stone veined with light. Each hummed softly, tuned to detect and bind crowns.
Students were called in groups.
Vahn stood with Lira near the back.
"Once we're done, we're officially academy property," she said quietly.
"Sounds expensive," Vahn replied.
She huffed. "You're not wrong."
A student stepped up to the pillar. Light flared. The stone responded instantly.
"Combat crown. Physical enhancement," an instructor announced.
Applause followed.
Another student. A softer glow.
"Utility crown. Spatial awareness."
Some students looked relieved. Others disappointed.
Lira shifted beside Vahn. "What if it doesn't happen right away?"
"Then it doesn't," Vahn said.
"That's not an answer."
"It's the only one that matters."
Her name was called.
Lira walked forward, shoulders squared. Her hand touched the stone.
The pillar reacted immediately. Blue lines spread through the surface.
"Glass affinity," the instructor said. "High compatibility."
Lira let out a slow breath and stepped away.
She looked back at Vahn. He gave a short nod.
"Vahn Ardyn."
The hall went quiet.
Kael walked to the pillar. He could feel the vibration through his boots, steady and controlled. He placed his hand on the stone.
Nothing happened.
Seconds passed.
"No response," an instructor said.
Murmurs rippled through the hall.
"Try again," someone muttered.
Kael didn't.
He stepped back.
The hum changed.
It wasn't loud. It simply stopped.
The pillars dimmed. The glow faded from nearby crowns. Someone gasped.
A student tried to activate their ability. Nothing happened.
Wardens moved immediately.
"Clear the floor," one ordered.
Vahn felt pressure in his chest. Not pain. Weight.
He looked down.
A black mark formed around his wrist, thin and precise, like something being written into him.
"Suppression failed," a Warden said.
"That's not possible," another replied.
Vahn's knees weakened. He grabbed the pillar to stay upright.
The room felt empty. Not quiet—emptied.
A thought surfaced, sharp and certain.
Silent Crown: binding confirmed.
Vahn collapsed.
When he woke, the ceiling was white.
"Easy," someone said.
He turned his head. Lira sat beside the bed, arms crossed tight.
"You scared everyone," she said.
"Sorry," Vahn replied.
"That wasn't an apology."
A Warden stood near the door, arms folded.
"The Tribunal has been notified," the man said. "You'll be evaluated."
Vahn stared at his wrist. The black mark was still there.
"What did I awaken?" he asked.
The Warden didn't answer right away.
"Something that shouldn't exist," he said.
The academy had confirmed what Vahn feared.
He wasn't normal.
But for the first time in his life, he wasn't nothing either.