The communication counter was tucked away from the louder stalls.
No banners.
No sales calls.
Just a single clerk and a reinforced glass case.
Niel stood in front of it, hands folded behind his back.
Inside the case lay five identical stones—smooth, oval, faintly warm to the touch. Thin academy runes pulsed along their edges, subtle but absolute.
Academy-Issued Communication Rune Stone
Internal Network Only
External Contact: Disabled
Emergency Priority: Enabled
Cost: 100,000 points (each)
Niel placed his rune-tag on the reader.
The crystal flared softly.
Available Points: 987,431
Transaction: –100,000
The first stone slid forward.
Niel didn't pause.
Again.
Available Points: 787,431
Transaction: –100,000
Again.
Again.
Again.
The reader chimed one last time.
Remaining Points: 487,431
Niel gathered the five stones carefully, slipping them into an inner pocket.
He didn't smile.
This wasn't a luxury purchase.
It was infrastructure.
Wars aren't lost because people are weak, he thought.
They're lost because information arrives late.
The cafeteria was alive.
Trays clattered. Voices overlapped. The smell of warm bread and spiced meat cut through the sterile air of the academy halls.
Zen entered, flexing his fingers carefully.
"…You look awful."
Zen looked up.
Aren stood near the entrance, one arm wrapped tightly in fresh bandages, the other hanging stiffly at his side. His knuckles were scuffed—but unbroken. Solid.
Zen's eyes flicked to them.
Then he grinned. "You too."
They stared at each other for a second—
Then laughed.
Real laughter.
The kind that only came from shared pain.
"Your arm looks like it lost a negotiation," Zen said.
Aren flexed his fingers once, feeling the weight in them. "Yeah," he replied. "And your hands look like they tried to punch the ground into submission."
Zen snorted.
He reached into his pocket and tossed a crimson vial across the table.
Aren caught it automatically.
"Advanced potion," Zen said. "Use it."
Aren glanced at the vial—then at his knuckles.
"…Might be overkill," he muttered.
Zen shrugged. "Humor me."
Aren nodded once. "I will."
They sat.
A moment later, Rex dropped into the chair opposite them, grease still faintly on his fingers.
"I'm telling you," Rex said immediately, "once the stabilizers sync, it'll handle terrain like—"
Evan arrived quietly, sliding into a seat beside Zen. His posture was relaxed, but his eyes were alert.
Niel appeared last, moving quickly, coat still on.
Zen raised an eyebrow. "You're late."
Niel placed five rune stones on the table.
"That's why."
Rex leaned forward. "Communication stones?"
Niel nodded. "Academy-issued. Secure. Internal only."
Aren frowned slightly. "Those aren't cheap."
"Hundred thousand each," Niel replied.
Silence fell—not shocked.
Calculating.
Zen pushed his rune-tag forward without comment.
"So?" he said.
The crystal reader embedded in the table activated.
Transfer Initiated
— Zen → Niel
Amount: 100,000
Zen Remaining: 918,900
Niel Updated: 587,431
Rex followed immediately.
— Rex → Niel
Amount: 100,000
Rex Remaining: 896000
Niel Updated: 687,431
Aren placed his tag next.
— Aren → Niel
Amount: 100,000
Aren Remaining: 875,000
Niel Updated: 787,431
Evan hesitated only a second—then added his.
— Evan → Niel
Amount: 100,000
Evan Remaining: 850,000
Niel Updated: 887,431
The table chimed softly as the transfers completed.
Niel watched the numbers settle.
Then slid one rune stone to each of them.
"Press it," he said.
Zen pressed his.
The stone warmed in his palm.
Above the table, a translucent panel unfolded—clean, simple, unmistakably academy-made.
CONTACTS — ACADEMY NETWORK
— Zen
— Aren
— Rex
— Evan
— Niel
Rex tapped his name.
A soft tone pulsed through the stones.
"That's it?" Rex asked.
Niel nodded. "Direct channel. Voice, pulse signal, emergency ping."
"And outside contact?" Aren asked.
"Blocked," Niel replied. "These stones only talk to each other."
Evan studied the panel closely. "Secure."
"Necessary," Niel corrected.
Zen leaned back in his chair, staring up at the floating list of names.
"…So now," he said slowly, "if one of us gets into trouble—"
"They don't disappear," Niel finished.
The panel dimmed as the stones powered down.
Around them, the cafeteria noise surged on.
Students laughed. Trays clattered. Another normal academy meal.
But at that table—
Five individuals had just done something most groups didn't think to do until it was too late.
They built a line.
And once a line existed—
Information could move faster than disaster.
Zen was the first to notice.
He glanced up from the table and spotted familiar blue-stained fingers waving awkwardly from near the potion counter.
"…Oh," he said. "Speak of disasters moving faster."
Aren followed his gaze.
Rex turned next.
Niel looked last.
Kael stood there, satchel slung over one shoulder, clearly debating whether interrupting five people who looked like this was a good idea.
Zen raised a hand. "Over here."
Kael hesitated—then walked over.
Up close, the contrast hit immediately.
Five top-ranked students.
Bandages. Grease. Faint mana residue.
And a healer who looked like he'd survived something worse.
Kael stopped at the edge of the table.
"…So," he said carefully, "this is not a support group?"
Rex blinked. "Depends. Are you here to judge?"
Kael's eyes flicked briefly to Aren's hands.
"…You people are dangerous in very different ways," he muttered.
Zen stood halfway and clapped Kael lightly on the shoulder. "Guys, this is Kael. Alchemy Hall. Top ten."
Niel's eyes sharpened immediately.
"Kael," he repeated. "Ranked sixth."
Kael winced. "I hate that you know that."
Aren nodded once. "Good work."
Rex leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. "Alchemy, huh? That explains the smell."
Kael sniffed his sleeve. "…Fair."
Evan studied Kael quietly for a moment longer than polite—then gave a small nod. "You know what you're doing."
Kael paused. "…You say that like it matters."
"It does," Evan replied.
Kael exhaled, surprised.
Zen grinned. "He helped me pick a potion."
Rex's eyebrows shot up. "You let someone else decide what goes into your body?"
Zen shrugged. "He made sense."
That did it.
Rex stared at Kael with new respect.
"Well," he said, "anyone Zen trusts with that is automatically interesting."
Kael laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I was just buying materials."
Niel slid a chair back with his foot. "Sit."
Kael hesitated. "Uh—"
"You've already been identified," Niel added calmly. "Might as well commit."
Kael sat.
The table felt fuller.
Not louder.
Just… aligned.
Zen leaned back, hands folded carefully. "So. Welcome to whatever this is."
Kael glanced around at them—really looked this time.
Five people.
Different halls.
Different strengths.
All already moving like a unit without realizing it.
"…Yeah," he said slowly. "This is going to be interesting."
Above the table, the rune stones pulsed once—quietly.
As if noting the addition.
And somewhere deep in the academy's systems,
another variable was introduced.