The registration hall was silent.
Not the peaceful silence of a library, but the heavy, suffocating quiet of a courtroom before a verdict. The air here tasted metallic, thick with residual Aether leaking from the testing apparatus.
Kael stepped inside, flanked by Dante and Orion. The triangle formation broke naturally as they joined the queue.
Rows of students stood waiting. Some tapped their feet nervously. Others whispered, glancing at the crest on their robes. At the far end of the hall stood the Pillar.
It was a monolith of crystalline glass, ten feet tall, pulsing with a faint inner light. Runes carved into its base swirlled slowly, waiting to drink the energy of those who dared to touch it.
"Next. House Kaelthorn."
A boy stepped forward. He placed his hand on the pillar. Light flared green. Storm sparks danced across the surface.
"Adept, Rank 3," the instructor announced. His voice was bored, mechanical. He didn't look up from his clipboard. "Proceed to sector four."
The boy exhaled, relief washing over his face. He walked away, shoulders lighter.
"House Valerius."
The name rippled through the hall. Heads turned.
Dante grinned. He cracked his knuckles and stepped forward before Orion could stop him. "Ladies first, right?"
Orion didn't react. He just stood still, a statue in the flow of people.
Dante slapped his palm against the crystal.
Boom.
A surge of red light erupted from the pillar. Heat waves distorted the air around it. The runes spun violently, struggling to contain the output.
"Adept, Rank 7," the instructor said. His pen paused for a fraction of a second. "High end. Sector one."
Dante pulled his hand back, shaking it slightly. He walked back to his cousins, wiping sweat from his brow. "Not bad. Could be hotter."
"Show off," Orion muttered. But there was no bite in his words.
"Your turn," Dante said, nudging Orion.
Orion stepped up. No grin. No warning. He simply placed his hand on the surface.
The light wasn't red. It was silver. Cold. The temperature in the hall dropped five degrees instantly. Frost crept up the base of the pillar.
"Adept, Rank 8," the instructor said. This time, he looked up. His eyes narrowed. "Excellent."
Orion withdrew his hand. He didn't smile. He just walked back to stand beside Kael.
Now, only one remained.
"House Valerius. Kael."
Kael moved forward.
The silence deepened. Expectations hung in the air like a guillotine blade. Two cousins had shown exceptional power. Bloodline strength was supposed to be consistent. Genetics didn't lie.
Kael stopped in front of the pillar.
He could feel the Aether inside him. It surged, eager to burst forth. It wanted to show them. It wanted to scream.
No.
He forced it down.
It wasn't easy. Suppressing Aether required precision. Too much pressure, and it would backlash. Too little, and the truth would leak out.
He remembered Uncle Lucien's lessons. 'Power is not what you have. It is what they think you have.'
Kael placed his hand on the crystal.
He visualized a dam. A wall of iron around his core. He let only a trickle escape. A tiny, pathetic stream of energy.
The pillar glowed.
Faintly.
The light was weak. Flickering. Like a candle in the wind.
The runes spun slowly, confused. They searched for more power, but found nothing.
"Awakened," the instructor said. He frowned. "Rank 1."
A beat of silence.
Then, the whispers started.
"Rank 1?"
"Is the machine broken?"
"Valerius... and he's a dud?"
"Maybe he's adopted."
Kael pulled his hand away. His face remained blank. He didn't flinch. He didn't look ashamed.
"Sector... seven," the instructor said. His voice lacked the warmth it had for Orion. "Next."
Kael walked back to his cousins.
Dante's grin had vanished. He looked at Kael, concern flashing in his eyes. "Kael, the machine—"
"It works fine," Kael said softly.
Orion studied him. His blue eyes pierced through the facade. He knew. Of course he knew. They had trained together. They had sparred. He knew what Kael was capable of.
"Why?" Orion asked. The word was barely a whisper.
"Uncle Lucien's advice," Kael replied. "Let them think they know me."
"They'll treat you like trash," Dante hissed. "Sector seven is for the weaklings. The leftovers."
"Let them," Kael said.
He looked around the hall. Students were staring. Some with pity. Some with mockery. In the corner, a group in black robes watched. House Draven.
Alaric wasn't there, but his subordinates were. They were smiling.
Good, Kael thought. Let them smile.
Arrogance makes people careless. Carelessness makes them blind.
And when you are blind, you don't see the knife until it's already in your heart.
"Come on," Kael said, turning toward the exit. "We're wasting time."
Dante hesitated, then shook his head and followed. Orion fell in step beside them.
As they left the hall, the instructor looked down at his clipboard. He stared at the name 'Kael Valerius' for a long moment.
Then, he made a small mark in the corner of the page.
A question mark.
Outside the Hall
The sunlight hit Kael's face. He squinted slightly.
"Rank 1," Dante muttered, kicking a stone. "I still say we break the machine later."
"Don't," Kael said.
"At least let me punch someone," Dante grumbled.
"No punches," Orion said. "Not yet."
Kael didn't answer. He was looking at his hand. The palm still tingled where it had touched the crystal.
Awakened Rank 1.
That's what they see.
But shadows grow best in the dark.
And I have plenty of darkness to hide in.
He clenched his fist.
Let the game begin.
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