The world pulled itself apart.
Or at least, that's how it felt when the teleportation rune activated.
One moment, Piera stood in a forest heavy with the scent of blood and moss. Next, his body was twisting through a void with no light and no direction. It wasn't pain. It was worse—disorientation that sank deep into the bones. And then, suddenly, he landed.
The ground beneath him was cold marble. Piera coughed hard, his lungs catching up. A few feet away, Auren was flat on his back, blinking at the ceiling like it had personally wronged him. Syris was still on her knees, steadying her breath, while Elena had already pulled herself to her feet, arms crossed.
"Back again," Uriah mumbled, face down. "Someone kill me. I miss dirt."
The circular room was familiar, it was wide, open, and polished like a palace floor. Above them, the glass dome pulsed with pale blue runes. A dozen instructors stood at the far end, their expressions unreadable. Floating above the center of the room was a holographic board cycling through names and point totals.
Only a few groups remained. Most had already been processed. They were the last to return.
[GROUP 16 – FINAL SCORE: 4000 POINTS]
[STATUS: PASSED]
[EXAMINATION COMPLETE – PARTICIPANT COUNT REDUCED BY 42%]
Lex was the first to notice it. "We're down to approximately 60%," he said, scanning the board. "They weren't bluffing about the difficulty curve."
"That's not an exam," Elena said quietly. "That's a purge. Well, it's finally over, so I don't mind."
No one argued.
A tall woman in a dark uniform stepped forward—Instructor Kaelyra, if Piera remembered correctly. She held a thin tablet in one hand and a whistle looped around her wrist.
"All teams have completed the final trial. We will now proceed with the dormitory assignments," she said, her voice echoing.
A flick of her hand, and the board shifted again—this time displaying categories.
"You will be assigned dorms based on your performance in the third exam, There are 4 dorm tiers, Tier I is reserved for the top 10%, Tier II for those who performed Highly but could not get into the top 10%, Tier III is for the average goons, and Tier IV is for those who… Survived," Kaelyra continued. "Teamwork, tactics, efficiency, and survivability were all judged. Do not mistake this for a reward. It is an evaluation. And evaluations can change."
Lex smirked. "I suppose we're Tier I."
"You bet on everything," Syris muttered.
"We're Team 16. I believe we must have the top score. I shall devour my boots if we aren't in Tier I."
And of course, they were Tier I.
"Starting today, dormitory assignments will be handed out. You'll be split into housing groups based on performance in the final group exam. You'll find your names and room placements in your profiles. Dismissed."
A small beep echoed across the room as wristbands that suddenly appeared within their pockets pinged with updates.
[North Tower, Floor 2D. Eight rooms. The floor belongs to your group.]
Occupants: Piera Valemir, Auren Valemir, Lex Styrol, Syris Ilmara, Uriah Varion, Elena Varion, Karren Darrex, Shiriah Cardenze.
He looked up, blinking. "We're all together?"
"Damn," Auren grinned. "Guess we're officially a squad now."
Lex leaned back. "I shall demand that you hand over the top bunk."
"Try me," Karren said without looking, arms crossed.
Meanwhile, across the room—things weren't going so smoothly.
Some students murmured among themselves, some celebrated, some argued. A few just sat in stunned silence, still processing that they were alive.
Except for one.
Thera stood alone near the far end of the room. Her hair was still matted with dried blood, her clothes torn from battle, but her posture hadn't relaxed once. When her name appeared under Tier I, her eyes narrowed.
Instructor Kaelyra called it out. "Thera. South Tower, Room 1C."
Thera didn't move. "I'm not sharing a room."
"This is not a request."
"I don't do roommates," she said. The instructor didn't look up. "All students are to be placed in a dorm. Refusing an assigned room will result in disqualification."
"Then disqualify me."
"Not an option."
Thera's tone sharpened. "I don't share space. I don't care what rulebook you cling to."
A slow hush settled nearby. Students were watching now. Students started to murmur. A girl who took on entire teams by herself... and now was about to square off with staff?
Except it wasn't a staff that stepped forward.
He wore no armor. No insignia. His clothes were plain, his expression unreadable. But there was something about him—something still and sharp, like a blade left in the rain. A strip of cloth was tied over his eyes.
The room seemed to still when he walked.
Thera turned toward him, her stance shifting just slightly.
"You must be the Unseeing Sword," she said.
He said nothing.
She launched forward without warning—a blur, fast enough to crack the floor beneath her heel.
The man didn't flinch. Moving his hand once, he landed a straight punch to her gut, knocking her out in one blow. Thera crumpled.
One hit. A single, clean gut punch that robbed the air from her lungs and the strength from her body. She hit the floor like a puppet with its strings cut.
The room was returned to silence as the man turned and walked away, his blindfold never shifting.
"Assign her to Room 1C of the South Tower," Kaelyra said simply. "She'll wake up where she belongs."
—--------
Floor 2D, North Tower
The group had just finished tossing their gear into the closest corners and collapsing onto bunks like corpses. However, amidst all that peace, Piera's wristband buzzed, strapped to his hand buzzed loudly.
'I'm still wondering how this thing got in my pocket.' He thought as he turned it off
Piera's wristband buzzed again. He looked at it lazily.
A new message:
Kriel Academy Orientation
Classes begin tomorrow at 8:00 sharp.
Refer to the timetable for details. Any absence or tardiness will result in point deductions.
Elena checked hers. "Looks like we've got Weapon Allocation, Mana Theory, Combat class, and History of Conquest tomorrow."
"History?" Uriah groaned. "I just lived through history."
"Better pay attention," Piera said, flopping back on his bed. "We're not fighting in a forest full of trees anymore. Now it's a whole different kind of battle."
Syris rolled over. "Let's hope the teachers aren't worse than Thera."
Shiriah chuckled. "I'm almost hoping they are. But for now, let's go to our different rooms. We'll meet tomorrow morning."