The sound of magical bells echoed across the campus, marking the official start of the midterm exams. The doors of the Evaluation Hall opened, releasing a ceremonial chill that made even the most confident students shiver.
Vex swallowed hard as he stepped inside.
The hall was massive, with floating rows of perfectly aligned desks. Above them, an illusory sky displayed a starry night, as if fate itself were watching.
He sat in his assigned seat.
To his left: Kaen — arms crossed, unmoved.To his right: Elois — eyes wide, scanning the walls as if answers might be etched between the bricks.
A faint murmur rippled through the room as the examiner arrived: a gaunt man with sharp eyes and a plain black robe that radiated authority.
"Midterm Exam. Category: Theory of the Celestial Dream.Five sections. No breaks. No revisions. Any attempt to cheat will result in immediate expulsion."
Vex felt his hands go cold.
Scrolls floated to each desk. Quills lit up in blue.
And the exam… began.
Section 1: History of the Awakening and the Echoes of ArkhadiaSection 2: Principles of the Celestial DreamSection 3: Genetic Resonance and Rhythmic MutationSection 4: Analysis of Ancient BloodlinesSection 5: Exceptional Cases in Magical Manifestation
Five sections.Thirty questions each.
Vex felt like even the ink trembled in his fingers.
He glanced around.
Students from Caelum, Ignis, Aegis... all writing with robotic precision.Kaen, unfazed, his quill drawing firm lines.Elois, on the other hand… was leaning toward Kaen, trying to signal something with his fingers like a telepathic spell.
Kaen glanced at him.That single, sharp look was enough to freeze Elois like he'd been hit with an ice curse.
Vex couldn't help but chuckle quietly.
"Something funny?"The examiner's voice cut through the air like a blade.
"N-no, sir."
The rest of the exam passed like a fever dream — symbols, formulas, ancient citations swirling together.
By the end, Vex felt like he'd run ten kilometers without moving.
"They call that an exam? It was a psychic assault disguised as paper!" Elois groaned, still pale."The bloodline section was... intense," Vex added, rubbing his temples."It was fair. Some trick questions," Kaen said flatly.
Elois looked at him like he'd just spoken another language.
The rest of the day brought two more exams:
Ley Line Cartography and Resonance Points:Vex barely passed, Kaen mastered it, Elois mistook a ley map for modern art.
Combat Tactics and Strategic Use of Awakened Abilities:Elois did surprisingly well, fueled by his inner monologues about war heroes.Vex scraped by.Kaen? Flawless again.
By the time they finished, the moons were high in the sky.
They had two days of rest.
During that time, the group focused on refining their rune control.
Aric wasn't with them, but his lessons still echoed in Vex's body: Controlled breathing.Center alignment.Sword flow.
Vex's white rune now lasted longer than most — flowing from his chest to his dominant arm like a broken river of light, steady and alive.
Kaen's was a force of nature: deep crimson with black veins spiraling down his torso to his left arm. Like a tattoo of sleeping lava — it didn't glow much, but its weight was undeniable.
Elois? He was a show on his own.
His rune shimmered gold-amber — unstable, flickering like bottled lightning. It danced up his neck, traced his jawline, and curled into a small arc on his left cheekbone.
"Why does mine flicker like a nervous candle?" Elois groaned."Because your breathing sucks," Kaen said."My breathing's been crooked since birth! Don't judge me!""Try again," Vex added. "If you fall a hundred times, we'll pick you up a hundred and one.""And if not… I'll become a full-time poet."
Kaen raised an eyebrow.
"You already are."
They laughed.
When they finished training — sweaty, tired but proud — they strolled to the central park.
Near the sacred fountain, a familiar figure walked by with spectral grace.
Altair.
"Training on your day off?" he asked, voice calm as always."That's how we do it," Vex smiled.
"Altair, right?" said Elois. "I imagined you more... floaty. Like a legend.""I don't float. Yet."
Kaen studied him closely.
"Your steps don't make a sound.""I don't waste energy on them."
Vex stepped forward.
"These are Kaen and Elois. My teammates."Altair gave a small nod."Good team. Don't let yourselves break."
"We try," Kaen replied."It doesn't always look like it," Elois joked. "But thanks anyway."
Altair turned to leave.
"Cardio time. Good luck on the next test."
As he vanished down the path, Kaen murmured:
"Even his footsteps don't leave an echo."
"You think he's a ghost?" Elois whispered."No," said Vex. "He's just someone who knows exactly where he walks."
And then, as if the wind itself wanted to seal the moment, the trees rustled softly.
The three knew — the next step… was almost here.