Chapter 29: Prism(5)
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Professor Mallet stared at the Prism, expression unguarded for once.
It glowed not violently, not with menace, but with a slow, deliberate light. A pulse. Deep blue at first, then fading to a soft purple, and then back again. The cycle repeated every few seconds, like it was breathing. Like it had come alive.
The cloaked Students stood frozen around the room, keeping their distance. None dared speak, but the tension in the area made every second feel longer than it was. They didn't know what they were looking at. Most had never seen a live reaction from a Prism before, let alone something like this.
Then came the second Prism.
It split off slowly from the main body, hovering into existence without so much as a flash. A smaller, sharp-edged shard of crystal, glowing slightly brighter than the one it had come from. It didn't spin. It floated with intent, orbiting the main Prism once, then stopping midair like it was claiming its position.
Gasps broke the silence. Even a few instructors nearby leaned in with confused looks.
But Mallet... Mallet understood.
His voice was calm but laced with intensity as he stepped forward.
"That's the signal," he said to no one in particular. "That's a stage confirmation. She's passed the first."
He'd never seen it happen in person. Not in all the years he'd supervised Prism access. Not in all the risky, unauthorized experiments he'd helped hide.