Anomaly of Fate

Morning light filtered through the academy windows, casting soft rays across the rows of desks. A new weekday had arrived, signaling the return to the usual academy life—lectures, assignments, and the predictable rhythm of student chatter filling the halls. Velren, as always, occupied his usual corner spot in the classroom, a place that provided both solitude and an unbothered view of the rest of his peers.

The last two days had been anything but quiet. An eventful weekend, to say the least.

What was supposed to be a simple, high-paying escort commission had turned into a life-or-death struggle against a wyvern, of all things. And through that battle, he had manifested a new Vital Echo. That alone was significant enough—but with the added bonus of slaying the wyvern, it was hard to say which achievement was the real prize. Was it the new power he had gained, or was it the satisfaction of felling such a beast? Maybe it was the other way around—the manifestation being the true prize, with the wyvern’s death as just an added consequence. Whatever the case, that moment had left him with plenty to think about.

Then came his time in Caelestoria, particularly in the Ironclash Arena, where he had witnessed two of his peers locked in a duel—Mikhail and Alistair. That had been something else entirely. The intensity, the skill, the sheer spectacle of it all. A fight between nobles, their abilities pushed to the limit, and in the end? A tie, but one that left the audience, himself included, in awe.

Speaking of said noble...

As he sat in class, observing the room with idle curiosity, he noticed that Alistair was nowhere to be seen.

His fingers tapped absently against the wooden desk as he considered the fact. Alistair had been unconscious when they carted him off, but was it really enough to keep him out of class? The guy was tough—Velren had seen that firsthand—so for him to be absent... Well, it wasn’t as if the academy had a rule stating you had to be in peak condition to attend, but given the nature of his injuries, maybe he was still recovering. Or maybe something else had come up. Nobles played by different rules, after all.

Still, it left Velren wondering.

And then there was his newest acquisition—the weapon now strapped at his waist. Forged from a wyvern’s heart, it was something few could ever claim to wield. He had yet to properly test it, to see how it performed in combat, how it synergized with his Ka. Would it respond the same way as his katana, or would it demand something different from him?

Velren exhaled softly, brushing his fingers against the hilt of his new weapon before he leaned back in his seat. No matter how much he turned the thoughts over in his mind, he wouldn’t find any answers just sitting here. If he wanted to understand this wakizashi, he needed to put it to use. A proper test. Soon.

Before he could delve any further into his musings, the sound of the classroom door opening drew his attention. Professor Vekar strode in, his presence alone was enough to shift the atmosphere in the room. Conversations died down as students straightened in their seats, some more eager than others. Homeroom was about to begin.