Chapter 22: The Elite Arrival
The new year had arrived, but there was no celebration. The memory of the god still lingered heavily in everyone’s minds, and no one was in the mood for festivities.
Principal Arthur had timed his announcement carefully. Just a day after Judgment Day, he declared that the heirs of the Elite School would soon arrive—a move intended to lift the spirits of the young and refocus their drive.
Now that the day had come, Azrael stood among the Marked, those who had yet to clear a Rift. Across from them stood the Proven, those who had.
This was the first time he had seen them divided in such a way, allowing him to see a clear difference.
Despite the low survival rate of the Marked on their journey to becoming Proven, the Proven still outnumbered them. That wasn’t surprising. Most people challenged their first Rift by the age of eighteen resulting in either dying or advancing to the next level, while the Proven ranged from their early twenties to late thirties.
The Moon Breakers didn’t care for trivialities like age. All that mattered was power—the ability to prove one’s usefulness.
Under normal circumstances, Azrael would’ve kept his distance, standing alone a few feet away from the crowd. But today, close proximity was required, and solitude was impossible.
’If I have to be near someone, it might as well be someone familiar,’ he thought, and made his way toward Victor.
The man was easy to spot. With his towering frame, he stood out like a beacon among the other Chosen.
"Do you know which clans are coming?" Azrael asked, stepping up behind him. His interest wasn’t in their presence—it was in their potential power.
He’d been told that if he challenged one of them to a duel and won, he’d be rewarded. He had no intention of missing out on that opportunity.
Victor shook his head. "Can’t say I do. But considering this is a meeting between the two greatest schools, I’d expect them to send their best."