Chapter 26: Power Testing
Behind him, another figure stepped into the shadows. A woman robed in silver and green. Her voice carried both beauty and dread.
"And yet... you send children to meet the tide."
"They are not children," Caelum replied. "Not anymore."
The morning broke with a hush that blanketed the Sanctum, as if the very stones of the ancient school were holding their breath. The events of the Rift Simulation still echoed through the minds of Kelvin, Lyra, and Darius. But rest was a luxury the Obsidian Division rarely afforded.
Kelvin stood at the balcony of their dorm tower, the wind brushing his hair as he stared across the spires of the Sanctum. Beneath his skin, he could feel Xerion—the End-Tyrant, coiled in a resting state within their soul bond with a slow-burning ember of power.
"The others see us differently now," Lyra said from behind, her voice was soft measured. "Words of our simulation run is spreading."
Kelvin turned. "Let them talk because we didn’t survive that to fade back into the crowd."
Darius barged in, still half-dressed and chewing on a grilled rootfruit. "You two are always so serious? Because the announcement board just got updated."
Kelvin raised his head to see Darius. "What kind of update?" He asked.
"Special elective update that is only for Obsidian-tier students which is optional but with a clause: those who participate are directly evaluated by the Headmaster himself."
That pulled Kelvin’s attention instantly. He stepped inside, moving past Darius to view the glowing announcement crystal which was mounted on the wall.