The courtyard breeze was colder than Kieran remembered.
Or maybe it just felt that way after the Trial.
He walked beside Selene, both of them silent as the spires of Umbravale stretched above. The rest of the group trailed behind, their steps uneven not from injury, but from the weight of being back in a world that had moved on while they bled in the dark.
Students passed them without stopping. A few stared.
Some with curiosity. Some with envy.
None spoke.
They reached the outer steps of the recovery wing when a voice called out from under the colonnade.
"Wait."
A tall, lean man stepped from the shade dark coat, white cuffs, a narrow book under one arm. Thin-framed glasses. Black gloves.
Instructor Elar.
Not one of the administrators.
But sharp. Respected. Dangerous in ways that never needed proving.
He looked directly at Kieran.
"Where's the core?"
The group slowed.
Kieran frowned. "The core?"
Elar blinked slowly. "The Hollowborn you killed. You did retrieve its core, didn't you?"
Rei crossed his arms. "We didn't know we were supposed to."
Elar's expression didn't shift. "You fought an Awakened-class beast, risked your lives, and left its most valuable trait behind?"
Calla bristled. "We were trying not to die."
"Then let this be your first real lesson," Elar said. "Surviving is step one. Step two is claiming what your survival earns."
He pulled the book from under his arm and handed it to Talon.
Talon flipped it open. His eyes widened.
Core Theory & Extraction: A Beginner's Field Manual.
Selene stepped closer. "So what are they? Just power sources?"
Elar shook his head. "They're essence crystallized. When a beast dies, its body sometimes burns away, but if it's strong enough — Awakened and above — it leaves a core."
"What can we do with it?" Nova asked.
"Three main things," Elar said, raising fingers one by one.
"Forge it. Turn it into gear bound to your Aspect — weapons,armor or tools"
"Absorb it. Slowly. It boosts essence capacity, resistance, clarity. Not huge, but permanent."
"Store or sell it. Some cores are rare enough to buy you an entire year's tuition."
Kieran blinked. "We didn't see one."
"Some Awakened leave weak ones. Some dissolve if the beast isn't killed cleanly. But next time, check." Elar paused. "And don't assume you'll be alone in the field forever. When resources matter, someone else will take it if you don't."
He turned to go, then glanced back once.
"Welcome back."
Then he vanished into the halls.
They stood in silence.
Talon closed the book. "So… we fought a Trial-born Wretch, nearly died, and forgot to grab the loot."
"No one told us," Rei muttered.
"No one tells anyone," Selene replied. "That's part of it."
Calla looked at her hands. Flame flickered softly along her fingers. "Next time, we don't leave anything behind."
Kieran didn't answer.
But his hand brushed the cloth tucked under his coat.
The crimson feather still pulsed faintly.
No one had taken that.
Not yet.