A heavy buzz rippled through the hall as lights dimmed slightly, drawing everyone's attention to the raised platform near the Awakening Crystal.
The crystal pulsed brighter now—deeper. Louder. It was alive, and it was hungry. It always was.
Then—
A loud, crisp voice echoed through the sound system.
"Attention, students."
The room fell into silence instantly.
Footsteps echoed.
A tall man in a sharp black overcoat walked slowly onto the platform. His presence was calm, but heavy. Like a storm behind glass. His hair was iron gray, short and neat. Eyes sharp as a hawk's.
He didn't carry a weapon. He was one.
He stopped at the center of the stage and folded his hands behind his back.
"I am Dean Garos."
Simple. No extra titles. No flair.
But everyone in Ashvale knew the name.
Garos—the one who brought down a Gateborn Behemoth alone and lived to tell the tale. Garos—who refused to join any of the major families. Garos—who became Dean of Ashvale Academy not by politics… but by reputation.
Lucian's eyes narrowed slightly.
'Still looks the same.'
Garos looked over the crowd. His voice, when he spoke again, was calm—but every word landed heavy.
"Today, you stand at the edge of something irreversible."
The Awakening Crystal pulsed behind him, as if reacting to his voice.
"For most of you, this will be your first real step into the world. A world that does not care who your parents are. A world that does not wait for you to feel ready. A world where hesitation is death, and failure has a price."
Evelyn tensed beside Lucian.
Some students looked away.
Garos continued.
"The Awakening process is not gentle. The crystal will reach into your soul, into the deepest part of who you are. It will pull. It will tear. And it will show you what's buried inside. Some of you will awaken great power. Others… will not."
He let the pause linger.
"There are students every year who walk out of this hall unchanged. Or worse, with abilities that are mocked, discarded, ignored."
More silence.
Then—
"But hear this: even a weak spark can start a wildfire. Some of the strongest Awakeners in history started with broken gifts. What matters… is what you do after."
Lucian smirked faintly.
'He always did say that part well.'
Garos turned to look at the crystal now.
"This is the heart of the hall. Carved from the crystallized core of a fallen Rift Beast King. It's alive. And it sees more than you do. It does not lie. It does not flatter. It only reveals."
The lights dimmed around the edges of the auditorium as mana surged through the room's runes. The crystal floated higher, its glow becoming almost liquid, like molten starlight.
A long queue began to form as instructors called names from floating panels.
"One by one, you'll step forward. You'll place your hand on the crystal. And it will answer."
Garos stepped down from the stage without another word.
That was all.
That was enough.
Lucian watched him as he walked past, cloak brushing the stone floor like a shadow cutting across sunlight.
Evelyn shifted nervously beside him.
Lucian leaned back again, eyes on the crystal.
'Here we go.'
The line moved slowly.
One by one, students walked up, trembling or proud. Some screamed. Some cried. Some fell to their knees as the crystal burned into their soul.
Each time, a result flashed across the floating display:
Name: Callen Griv
Ability: Minor Hardening
Rank: D
Name: Rosa Milen
Ability: Water Thread
Rank: C+
Name: Theo Karv
Ability: Gravity Touch
Rank: B
There were cheers. Applause. Polite claps. But also… silence.
One boy got no result at all.
His name vanished from the list like it had never existed.
He walked back to his seat alone. Pale. Eyes hollow.
No one said a word.
Lucian's fingers drummed the armrest of his chair.
Evelyn's hands had gone pale where they clutched her skirt.
"Still think you'll get Petal Step?" he said quietly.
She let out a breathy laugh, clearly trying not to throw up. "At this point, I'd take Petal Step and frame it."
Lucian smiled faintly, then looked forward.
His name was coming soon.
The instructors kept calling names.
Another student stepped forward.
Then another.
More average abilities. More mid-tier talents.
Then—
The hall lights flickered, just slightly.
The crystal pulsed harder. Sharper.
An instructor's voice echoed through the hall:
"Garrick Thorn."
Lucian's smirk twitched the moment he heard it.
He didn't even have to look.
He could already feel the shift in the air—the sudden hush, the weight of attention snapping toward one direction like a magnetic pull.
Footsteps echoed boldly across the stone floor.
A boy, tall for his age, broad-shouldered and clean-cut, walked confidently toward the platform. His uniform was perfectly pressed. His hair combed back like he was already ready for the press photos.
Lucian slowly turned his head, resting his chin on his hand.
'There you are, golden boy.'
Garrick stepped onto the platform with the poise of someone who believed he was born to be admired. He looked left. Right. Took in the crowd like it belonged to him already. Then—he placed his hand on the crystal.
The glow that followed wasn't gradual.
It exploded.
White lightning burst outward from the base of the crystal, crackling along the arcane runes on the floor. Wind surged, kicking up dust and light papers. The crystal spun faster, faster, until it locked on his frequency—then released a single loud pulse like thunder in the middle of the hall.
The display above flashed in gold.
Name: Garrick Thorn
Ability: Lightning Descent
Classification: Elemental – Offensive
Rank: SS
The hall erupted.
Students clapped, cheered, some even stood. One girl shouted "No way!" as arcs of electricity danced up Garrick's arm, uncontained sparks flashing in the air like fireflies on caffeine.
He turned to the crowd and gave a small, practiced smile. A humble nod.
Lucian watched, completely unfazed.
His eyes were half-lidded. Calm. Lazy, even.
'Still full of yourself… Still chasing a spotlight.'
Garrick stepped off the platform, lightning fading as he walked back to his row—seated right in the middle of the front section.
He passed Lucian without glancing his way.
Lucian tilted his head.
'That's fine. Ignore me for now.'
He leaned back again, eyes still watching the glowing crystal.
'You'll see me soon enough.'
'And this time, I won't die at your hands.'
He didn't hate Garrick.
No.
But he didn't forgive him either.
And when the moment came, when it was Lucian's turn… he'd make sure Garrick remembered his name forever.