"Step forward."
The voice echoed through the stone chamber, cool and commanding. Dozens of cadets stood in a semicircle inside The Core Hall, each one lined up in rank order. Five crystal pedestals pulsed softly at the center, each inscribed with a different elemental glyph.
One by one, students walked up, placed their hand on a pedestal, and waited as the crystals reacted—flaring with fire, water, lightning, or wind, depending on their innate magical affinity.
Lyle stood at the very back.
"Kael Umbrix," the commander called.
A tall figure in black armor stepped forward, unhurried. The moment he placed his hand on the lightning crystal, a burst of golden arcs exploded from the pedestal.
"Affinity: Lightning. Class Rank: A."
Gasps followed. Even the instructors exchanged glances.
> "Of course," Lyle thought. The powerful transfer student had just arrived this morning, yet already, people were murmuring about him.
More names were called. One after the other, affinities revealed. Element after element.
Then—
"Greenbottle, Lyle."
Silence.
The name echoed in the chamber like a cracked bell.
Some snickered. Others whispered. Most already knew what to expect.
Lyle stepped forward with calm steps. Inside, though, his heart pounded.
> "Do it like last time," he told himself. "No reaction. Just touch the crystal and walk away."
But as he approached the pedestal, something happened.
His spellbook—hidden inside his uniform—burned hot against his chest.
The voice of the system whispered once more.
> "Would you rather hide... or be remembered?"
Lyle paused.
His eyes scanned the room.
The silver-haired girl, Ari, watched with narrowed eyes. Kael stood with arms crossed, unreadable. Dex gave him a thumbs-up from the back, clearly unaware of anything serious.
He exhaled slowly and reached out…
Just before touching the crystal, he channeled a sliver of the magic inside him—arcane, formless, pure.
> "Let's see what happens."
His fingers brushed the pedestal.
At first—nothing.
Then, the crystal shattered.
A pulse of blue and gold energy surged outward, knocking several instructors off their feet.
Rings of glowing runes spun in the air, forming a spiraling glyph in the center of the room.
Everyone stared.
> "WHAT in the Arcane was THAT?" barked an instructor.
The commander stepped forward slowly, eyes locked on Lyle.
"Identify that magic!" he demanded.
Another instructor was already waving a scanning talisman in the air.
"No affinity detected," he said. "But... that magic... that wasn't any of the five elements. It's... unknown."
Unknown.
The word hung in the air like poison.
The crowd erupted in whispers.
"He's a freak—"
"Did he break the crystal?!"
"Null can't do that!"
Lyle stepped back, hands raised in false confusion.
"I—I don't know what happened. It wasn't me."
But inside, the system was humming.
> [Arcane Resonance: +1]
[First Seal Strengthened]
[Wizard Identity: Still Hidden (For Now)]
The commander's eyes lingered on him.
"Put him under monitoring. I want his mana levels checked hourly," he said. "No cadet leaves Fort Varion with magic like that unaccounted for."
Lyle bowed his head slightly. "Understood, sir."
He turned to walk back—but inside, he felt lighter.
More confident.
He'd just made his first move.
And it wouldn't be his last.