"Julius Valendestine!" Professor Sanchez calls.
My name echoes throughout the enormous hall. It feels like every person in the room is watching me for a fleeting moment while I sense a heavy pressure on my chest. I look toward Zach and Will hoping to find some kind of confirmation. Although his familiar mischievous grin remains, Will's new look bears an unspoken challenge when he meets my eyes. Zach maintains his usual steadiness while giving me a small nod that communicates You've got this. Zach sends a quick thumbs-up which seems to be just for his own entertainment.
My heart steadies a bit.
I direct my attention away from their gaze and move steadily towards the stone with my feet. The steps should be of short distance because it's only a few yards away but they feel like they extend endlessly.
I manage my breathing as I push aside the growing doubts that take hold. The possibility of unlocking multiple classes, and to become someone like Will or Zach dances bright and tempting in my mind but remains far from reality. But I can't help it. I hold onto that glimmer of hope.
The stone is closer now. I'm almost there.
Time seems to bend. The gap between myself and the stone feels oppressive while my mind races with expectant thoughts. Feeling my pulse thunder in my ears, I take my place before the stone and touch its chilly exterior with my hand.
Nothing.
The hall remains silent for an extended period—it feels uncannily silent as if all attendees are suspended in breath. All sounds have faded away leaving only the fast-paced thumps of my heart against my chest which sound as though they want to escape my ribcage.
Suddenly a silver light breaks from the stone without any prior notice.
The stone pulls from an unseen well of power as I feel energy pulse beneath my skin following the crowd's startled gasp. The silver light transforms as though it is the hue of twilight's edge before changing into emerald green which contrasts starkly with the preceding cold silence.
But it doesn't stop there.
The colors rapidly transform one after another, leaving their unique forces in the atmosphere. The stone pulses with violet light before exploding into a strong red burst before settling into bronze as the stone becomes deep and solid. And finally, a calm, clear blue. It doesn't make sense. The colors mix in patterns I cannot decipher as though the stone remains undecided about my class alignment.
My veins carry an overwhelming yet beautiful, magical current that pulses throughout my body. I lack words to express this sensation where reality warps around me and draws me toward something beyond my understanding.
The hall falls into a moment of stunned silence as the sharp pause hangs motionless in the air.
"This child…" Vice Chairman Grey rises from his seat while his eyes remain wide open in complete disbelief, with his voice trembles with admiration.
"You're a paragon," Professor Sanchez smiles at me.
The words reach my ears, yet their meaning feels strangely distant. I remain there connected to the stone while intense energy ignites every part of my existence. Paragon. What does that even mean? I can't define it yet, but I feel its weight pressing down on me like a promise without words.
I then stare at Professor Sanchez as she hands me the aetherplate.
"Hybrid! He belongs in the School of Variations!" Professor Sanchez announces.
[Stop looking at her. Her eyes are filled with 30% disbelief, 28% happiness, 25% curiosity, 12% nervousness, and 5% admiration.]
I blink.
The words hover midair, subtle and translucent, only visible to me. They fade gently, like smoke in sunlight, before I can even fully process them. My heart skips.
Was that from the aetherplate?
No, I haven't input any mana in it yet. This came from inside, from me.
Another box pops up, this time over the head of a student whispering frantically to their neighbor.
[No you dumbass, I am codex 099. Don't ask my why there are 98 before me.]
I flinch. The words aren't just text anymore—they have a voice now. Dry, amused, and a little annoyed. Almost like someone who's been doing this way too long and has no patience for slow learners.
Before I can think of a response—assuming I even can respond—a new text bubble slides into view.
[Relax. I don't bite. But I do observe. Everything.]
More text flickers across the edge of my vision, this time floating over Professor Sanchez herself as she regains her composure, tapping furiously at her tablet.
[Sanchez, Micky. Faculty Rank: C. Thought: "This kid's either a miracle… or a bane."]
I stare at her, stunned. I didn't even try to activate this. I just looked.
[That's how I work, genius. You see it, I read it. You think it, I might hear it. Fair?]
So this is Codex 099: Spectator's Eyes.
It's not loud. It's not flashy. It doesn't explode or summon beasts or let me punch through a wall. But it slices through the noise and cuts straight to the truth.
I glance around. Everyone's watching me like I just swallowed lightning. Their faces are a cocktail of envy, curiosity, and confusion, and thanks to Codex 099, I know the exactly how everyone thinks.
I then look at Vice Chairman Grey.
[By the way, I don't work the best every time. The stronger the person is, the less information you can get from me.]
I nod slightly, unsure whether I'm responding to the Codex or just trying to ground myself.
Vice Chairman Grey stands still, his sharp eyes unreadable, like he's weighing something far heavier than my worth as a student. The air between us tightens.
[Vice Chairman Grey. Faculty Rank: S. Thought: "???"]
The Codex flickers and sputters a bit at the end, like trying to tune into a distant frequency and losing the signal.
[See? That's all you can get for now, don't try it.]
I exhale slowly and step back, letting another student take the stage. I should be relieved it's over, but I can feel the weight of a thousand eyes pressing against my skin. Whispers ripple through the crowd like wind across a field of grass.
"So a paragon has all five classes?"
"He's gotta be a hybrid. Maybe even more."
"Had anyone ever had all five classes?"
"Did he get a codex?"
Zach and Will finally make their way back to me. Zach crosses his arms, his gaze serious but not unfriendly. "You good?"
I shrug, still processing. "I think so."
Will leans in with a grin. "That was insane. Honestly, I thought I had the big entrance, but nah—you stole the whole damn ceremony."
"Yeah, well," I mutter, "I didn't ask for it."
He claps my shoulder. "Doesn't matter. You've got it now."
Before I can respond, Professor Sanchez's voice cuts through the hall again.
"That concludes the Awakening Ceremony for this year's first-years. Those who received their Aetherplates, report to your house advisors for distribution of your class schedules and dormitory assignments."
Another ping slides into my vision.
[Good luck, Paragon. You're going to need it.]