Astralis Academy never really slept.
Not in the way cities did. Not in the way people expected it to.
At midnight, the lower towers dimmed, the student fields emptied, and the skies grew quiet—but within the academy's central spire, mana still pulsed. Glyphs rotated, archives shimmered in coded light, and deep within the Training Hall Network, Simulation Room Omega-07 blinked to life.
[SYSTEM NOTICE — CLASS ZERO: MANDATORY NIGHT SIMULATION INITIATED]
Scenario: Nocturnal Raid Survival Drill
Type: Squad-Based Response (Live Fire, Magical Stealth)
Notification Time: None
Objective: Defend Core Beacon for 10 Minutes
Bonus: Full-Team Integrity, Minimal Damage, High Efficiency
Danger Level: Moderate
Back in his dorm, Hades Draker opened one eye slowly, already halfway out of bed before the alert finished.
"Ah," he yawned, stretching. "Nothing like being rudely awakened to test one's genius."
His coat slid on with a flick of his wrist. He straightened his collar, adjusted his silver crest pin, and combed his fingers through his sleep-tousled silver hair like it was a war tactic.
When he stepped into the hallway, Kaela, Mirth, and Selwyn were already waiting.
"How are you this awake?" Mirth asked, blinking blearily behind his glasses.
"I meditate while I sleep," Hades said with a smirk. "Efficient use of genius time."
Minutes later, they were dropped into the simulation chamber—this time resembling a moonlit ruin, scattered with broken stone arches, glowing moss, and a core beacon surrounded by fractured terrain. Simulated enemies spawned from random locations—silent, fast, armed with stealth magic.
Veylan's voice echoed through the sky above.
"Simulation has begun. Don't die."
Kaela activated her blade rune. "Same plan?"
"Nope," Hades replied, grinning. "New plan: I go full bait, you guys clean house."
Kaela stared. "You're serious."
"I'm always serious. Just rarely sane."
[System Notification]
Seraphim Sync: 52%
Simulation Grid Clean
Mana Environment: Stable
Squad Aura Link: Formed
He vanished with a Flash Step, landing silently on the rooftop of a half-collapsed cathedral.
Two shadow units below stiffened—too late.
Hades dropped behind them like a whisper, kicked one off balance, tapped the other's suppression core, and whispered, "Shhh. Dream's not over yet."
Down they went.
Elsewhere, Kaela cleaved through the flanking units with brutal elegance, Selwyn layered wind-traps across the perimeter, and Mirth used his terrain analysis to redirect attacks into blind spots.
No one got hit.
No one missed.
And Hades? He made it look like he was dancing through the night—untouchable, untouching, but still orchestrating the pace.
After ten minutes of flawless coordination and three suppressed waves, the beacon pulsed.
[Simulation Complete — Full Points Awarded]
[Team A Score: Top-Ranked Across All Classes]
[System Update]
+120 EXP
+1 Agility
+1 Intelligence
Skill Progress: Flash Step (Lv. 3), Team Guardian (Lv. 2)
Seraphim Core Sync: 54%
Passive Unlock: Eidetic Flow (Lv. 1) — Visual & mana-memory snapshot recorder
As the simulation faded and the squad stepped back into the real-world platform, Veylan regarded them silently for a long moment.
Then, finally:
"Flawless."
Hades gave a mock bow. "It's a curse, really."
Later that morning, after rest and reset, the entire class was called to the observation hall of Tower Silex, one of Astralis' oldest, least-used wings.
The reason?
House Draker had arrived.
They didn't come with fanfare or floating carriages. Just two sleek black robes, trimmed in royal silver and deep crimson. One man. One woman. Both walked like generals—backs straight, presence coiled like a storm held back by formality.
Hades recognized them at once.
His father, Lord Velkan Draker—a master architect and former high commander, now a political ghost in noble society.
His mother, Lady Ishtar—mage-engineer and co-developer of Seraphim cores.
They entered quietly. Spoke only to the Headmaster.
Students whispered.
"Is that Draker's family?"
"They were gone from court for years…"
"Then why now?"
Hades stood casually near the back, arms crossed.
Kaela elbowed him. "Aren't you supposed to bow?"
"I'm not royalty," he replied. "And I already outrank them in charm."
Lord Velkan approached slowly, his eyes cool, sharp, calculating.
When he stopped in front of Hades, silence stretched across the entire hall.
Then—unexpectedly—he extended a hand.
"Well done, son."
Hades took it. Firmly.
"Always," he said.
No tears. No theatrics. Just quiet approval between two brilliant minds who knew how to speak in code.
After they left—without explanation, without drama—students stared.
Kaela spoke first. "That was... unexpected."
Mirth nodded. "They're famous. But they've been silent for years."
"They're watching," Hades said, slipping his gloves back on. "They wanted to see if their heir turned out defective."
"And did you?"
He smiled.
"They saw perfection."
Later that evening, back in his dorm, Seraphim pulsed faintly.
A new rhythm.
Not loud.
Not erratic.
Just… deeper.
[System Notification]
Seraphim has reached Threshold Phase 1
Core Expansion Unlocked
Internal Storage Grid Available
Passive Discovery: Mana Channel Refinement
No anomalies detected.
Status: Evolution Normal
Visibility to Observers: Suppressed by System
Hades closed his eyes, leaning against the window as the city glowed beneath the academy towers.
His Seraphim core was growing.
His squad was solid.
His name was no longer a whisper in noble halls—it was rising.
And yet... he felt no pressure.
Only clarity.
Because no one here saw him as a threat.
Just the best of them.