The transport hummed as it cut through the sky, the battered class crammed together in silence. No one joked. No one bragged about their cores. The memory of twenty skybeasts raining down on them hung like a weight none of them could shake.
Jorin sat near the front, arms folded, his face unreadable. Every so often, one of the younger students glanced at him, hoping for reassurance, but his gaze stayed fixed on the horizon.
Kael sat a few rows back, staring out the narrow window, his body aching from every movement. Feyla sat beside him, hands fidgeting in her lap, as if she wanted to speak but couldn't find the words. Bren, sitting further down, muttered something under his breath, but no one paid him any attention.
When the transport dipped slightly with turbulence, Jorin stood and walked down the aisle. His heavy steps silenced what little whispering remained. He stopped by Kael, his expression as cold and sharp as steel.
"Stand," Jorin ordered.
Kael hesitated, but pushed himself up, following the instructor to the narrow back corner where no one else could hear.
Jorin leaned close, his voice low and dangerous. "What you did back there—never speak of it. Not to your classmates, not to Feyla, not to anyone. You understand me?"
Kael swallowed. "But—"
"No," Jorin snapped, his tone brooking no argument. "You have no idea the storm you'll bring down on yourself if people find out. A Blank with that kind of power? They'll tear you apart before they let you grow." His eyes narrowed, fierce and unwavering. "Hide it. Until you can control it."
Kael clenched his fists, but nodded. "…Alright."
"Good." Jorin's voice dropped even lower. "Meet me tonight. Training. No excuses." He held Kael's gaze for a moment longer, then turned and marched back up the aisle, resuming his seat as if nothing had happened.
Kael sat back down, heart racing. Feyla gave him a curious look but said nothing, biting back her questions.
---
By the time the transport broke through the clouds and descended toward the academy's landing pads, the tension had settled into a heavy silence.
The students filed out one by one, each carrying the weight of what they had seen and the secrets they would never voice.
The towering spires of the academy rose in the distance, familiar yet distant after the chaos of the beast planet. For many, the sight was a relief—safety, routine, walls that kept the horrors outside.
For Kael, it felt like something else entirely.
As he stepped back onto academy grounds, the whispers already began to stir. Students who hadn't gone on the mission craned their necks, eager for stories. The returning class said little. Their faces told enough.
Kael kept his head down, moving with the others as they were dismissed to their quarters. The weight of Jorin's words echoed in his mind.
Never tell anyone.
The academy gates closed behind them, but Kael knew the real battle was just beginning.