"The next morning, after returning from the Wild Foglands, Kael received a letter."
He sat at the edge of his bed, holding the thick parchment in his hands. His fingers ran across the seal—silver wax, stamped with the crest of Draymoor's most powerful institution.
TheAcademy of Draymoor.
His heart beat faster.
"Why now?"
He broke the seal and read the message:
"Kael Virein, you are hereby summoned for immediate evaluation and potential enrollment at the Academy of Draymoor. Attendance is mandatory."
It didn't say why.
Did they know what he'd done in the Foglands? About the Echo? About the system?
He stood slowly, mind racing.
They know. Or they suspect. Either way, this is no coincidence.
---
The Academy gates were nothing like the streets Kael had grown up in. Tall iron arches gleamed with mana-infused metal. Guards in polished armor watched silently. Students—most wearing fine cloaks and family crests, walked past him with curious glances.
Kael didn't belong here.
But that was exactly what made him felt dangerous.
---
Inside, he was led to a wide marble chamber. Seven figures sat around a raised platform. Some wore robes. Others wore armor. Their faces were unreadable.
At the center sat a man with sharp eyes and a voice like stone scraping steel.
"Kael Virein."
Kael gave a slight nod. "Yes."
"You entered the Tier 2 Ruins without approval. You accessed an Echo not meant for public knowledge. And yet… you returned alive."
Kael's eyes narrowed slightly.
So they really do know. But how much?
"We want answers," the man continued. "And we want to test you."
A different voice—a woman, older, calm—spoke. "We are offering you a place, not a punishment. But make no mistake, Kael. You are being watched."
He met her gaze. "I understand."
---
The next day, Kael stood among a group of students. His assigned class: Class C.
It was where the Academy placed people they didn't trust… or didn't understand.
He glanced around.
One student caught his eye—a girl with short black hair and a thin scar running down her cheek. She leaned against a pillar, flipping a dagger in her hand.
She noticed him looking.
"New kid?" she asked, smirking. "You look like you just crawled out of the Foglands."
"Maybe I did," Kael said.
She chuckled. "Name's Ryne. Try not to die. This class eats people like you."
Kael didn't respond. He was already scanning the area, noting the others.
A bulky boy with a crooked nose cracking his knuckles.
A silent girl reading a book that hummed faintly with magic.
A tall student in a priest's robe, watching everyone too carefully.
Class C was full of Misfits, Outsiders and People like him.
Then he saw her.
AerinDuskveil.
She stood near the back, calm, quiet, and far too focused.
Their eyes met. She didn't look surprised.
She walked over.
"I figured you'd show up eventually."
Kael stayed still. "So did you."
She tilted her head. "I told them about the Echo. But I didn't mention you."
"Why not?" he asked.
"I want to see what you are," she said. "And if I can't figure it out… I'll break you open and find out that way."
Kael didn't answer. He wouldn't give her the satisfaction.
---
Training began immediately.
The Academy didn't care about comfort. They tested strength, reaction speed, core control. Instructors barked orders and recorded every movement.
Kael performed well—but not perfectly. He held back.
Every time he felt the system's flame start to stir, he forced it down.
"They're still watching. I can't reveal too much," he thought.
---
That night, the system spoke again.
[ New Environment Detected: Hostile Surveillance Active ]
[ System Masking Function: Enabled ]
[ Stealth Protocols: Active when under observation ]
[ New Skill Acquired: "False Core Signature" – Lv. 1 ]
[Allows user to project a weak or fake core status while masking true values. ]
Kael exhaled slowly.
"That's useful. Exactly what I need."
The system wasn't just powerful—it was evolving with him. Learning the environment and Adapting.
---
In the Academy dorms, Kael shared a room with two other Class C students.
One was Ryne, the scarred girl from earlier.
The other was a quiet boy named Lior. Short, bookish, and always scribbling things in a thick notebook.
"I heard you fought off two beasts in the ruins," Lior said.
"I heard you killed one with a broken spear," Ryne added.
Kael said nothing.
Silence was safer.
Ryne grinned. "You're going to be fun."
---
Over the next few days, Kael kept his head down. He trained, watched, and listened.
He noticed things others missed.
Which instructors favored noble students.
Which students were spies for their families.
Which ones wanted him gone.
He kept his thoughts quiet, but inside, one thing became clear:
"This place is just another battlefield. Fancier uniforms. More gold. But it's all the same. Power. Control. Bloodlines."
And something was rising beneath it all.
A feeling.
A warning.
The Academy wasn't just a school.
It was a trap.
---
One evening, while walking the outer courtyard, Kael stopped.
His instincts flared.
A faint pulse in the air. A shift in the shadows.
Someone was following him.
He turned sharply, but saw no one.
Then—
A figure stepped out from behind a pillar.
Not Aerin. Not a student.
This man was older. Tall, cloaked, and carrying no visible weapons.
But Kael felt it.
Power.
The man smiled faintly. "You're hiding well, boy. But not from me."
Kael didn't speak.
"You carry a piece of something… old," the man continued. "Something that should've stayed buried."
Kael's pulse quickened.
"Who are you?"
The man didn't answer.
Instead, he turned and walked away, his voice trailing behind him.
"Let's see how long your mask holds."
---
That night, Kael stood at the window of his room, staring out at the Academy towers lit by soft mana-lights.
"There are more eyes here than I thought."
"And not all of them belong to the living."
---
[ SYSTEM NOTICE ]
[ Threat Level: Elevated ]
[ Unknown Observer Classification: "Unmarked" ]
[ Countermeasures Unlocked – Locked Behind Core Advancement Tier 2 ]
---
He read the message, then let the screen fade.
Everything was moving faster.
But Kael wasn't afraid.
He was ready.