Kaitri mumbled.
"The Darkwood huh."
A voice left of Kaitri's shoulder whispered, excited and a little too loud.
"They say there are Sentinel-ranked things caged in there. Fear not. Wards are put in places like this."
Kaitri turned, a bit startled.
A teenage boy stared at him, all bright eyes and too many snack wrappers in his pocket, hair refusing the comb like Kaitri's. Dressed in cheap uniform, scholarship, if Kaitri had to bet. He looked like the type to survive or die loudly…
Three heads swivelled at once.
Kaitri's, a draughty noble with spear-crest pins, and an elf girl whose ears twitched under a mess of dark hair. The noble sniffed.
"Nyxveil runs a base in the Darkwood," Spear-Pins murmured, as if confiding to the air. "They thin the numbers when the wards get weakened. Everyone knows that."
Kaitri remembered that Wards were protective bindings or fields made through resonance, runes, and spirit energy — spiritual fortifications that prevent, protect, or channel energy created by Resonants or artefacts.
The elf girl snorted, sharp.
"Nyxveil is a story people tell to crave attention," she said. "It is a myth, not a house. The government uses the name when it needs the public calm. They use the name Nyxveil as a coverup for doing weird illegal sh*t."
Kai held a distant gaze, 'Why would the Government do something illegal? Don't they make the Rules? Who are they scared of?' he thought, then stared at the elf girl, studying her disheveled appearance. She still looked beautiful, like all Eldrans, a small frame, snow white skin, bright pink lips and green eyes that captures men and women alike in a trance.
"Jenny Eldrane," the boy whispered to Kaitri. "She's well-known on Res-net for her videos on Rune experiments. Just Rune-theory though. As she has just proven, I know more about the world than she does."
She stared at him with a scornful expression and said, "Oh yeah? I'll have you know that Soul Energy is the base of all things including the 'World'. Resonance is how we tap into it and Runes channel resonance into effects. As an Eldran, I happen to have innate talent of using Runes to channel resonance into effects, but you humans have no knowledge of it. You need to be Bounded to tap into Soul Energy…"
"Then why are you here? No one can tap into their innate Soul Energy without becoming a Resonant. We are all equally pre-Res…," The boy paused, brought his index finger to his cheek and continued "…pre-Res are what non-Resonants are called by the way."
She gritted her teeth. "I know that."
Kai gave them both a searching look. "You too know each other?"
Jenny folded her arms and looked away pouting.
He turned to Kai and answered. "Yeah... We attended the same basic school."
"Oh. Okay…" Kaitri said, a confused look on his pale face. He focused on the next person walking up to the dais, asking himself how he got himself in that situation.
The boy blinked.
"You look familiar," he bit his lip. "Are you—"
"Shh," someone hissed. They obeyed.
A man named Professor Vale had stepped forward to speak but they missed his speech then Aris was asked to give a closing remark to her peers.
She stood, then awkwardly moved to the platform, trying to calculate the rhythm in her steps.
"So, uh—," she stuttered then caught herself — her voice running through the room like a string being plucked, clean and silvery. "We're here to be better than the stories about us. Humility, dedication, will. Some of us from names; others from nothing. The past are weights. Don't let them pull you back… Forego your ego… when you walk through the gates. Pick them up when you leave. I hope I can earn your trust during my tenure. Thank you."
The Hall was filled with applause.
Kaitri realised the boy's mouth was a little dry. He glanced sideways. The boy was not subtle. His eyes had gone daft and dreamy; his lips parted just enough to be unforgivable.
Kaitri nudged him with his elbow. "You might want to shave," he murmured. "You're growing a beard."
The boy beside him wiped his chin with a horrified noise.
"That is slander."
"Mm."
"By the way, I'm Varik. Varik Calder."
"Kai"
The elf girl rolled her eyes without moving her head. Two other girls did the same, synchronized as clock hands. Varik just smiled brightly at them which earned a disgusting stare.
On the dais, Jonesy was explaining a rule in an authoritative voice. His voice had changed suddenly — he explained schedules, the different wards, the safety protocols and called out the Instructors' names… "No need to worry. Professor Vale, your homeroom and Fieldcraft & Survival instructor, already explained everything you need to know."
Kaitri, Jenny and Varik went pale.
Each gave the other a questioning look — they had missed most of the speech.
Kai sighed.
'I'll ask someone later.'
"…and lastly," Jonesy said, "if you have questions, keep them. Earn your answers."
'Of course.'
A bell somewhere in the rafters sang a single, clean note.
The crowd stood, the rows dissolved, and a steady current of people flowed toward the exits, draining the hall of its energy. Names were called, dorm wings assigned by coloured lights above each side door. The rune-light faded back to stone. The anchors let out a sigh.
Kaitri had walked into the corridors already. He stood along the parapet which led to an inner garden of the academy.
The garden led to the classroom wings — two well-crafted stone buildings stood side by side facing the hall. He took it all in drowning out the noise of students chatter behind him.
The rush moved around his stillness and went on. He took the coin from his pocket and felt the cold of it kiss his palm — smooth silver with a tiny black void at its heart. A bad habit, touching it here. He slid it away again and stepped into the flow.
Varik popped up at his elbow, nearly bouncing. Kai backed against the battlement startled. 'What is with this kid?'
"I remember now. You're Kaitri Anam, son of the Annex Duo. Obviously. I mean — it was the eyes. And the fact that I remember you and the inci— I'm Varik. Scholarship. Don't tell anyone. Actually… tell everyone. No, don't. Do you—"
"Breathe, man," Kaitri said concerned.
Varik inhaled deeply.
Jenny had ghosted to the other side of him, eyes bright like someone who was already taking the place apart to see how it worked. Up close she smelled faintly of solder and ink.
"Your aunt's wards on your jacket are good," she said without introduction. "Too good for a commuter. The Annex house makes their runes prettier, but this is cleaner."
Kaitri lifted an eyebrow. "How'd you know about my aunt?"
"Huh? You Annex kids stick out like a sore thumb...," she paused and looked away embarrassed. "...and you were in the news three years ago. Plus, you were the least ranked amongst the Annex intakes with the last name, Anam. Your aunt is a top-dog in the Rune and Rift Research so…"
He lifted an eyebrow.
"I don't know much about the world. I'm a sheltered rich boy."
Jenny raised an eyebrow, surprised, but before she could say anything, Varik exclaimed.
"Really? I would have bet a Momento coin that you Annex kids were being trained since before you could walk. Aren't you guys like the best of the best?" he asked.
He scoffed and gave Varik a scornful look.
"I should be, but my aunt only just gave in to allow me walk the Resonant path."
Jenny and Varik looked at each other with pitiful expressions on their faces.
"That's alright. I, Varik, will teach you everything you need to know about the world," Varik said, pointing at himself, a smug look on his face.
Kai looked at him surprised.
"I'm not... totally ignorant. My aunt taught me a lot of things before I left."
"Yup, you're welcome, buddy."
'Buddy?' Kai narrowed his eyes then looked ahead.
"Oh, I noticed you didn't pick up your Wing tag at the hall, so I got it for you."
"Wing tag?"
Jenny slapped him on the shoulder.
"The both of you weren't listening to the headmaster when he said to pick it up."
Varik rolled his eyes. "If your gal buddies didn't inform you, you'd have missed it too."
Her eye twitched, then she walked away without saying a word.
The Corvian student from earlier moved past them, catching the draft of their little eddy. A couple of boys made a point of not bumping him, the way you make a point of not stepping on a line you just noticed.
The Corvian's eyes flicked once to Kaitri's pocket, then away, as if cataloguing the sound the coin made against cloth; then he stared at Jenny. She had found the two girls from the hall with a group talking by a fountain.
Kai looked at him. "Crowfolk are weird," he muttered under his breath. As if he was heard, the Crowfolk quickly turned and scurried away. Weird.
Varik tapped him on the shoulder and handed him a piece of paper.
"Okay so, Wing assignments," Varik said. "North Hall for pre-Res. That's us. Sky Hall is for the Second/final years. One day. Maybe. Probably not. But—"
"North Hall… behind the building is the lake, then the Darkwood," Kaitri said. "Why will they place the pre-Res halls there?"
"I know right?"
They reached the sunlight again. Through the arches, the Darkwood showed its first teeth — a black seam beyond the training fields, all leaves and shadow. The wind coming off it smelled like a tale someone should have told.
"Creepy…," Varik said with a serious look, "I wonder why the Concord just let them roam in there instead of clearing it."
Kai stared into the darkness; a harrowing feeling swept over him as he imagined what kind of monstrosities were hidden deep within the heart of the forest. Maybe he will never find out.
He looked at Varik. What was he to him now? A friend?
The novels he used to read in his room would have tagged Varik as one.
The corner of his lips curled up. Looks like he made a friend.
A friend.
Is this what it's like to make friends? They had just met so he pushed that thought aside. He reduced his pace keeping distance with Varik.
'He's probably just hanging with whoever. He seems like the type to be friendly with anyone.'
"Coming?" Varik walked, eager, in motion.
Kaitri looked once more at the fringe of the forest, the way the light refused to go all the way in. He felt a tug in his chest… Everything since that day had been unsure. The day these Alien creatures killed his Parents.
He found out they were on a world designated Quasi-68, a highly dangerous interdimensional Red-World and the creature was known as a Veil-Smiler, a Horror-Born type. Their Rank: Archon. This was the second to the highest rank of Dark-souled creatures known to man. Fragment, Warden, Striker, Sentinel, Ascendant, Paragon, Archon and finally, Dominion being a cataclysmic level threat.
A single Dominion ranked creature of any type could wipe out a whole continent in a day if it had a terrifying ability and even the weakest could still deal a crushing blow to man if not stopped.
A thirteen-year-old boy in a corridor full of azure glass and fire against an Archon-level threat?
The trauma. It had shaped him to become distant and introverted.
'Maybe I should try something else this time. A friend huh? Lira wouldn't believe it.'
"Yeah," he said smiling, and followed behind him.
Then, hidden from their gaze, his expression changed. His eyes bulged; his lips flattened — a surge of vengeful rage pulsed in the depths of his soul.
'What they took from me, I will take seven-fold. I will not falter; I won't show mercy. Their young, old. Every one of their races will taste the terror I felt on that day. This, I promise.'
Just then, a booming sound was heard across the lake. The earth shook, forcing everyone to a complete halt. In the Darkwood, a white light shone, chasing the suffocating darkness, and even reaching the school.
Kai and the others held on to the parapet, he tried to shield his eyes, but the light had blinded him momentarily. The students were in a panic, screaming and murmuring.
The tremor stopped; the students fell silent... Then, they heard a deep voice, echoing through the runic artefacts.
"Everyone! Keep calm and return to your dorms. I expected all of you to be accustomed to rifts by now. Still... it will be contained so please, move in an orderly fashion worthy of a pre-Resonant," Professor Vale said with his hands behind his back.
Kai's eyes narrowed. 'I'm not trusting anyone to take care of a rift for me... But I don't have any choice for now. Still, today of all days? At least, let me learn basic combat techniques first.'
Just then, a whisper echoed in his mind.
[Access granted]
[Conditions for Battle memory prepared]
Kai froze looking around to find the person speaking into his mind.
'What? Who..."
[Time till sequence begins 1 hour, 59 minutes]