The security officer materialized from a side passage to escort Kaelen back to the vast waiting space. The massive doors closed behind him with a sound like thunder compressed into a whisper, sealing him away from the judgment happening beyond.
He was alone again.
Kaelen made it three steps before his legs gave out completely.
He caught himself on one of the crystal pillars, the cool surface solid beneath his palm. His ribs screamed protest at the sudden movement, sending sharp spikes through his torso. His left arm throbbed where the serpent's fangs had punctured muscle.
The adrenaline that had kept him standing during the assessment was draining away, leaving behind exhaustion so complete it felt like drowning.
He forced himself away from the pillar and walked to one of the benches that lined the antechamber walls. Sitting down felt like surrender, but standing was becoming impossible.
The minutes stretched. Five became ten. Ten became fifteen.
Muffled voices filtered through the doors. He couldn't make out words, just the rise and fall of discussion. Debate. Maybe argument... one voice rose sharply before being cut off by what sounded like Aldric's measured tones.
His fate being decided by people he'd never fully understand, using criteria he could only guess at.
Kaelen's hand found the pendant beneath his uniform again, seeking that familiar comfort. The gear-shaped charm was warm against his chest, almost hot now. Had it been this warm before? Or was he just noticing because exhaustion made everything feel heightened?
"They're taking too long. That's bad, right? Quick decisions are good decisions. Long deliberations mean disagreement, debate, people arguing for different outcomes."
Twenty minutes. Twenty-five.
The voices beyond the doors rose sharply, someone was angry. Another voice cut in, authoritative enough to silence the first. More muffled discussion.
"What are they arguing about? My punishment?" Kaelen thought.
Kaelen's hands were shaking now that adrenaline had fully drained. He pressed them together, forcing them still through pure stubbornness.
Thirty minutes.
His ribs had settled from sharp pain to dull ache. His left arm was going numb, the brace probably too tight, cutting off circulation. He should adjust it.
The doors opened.
"Mr. Burn. The Council will see you now."
Kaelen forced himself to his feet through pure willpower. His vision swam briefly before stabilizing. His legs were shaky but held.
He walked back into the chamber with his spine straight and his expression neutral, refusing to show how close he was to his absolute limit.
...
Chancellor Aldric waited until Kaelen had returned to the center platform before speaking. The other Council members were arranged as before, their expressions giving nothing away.
"This Council has reached its decision regarding the events of Saturday's mission and your actions therein."
The formal tone made Kaelen's exhausted mind struggle to process what was coming. Good news or bad? Expulsion or recognition? The words carried no obvious emotion.
"First, acknowledgment." Aldric's voice carried through the chamber with that same effortless authority. "Your documentation of the facility and nest provided valuable intelligence that our investigation team is already using to prevent potential casualties. The coordinated Beast behavior you observed has been confirmed by subsequent reconnaissance. Your observations were accurate and actionable."
Kaelen's chest loosened slightly. That was good. They valued the intelligence.
"Second, recognition." Aldric paused, letting the word settle. "Your actions in protecting Observer Davos demonstrated exceptional courage and capability under extreme stress. While your decision to disobey extraction orders was technically a violation of protocol, this Council acknowledges that circumstances and outcomes justify that choice. Observer Davos submitted written testimony stating that he would not have survived without your intervention."
Relief began to build, but Kaelen kept it off his face. This wasn't over yet.
"Therefore, this Council formally commends you for your actions during the mission. You are not being penalized for protocol violation. Instead, the following recognitions and compensations are awarded:"
Aris stood, reading from an official document that materialized in her hands. "Academy recognition: Advancement to Sentinel rank without requirement for advancement trial. Your current RP total is reset to zero as part of the compesation protocol since you're skipping a rank, effective immediately. You are now officially a Sentinel-ranked student with all associated privileges and responsibilities."
Kaelen's breath caught. Sentinel rank. He'd jumped directly from Novice to Sentinel, skipping Adept entirely. That was... unprecedented. Most students took years to make that jump, completing trials and accumulating RP through countless missions.
And he'd done it by surviving a day in hell.
"Material compensation," Aris continued, her tone remaining professionally neutral despite what must have been satisfaction with the outcome. "The materials your team harvested. F and E-rank crystals and components included, have been processed and evaluated. Your share, as team leader, amounts to forty-three thousand, seven hundred fifty credits."
The share instructor Mira mentioned.
"Additionally," Aris said, and something in her tone suggested this next part carried extra weight, "hazard compensation is awarded for the extraordinary circumstances you endured. Five hundred thousand credits will be transferred to your academy account within forty-eight hours."
Kaelen's mind stuttered. Five hundred thousand. Half a million.
Combined with Instructor Mira's compesation for the Obsidian Mauler materials, 1.1 million and his team share... he now had access to over one and a half million credits.
That was generational wealth for someone from the lower districts. That was enough to move his mother out of the seventh tier entirely, to buy property in safer areas, to ensure she never had to worry about bills or repairs or whether the food would last until next month. Where clean water didn't cost extra, where she'd never worry about repairs again.
"Academic benefits," Aris continued. "Priority access to advanced training facilities previously restricted to fourth-year students and above. This includes the Temporal Combat Chamber, the Aetheric Forge, and the Resonance Meditation Halls."
Each of those was legendary among students. Resources that could accelerate cultivation significantly, available only to those who'd proven themselves exceptional.
"Additionally, you are granted one C-rank weapon of your choice from the academy armory, to be claimed following this proceeding. Selection will be facilitated by Armory Master Chen, who will ensure proper fit and functionality training."
A C-rank weapon. Two full tiers above the gauntlet he currently used.
"These recognitions are effective immediately and will be reflected in your academy records within the hour."
Kaelen stood there, processing the magnitude of what had just been awarded. Not just recognition, but tangible resources that would fundamentally change his trajectory.
Then Thane Ashford spoke, his tone carrying warning beneath formal courtesy: "We trust you understand that recognition carries responsibility, Mr. Burn. Outstanding capability can be... destabilizing to established order if not properly directed. The academy values cooperation and respect for hierarchy. We trust you'll remember that moving forward."
The message was clear: You have our recognition now. Don't make us regret it. Don't become a problem.
Aris countered immediately, her voice cutting across Thane's implied threat. "Furthermore, as a protective measure, any external parties wishing to make offers of apprenticeship, sponsorship, or other formal relationships with Mr. Burn must go through proper academy channels. Direct solicitation of students outside official procedures is strictly prohibited and will be treated as a violation of academy sovereignty."
She was putting up barriers, official, documented barriers that would make it harder for families and guilds to pressure him directly. It wouldn't stop everyone, but it gave him legal recourse if someone crossed lines.
"The Academy of Veyra protects its students," Aris continued, her amber eyes steady. "Particularly those who've demonstrated both capability and sound judgment under impossible circumstances. Mr. Burn has earned that protection through his actions."
Aldric stood, signaling the proceeding's end with physical finality. "This Council is adjourned. Mr. Burn, you are dismissed." He paused, and something that might have been approval flickered in his sharp eyes. "Congratulations on your advancement, Sentinel Burn."
The title hit him like physical force. Not "Mr. Burn" anymore. "Sentinel Burn."
He'd made it. Survived the assessment, earned recognition, been promoted to ranks that should have taken months to years to achieve.
Kaelen bowed, deeper than necessary because his legs needed the excuse. and turned toward the massive doors."Thank you, Chancellor. Thank you, Council members, for your time and consideration."
Then he turned and walked out of the chamber with his spine straight and his head high, each step felt like wading through deep water, his body finally acknowledging that the adrenaline was gone and he'd been running on fumes since before entering this chamber.
The doors opened for him as he walked through with a neutral expression, every movement carefully controlled.
The massive doors closed behind him with that same sound like finality itself.
And only then, in the antechamber's vastness, did Kaelen allow himself to lean against the nearest pillar, his legs trembling and his chest tight with something between relief and delayed terror.
The security officer waited to escort him away from the administrative wing. But Kaelen paused for just a moment, standing in the antechamber's vastness, processing everything that had just happened.
Sentinel rank. Over one and a half million credits. Priority training access. A C-rank weapon.
Recognition from the academy's highest authorities.
And warnings from those who saw him as both asset and potential threat.
His hand moved to the pendant one more time, seeking that familiar comfort. The gear-shaped charm was cooling now, returning to normal temperature against his chest.
"One step at a time," he muttered to himself.
Then he followed the security officer out, his body screaming for rest but his mind already racing ahead to what came next.
The world beyond those doors was waiting, more complicated than before, more dangerous than before.
But survivable. Just like everything else so far.
As they walked through the administrative corridors back toward familiar territory, Kaelen allowed himself one moment of genuine emotion—a small smile that nobody saw.
He'd faced the Council and walked away stronger.
Whatever came next, he'd face that too.