The academy stretched before Cain like a living city of stone and light. Towers spiraled into the sky, courtyards gleamed in the morning sun, and intricate symbols shimmered faintly on the walls. Students hurried through the halls, robes brushing the polished floors, their voices echoing with laughter, whispers, and excitement.
Cain followed his escort silently, taking in everything with careful eyes. He had expected to feel nervous, perhaps overwhelmed by the unfamiliar faces and the sheer size of the place, yet a strange calm settled over him. This world was vast, intricate, and far more prosperous thn his village, yet he felt an instinctive curiosity to understand it—to see how it worked, how energy moved, how people controlled it. He had seen the old man use magic, and it was simply out of this world; to use magic to command nature was itself unnatural.
In the main hall, instructors gathered the new students. Their gazes were sharp, assessing every nuance, radiating a quiet but dominating pressure. Five elders stood at the front, their presence alone enough to command attention.
One of the elders stepped forward. "My name is Elder Frey," he announced, his voice carrying easily across the silent hall. "I will be testing your aptitude to see who has talent and to which Rank you belong before you are assigned to your respective sects."
Students fidgeted nervously at this, some with arrogance, but Cain remained still, patient, and observant, absorbing everything without a word.
The first lesson was an introduction to cultivation. Each student was instructed to place a hand upon a crystal core set on a pedestal — the academy's test of innate energy.
The first row of students was called. A boy of scholarly appearance, though short in stature, came out first. He was ordered to put his hand on the crystal core. All could see he was anxious, but he still tried to follow the instructor's words. The crystal shone a dull, lackluster color.
Elder Frey looked at it and nodded his head. "Hmm, average. Go to that row," he commanded.
One by one, more students came, but their results were still average. None managed to catch the elder's expression. Soon, a boy came out who looked quite mature but was still young. He was handsome and carried himself with confidence. He did as the instructor said and placed his hand on the crystal. Its light shone far brighter than the others. The instructor grinned and announced, "High talent!" He directed the boy to another row. The boy appeared indifferent.
Soon, many high-grade talents came forward, but none as bright as the boy earlier except for the girl whose light shone just as bright as his. Finally, Cain's turn came.
He approached carefully. All eyes turned to him in awe, for he was strikingly handsome, though his presence had seemed muted before. They all watched as he focused his gaze on the crystal.
The moment his hand made contact, he felt a subtle current travel up his arm. The crystal responded immediately, its light intensifying, flowing through him as if recognizing something dormant within. Other students had struggled, their crystals flickering weakly or resisting entirely, while some were high grade. But Cain's crystal shone steadily, harmonizing perfectly with the pulse of his energy.
No one noticed at first, but a faint flicker of something darker stirred within him. In the midst of the controlled energy flow, a second awareness whispered—precise and ruthless, calculating and cold. Cain did not understand it, did not name it. He only felt a strange detachment, as if someone else were moving his hand, guiding him with perfect instinct, he felt his heart beating fast, he did not understand this feeling " Is this fear? .
The instructors' eyes lingered on him, narrowing slightly as they sensed the unusual resonance. Cain withdrew his hand quietly, the crystal still glowing faintly after he stepped back. He said nothing.
As the other students looked on, murmuring about his apparent skill, the instructor looked briefly confused but just announced, "High grade." Cain went to stand beside the earlier high-grade boy on the row. He did not yet know the full depth of the power stirring within him, or the shadow waiting to rise alongside him.