The silence following the debate was heavy. While the students of House Ignis were ready to cheer, the judges weren't smiling. Professor Marcus looked at his digital tablet, then at the other two faculty heads. They whispered urgently, their faces grim.
"The verdict," Professor Marcus said, his voice amplified to reach every corner of the arena. "While Kaelen Veyron of House Ignis showed incredible passion and a unique perspective, a debate on Finance and History must be grounded in proven stability. Kaelen's ideas are... unfinished. They are radical, bordering on reckless. In a real-world economy, such thinking could cause a market collapse."
Jax stood taller, a smirk returning to his face.
"Therefore," Marcus continued, "for mastery of the curriculum and a superior grasp of the Federation's established laws, the winner of this debate is House Ventus."
The Twist in the Rankings
A collective groan went up from the Red House. Jax raised his hands in victory, soaking in the blue-tinted light of the arena. Mina looked over at Kaelen, her heart sinking. Kaelen, however, didn't look upset. He was watching the scoreboard.
"It's okay," Kaelen whispered as he stepped down and joined his friends.
"How is it okay?" Leo grumbled. "We crushed them in the Territory War, but they just took a massive chunk of points back. We're neck and neck now."
"Look at the 'Total Integration' bonus," Kaelen pointed up.
On the giant screen, the points were being tallied for the entire year. House Ventus had won the debate, but because Kaelen's speech had sparked such a massive amount of "Resonance" among the thousands of students in the crowd—getting them to think, argue, and engage—the system was awarding House Ignis a massive "Social Impact" bonus.
The numbers spun like a slot machine.
Territory War: House Ignis (1st Place)
History-Finance Debate: House Ventus (1st Place)
Sports & Quizzes: Divided across all houses.
Bonus: Student Engagement & Innovation: House Ignis.
The final score flashed in giant, glowing letters:
OVERALL YEAR-END CHAMPION: HOUSE IGNIS
The Bitter Victory
The Red House went wild. They hadn't won every event, but they had won the war. Even though the teachers found Kaelen's ideas "radical," the Academy's own automated scoring system couldn't ignore the fact that he had moved the hearts of the entire student body.
Mina tackled Kaelen in a hug. "We did it! We're actually the top house!"
Jax walked past them, his face pale with fury. "You didn't win because you were right, Veyron. You won because the system gave you a participation trophy for being loud. Next year, when the math gets harder, your 'perspective' won't save you."
Kaelen didn't argue. He knew Jax was partly right—his ideas were incomplete. He was only five, after all. He had the instinct of a Veyron, but he didn't yet have the full knowledge to back it up.
The Private Summons
As the students began to file out to head back to the Hive-Suites for the final night of the year, a small, floating drone hovered in front of Kaelen.
"Kaelen Veyron. Report to the Observation Spire. Professor Vane requests your presence immediately."
Leo whistled. "The Big Boss? Already? You're either getting a medal or you're getting expelled, Kael."
"I'll be back," Kaelen said to Mina, though he felt a strange tingle in his crimson thread.
The View from the Top
Kaelen took the gravity-lift to the highest point of the Academy. The Observation Spire looked out over the entire planet Earth, and beyond it, the golden glow of the Aurelian Singularity.
Professor Vane was standing by the window, his back to the door. Even without turning around, his Level 340 Weave Phase presence made the air feel heavy, like being underwater.
"Do you know why I didn't let you win the debate, Kaelen?" Vane asked, his voice quiet.
"Because my ideas were radical," Kaelen replied.
"No," Vane turned around, his purple eyes glowing faintly. "Because you were correct. And in the Federation, being correct before you are powerful enough to defend that truth is the fastest way to disappear. You have the spirit of a Sovereign, but you have the body of a child. If I had given you the win, the higher-ups in the Core would have looked at you too closely."
Kaelen frowned. "You were protecting me?"
"I was hiding you," Vane corrected. "Go back to your dorm. Enjoy your victory."
Kaelen nodded, feeling the weight of the old man's words. As he left the room, he realized that the "Games" weren't just about points. They were a test to see who could keep a secret.