Headmaster Rubin sat alone in his dark office, the only light coming from a single mana-lantern casting long shadows across the polished wood desk.
A cup of coffee sat beside him, forgotten as he studied the reports spread before him like pieces of a puzzle.
His fingers moved from one evaluation to the next, each document marked with the red seal of confidentiality.
This year's batch was exceptional.
No, that word felt insufficient.
Unprecedented.
Most Academy years produced one or two talents who warranted genuine attention, students who could shape the continent's future if properly cultivated. T
his year had given him more than a dozen.
Rubin's gaze moved across the names methodically.
Iris Lockhart. Irene Ashbourne. Armani Faelar. Grace Light…
The list went on.
Several others from the lesser-known branches of the great families showed similar promise, though their paths remained less certain.
