Another month had bled into the past, marking three months since Sephorae Vespera's disappearance. The Grand Dining Hall, a cavernous room with enchanted ceilings mimicking a twilight sky, was abuzz with the usual murmur of elite conversation, but a specific topic threaded through the noise like poison.
"Still no sign of the failure?" sneered a noble from a lesser house, addressing the prodigies seated at a prestigious table.
Nathaniel Brightmore, a boy of such striking beauty he seemed sculpted from moonlight and starlight, with hair the color of spun golden platinum and deep teal eyes, simply took a sip of his drink. A big, happy smile played on his perfect lips. "He probably crawled into a hole to die after the streaming. It's a more fitting end than he deserves." His mere presence commanded the attention of the room, a living masterpiece among other works of art.
Beside him sat the other members of the academy's renowned inner circle, each one breathtakingly handsome or gorgeous in their own right. There was Lila Vire Steele, her long silver hair falling nicely, her frown a delicate pout on her stunning face. Across from them, Roric Duskfall, a burly youth whose rugged, scarred features were considered fiercely attractive, laughed aloud, his brown hair falling behind his back to his shoulders.
The only one to remain silent was Kaelen Lithic, a handsome boy with piercing green eyes and wind-tousled blonde hair, who simply stared out the grand window, lost in thought. Further down the table, the ever-calm and beautiful twins, Lyra and Elara Nightshade, with their jet-black hair and violet eyes, whispered to each other, while the fiery-haired powerhouse, Ronan Emberheart, rolled his eyes at the conversation. The statuesque beauty, Anya Stonehaven, simply continued to eat, her expression as placid as her namesake. The silver-tongued diplomat, Cassian Valerius, adjusted the cuffs of his crisp navy suit, a calculating glint in his grey eyes. Beside him, the quiet, observant scholar Iris Vane, dressed in a simple but elegant emerald dress, pushed her glasses up her nose. The ever-nonchalant Zane Duskfall, with his sharp, angular features and black hair, wore a leather trench coat, leather pants, and a skull belt with a nice pair of black leather Zofoly boots.
Nearby, Selene Vespera poked at her food, her usual veneer of flawless composure showing a minute crack. She remembered the brother she once had, before the desperate, clawing need for their father's attention had twisted him into a monster. He had bullied everyone, fought until people were hospitalized, even becoming a petty crime boss, all for a fleeting glance of approval from Lucian. When her own immense power was revealed, she had seamlessly become the new light in her father's life, the proud heir, and any lingering attachment to the monster Sephorae had become had withered and died.
🌟 The Assessment
The murmuring died down as Headmaster Elara Vane appeared on the central stage, her vibrant orange hair a stark slash of color against the muted tones of the hall. Beside her stood the Vice Principal, a stern woman with sharp, metallic green hair, and the school's Chairman, a handsome, ageless man whose eyes held an unnerving depth. The announcement was broadcast across the continent via magic screens.
Headmaster Vane's voice, crisp and clear, left no room for doubt. "After an extensive, continent-wide investigation, I must inform you all that Sephorae Vespera's whereabouts remain unknown. He has not been seen or detected in any human country or territory in this world. He is, for all intents and purposes, gone."
The declaration sent a shockwave through the hall, but the Headmaster quickly pressed on, her tone shifting to one of officious business. "Now, we have other matters to attend to. All first-year students will proceed to the Grand Amphitheater for your Potential and Power Assessment. This will determine your initial placement within the academy."
A great shifting and rustling followed as students rose from their tables, their conversations a low buzz of happiness and anticipation. The general feeling in the hall was not one of shock at the disappearance, but of a gleeful, almost celebratory, relief.
"Good riddance," Roric Duskfall grunted, draining his beautiful goblet. "That fool made every noble with a shred of potential look weak by association."
Cassian Valerius, ever the diplomat, simply gave a slight, knowing smile. "An unfortunate end, but perhaps a necessary culling for the Vespera name's reputation."
Lila Vire Steele, however, remained quiet, her expression a carefully constructed mask. Her frown deepened, not from sorrow, but from the faint, chaotic whispers of a future that now held one less variable, one less violent storm on its immediate horizon. Nathaniel simply nodded, a picture of serene satisfaction. "One less distraction."
With the announcement, the thirteen prodigies, along with the rest of the students, began their procession to the Grand Amphitheater, a vast, circular theater of obsidian and starlight.
The assessment was a spectacle of light and raw power. One by one, students stepped onto a central dais, placing their hands upon a massive, crystalline orb. The orb would flare with color, revealing their Aether Potential, while a secondary projection illustrated the nascent form of their power.
Roric Duskfall's hands were wreathed in crackling, earthen energy; the crystal glowed a deep amber, signifying an A+ potential in Geomancy. Zane Duskfall, to no one's surprise, was cloaked in swirling shadows; the crystal glowed a dark violet for an S+ potential in Umbral Manipulation.
Then it was Lila's turn. As she placed her delicate hands on the orb, it didn't just glow; it seemed to fracture, revealing a dazzling, prismatic light that coalesced into a solid, brilliant white, indicating an S rank potential. A gasp rippled through the crowd. The projection above her showed two distinct abilities: a swift, fluid rewind of a falling glass, shattering and then reforming perfectly—a glimpse into Precognition—and a soft, green mending of a torn leaf in seconds—the power of Restoration. While her potential wasn't the legendary SS+, having one S ability and one A ability was unprecedented, promising a great future ahead.
The whispers turned into an uproar. Not since the founding of the academy had someone displayed two high-rank abilities so early. Nathaniel watched, his own smile unwavering. He was happy for her; after all, she was the only sun that brightened his day after constantly being bullied by her dreadful, now-dead, ex-boyfriend.
🥇 The Apex
The uproar over Lila's dual abilities was still echoing through the amphitheater when Selene Vespera stepped onto the dais. A hush fell over the crowd, a sudden, tense silence that was heavier than noise. All eyes were on her, the last scion of the disgraced Vespera line, now its sole heir. She wore an immaculate, high-collared dress of deep sapphire blue, a stark and deliberate statement of her own power and purity. Her long, glossy black hair was styled in an intricate braided crown, and her expression was one of serene, unshakable confidence. She placed her hands on the orb without a trace of hesitation.
For a moment, nothing happened. Then, the crystal didn't just glow; it erupted. A blinding column of pure, golden light shot toward the apex of the amphitheater, so intense that students had to shield their eyes. The color within the orb was a radiant, burning gold, the likes of which had not been seen in a generation. It was a clear, undeniable indicator of an S+ potential. The projection above her showed intricate structures forming and dissolving in an instant, a breathtaking display of controlled chaos. The assessment system displayed the words: "Matte Absorption Manipulation."
The silence that followed was absolute, broken only by a stunned, collective gasp. Selene had not just lived up to expectations; she had shattered them. She was the new apex predator, the undisputed queen of this year's class, a living embodiment of the power her family name commanded. Her father's disgrace had been washed away in a torrent of golden light, replaced by a future so bright it was almost terrifying to behold.
Finally, it was Nathaniel's turn. He walked to the dais with an easy confidence, his platinum hair seeming to catch the starlight of the amphitheater. He placed his hands on the crystal. The reaction was instantaneous and cataclysmic. The orb didn't just glow; it shattered. A wave of pure, white-hot energy erupted outwards, forcing the Headmaster and Vice Principal to raise their own hands to form a barrier. Where the crystal once stood, a vortex of swirling, multicolored energy hovered, chaotic and untamable. The projection system above sparked and died, unable to process the input. A new, emergency message appeared in light-colored letters above the dais for all to see:
POTENTIAL: SSS+. WARNING: POWER UNQUANTIFIABLE. ABILITIES: Light SSS+, Lightning A+, Water B+
Lila Vire Steele's reaction was the most euphoric. Her silver hair seemed to shimmer as she stood, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. Only one emotion was visible on her beautiful face: love. She could not love him enough. He finally proved to the school and himself that he could overcome his fate and his biggest enemy—Sephorae Vespera!
⚙️ Location: Unnamed Wasteland
Thirteen days of walking. That's what it took for a silhouette to finally breach the horizon of a dusty, forgotten town. The figure was tall, impossibly so, and moved with a strange, hitching gait, as if one leg was a recent, unwelcome addition. A tattered white cloak, stained with dust and what looked like old blood, obscured its form. A featureless silver mask, perfectly smooth and reflective, hid its face from the world. It carried no bags, no supplies, only the sheath of a beautiful, ice-like katana at its hip.
This was all that remained of Sephorae Vespera.
He had found a merchant, sold a single, insignificant gem from the treasure chest for an outrageous sum, and purchased the mask and cloak. The cloak was for anonymity; the mask was for survival. He couldn't bear the sight of his own reflection, the green and purple ruin the demons had left him. As he walked into the town, the townsfolk gave him a wide berth, their whispers trailing behind him like a shroud. He ignored them all.
The town was a dusty speck of civilization, but its market had everything he needed. He moved with a chilling economy of motion, the one sleeve of his new, white hooded cloak hanging empty. He purchased simple, durable clothes: black trousers, a grey long-sleeved shirt, and a sturdy, black-and-white hooded cloak.
Then he saw it: a sleek, two-seater speedster, its polished chrome and matte black frame gleaming under the harsh sun. The merchant called it a "Wraith," and boasted it could break 1,200 mph. Sephorae paid without haggling, the transaction silent and final. He also bought a new phone—a Red Magic Pro, its transparent back revealing the whirring, RGB-lit cooling fan within, a perfect piece of high-tech weaponry.
He left the town in a roar of displaced air, the Wraith devouring the miles of wasteland with terrifying speed. The wind howled around him, a constant, violent pressure, but inside the car's cockpit, there was only the quiet hum of the engine. He ate one-handed, the movements taking some getting used to while being malnourished, dehydrated, and extremely hungry—not having an arm added to the problem. The taste of the spiced meat was a distant, irrelevant sensation on his tongue. The silver mask remained fixed, a blank slate against the blurring landscape. He was a ghost in a machine, hurtling toward a past he had to face, a predator returning to the cage.