The light inside the Academy's Judgment Hall was cold and silver, filtered through the runes etched into the ceiling.
Every word spoken here echoed for too long, and every lie glowed faintly in the air.
Stark sat at the center table, his wrists resting on the polished surface.
A containment field shimmered faintly around him, threads of spirit energy locking his weapon and suppressing the Ash Phantom's presence.
Across from him, Instructor Vale studied a tablet filled with flickering records. Her silver eyes betrayed nothing.
"You were found at an unauthorized site beneath the Eastern Sector," she began evenly. "A pre-Collapse facility—one that was supposed to be sealed forever. Care to explain, Candidate Stark?"
He kept his tone calm. "I was tracing a signal. We thought it was a stray reactor reading."
"We?" Vale raised an eyebrow. "Meaning Lira Vane was with you."
"Yes," Stark said. "We acted under the assumption that the disturbance was linked to the previous core breach."
Vale's expression didn't change. "And the Prototype Spirit that nearly destroyed half the tunnel? Also part of your assumption?"
He met her gaze. "We stopped it."
Silence filled the room. Then she smiled faintly—an expression that didn't reach her eyes. "Yes. You did. A Level 17 student defeating a Level 25 Prototype. Remarkable."
He said nothing.
Vale leaned forward slightly. "You're strong, Stark. Too strong for the class you claim to be. The Network records you as a Soul Caster, but your synchronization patterns don't match any known caster model. Care to correct your file?"
He met her gaze without blinking. "No, Instructor."
For a long moment, neither of them spoke. The hum of the barrier filled the silence between their heartbeats.
Finally, Vale exhaled. "Very well. You're dismissed—for now. But understand this, Stark."
Her voice dropped lower. "Secrets have weight. And this academy doesn't carry dead weight for long."
The barrier shimmered off with a soft hiss. Stark stood and turned to leave.
At the door, Vale spoke again, almost gently. "One more thing. The mark on your arm—hide it better."
His pulse spiked. He didn't look back. "Understood."
Outside the hall, the air felt heavy. Students passed in groups, their chatter loud and oblivious. But the moment Stark stepped into the courtyard, the crowd's rhythm shifted.
Eyes followed him.
Rumors spread faster than code through the Network.
"He's the one who fought a Prototype."
"Vale called him in for questioning."
"They say he's not human."
He ignored the whispers and kept walking, but a familiar voice stopped him.
"Busy morning, isn't it?"
Aiden Crest leaned against a pillar nearby, spear slung casually over his shoulder. His academy coat gleamed, immaculate as always.
"Interrogation suits you," Aiden said lightly. "You look calm for someone who nearly got expelled."
"Were you waiting for me?" Stark asked.
"Curiosity," Aiden replied. "Vale told me to keep an eye on you. Officially, of course."
"Officially," Stark repeated.
Aiden's smile didn't fade. "Don't get me wrong—I respect what you did in the tunnels. But if your secret endangers the Academy, I'll be the first to stop you."
Stark met his gaze. "You could try."
For a moment, their spirits seemed to flare silently between them—the faint glow of Stark's mark beneath his sleeve, and the shimmer of spirit fire dancing along Aiden's spear.
The air crackled.
Then Aiden smirked, lowering his weapon. "Relax. We'll settle this in the next evaluation. Until then, try not to blow up another section of the city."
He walked away, leaving Stark in the courtyard's fading light.
Later that night, Stark sat alone on the balcony of his dorm.
The city glowed below—thousands of blue lights tracing the Network veins that ran through Sanctum-9 like arteries.
The Ash Phantom materialized beside him, its new form sleek and silent, eyes burning like distant stars.
"The spear-bearer smells your fear," it murmured.
"I'm not afraid."
"You should be. He fights to prove himself. You fight to hide."
Stark looked at his wrist. The mark had grown faint lines spreading toward his palm—silver threads pulsing softly.
"What do you think it wants?" he asked.
The Ash Phantom tilted its head. "It wants release. The thing bound in that mark was once part of the Spirit Network itself. It calls to its fragments. The more corruption you touch, the louder it grows."
"And if I don't touch it?"
"Then it will find you anyway."
A soft chime interrupted them.
[New Mission Available]
Title: Cross-Evaluation Duel
Participants: Stark vs. Aiden Crest
Date: Two Days
Objective: Demonstrate Combat Synchronization
Reward: Advancement to Inner Academy
Penalty: Forced Class Verification
Stark's lips tightened. "They're testing me."
"No," the spirit said. "They're baiting you."
Meanwhile, in the restricted section of the academy library, Vale stood before a floating screen.
Aiden watched beside her, his arms crossed.
The screen displayed Stark's file—half redacted, half static.
[CLASS: UNKNOWN]
[SPIRIT TYPE: Undetermined]
[SYNC PATTERN: Network Interference Detected]
[Mark Signature: Echo-Class Residue]
Vale spoke quietly. "The mark on his arm is identical to one recorded a thousand years ago. The first Summoner—before the Collapse."
Aiden frowned. "So he really is—"
"Yes," she said. "A Spirit Summoner. The last one."
Aiden's jaw tightened. "Then why not expose him?"
"Because I want to see what the Network is trying to rebuild," Vale said softly. "He's a key, Aiden. But keys can open or destroy."
Her eyes gleamed. "And I intend to find out which."
That night, as Sanctum-9 slept beneath the false stars, the mark on Stark's arm glowed faintly through his bandage.
It pulsed once.
Twice.
And somewhere deep beneath the city, another pulse answered.
"The chain awakens."
[System Notice]
Mission Update: Echo of the Calamity – 45%
New Objective: Prepare for the Duel Evaluation.
Opponent: Aiden Crest (Spirit Spear Master, Lv.22)
Optional: Resist Spirit Detection during battle.
Reward: Advancement to Inner Academy / Hidden Path Access