The elevator that led to the Inner Academy sank deep beneath Sanctum-9.
No noise, no lights—just a faint hum that pressed against the bones.
When the doors opened, the world changed.
The Inner Wing was nothing like the training grounds above. Here, corridors were lined with white alloy and glowing crystal veins that pulsed like living blood.
Runic projectors floated in the air, monitoring every step, every heartbeat.
[Access Verified – Candidate Stark]
Clearance: Gold Tier, Observation Protocol Active
Notice: Energy Signature logged for 24-hour surveillance.
He stepped into the central hall. Students in sleek uniforms passed quietly, their spirits flickering around them like halos.
Every movement here felt sharper—measured.
These weren't rookies anymore; they were the chosen few.
The air smelled faintly of spirit ozone and iron.
A woman in a long coat approached.
Short silver hair, data slate in hand. Her eyes were the same cold gray as the hall itself.
"Candidate Stark," she said. "I'm Researcher Irena. I'll be overseeing your adaptation phase."
"Adaptation?" Stark asked.
She gestured toward the glowing rings embedded in the floor. "All new entrants undergo Spirit Resonance Testing. It ensures your power doesn't destabilize the Network."
Her gaze lingered just a second too long on his arm, as if she knew.
"Please, step inside."
The testing chamber was circular, walls covered in mirrored runes. In the center hovered a crystalline device shaped like a heart.
[Initiating Resonance Test]
Objective: Measure Spirit–Host Equilibrium
Warning: High-Sync Entities May Cause Feedback.
He placed his hand on the interface.
The air grew heavy immediately; lights dimmed.
The Ash Phantom appeared behind him, faint and still. For a moment, the connection felt normal—steady.
Then the mark reacted.
Silver lines raced up his wrist again, feeding into the crystal.
The device flickered, its runes turning red.
[Warning: External Signature Detected]
Source: Echo-Class Residue
Containment Protocol Engaged
Sparks burst from the device as containment fields activated.
Irena's voice rang through the intercom. "Stark! Step back—your link's overloading the core!"
He tried to pull his hand free, but the mark pulsed, fusing his energy to the device.
Flashes filled his vision: cities in ruin, collapsing runic towers, rivers of spirits flowing like veins of light.
And beneath it all, a voice whispered.
"Return to the center… the chain remembers…"
"Shut it down!" Irena's shout echoed through static.
The chamber's runes flared one last time before the crystal cracked down the middle.
Energy exploded outward in a silent wave, throwing Stark backward.
When the light faded, he was on the floor, smoke curling from the broken device.
His vision blurred. Through the haze, he saw Irena kneeling beside him, eyes wide—not with fear, but awe.
"…Your synchronization just hit seventy-nine percent," she breathed. "That's… impossible."
He forced himself upright. "Am I done?"
She hesitated. "For now. But Vale will want to see this data."
He didn't respond. The mark beneath his glove was still warm.
Later that day, Stark sat alone in his assigned quarters—a stark white room, walls pulsing faintly with the Network's heartbeat.
The Ash Phantom materialized near the window, flickering in and out of visibility.
"They will not leave you alone now," it said. "The mark draws curiosity—and fear."
"I can handle questions," Stark murmured.
"Can you handle what answers?"
He looked down. The mark had changed again, a small circle etched within the chains, pulsing softly like an eye trying to open.
The door chimed once.
Without waiting, Aiden Crest stepped inside.
He still wore his uniform from the duel, the spear strapped across his back. His expression was unreadable.
"Relax," Aiden said. "Vale sent me."
Stark frowned. "To spy or to talk?"
"Depends on your definition," Aiden said with a small grin. "She wants to know if you're stable. Personally, I want to know how you're still human."
Stark's tone was flat. "You talk like I'm not."
"You're not," Aiden replied. "Not anymore. Whatever that mark is—it's rewriting you. I saw it in your eyes during the duel."
He took a step closer.
"I don't care what you are, Stark. But if you lose control inside this academy, I'll end you myself."
The words weren't threatening—they were matter-of-fact. Cold honesty.
Stark met his gaze. "If I lose control, I'll save you the trouble."
For a long moment, neither spoke. Then Aiden smirked faintly. "Good. We understand each other."
He turned to leave but paused at the door. "Vale's calling a private session tomorrow. Something about a 'Containment Division.' You're on the list."
When the door slid shut behind him, the room fell quiet again.
That night, sleep didn't come easily.
The mark's faint light bled through the darkness, each pulse sending a ripple through the air like a heartbeat too deep to belong to one body.
Stark sat up, cold sweat along his neck.
In the corner, the Ash Phantom watched silently.
He whispered, "Why me?"
The spirit's answer came like a sigh. "Because you carry the seed that all summoners once bore. The world killed it once. Now it's growing again."
"And the Calamity?"
"It was our king."
The words froze him.
But before he could speak, the System chimed softly.
[System Notice]
Mission Progress: Echo of the Calamity — 62%
New Mission: The Containment Division
Objective: Attend Vale's briefing at dawn.
Warning: Energy Resonance Detected near Academy Core.
Potential Threat: Unknown Awakening.
As dawn light crept through the barrier sky, Stark watched the city from his window.
The Spirit Network's veins glowed brighter than ever, pulsing like something alive.
Somewhere deep below Sanctum-9, something pulsed in rhythm — faint, matching the beat of his mark.
The world was beginning to move again.
And this time, it was moving toward him.