Morning mist clung to the academy grounds as the first-year students gathered in front of the towering structure known as the Hall of Echoes. Its obsidian walls shimmered faintly, engraved with patterns that looked less like runes and more like scars left by forgotten battles.
A faint cold breeze brushed Avin's face.
Beside him, Kai vibrated with nervous energy.
"Bro… that building looks like it wants to swallow me."
Rei whispered, "It might. The Hall is rumored to react to mental instability."
Kai froze.
"BRO. BRO. BRO. I am mentally unstable—what now?!"
Rei sighed. "You'll survive."
Kai pointed dramatically. "That did NOT sound encouraging!"
Avin didn't join their panic—because his own thoughts were tangled.
The whisper from last night still echoed faintly:
"…You are not alone…"
He pressed a hand over his chest.
The second heartbeat pulsed gently.
Not painful.
Not violent.
Just there.
Waiting.
Students swarmed the courtyard, whispering anxiously:
"Hall of Echoes…"
"My cousin fainted last year."
"They say it shows your deepest fear."
"Someone even saw a version of themself die."
"STOP TALKING OR I'LL RUN AWAY."
Kai gripped Avin's sleeve. "Don't let me die, bro. I'm too handsome to go this early."
Rei stared. "Handsome? Debatable."
Kai gasped. "YOU BETRAY ME ALWAYS."
Avin shook his head.
But all the whispers died instantly when the academy gates opened.
A group of instructors stepped out—but leading them was a man most students rarely saw.
Tall, broad-shouldered, with a clean-trimmed beard and deep obsidian hair tied behind. His black uniform bore silver embroidery—Aetherion's symbol of authority.
Deputy Headmaster Varyn Hale.
Students straightened immediately.
Kai whispered, "Bro… that's the guy above Lira. The only one who can overrule House elders."
Rei nodded. "If he's here, something important is happening."
Varyn's voice cut through the courtyard:
"Attention, first-years. Phase Three of your examinations is a serious evaluation of mental discipline and internal mana stability. Do not underestimate it."
His gaze swept across the students.
Then he stepped aside.
"Today, you are under the supervision of a new specialist sent from the Capital."
Whispers exploded.
"From the Capital?"
"That means elite rank!"
"Why would the Capital send someone for us?"
Kai's eyes sparkled. "Bro… new teacher incoming. I hope she's not scary."
Kai's wish was granted—
she wasn't scary.
She was breathtaking.
A woman walked forward—slow, confident, graceful like moonlight.
She looked in her late twenties, maybe early thirties. Her long hair fell in loose waves to her waist, a stunning mix of black and dark violet that shimmered with every step. Her eyes were a deep amethyst—calm, intelligent, and piercing, like they could see through illusions and lies.
She wore an elegant form-fitting uniform:
a charcoal-grey coat with silver edges, a high collar, and a belt that accentuated her narrow waist. The coat split at the thighs, showing long black trousers tucked into glossy knee-high boots. Her gloves were fingerless, revealing slender hands etched with faint runic tattoos.
Her figure was balanced—athletic but soft, feminine yet powerful.
Her movements carried a quiet authority, the kind earned by surviving real battlefields, not school arenas.
Kai whispered, "Bro… I'm dead. I'm in love."
Rei whispered, "Control your breathing."
Kai whispered louder, "I CAN'T—SHE'S TOO BEAUTIFUL."
Avin had to admit—
she carried an aura stronger than most teachers here.
The Deputy Headmaster extended a hand toward her.
"Students, this is Professor Nyra Valeheart.
Mental Combat Specialist.
Mind-Weave Master.
Former Commander of the Capital's Arcane Vanguard."
Gasps rippled through the courtyard.
"The Arcane Vanguard?! That's the elite force that guards the Royal Nexus!"
"Why is someone like her here?!"
"What did we do to deserve this?!"
Kai wiped fake tears.
"Bro… she looks like the kind of woman who kills you with a smile."
Rei corrected, "She kills you without needing to smile."
Professor Nyra stepped forward.
Her voice was clear, smooth, and icy calm:
"I have reviewed your Phase One and Phase Two results. Many of you lack discipline. Today, the Hall of Echoes will show me whether you break… or endure."
Her eyes scanned the crowd—
students straightened as if touched by a silent threat.
But when her gaze reached Avin—
she paused.
Just half a second.
But enough for Avin to notice.
She tilted her head faintly, as if sensing something… off about him.
Kai whispered, "BRO SHE LOOKED AT YOU. That means destiny."
Rei corrected, "That means danger."
Nyra spoke again, "You will enter the Hall in groups of ten. Do not fight the illusions. Understand them. Control your reaction."
Kai raised his hand.
"Uh… Professor? What if my reaction is to scream?"
She turned her amethyst gaze onto him.
"No one cares about your screaming."
Kai shrank.
"Understood…"
Students snickered.
She continued, "In the Hall, the walls absorb your thoughts. They reflect visions from your mana. Even the ones you hide."
Avin stiffened.
Hide…
like the second heartbeat?
The mist in his room?
The whisper?
Nyra added, "If you have instability or suppressed power… the Hall will expose it."
Avin's pulse quickened.
Kai whispered, "Bro… you okay?"
Avin didn't answer.
---
Entrance to the Hall of Echoes
The giant doors groaned open, revealing a long chamber lit only by floating silver torches. A strange hum filled the air, vibrating softly in Avin's bones.
Nyra raised her hand.
"Group One—step forward."
Ten students walked into the hall.
The doors closed.
Silence filled the courtyard.
Students whispered.
"What do you think they see inside?"
"Horrors."
"Nightmares."
"Your real self."
"What if I see my dad yelling about grades again?"
"Shut up."
Kai clung onto Avin.
"Bro… I will stick to you like glue."
Rei clicked his tongue. "You're embarrassing."
Kai gasped. "At least I admit my fear!"
The doors opened again.
Group One stumbled out.
A girl sobbed silently.
A boy stared blankly.
Another fell to his knees, trembling.
Nyra observed calmly. "Most of you survived. Barely."
Kai squeaked. "WHY DID SHE SAY 'BARELY'?!!"
Nyra scanned the list.
"Group Two."
Then—
"Group Three."
Students moved.
Fear rising.
And then—
"Group Four:
Avin Renn.
Kai Halden.
Rei Falten.
Sarene Frostvale.
Lyra Vakesh.
… and five others."
Kai screamed.
"BRO WE ARE IN THE SAME GROUP—WE DIE TOGETHER—BROTHERHOOD!"
Rei smacked his head. "Focus, idiot."
Sarene looked calm but tense.
Lyra smirked and winked at Avin.
"Try not to panic, ghost boy."
Avin exhaled.
The second heartbeat pulsed again.
No…
not here.
I need to stay calm.
They stepped inside.
The heavy doors slammed shut behind them.
Darkness.
Only faint silver threads of light weaving along the floor.
Sarene whispered, "The Hall is waking up."
Lyra cracked her knuckles. "Let it try."
Kai clung to Avin.
"IF I SEE A SPIDER—I'M OUT."
Rei shook his head. "Kai… it shows illusions, not animals."
Kai whispered, "Illusion spiders!!"
But Avin barely heard them.
The air was shifting.
Pulling.
Reaching.
"…Heir…"
A whisper slid inside his mind.
Sarene turned toward him sharply.
"You heard something."
Avin didn't answer.
The silver light rose from the floor like mist—
—wrapped around their ankles—
—and the Hall spoke:
"SHOW ME WHO YOU ARE."
The world warped.
The illusions began.
And Avin felt the second heartbeat explode to life.