ERROR!

In the Grand Hall which left many disappointed, students lounged around as they waited for their turn. I was only the second day since arrival but cliques were already being formed as like minded individuals came together.

Among them was the group consisting of Kael, Rebecca, Aria, and Lyra. They were currently in a heated discussion of what class to major in. At the academy there are 5 divisions namely Combat, Support, Logistics, Crafts, and Research. All the students gathered here either belonged to Combat or Support, but luckily even if they could meet the high standards of those divisions, they could still aim for others.

The Combat division consists of 4 main classes— Guard, Striker, Ranger, Mage. While Support consisted of Scout, Summoner, Enchanter, Healer.

Kael's mind whirled as he considered his options. "Striker seemed the most fitting." He said influenced by his past life as an angel of war influenced his decision, but the limitations of his human body now meant he couldn't rely solely on brute force.

Rebecca, standing beside him, grinned. "I'm definitely sticking with Guard. That's where I belong." She clenched her fists with excitement. "I want to be that immovable wall—defending people and standing strong in the face of danger."

Aria and Lyra, ever the practical ones, exchanged looks. "Logistics makes the most sense for us," Aria said confidently. "I'll handle the maps and survival stuff, and Lyra can focus on keeping us patched up. We'll be a good support team."

Lyra smiled softly. "And we'll make sure no one gets lost or injured too badly. I think it suits us."

Kael nodded, feeling reassured by their confidence. They'd all found their paths—now it was up to him to choose his.

Kael cast a glance toward the crystal ball, which glowed faintly as it continued to appraise student after student. He felt the weight of anticipation building, not just for himself, but for everyone. The magical analysis wasn't just a formality—it was the foundation of their future here. Their strengths, weaknesses, and potential would be laid bare for all to see.

Eventually, it was Elowen's turn to step forward.

She approached the crystal ball with her usual calm, graceful demeanor. Despite her earlier aloofness, she moved with purpose, her confidence evident in every step. The other students nearby watched her closely, whispering amongst themselves as they realized that she was a member of the Everglade family—one of the seven most powerful noble houses in the Bellum Empire.

Director Blaire, who had barely shown any interest in the other students, raised an eyebrow as she glanced at Elowen's ID card. The slight shift in her expression was almost imperceptible. Blaire's usual bored tone softened ever so slightly as she addressed Elowen.

"Step forward and place your hand on the crystal," Blaire instructed, her voice still professional, though it lacked the robotic disinterest she had shown before.

Elowen walked gracefully toward the crystal ball, her expression cool and composed as always. As she placed her hand on the orb, Kael watched intently. The room seemed to hold its breath.

The moment Elowen's hand touched the crystal, it pulsed with vibrant energy, sending waves of power through the air. The orb shifted between brilliant shades of blue, with occasional flashes of green, illuminating the room with its radiant glow. The colors danced and swirled in mesmerizing patterns, indicating the complex nature of Elowen's magical affinity.

Blaire was also quite shocked, as she didn't expect such an outstanding student, but after viewing remembering the name she saw on the ID it all made sense, her talent was as a result of her Bloodline.

***

While it was widely believed that the chance of becoming Awakened was a matter of pure chance, the truth was far more nuanced. Awakening was, in fact, influenced significantly by genetics. A child born to two ordinary parents could still awaken, but the odds were noticeably higher for those born of two Awakened individuals. Over multiple generations of Awakened ancestry, not only did the probability of Awakening increase exponentially, but the potential proficiency of the offspring in wielding their powers grew to staggering levels.

Some families took this phenomenon to the extreme, employing deliberate and meticulous methods of selective breeding to optimize their bloodlines. By carefully pairing individuals based on their affinities or innate traits, these households aimed to produce descendants with extraordinary abilities. This practice often led to the emergence of bloodlines so potent that they became legendary, their names whispered with awe and trepidation across the land.

One such bloodline was that of the Everglades, known across the continent by the chilling moniker Frozen Soul. They were a family both revered and feared for their unparalleled mastery over ice and frost. Distinguished by their snow-white hair and piercing, icy blue eyes, members of the Everglade bloodline were unmistakable, their very presence often heralding a palpable drop in temperature.

Their abilities were not merely a product of random chance but the result of centuries of selective breeding. The Everglades had honed their bloodline to maximize their affinity for cold, producing descendants who could freeze entire battlefields with a single breath or create glacial fortresses from thin air. Their power was so immense that they held dominion over vast stretches of frozen wasteland, territories no other force dared to contest.

But the strength of their lineage came at a cost. The Everglades bore the weight of their legacy in more ways than one. The focus on preserving and amplifying their ice affinity led to an unintentional rigidity in their bloodline, both physically and emotionally. Many members of the family were said to possess hearts as cold as their powers, with their emotions often muted or suppressed. Rumors abounded of internal strife within the family—of heirs pushed to their breaking points in pursuit of perfection, and of betrayals borne from the pressure to maintain their unyielding standard of excellence.

Despite these internal challenges, the Frozen Soul bloodline endured, their legacy etched into the annals of history. Their name alone was enough to command respect, and their presence on the battlefield was a decisive force. Many who faced an Everglade in combat would rather flee than contend with their overwhelming might, for to fight them was to face not just a person, but the embodiment of winter's wrath.

Although Elowen's black hair contradicted one of the iconic features of the Frozen soul, her icy blue eyes, and overwhelming talent left no room for doubt.

***

Blaire, who had been resting her chin on her hand, finally seemed active. Her gaze sharpened, and she watched the crystal intently, calculating the results without needing to wait for the machine to process the data. The subtle changes in color, the way the light refracted through the orb—all of it told Blaire what she needed to know.

When the orb's glow faded, Blaire straightened and addressed Elowen with a voice more authoritative than usual. "You are close to the peak of the human plane," she said, her tone serious. "If you can enter the Awakened plane before the winter exam, you'll definitely pass. Your affinity is 8.5/10 with ice, 6/10 with water, and 3.5/10 with air. You can compound ice and air to create a 7/10 affinity with frost. I recommend you become a Mage and focus on the Creation and Control schools of magic."

The echoes of the crystal orb still filled the air, leaving a sense of awe and wonder after Elowen's magical analysis. But the academy wasn't about marveling at a single student's result—it was a well-oiled machine, ready to churn out the strongest mages and warriors, or discard those who couldn't keep up.

Elowen listened intently, nodding as Blaire gave her recommendation. It wasn't anything she hadn't already suspected—her affinity with ice and water made her a natural fit for Creation and Control. With her results confirmed, she stepped back and waited for her printed analysis, quickly signing the two copies and leaving one with the growing stack of student results.

"Next," Blaire called, her voice full of boredom echoing through the hall.

Aria and Lyra stepped up. The twins—identical in every way save for the style in their dark red hair. They moved with a synchrony that made their peers either envious or unnerved, but their expressions were markedly different. Aria, the bolder of the two, smirked with an air of confidence, while Lyra appeared more hesitant, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her sleeve.

Lyra hesitantly asked if they could take the test together, and Blaire agreed, since the apparatus was capable of testing multiple people simultaneously.

The crystal apparatus hummed to life as Blaire motioned for them to place their hands upon its surface.

The hall grew silent as the crystal's light shifted and flared, casting shimmering rays across the room. A swirling array of colors emerged, starting with the mundane—soft blues denoting their mana levels. Nothing remarkable.

"You must have awakened recently, you would have too put in more effort to catch up to you peers," Blaire announced flatly, her voice carrying no surprise. She glanced down at her notes, scribbling without so much as a raised eyebrow. "Standard capacity, nothing extraordinary."

Snickers erupted from a few students at the back. "Guess not everyone's destined to be a prodigy," one whispered, drawing muffled laughter.

Aria shot the group a glare sharp enough to silence them, while Lyra shifted uncomfortably. Blaire, oblivious or simply uninterested in the muttered commentary, adjusted the apparatus to focus on their proficiency.

The crystal shifted again, brighter this time, as it revealed the twins' proficiency score.

"Five," Blaire said briskly, nodding once. "Good control for your level. More than adequate for basic studies."

It was a commendable result, but far from exceptional. Blaire already dropped the file, clearly ready to move on to the next student—when suddenly, the crystal flared violently, bathing the hall in an unearthly lavender hue.

The room collectively gasped as the shimmering light coalesced into a distinct pattern: two intertwined orbs, pulsating in perfect harmony. Blaire's hand froze mid-note, her pen slipping from her fingers to clatter against the floor. Her sharp intake of breath cut through the silence like a blade.

"What…" she murmured, her voice uncharacteristically soft, almost disbelieving. Then, in an instant, she sprang to her feet, her chair scraping loudly against the stone floor.

"Impossible!" she exclaimed, her stoic façade cracking as she strode toward the twins. "Both of you… psychic affinity?" Her gaze darted between the swirling lavender light and the bewildered twins, who now looked more confused than anyone in the room.

The whispers turned into a roar, students craning their necks to catch a better glimpse. Psychic affinity—one of the rarest unique elements—was practically unheard of, and here were not one, but two individuals with it, standing side by side.

Blaire's expression transformed, her initial shock melting into an expression of elation so intense it bordered on manic. She clasped her hands together, practically vibrating with excitement.

"Do you have any idea what this means?" she said, her words spilling out in a rush as she addressed the twins directly. "Psychic magic… a unique element… and not just one of you, but both? I—" She paused, grinning, "I finally have students!"

Her exclamation was met with stunned silence, followed by a smattering of nervous laughter.

Aria, ever the bold one, raised an eyebrow. "Is… that a good thing?" she asked cautiously.

"Good thing?!" Blaire repeated, incredulous. She spun on her heel to face the rest of the hall, addressing them as much as the twins. "For years, I've been waiting for this moment. Waiting for someone—anyone—to appear with psychic affinity. Do you know how rare it is?And now I have two students!" She turned back to the twins, her sharp eyes gleaming. "You've made my day, no—my decade!"

Lyra glanced at Aria, then back at Blaire. "Um… we're glad we could help?"

Blaire threw her head back and laughed, a sound so unexpected that the students in the hall exchanged wide-eyed looks. "Oh, you'll do more than help. By the time I'm done with you two, you'll be legends. Mark my words."

The twins exchanged a wary glance. This was going to be an interesting year.

Next up was Rebecca. She walked up to the orb with a determined look in her eyes. The orb flickered to life as she placed her hand on it, glowing in deep, metallic hues of silver and gray. After a moment, the orb shifted slightly to a darker shade of brown, indicating her secondary affinity.

Blaire spoke again, her tone slightly jolly, from the present of the twins. "You have an affinity of 6/10 with metal and 3/10 with earth. You should become a second-class mage."

Rebecca grinned. "I want to be a Guard. Defense is where I belong."

Blaire nodded in acknowledgment. "If you pass the winter exam, you could specialize as a magic guardian, combining defensive magic with physical prowess."

With Rebecca's matter settled, she, too, signed her results and stepped aside. She glanced at Kael, knowing he was next, and decided to wait for him since they were headed in the same direction.

Kael walked up to the orb, placing his hand on it. The moment he did, Miara in his mind sprang to life. Bombarding him with messages

[System model detected]

[Model identified: M1T-AP3.78]

[Attempting connection with Model M1T-AP3.78]

[ERROR: Access Denied]

[Attempting proxy connection with Main Server through Model M1T-AP3.78]

[ERROR: Access Denied]

[Requesting Permission form main server]

[…]

[ERROR: Access Denied]

[ERROR]

…

[Model: M512I-A.R-A5.17 (Miara) has been identified to be discontinued]

...

[Reverting to previous protocol: Assisting Host]

[Analyzing phenomena…]

[Replicating Magic Analysis…]

[Using Magic Analysis on host…]

[Result Confirmed]

[Result is determined to be aberrant]

[Regulating result to fit average standard]

Kael placed his hand on the crystal ball, and there was no reaction, this concluded that he was not an awakened. But before anyone could react the crystal flared with a blinding white light. For a brief moment, the light was so intense that the other students shielded their eyes. Flashes of Blinding white, scorching orange, electrifying yellow, and a subtle, almost hidden patch of pitch-black at the bottom flickered across the surface. To everyone else in the hall, it seemed like a malfunction—perhaps the orb had overloaded or short-circuited due to the sheer brightness of the display.

But Blaire knew better. Her mind worked faster than any machine, and in that brief moment, she had processed everything. Kael's magical affinity, or lack thereof, was laid bare before her. The swirling lights weren't a sign of power—they were a cover, a shield to hide what truly lay beneath. She realized Kael had no elemental affinity at all. This was common among students, but something about the way the orb had reacted, paired with her sharp instincts, told her there was more to him than met the eye.

Her calculating gaze lingered on Kael as the crystal dimmed, its light fading almost as quickly as it had appeared. The orb returned to its transparent state, now displaying only faint, dull patterns, as though nothing had happened at all.

The other students whispered among themselves, confused by the spectacle. To them, it was nothing more than a malfunction—something wrong with the machinery, perhaps. But to Blaire, it was confirmation that something was off. Kael had something to hide, and she was now very aware of it. However, rather than drawing attention to this anomaly, she maintained her cool, detached demeanor.

Blaire stood up slowly, her expression unreadable as she addressed Kael directly. Her tone was steady, betraying nothing of her true thoughts. "Interesting," she murmured, her voice just loud enough for him to hear. After a brief pause, she cleared her throat and continued in her usual, indifferent manner.

"You have no elemental affinity," she said, as if she were reading off a typical result, "which is not uncommon. With a 5/10 general magic proefficiency, you should consider focusing on Enhancement or Summoning magic. Both will allow you to channel your raw magic in productive ways. Based on your capabilities, I recommend choosing a Support class, or a Combat class that doesn't rely on elemental magic—something like Striker or Guard would be ideal."

The calmness in her voice didn't betray the intensity of her thoughts. As she handed Kael his printed result, she made no further mention of the strange phenomenon she had just witnessed. She could see he was not just an ordinary student, but she chose not to reveal that she had noticed. Not yet, anyway.

Kael gave a curt nod, taking the slip of paper without breaking eye contact. He was confused—not just by the spectacle that had occurred but also by Miara's interference. He'd felt the energy coursing through the orb, and he knew that his magical signature was anything but ordinary. Yet here was Blaire, announcing to everyone that he had no elemental affinity and advising him to pursue Enhancement or Summoning.

The other students, still buzzing with speculation, seemed satisfied with the explanation. As far as they were concerned, Kael was just another student with no elemental affinity—one of many at the academy. No one had reason to question it. To them, it was a minor glitch, and life moved on.

Rebecca, standing nearby, gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Well, at least you didn't blow up the orb," she teased, trying to lighten the mood. "No affinity, huh? That's not a big deal. You could still be a powerhouse with the right class."

Kael offered a small, tight-lipped smile, though his mind was racing with questions. Miara's interference had hidden something—something important. But for now, he would play along, letting the academy believe that he was just another student with no affinity. His true nature would remain a secret, at least for the time being.

Blaire, for her part, sat back down and resumed her bored posture, though Kael could feel her eyes occasionally flickering in his direction. She knew. And now, she would be watching him closely.

As Kael stepped aside, Rebecca fell into step next to him, holding her own results. "Looks like we're both headed for combat roles. Enhancement magic isn't too bad—it could even give you an edge in close combat."

"I'll make it work," Kael muttered, though his thoughts were still tangled in the events of the last few minutes. What had Blaire seen? And how long could he keep the truth hidden from someone as sharp as her?

Elowen, who had been waiting nearby, glanced at them without saying a word. Her face was unreadable, but Kael couldn't shake the feeling that she had noticed something, even if she hadn't spoken up. Aria and Lyra, on the other hand, were oblivious to the undercurrents, more focused on their own roles.

"Ready to head back?" Lyra asked, looking between the group.

"Yeah, let's get going," Rebecca replied, trying to inject some normalcy into the moment. "We've got a lot to think about before training starts."

As they made their way out of the hall, the sun was already beginning to set, casting long shadows across the academy grounds. The students around them were still abuzz with energy, discussing their magical results and potential futures. But Kael's mind was elsewhere. Miara had manipulated the analysis, and Blaire knew something was off. He would need to be cautious moving forward—careful not to draw too much attention, but also prepared for whatever challenges lay ahead.

His thoughts turned to the upcoming winter exam and . Blaire had advised him to pursue Enhancement or Summoning, but he knew better than to trust anything at face value. He had to train, grow stronger, and above all, stay vigilant. Whatever mysteries lay hidden in this academy, Kael was determined to uncover them—and, if necessary, fight to keep his secrets buried.

For now, though, he would follow Miara's lead. The academy was just the beginning.

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