Answers

Ash followed the professor down the pristine halls of the academy, his steps slow and uneven. His body was still aching, his movements stiff, but none of that mattered.

His mind was elsewhere.

On the power beneath his skin.

On the thrumming pulse that had been with him ever since the Trial.

On the fact that he didn't understand any of it.

The professor stopped in front of a large set of doors, pushing them open. Inside, the nine professors of the Academy were waiting.

They sat in a half-circle, their gazes sharp, assessing.

Ash had faced death before. He had survived creatures that warped reality inside the Tear.

And yet, standing in front of them, feeling the weight of their presence—he felt small.

---

The Nine

Each professor was different.

Some old, some young. Some wore traditional robes, while others dressed in sleek modern uniforms.

Their presence was suffocating. Even without seeing their powers, Ash knew these were some of the strongest Lifted in existence.

Then his gaze landed on her.

The woman who had the power to compel truth.

She smiled. "Good to see you up and moving."

He swallowed. He still remembered how her ability had forced words out of his mouth before. He would have to be careful around her.

Another professor leaned forward, fingers interlocked. "You survived a Trial of Ascendance." His voice was measured. "And somehow, you awakened."

Ash didn't respond.

He could feel their gazes drilling into him, waiting for answers.

Answers he didn't have.

---

The Questions Begin

"Tell us," one of them continued, "what do you remember about your awakening?"

Ash exhaled. He wasn't sure how much he should say. He didn't trust them. Not yet.

But at the same time… he needed to understand what had happened to him.

So he spoke.

"I remember… pain," he admitted. "I was already injured. Starving. I should have died."

Some of the professors exchanged glances.

"But then," he continued, "something pulled at me."

A silence settled over the room.

One of the older professors narrowed his eyes. "Pulled?"

Ash nodded. "It wasn't just me awakening. It was like—something called to me. And when I reached for it… it took hold of me instead."

More looks were exchanged. Uncertainty. Curiosity. Something else.

---

A Troubling Revelation

The professor with the truth-compelling power tilted her head. "That's not how the Searing usually works."

Ash clenched his fists. "Yeah. I figured."

"Most Lifted awaken by igniting their inner potential," another professor said. "Their power is something from within. But what you're describing sounds like an external force."

A heavy pause.

Then the professor with the sharpest gaze spoke. "That is dangerous."

Ash stiffened. "Dangerous?"

"The Searing chooses the Lifted, but it has never been known to pull someone into it. That suggests something different happened to you."

Ash felt his stomach twist.

He had known his awakening wasn't normal. But hearing them say it so plainly made it worse.

"Is it a problem?" he asked finally.

No one answered immediately.

Then the oldest professor spoke.

"It means we don't know what you are yet."

---

Speculations

Ash exhaled sharply. He didn't like the way they said that.

Like he was an anomaly.

A risk.

"So what now?" he asked.

"We need to see what you can do," one of the professors said. "You're a Wielder, but your Searing is untested. We don't even know what category of power you fall under."

Ash frowned. "Categories?"

"Each Lifted falls into a general classification based on their abilities," the woman explained. "Destruction, Enhancement, Projection, Manipulation… there are many forms."

"And you don't know which one I fit into?"

"You said your power only emerged when you were near death," the older professor noted. "That suggests it might be tied to survival instincts."

Ash's thoughts flickered back to the Trial. The way his power had only surged when he was at his limit.

That wasn't normal either.

"So, what?" he muttered. "I need to almost die again to use it?"

No one answered.

But their silence was enough.

---

A Warning

The professor with the sharpest eyes leaned forward. "Listen carefully, boy."

Ash stiffened.

"You survived something most never do. That means one of two things: either you are extraordinarily lucky… or you are something else entirely."

His jaw clenched.

"You need to figure out what your Searing truly is. Quickly. Before it decides for you."

A weight settled on Ash's chest.

They were right.

He couldn't just sit around, waiting for answers.

He had to find them himself.

Even if that meant throwing himself into danger again.

Because if he didn't…

He might not survive the next time.Ash left the chamber with more questions than answers.

His body still ached, his limbs felt too heavy, too weak, but his mind wouldn't stop racing.

His awakening wasn't normal. His power wasn't normal.

And worst of all—he didn't even know if it was truly his.

The professor's words echoed in his head.

"You need to figure out what your Searing truly is. Quickly. Before it decides for you."

Ash exhaled sharply. The idea of his own power being something beyond his control made his stomach twist.

That wasn't an option.

He wouldn't let himself be at the mercy of something he didn't understand.

Not again.

---

A Test of Strength

The Academy wasn't just a place for learning—it was a training ground.

Wielders, Adepts, Masters… all of them trained relentlessly, honing their abilities.

Ash was the lowest rank. A Wielder. Barely a step above powerless.

And yet, he had survived what others hadn't.

He needed to know why.

"Alright," a voice interrupted his thoughts. "Let's see what you've got."

Ash looked up.

Three of the professors had stayed behind, observing him. One of them—Professor Varian—gestured toward a circular platform surrounded by reinforced barriers.

A training ring.

"You don't know what your power is," Varian said. "So let's push you until you figure it out."

Ash swallowed. He knew what that meant.

They were going to force him into a fight.

---

The Opponent

His opponent stepped onto the platform.

A Lifted student. Older. Stronger. Confident.

Adept rank. Someone who had already learned control over their Searing.

Ash barely had time to breathe before the match began.

His opponent vanished.

And then—a fist slammed into his gut.

Ash choked, stumbling back. He barely saw the movement before another strike landed, sending him to his knees.

He gasped, his body refusing to respond fast enough.

The pain was real. His vision blurred.

But more than anything—he felt nothing from his power.

The thing that had surged within him in the Trial, the force that had kept him alive—it was silent.

Come on, he thought desperately. Wake up.

But nothing came.

---

The Beating Continues

Another hit. Then another.

Ash collapsed to the ground, blood trailing from his mouth.

His opponent didn't stop.

Not because they wanted to hurt him—but because that was the point.

They were trying to force a reaction.

Trying to make his Searing respond.

But it didn't.

Because unlike in the Trial—he wasn't dying.

---

The Fear Creeps In

Ash struggled to push himself up. His body wasn't working right. His vision pulsed at the edges.

And in that moment, a thought slithered into his mind.

What if I really don't have power?

What if what happened in the Tear wasn't his Searing?

What if it was something else entirely?

The thought sent a chill through him.

Then he heard the professor's voice.

"If he can't summon it now, we might need to push him further."

Something about the way they said it set him off.

Push him further?

Until what?

Until he was actually dying?

They wanted him to break.

To suffer.

Just like the Trial.

Just like before.

And suddenly—that same pull returned.

---

The Awakening… Again

Pain.

That was the trigger.

The moment Ash stopped fighting against it, the moment he let himself feel it—his body responded.

No, not his body.

Something inside him.

The air shifted. The ring trembled.

And then—it surged.

A presence that was not his own wrapped around him, sinking into his bones.

The floor cracked beneath him.

His opponent staggered back.

The professors stiffened.

Ash felt it. A second presence within him.

Not like a Lifted's Searing.

Something else.

It didn't feel like fire or energy or raw power.

It felt like something waking up.

Like something recognizing him.

And then—

Everything erupted.

---

The Aftermath

When Ash regained awareness, the training ring was in ruins.

The stone had fractured. The barriers had barely held.

And the other Lifted?

They were staring at him.

Not in fear.

Not in awe.

But in uncertainty.

As if they weren't sure whether he was even one of them.

The truth-compelling professor narrowed her eyes. "That… wasn't an ordinary Searing."

Ash swallowed. He already knew that.

Because even now, even after the power had settled, he could still feel it.

Like a second presence.

Like something was still watching him.

---

The Realization

Ash didn't know what had just happened.

But one thing was clear.

He wasn't just another Lifted.

And whatever had awakened inside him—

It was only just beginning.