Chapter 21: New Phase

The morning air hung still over the central courtyard, brighter than usual—like the sun itself had sharpened. Recruits stood lined in formation by division, murmurs fading as footsteps approached from the far end.

From the raised platform, a senior officer in neutral grey took position—not a captain, but someone just beneath them. His voice, when it rang out, was clipped and firm.

"Effective immediately, a rotation of division instructors has been enacted. This is not a test. It is a restructuring of your training."

The ripple of surprise didn't show in loud reactions—just the way heads tilted, postures shifted. Kael said nothing, eyes steady beneath his blue hood. Ren raised a brow, clearly curious. Liane, arms folded, didn't blink.

The officer continued.

"Your division instructors will now operate outside their original posts. The change is intended to expose you to unfamiliar judgment, unfamiliar pressure… and unfamiliar expectations."

He gestured as the three instructors stepped forward in silence.

"The instructor from the Attack Division will now oversee the Custom Operations recruits."

A tall, sharp-eyed woman in red armor stepped up—expression unreadable, energy simmering just beneath the surface.

"The instructor from the Custom Operations Division will now train the Research Division."

A woman in green robes with an ever-calculating gaze followed, hands clasped lightly behind her back. Her presence was quiet—but something about it made even the wind pause.

"And the instructor from the Research Division will now command the Attack Division's drills."

A compact man with a scroll holstered at his side stepped forward, his blue uniform already dusted with chalk and ink stains.

Each instructor stood in front of their new temporary division. The officer stepped back without further instruction. It was now their show.

The Custom instructor—now standing before the Research Division—spoke first. Her tone wasn't loud, but it drew attention like a sudden shift in wind.

"You're used to solving what's known," he said, eyes sweeping over the Research recruits. "You've been taught to analyze patterns, memorize glyph logic, and extract truths from structure. That's admirable."

She let the silence settle.

"But it's also predictable."

Several recruits stiffened—Ren included. Kael watched quietly, head slightly tilted.

The instructor continued. "You will now be required to act with limited information. Your tests will no longer have full data. I will not answer all your questions. In fact, asking the wrong ones might be penalized."

Whispers stirred—uneasy, unsure.

"I want reasoning. Projection. Strategy. If you cannot see beyond the first step, you'll fall on the second."

From across the courtyard, the red-clad Attack recruits were already being barked into formation by the former Research instructor—his voice sharper than any of theirs were used to.

"You've relied on instinct and might. That ends here," he snapped. "Magic without insight is noise. So from today, we silence the noise."

Meanwhile, the Custom Operations recruits were already shifting on their feet as the former Attack Division instructor gave no speech at all—just turned and began walking. When none followed immediately, she stopped and looked back once.

"If you don't know how to keep up, don't expect a warning when I leave you behind."

Kael's eyes narrowed slightly in thought. Around him, the Research Division was unusually quiet.

Then Ren leaned toward him and whispered "Pretty sure ink alone won't save us this time.'"

Liane smirked faintly. "Good. It means things might finally get interesting."

Kael didn't respond out loud—but inside, a low burn of anticipation kindled. New rules. New ground. And no one knew how far it might push them.

He didn't mind.

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The echo of the announcement still lingered in the air long after the courtyard cleared. Recruits and division members scattered into corridors and common areas, whispering fragments of what they'd heard.

Inside the briefing hall—one of the oldest stone chambers tucked between the Research and Custom sectors—Kael, Ren, and Liane sat among the assembled members of their division. The large arched room had never felt this packed. All three divisions were seated together—an unusual sight that made many shift uneasily in their chairs.

At the front stood three instructors. None of them matched the uniforms of the division they now stood before.

A woman in green—Custom Division colors—stood before the Research group.

A towering man in blue—clearly a Research Division instructor—stood before Attack division.

And a wiry, sharp-eyed woman in red, dressed in the markings of the Attack Division, faced the Custom operation trainees.

Kael's eyes narrowed slightly.

The Inversion Trial had begun.

A senior coordinator from the command tower stepped up between them. Her voice cut through the room like a blade.

"As of this moment, the Inversion Trial is in effect. Over the next two weeks, each division will undergo training led by instructors from outside their assigned specialization. You are to adapt. You are to apply. You are to break your habits."

She stepped back.

The green-clad woman—Instructor Celith—turned to face the Research recruits. Her expression was neutral, but her eyes were razor-sharp.

"In Custom Operations, we're taught to think beyond the first spell, the first strike, the first outcome. What you see isn't always the real threat—it's what lies behind it. Over the coming days, I will be assigning you not spells—but situations. Each one will challenge your ability to analyze, improvise, and respond under shifting pressure."

She paused, letting her words sink in.

"You're not here to recite theories. You're here to survive them."

A few seats away, Ren murmured under his breath, "Well… this is going to be fun."

Kael didn't speak—but a faint flicker of interest moved behind his eyes.

Then came the voice of the red-uniformed instructor across the room, addressing the Custom trainees. Her speech was shorter. Harsher.

"You've spent too long dancing with probabilities. I'm here to show you what happens when they fail. In Attack Division, we don't ask what if. We act. Fast. Decisive. Clean."

The murmurs in the room dropped.

Then finally, the blue-clad Research instructor addressed the Attack group.

"You believe power is enough. But you've never studied the limits of your own magic. You've never questioned what happens when it's stripped from you. That's where we begin."

The silence afterward felt heavier than the speeches themselves.

Kael looked straight ahead, unreadable.

Liane, beside him, crossed her arms and leaned slightly back.

"This… might actually be worth our time," she muttered.

Ren gave her a look. "You say that like we're not going to suffer."

"Adapt or get left behind," she said simply.

Kael finally spoke, quiet but sure. "We won't."