Together or Not at All

The air in the Grand Assembly Atrium was crisp with sterilized chill, as if the Academy itself had paused to exhale. Hundreds of Initiates—some still bruised, others running on sheer adrenaline—sat or stood across the crescent-shaped tiered levels overlooking the central dais. The walls pulsed faintly with pale-blue synclight, reflecting the mirrored ceiling above that displayed live data from every city-linked AR tower.

Emric stood with Karya, Lio, and the others near the center band, shoulder to shoulder with Kestrel's group. Around them, the murmur of voices filled the space like rising static.

Then the platform lights dimmed. A line of faculty appeared at the edge of the central lift, followed by a single woman in a long coat of fibersteel weave.

Raveen Sohl.

Her boots clicked audibly as she stepped forward to the center, arms crossed loosely behind her back. She stood without fuss, waiting until silence fell like a stone.

When she spoke, her voice echoed—not from amplification, but from conviction.

"You were told there would be three phases of the Gauntlet," she said. "You were shown the first. You survived the second. Many of you are wondering: what happened to the third?"

A ripple of murmurs moved through the assembly.

"Let me be clear," Raveen continued. "Phase Three was not withheld. It was run—silently, concurrently, and without announcement."

Heads turned. Whispers grew louder.

"What the hell?" Brin muttered beside Emric.

"It was never a test of power," she said, letting the words cut through the air. "It was a test of behavior. Initiative. Leadership."

Lio leaned forward slightly, curious now.

"We watched. From the first strike to the last breath of the Gauntlet's simulation, we tracked not just your sync levels or battle performance, but how you moved around others. Did you lead? Did you follow? Did you abandon your team or carry them? Did you adapt? Were you a liability… or a foundation?"

Another wave of silence followed her, deeper this time.

Raveen's gaze swept the tiers. "These metrics will not affect your ranking. They do not assign value to your awakening or class. But they tell us who we can count on. Who others naturally follow. Who will survive—not just in combat—but in the unknown."

Tammel leaned into Roan. "I told you they were watching how I napped between fights."

Roan smirked. "Must've been leadership-level napping."

A faint smile tugged at Raveen's mouth. "Your humor is not unwelcome. But make no mistake—this was never just about battle. Every mission that leaves the walls of a city must serve a purpose. Exploration. Retrieval. Observation. Protection. Diplomacy. Battle, when necessary—but never battle alone."

She let that sink in.

"The Gauntlet was not a game. It was not a contest for ego or spectacle. It was a scaled simulation—based on real-world zones beyond our walls. We used it to identify not just strength, but cohesion."

Her tone shifted slightly, signaling transition. "That is why, from this point forward, all Initiates will be housed together. Regardless of class. Regardless of specialty."

Another ripple of murmurs. Emric raised an eyebrow. Karya looked intrigued. Even Kestrel's brows twitched slightly in surprise.

"You will form bonds," Raveen continued. "Because you must. And we will encourage this by ensuring that you do not live in isolation."

She raised a hand, and the ceiling display changed—now showing tiered dormitory levels, stacked by ascending rank bands.

"Rooms and benefits will be assigned as follows:"

"Top 5 ranks — private quarters, priority access to Class Modules, mission priority, and 800 bonus credits."

"Ranks 6 through 20 — private quarters, with 600 bonus credits."

"Ranks 21 through 50 — two-person quarters, with 400 credits."

"Ranks 51 to 200 — two-person quarters, 250 credits."

"Ranks 201 to 1,000 — three-person quarters, 150 credits."

"Ranks 1,001 to 6,000 — four-person quarters, 100 credits."

"All others — randomized shared housing, 50 credits."

Whistles and groans followed in equal measure.

"Damn," Brin said. "Top five living like royalty."

"Good thing you're cute enough to visit," Tammel offered with a wink.

"Bite me."

Lio shook his head. "Wonder how they'll assign roommates."

Raveen raised a hand again, silencing the crowd.

"Your sync bands will update shortly with all necessary information—cadre path recommendations, elective specializations, and optional modules. Your combat class and skill type, as well as any skynet-flagged talents , will determine your advanced module eligibility. You'll begin academic rotations tomorrow."

She paused.

"But don't mistake this for a school schedule."

A new set of symbols flashed above: large red banners showing 'MISSIONS BEGIN – MAXIMUM: 60 DAYS.'

"Every Initiate," Raveen said, "will deploy within the next two months. Mandatory mission drafts begin then. Use the time wisely. Form your teams."

Gasps spread. Some voices rose.

"What? Already?"

"Two months? That's barely time to prep—"

"No one said we'd be deployed this fast—"

Raveen raised her voice above the tide. "It is necessary. There is still a lot we don't know. Our history is not whole. Our cities are strong, yes—123 Sector-grade metropolises, all reinforced under the accord to guard the nodes to the 'Otherworld' (Elythea)— but outside these walls, Our earth isn't safe and the Otherworld is still too large and dangerous that we haven't explored even a quarter of its surface."

"During the gauntlet, thanks to your wrist-pads and the Skynet database, you were able to identify some beasts that you would encounter exploring our earth." 

"Even with all of that, you will still meet beasts that haven't been recorded when exploring our world. Imagine how much worse it would be in Elythea, where we are still just finding our feet." 

A chill swept through the crowd, initiates from influential families knew this information but most were just hearing the official name of the 'Otherworld' for the first time. The average person might never even step outside the city in their lifetime— It was that perilous.

Karya whispered, "Still can't believe Earth's five times the size it was…"

Emric didn't speak. He was remembering the ruins. The fragment trails. That sense of some greater wound beneath the terrain.

"And that's not all," Raveen said. "Post-Cataclysm, Earth was fractured—not just in land, but in knowledge and population. To loose more than half of the population at the time and still come back stronger with a population of over 17 billion, is a testament to how far we've come and the advancements we have achieved."

In-between, Tammel just had to throw his opinion in—

"Should I attribute the population growth over the last millennium to the boon in biotechnology and research information gained from the otherworld or is it because people are more honest to their body?" He snickered.

The group all turned to him, Emric was speechless while the others all covered their mouths clearly amused.

She paced slowly now.

"This is not separate from the contributions of scientists, engineers, researchers, soldiers and students alike. Initiates at some point who had to risk their lives just like you will."

"That is why we go out. That is why you exist. Not to conquer but to recover, to rediscover and for the advancement of the whole of humanity."

Roan leaned toward Emric. "Makes the Gauntlet seem small now, huh?"

"Small," Emric echoed.

Raveen stopped at the edge of the dais.

"No one ventures into the unknown alone. Every initiate—awakened, augmented, or otherwise—will be assigned team operations. Combat specialists. Recon analysts. Recovery experts. Scholars. Linguists. Every mission requires balance."

Kestrel whispered, "Guess we better get used to each other."

"And guess who's the scholar on your team," Brin teased.

"Oh god," Emric muttered.

Raveen concluded, "Survive long enough, and you'll shape your own teams. Earn your place. Build something worthy of command. Until then… train, adapt, and remember this: The 'Otherworld' does not care about your intentions. Only your preparation."

She gave a sharp nod.

"Dismissed."

The room stirred with the rise of a thousand futures.