Chapter 11: They Don't See Me Yet

Two figures stood locked in an argument neat the academy main gate, their silhouettes tense even from a distance.

The first - a boy - stood like he was carved from pressure. His hair, obsidian black, cleanly cut short on the sides. His eyes were quiet and storming; a steely silver-gray. The kind that stares too long without blinking. His posture screamed control, through continuous repetition. His uniform sat like armour on his torso, nothing was out of place and it looked like it belonged. It was the tense jaw, a constant furrow in his brow and those precise movements that made him an anomaly; alongside his cold, exacting gaze that clashed against the heat in his voice. Sporting a wiry build, he seemed like trained to be deadly, and not for vanity.

Across him stood a girl, a complete contradiction. Silver hair, not dull but gleaming; flowing past her shoulders in a lazy fashion, it caught the sunlight like mist frozen in the air. There was elegance in her stance, and her beauty. She held her chin high, eyes narrow, a flicker of defiance sparking beneath them. Amber-gold eyes with fierce clarity contrasting to her high cheekbones, graceful lips and a beauty mark near the right side of her jaw, her presence seemed important; not just pretty, she was composed, evident by all the on-lookers watching with bated breath.

"You've been avoiding me", the boy said quietly, stepping into her path.

Barely glancing at him, "Or maybe you've just been easier to ignore lately", the girl followed.

Narrowing his eyes, "So that's it now?".

"What else is there?", he replied, voice crisp. "Unless you want me to pretend I still respect you."

....

Tightening his jaw, "You think respect is something people just hand out."

"No", she said. "I think it's something you lose when you treat people like they're beneath you."

"That maid of yours again?", a flicker of frustration in the boys voice. "She stepped out of line".

"And you made sure everyone saw you put her back in her place," shooting back. "You're not strong. You're just cruel in a clean uniform", she added.

A hush drifted over the small crowd near the gates.

"Careful", the boy said, his voice low. "You're talking like someone who doesn't know what it takes to survive this place."

"No", she followed, staring right into his steely eyes, "I'm talking like someone who does."

"This is from the girl who-"

Before the boy could finish, another entered the fray....

"Alright, alright," the new entree proclaimed. 

Straight away all the attention shifted to him. 

The moment he stepped forward, it was like the air recognised him - like the space around him adjusted to make room.

Standing taller than most, not just in height but in certainty. Sky-blue hair ruffled in the breeze, strands of hair dancing in the air. His uniform wasn't pristine like the other; the blazer hung looser, sleeves casually folded once at the wrist. It made him stand out more, like he didn't need perfection to prove anything.

His eyes, a calm muted gold - not glowing, not sharp but steady. They seemed to watch everything in his view without effort, and gave nothing away also.

A smile swirled on his lips, a soft smile. Walking over, he unceremoniously placed a hand on the girl's shoulder, like he knew just how to settle her; which she seemingly didn't reject. 

On the opposite hand, he glanced at the black-haired boy in a different fashion. Not hostile or mockingly, but just staring; like he knew just what button to press and which ones not to.

Whatever weight held around the air during the previous argument, tilted entirely, revolving the scene around this late comer.

Riven had no idea who he was.

'?'

But from the way everyone around turned to look; all the scattered students around, the ones whispering at the benches and the steps earlier...it was clear:

This was someone the academy already revolved around.

---

"If you two keep going, we'll have to charge admission", the blue haired man said.

The black haired one turned to him, "Don't you have somewhere else to be?"

"I do", he replied, "But this is way more entertaining".

That hand on the girls shoulder seemed to bother the black-haired individual. "Keep the charm for the induction tests. That's when real skill counts."

The blue haired boy responded in kind, "Looking forward to it", eyes gleaming with amusement.

Without waiting for a reply, the blue haired one turned away and walked off, the girl falling into step beside him. They didn't say anything, but something unspoken passed between them, a decision to leave together. 

The black haired individual stared, jaw still tight, before he turned on his heel and walked the opposite way.

Now standing shoulder to shoulder with a crowd of students, Riven looked left and right. 

The crowd began to murmur again, quieter, unsure if they were allowed yet.

Tilting his head slightly, "Is this a rom-com or something?", Riven said out loud.

Attracting attention straight away, multiple students beside him replied, "You seriously don't know who they were!?".

Riven blinked at all the surprised students, "Should I?"

"...."

"The blue haired one was Jacob Lacura. Reportedly Ranked #1. The girl was Seris Halden; a lesser noble, but....hard to ignore. The guy glaring daggers? Kalen Voss. Son of Lord Voss", one student decided to educate him.

"Voss, huh." Riven scratched the back of his neck, gaze still following where both parties departed. "Guess I picked an interesting time to show up".

Another student replied, giving a half-laugh, "You could say that..."

Turning to him, his tone casual Riven asked, "They always that...dramatic? Or are they warming up for something?"

"The induction tests," the student replied, straightening a little. "All new students go through them. It's how they sort us - combat aptitude, arcane control, everything. That's when you really see what someone's made of".

Riven nodded, absorbing it all. "And the rankings?"

"They're public. You might have seen them on the academy app, right? They're based on prior records, background preliminary scans - nothing solid. The tests are where it gets real."

A small smile crept onto Riven's face, "So the lists just noise til someone proves it."

"Exactly", the student looking at him more closely now, "What's your name?", he asked.

"Riven", he said simply. 

The guy raised his brow, as if digesting the name, "Huh. Not bad. I'm Mavyn. Second-year. Just came to watch the chaos unfold."

Before he could reply, Mayvn gave a lazy two finger wave and drifted off into the crowd.

The space around the gate grew quieter since the trios departure - Jacob vanishing with the silver-haired Seris, and Kalen storming in the opposite direction. 

For a moment, Riven just stood there, those who still remained around still whispered about the Voss heir, Seris Halden and Number 1 ranked Jacob.

Looking at the vast campus, marble courtyards linked with sleek towers and lanterns buzzing magically, Riven decided it was time to move.

'Time to explore I guess.'

As he walked, every few paces, banners in royal blue and ember gold fluttered proudly, displaying the abstract flame emblem of Eldris Academy.

The stone paths curled between crystalline fountains and benches etched with engravings, everything was so detailed, and he'd seen it earlier from the transport pod; this place was huge, a whole sector dedicated to an academy.

As he strolled, he caught sight of a small plaque, rested beside the entrance of a tall building: "Residential Wing - First Years. Floors 1 to 4 : Dormitories, Floor 5: Elite Class Residences"

'Five stories?' Riven thought, staring at the large building.

'What is Elite Class?', he pondered for a few seconds. Deciding to leave it for later, he walked on the steps, entering the building.

Creak

The lobby held a small handful of students; all of them preoccupied with a device on the wall.

'What are they doing?'

But Riven's questions where answered straight away.

It seemed to be sorting rooms, as one of the students had his data revealed in a projection:

"Assigned: D-Class Dormitory, Floor 2, Room 52. Double Occupancy."

The student who had seen his room was visibly upset, Riven didn't know if it was because it tested him to be D class, or the double occupancy part.

Walking over to the machine, he waited a turn till it was his time.

'What room would it give me...I'm interested.'

Standing in-front of the display, he tapped it once with his badge in view. 

WIRR

Seemingly coming to life, it scanned his badge and his person, before projecting a small digital map. A small pulsing dot blinked steadily on the third floor. 

"Assigned: C-Class Dormitory, Floor 3, Room 34. Single Occupancy".

Riven frowned slightly, 'C-Class?', he wondered.

The system didn't seem to know the truth. Still relying on previous data, unaware this Riven was different. He was a Silent now.

'At-least it's a single...from what they was saying about testing during the inductions...I might not have this room long', he thought chuckling softly.

Pushing off from the cold marble floor of the lobby, his footsteps echoed softly as he approached the sleek elevator. 

The doors slid open with a quiet whoosh, revealing the softly lit interior. He stepped inside and casually pressed the button for the third floor.

As it hummed upwards, his thoughts swirled - this mysterious Silent status still unregistered, and the consequences of it, training and more.

'I need to get stronger', he thought.

Ding

The doors opened onto a brightly lit, long corridor with identical doors, each marked with a small digital plaque.

Walking past multiple numbers, he finally settled upon Room 34.

Reaching the door, he took a breath, and tapped the scanner beside it. 

Beep

A soft beep, and the lock clicked open.

Looking inside, the room was modest but comfortable - bed neatly made, a small desk cluttered with digital screens and a window looking out over the academy grounds.

He stepped inside, closing the door behind him. This was his new space, for however long that was anyways.

He ran a hand along the edge of the desk and allowed himself a rare moment of calm.

'This is nice', he thought, 'But I can't be idle too long.' shaking his head, he turned back around. 

There was something about this place that made him want to move, to see what it had to offer completely.

'Induction and all that stuff is in a day or two...time for an early training session I say', he thought, looking outside the window, peering at the departing sun; it glowed, a final breath of warmth before surrendering to night.

Walking over to a wardrobe built into the wall, it opened with a soft click.

Click

Storing an extra academy uniform, showcasing its deep charcoal design, with navy accents. Alongside it, was some plain training gear; lightweight, dark and sleek, it was designed to keep movement unrestricted with its high collared, long sleeved top, made from breathable composite fabric along with matte black reinforced threading along the arms and torso; with trousers slim cut and flexible tucked into combat boots, it was a clean look. Nothing overtly flashy.

Glancing once more at the sinking sun, he stripped from his academy uniform, placing it onto the bed. Before he forgot, he took out his holo-phone and his storage capsule, placing it on the desk.

Getting changed, he decided to leave the capsule there for now, not seeing a need to bring Mael's Fang just yet.

'There should be weapons there'

'Well I gotta find the training grounds first....' he remembered, noting the size of the academy.

Picking up his phone, he unlocked the student app, tapping into the campus map. A clean interface bloomed, precise and pristine.

Dragging his fingers along some notable locations stood out: Cafeterias, Libraries, Residential Wings, Medical Halls, Dome.

Then - Training Grounds: North Quadrant. 

Huff

'Of course it's across campus...'