The silence in the North Tower's central chamber wasn't just silence, it was pressure.
Three teams, twenty-four students, stood in an open circular formation beneath a dome laced with thin lightpanes. The space pulsed faintly, as if the structure breathed in time with the academy's mana grid.
The students had slept in their assigned dorms the night before, simple dorms with bunk beds and luxuries. They'd gotten their weapons, their watch interfaces, and some brief instructions.
Now, they stood in the main training chamber, where things actually began.
A soft mechanical chime echoed overhead, followed by a shift in the mana current. An orb that contained some twisting gears descended from the ceiling. It was clear and rune-laced, hovering just above the table the students were all sitting around.
"North Tower Affinity Exchange: Initializing. Please state your name, race, and known affinities. This is a synchronization ritual for team synergy and documentation purposes only. We know that you cannot use your affinities yet."
Lex eyed the orb with professional curiosity. "Fully autonomous. Smart sync to mana imprints. It's not just reading us, it's logging us."
"Figures," Karren muttered. "They want us to get comfortable before they throw us into hell."
Syris folded her arms. "This whole thing's just a silent measuring contest."
"No one here is silent," Auren said with a grin. "We're just pretending."
The orb glowed softly. Someone had to go first.
Taldros Fenharn from Team Seventeen stepped forward, voice sharp and to the point.
"Taldros Fenharn. Dark Human. Magnetism and Dark."
The orb responded with a slow, weighty pulse of resonance, and then it faded to black. Next was Rin Takari. "Elf. Water and Life."
The orb shifted to tranquil tones of green and blue.
Then came Gess Alrak.
"I'm a Demon, with Fire and Mind affinities."
Red and violet clashed briefly within the orb before blending. Chaotic, but not unstable.
Jala Fenyr smirked as she placed her hand on the orb. "Beast-kin. Plant and Animal."
The glow this time was deep green, overlaid with earthy amber. Miel Osha glanced toward her from the opposite end of the circle, quietly noting the match.
Nick Orvas spoke clearly when his turn came.
"Human. Light and Metal."
The orb pulsed cleanly, silver overlaid with a bronze sheen. Sharp. Regal.
One by one, the others followed suit.
Kyne Dolarin – Elf. Water and Light.Zevra Korrin – Dark Human. Magnetism and Dark.Galiant Vos – Dwarf. Earth and Fire.Zeri Raika – Human. Ice and Wind.Veara Klyne – Demon (Succubus). Mind and Sound.Thebo Digitty – Human. Earth and Physical Strength.
Some students shared looks. Not quite rivals yet, but notes, mental notes, were being taken.
Then came Shiro.
The orb dimmed as he stepped forward, like it recognized something in him before he even spoke.
"Shiro Von Aldain. Demon. Foresight. Darkness. Sound."
The glow that followed wasn't flashy, just… deep. Layered. As if the orb wanted to ask questions, but it couldn't form it.
No one said a word, but every head was watching.
"Foresight," someone whispered. "He's one of those."
Lex's fingers twitched near his cane-blade. "We've got two of those."
Shiriah took a breath.
She moved forward slowly, fingers brushing the orb with care.
"Shiriah Dwin. Elf. Water, Metal, Violence, Chaos and Foresight."
The orb's glow shifted, rising tides of blue and steel-gray, then two weird things showed up. A purple hue glowed and it was swiftly followed by a pink-red wave before, finally, a soft pulse of silver. Not as bold as Shiro's, but more precise and pronounced. Like it cut through the room and landed right where it needed to.
'Dwin?? I thought her name was Cardenze.' Piera thought to himself.
And in her mind, someone stirred.
{I felt that,} Fu's voice whispered. {I did this before you. Why didn't you listen when I told you not to show your other 2 affinities?}
"I've already hidden it once. Why would I hide it among a few 24 people?" Shiriah asked back.
{Because they're watching you. Well, I just hope brother will protect us.}
"No promises, Fu, no promises."
{But he still cares a lot.}
Fu went silent. But she didn't leave.
Shiriah stepped back into the circle.
Then Elena spoke.
"Demon. Foresight and Darkness."
Another silver-dark pulse followed. Less sharp than Shiro, less precise than Shiriah—but unmistakably strong.
Uriah followed. "Demon. Time and Light."
The orb paused before reacting. The orb's time itself seemed reluctant, as if it had neared something that should have happened in the near future. It flickered gold and white, then stuttered back into rhythm.
"Another time affinity," someone murmured.
"None of thou knoweth how to use thy affinities," Lex added. "None of us do."
Lex himself went next. "Human. Electricity and Animal."
The orb responded instantly, bright, jagged yellow flickering into organic green-ish. It was Erratic and looked curious. Per-se.
Syris grinned as she stepped forward. "Elf. Lightning."
Her result was a sharp single pulse. Clean. Direct. Fast.
Karren grunted, then placed his hand on the orb.
"Druid. Life Force and Dark."
The orb jolted slightly before showing dual flickers of green and shadow. For a moment, it didn't look like it wanted to stabilize.
Auren stepped in with his usual smirk.
"Half-vampire. Sound and Magnetism."
The orb's glow was rough, as static waves met a pulsing metallic hum. Discordant, like two instruments out of tune.
And then there was one left.
Piera stepped forward. Unhesistant and with an unwavering gaze, he held onto the orb.
"Piera Valemir. Human. Cosmic. Plant. And… Temporal Residue[1]."
A hush fell across the chamber.
The orb didn't pulse. It twisted.
Purple starlight bloomed outward, deep, spiraling like galaxies caught in motion. Then came the green, vivid, alive, like overgrown vines breaking through the cracks of time.
And then… that final shimmer.
The residue.
It wasn't an affinity. It was a mark. An evidence of something ancient and broken. A presence no one understood, but everyone felt.
Auren stared at him, eyes narrowing.
"You showed it," he said quietly. Piera nodded. "Croti asked me to."
Auren gave a slow nod, almost thoughtful. "Still. That's not something most of us would've done. I mean fallen entity/entity being wielders would do"
The orb's light faded, and it cracked, then turned to dust.
Piera glanced at the orb, and back to Auren.
"How many people do you know have the power of a fallen entity?"
Auren was left astounded as Piera rested back.
Twenty-four students. Affinities known. Power unknown.
Then the air shifted.
And everything stopped.
"So many names. So many lights. None of it means a damn thing if you die with potential."
Every head turned, except one.
There, at the edge of the room where no one had seen him enter, a figure wrapped in "mystery" stood.
Plain black clothes. No weapon. A tight blindfold covered his eyes.
And yet,
Every part of him "saw".
He walked slowly into the circle. Every step seemed to land without sound, like even gravity had learned to respect him.
The Unseeing Sword. Sil Dwin.
"Welcome to the North Tower," he said.
"You are not strong. Not yet. What you carry are just affinities. What you call affinities are your potential, and they will grow with your will."
He didn't raise his voice, but the chamber carried it for him.
"You will fall. You will fail. And if you rise again… maybe you'll be worth training."
He turned as if addressing each team in turn, though his eyes never moved beneath the blindfold.
"Tomorrow. First light. Come prepared. No mana. No shortcuts or special family weapons."
He paused.
"Wear something you don't mind bleeding in."
And then, He was gone.
There was no burst of speed, neither was there any magical shimmer.
He just… wasn't there anymore.
The chamber fell into silence again.
But this time, it was different.
This time, the silence meant fear.
And respect.
But within the silence, a certain someone thought, "Brother, I am worried for you."
[1] Temporal residue is something that signifies someone's connection to a fallen entity or an entity being. Most people choose to hide theirs, but Croti asked Piera to do so in this case