Hadrian was now moving towards the four statues. An aura drop from him stung my arm; he took out a vial. With a quick squeeze, he collected my blood in the vial, its deep red hue contrasting against the chamber's darkness. The vial remained uncapped.

Hadrian approached the white statue first, letting a small amount of blood spill from the vial. The statue remained still, and the blood immediately seeped to the floor, most likely due to the intense gravity it embodied. The blood pooled, slipping into the floor tiles' cracks and returning to the earth.

A small sign escaped his lips. My senses rarely miss things like this now. He was pleased this statue did not accept me. Next, he came to the green statue, repeating the same process, this time pouring my blood over its back. The green statue also did not react. Two rejections in a row, huh? Was there ever an auramancer that had all the statues deny their blood?

My eyes glanced at the aged hand on my shoulder. Headmaster Yaul did not look frail, but his physical strength was far beyond average. That was to be expected; of course, nearly all those on the path to power were more than they appeared. Was there a way to get a sense of a person's mastery after they learned to control the radiation they naturally let out? There had to be.

Hadrian swiftly moved towards the blue statue, pouring half the remaining blood onto its head. Finally, a reaction was seen. The blood froze, and a faint sign of life came to the statue. The blood was absorbed into the head, and relief seemed to wash over the statue for an instant. A faint throbbing started to come to my head. Before the feeling could intensify, Headmaster Yaul formed some barrier with his aura strands, severing the sudden connection.

"There is still one more for him to be offered to, Sapphira." A sound echoed throughout the chamber, a tone of annoyance reverberating from an unseen source.

Headmaster Yaul narrowed his eyes at that but did comment further.

These statues were our real initiators then, with the blue one named Sapphira. Hadrian, unphased by the reaction of the blue initiator, moved swiftly to the final statue - the red one. The crushed eyes, with blood flowing down, had me hoping this statue rejected me.

Of course, I didn’t fully know what would happen should a statute choose me. Regardless of the statue, I’d not like the result. They all represented a form of pain or struggle. So, what did that mean for the red statue, then?

The last of the blood was poured into the space between the eyebrows of the statue. The nose split the blood into two streams, both going into the eyes. As the blood passed to the eyes, a swirl was formed, greedily accepting the blood. My heart froze. A slight smile was formed on the statue.

Headmaster Yaul mumbled, more to himself than to me, "Ulysses, the monk, seems to have accepted you. He is most particular about his choices. In a way, you are fortunate, young Falond.”

The statue brightened after the blood was accepted; a red-tinted shadow appeared in the dim chamber. Sapphira’s statue, as if in panic, also had a blue-tinted shadow appear.

Confused, I asked, “What exactly is going on?”

Hadrian, who had returned to my side, explained, "Ulysses has chosen to manifest himself for the initiation. This means the process will be more painful, but the benefits will be greater if you overcome the initiation. Sapphira, who also accepted you, is offering a similar opportunity."

"So, I just pick one of them? In that case, I choose Sapph-"

Headmaster Yaul interrupted me, his eyes widening in remembrance. "Normally, yes, you would have a choice, young Falond. But given your unique situation, as your headmaster, I must let Ulysses take you for your initiation."

He turned his gaze to the glowing form of Sapphira, a silent command in his eyes. Despite her apparent anger, the blue-tinted shadow of the woman receded, slowly retreating to her statue until the radiance around her wholly faded. At the same time, the red shadow of Ulysses started to advance towards me. My frustration was boiling, and I let it out for once.

"What's so unique about my situation?" I snapped, my voice echoing off the stone walls. "Will you ever let me make my own choices? If normally I can choose, why can't I now? I won’t do this!" I began to struggle, my frustration boiling over.

"You fool, you've always known the answer," Hadrian spat out, anger evident in his voice. "You have to earn your right to choose. No one will hand it to you, not in this world. Shut up." His words were harsh, but they did nothing to calm me. I was tired of these ancient beings dictating my life. The red shadow was closing in despite my resistance, and fear gripped my heart. I tried to move and flee, but my legs were rooted to the spot. Headmaster Yaul didn't acknowledge me, his gaze locked on the advancing shadow.

Slowly but relentlessly, Ulysses reached me. His shadow started to blend with mine, and blood began to stream from my eyes. As I'd feared, I was losing my sight—pressure built in my eyes, followed by a searing pain that defied description. I collapsed to my knees, clutching at my face. Despite my desperate attempts, my eyes felt like they were being crushed, blood spilling out in a rush. Everything went black.

My eyelids fluttered shut, trying to block the pain, but blood continued to trickle out, making me feel even more helpless. The pain was so intense that I was writhing on the ground, alternating between clutching my eyes and pounding the floor. "Ahh!" I cried out, "I can't see! I can't see! What did you do to me, you shitty red shadow?"

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"Show some respect to the revered Blind Monk Ulysses," came Headmaster Yaul's stern voice.

“I could care less about Ulysses or whoever; that bastard made me blind and bleeding!”

My screams echoed in the chamber for what felt like an eternity. The two men tried to speak to me occasionally, but their words fell on deaf ears. They had pushed me too far, and my initial instinct not to trust them had proven correct. What had any of this shit gotten me anyway? Why would they take my eyes? They hinted it wouldn’t be permanent, but so what? I was blind now! How was I supposed to do anything? What sort of deranged institution was this that they would do such a thing to a student? And on the first day, no less.

After what felt like hours, I had grown accustomed to the pain. My eyes bled less frequently, but I was far from recovered. Even if my eyes were healing, something within me had shattered. I was crushed, my spirits at an all-time low. In a quiet voice, knowing the two aura masters could hear me, I murmured, "Just finish me off already, you zealots of a bygone era. I've had enough. If you won’t let me keep my eyes, I'll keep my silence instead."

A vow of silence took hold of me for who knows how long. I felt a blindfold tied tightly around my eyes.

“Are you finally done wailing like a child, fool?” It was Hadrian's voice, but I chose to remain silent, ignoring him.

"There will come a time when you understand, young Falond," Headmaster Yaul said solemnly. "For now, we'll guide you to your quarters. Once there, Hadrian will instruct you on your next steps as an auramancer."

The silence continued in the desolate abode of initiation.

“Very well then, Hadrian, help him up. Let's go."

The footsteps echoed around me, but the detail within the noise was still difficult for me to understand. Then, a firm hand gripped my shoulder. It was intense, of course, but there was another sensation there - it felt like sympathy.

Had Ulysses initiated Hadrian, too? We started to walk. Seeing no other way, literally, I began honing the other senses. Judging by the feel of the ground beneath my feet, we exited the chamber, moving into the hallway in front of the white steel and red doors. The sound of the doors closing behind us confirmed my suspicions. My sense of touch and hearing became keener, and even my sense of smell intensified. I could smell dust, the musky scent of old books, the worn stone of well-trodden hallways. All these odors began to paint a picture of the world around me.

In the darkness that filled my vision, I imagined an image of Hadrian guiding me. I felt the slight warmth of the flames illuminating our path on my neck and an intense sensation of being watched, not just by Hadrian and Headmaster Yaul but from all around and even within me. I assumed the inside feeling was the Moth, which had remained silent for a while, but what was watching me from all around? I had no clue.

We were back outside now, but Hadrian directed me to the left instead of moving straight ahead. The smell of grass hit me strongly, followed by individual scents of plants, trees, people, and even rocks. From the sounds of my footsteps and those of Hadrian and the Headmaster, I began to form a mental image of our surroundings. However, the picture was constantly changing, making it difficult to move forward, let alone keep my balance or react preemptively to the world around me.

Yet, a new sense was emerging. The loss of sight pushed my remaining senses far beyond average. Even though these senses were already naturally enhanced by aura, this was something else entirely. If the initiation was any indication, this was just the start.

I heard students' voices in the distance, yet they sounded more apparent than the whispers I had initially heard when I arrived at this place.

"How about that, the new blood was initiated by Ulysses? Almost everyone bet he'd be a Green or a Blue. Some people are going to lose tons of silver off this.”

"Who would've guessed he'd end up a Red? Those poor bastards have the hardest time at first, but those who manage the whole way…”

"Cut it out. He can probably hear us even from here. You know how ridiculous their senses become. Plus, he has the mark. He isn't just a regular Red; he's a marked one."

“Right, let's clear out. The adept fields will be crowded soon at this rate."

Delightful. People had been wagering on which initiator would choose me. Their conversation suggested that the evolution of my senses was normal for Ulysses’ initiation. They fell silent, but discerning their footsteps was becoming more manageable. I could now tell there were three sets of footsteps. This speed of progression in the senses must be a reward for the initiation, a welcoming gift. I still would rather have my eyes back.

The feeling under my feet changed from a grassy field with unidentified plants to a rugged pathway. The changes in the wind around me meant a structure was in front of me. The floor felt different, as did the sound of the steps around me. A slight echo of feet slapping against stonework and wood sounded around me.

"I'll take my leave now. Hadrian, familiarize him with his new circumstances. Promptly."

"As you wish, headmaster."

The headmaster seemed to vanish immediately as I could no longer sense his presence, even though I hadn't heard him move. Hadrian took me over further and introduced me to who was probably the dorm manager. He was friendly enough, but my silence likely provoked a feeling of awkwardness in him. He put the keys to a dorm room in my pocket. At least, that’s what they should be, judging by the feel of them and the metallic sounds made. We came before the stairs; there was no doubt about that. Hadrian released his grip on my shoulder.

“I’ll be waiting for you at the top of the stairs. Someone won’t always be able to guide you, blind or not. You’ll be walking up it alone. I’ll be sure to redirect others this time around. Any questions?”

Who was the idiot this time? He knew I’d sworn silence in defiance of all this. To let him know I heard him, I shook my head no. I could discern the echo of his footsteps as he moved away, his hand brushing a rail as he ascended the stairs. It was odd how I could sense such details, but I could.

"Ah, just so you know, there's a railing here," he informed me in a teacherly tone, clarifying his intent to train rather than to jest. "And no, you can't use it."

I was gauging the stairs, focusing on replicating the sounds of Hadrian's movements in my mind. They were my only clue. With a deep breath, the first foot came forward, slowly feeling my way to the first wooden step. The creak of my weight on wood answered me.

One step down. Now for the next. I brought both feet together rather than advancing my back foot past the front one as I usually would. I was then feeling out the next step, trying to repeat the process up the stairs. Just as I was going to do so, a rush of aura drops hit me from the front.

“No, you idiot, use your senses to do this faster. Do you think you’ll get anywhere at that speed? Or will the mages slow down around you just because you’re slow from blindness? Think again. As your sourcer, I’ll give you a hint. Stop just rotating your aura subconsciously and redirect it to your senses. I’ve even seen you do it for a body part before; now, pick one sense instead.”

Without responding, I immediately redirected my aura, circulating passively, toward my sense of hearing. The information it gave was more accessible for me to understand.

Eager to put this new knowledge into practice, I approached the stairs again, favoring speed over precision. As I reached the first step, I tried to make sense of the acoustic feedback. Placing one foot ahead of the other in my usual manner, I moved with a new rhythm. My balance faltered slightly as I overshot by an inch or so, but I didn't trip.

With that, the subsequent pace came, followed by the next. Going faster and ever forward, this was really working. At least, I thought so until I let my excitement get the best of me, causing me to stumble forward. At least with my fast reactions, my arms caught the railing.

“Ah, no rail usage, young idiot. Back to the start you go.”

The wall of aura drops came and hit me again. Strangely, the aura was almost visible to me. The drops became more apparent, weaved like a basket, so finely done they all seemed as one. Well, seeing it in some way did nothing to prevent aura from hitting and smashing me back to the start of the stairs.

This went on for a while. I was getting faster at climbing the stairs and understanding what my senses told me. For example, putting aura into my ears let me get a sharper sense and understand the implications of what I was hearing better. Finally, after hours, I reached the top at a speed satisfactory to Hadrian. The first time I reached the top, he only said, “Faster.” And down my body went, back to my old friend, the first step of the stairs.