“There are way more people here than I expected,” Elliot said, his gaze sweeping across the crowded hall. The energy of the room felt heavier now, knowing that whatever rank Towan received, it was bound to draw attention.

“Hey, look over there,” Elliot added, nudging Towan. “It’s Alira.”

Towan followed his gaze to one of the platforms, where Alira was finishing a fight. It had clearly been a hard-fought battle—her clothes were torn in several places, and her opponent was visibly worse off, his uniform singed and his movements sluggish.

“She’s better than I thought,” Towan muttered, watching her closely. “She’s definitely fought here a lot… Oh shi—” He cut himself off mid-sentence, his voice dropping as he spotted someone else.

From across the room, Sylra was watching him. She stood with the top 10, a group of students exuding confidence and power as they waited for challengers. Despite the distance, her presence was impossible to ignore. Her piercing gaze locked onto his, and she gave a subtle nod toward the Essentia Mediator. The message was clear: It’s your time.

“Oh no… she’s looking,” Towan stammered, his nerves hitting their peak.

Elliot rolled his eyes, a smirk playing on his lips. “Bro, she’s just looking. Don’t get like that.”

But Towan couldn’t help it. His heart raced, his palms felt clammy, and suddenly the crowded hall felt even more suffocating. Sylra’s quiet confidence was one thing, but her attention on him felt like a spotlight he wasn’t ready for.

“I’d bet you’re stronger than almost everyone here,” Elliot said with a confident grin, his voice steady and reassuring.

Towan hesitated, looking at the machine, then back at his brother. “You’re right, you’re right…” he repeated softly, almost like a mantra, trying to steady his breathing.

Towan took a deep breath and stepped toward the Essentia Mediator. The hum of the hall seemed to fade as he placed his hand on the cool surface of the machine.

Focusing, he began channeling Essentia into his palm. A faint glow spread across the pad, and the screen above flickered to life, ready to reveal his rank.

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(How much should I channel?) Towan thought, his mind racing. For a moment, he hesitated, then decided, “Let’s go with a decent amount.” He pressed his hand harder against the device, letting more Essentia flow.

The numbers on the screen began to spin, flickering rapidly as the machine calculated his rank. It jumped from 80 to 50, then down to 17, and finally hit 8.

The shift was enough to catch the attention of the top 10, who had been chatting among themselves. One by one, their heads turned toward the Mediator, their interest clearly piqued.

“Well,” Elliot said, crossing his arms as he watched. “So much for staying under the radar. But honestly, I didn’t expect any less from Towan.” His voice carried a mix of pride and resignation.

Towan’s nerves spiked when the number briefly dropped to 2. His heart skipped a beat. (Shoot, I’m overdoing it!) he thought, panicking. Quickly, he relaxed his hand, slowing the flow of Essentia. He carefully reduced the intensity until the number stabilized at 15.

When the machine finally locked in his rank, Towan let out a frustrated sigh, pulling his hand away. “Damn,” he muttered under his breath. “I wanted it to be lower.” His attempt to avoid attention had clearly backfired.

As murmurs began to ripple through the crowd, Towan could feel the weight of the top 10’s eyes on him. Whether he liked it or not, he was now firmly on their radar.

““Holy moly, you’re top fifteen?” Alira exclaimed as she approached Towan, her eyes wide with surprise. Around them, a growing crowd of students murmured among themselves, their attention locked on the newcomer who had just skyrocketed to the 15th rank out of nowhere.

Towan shifted uncomfortably under the weight of their stares. “Looks like it,” he said, brushing a hand through his hair, trying to downplay the situation.

“Congrats,” Alira said with a smile, though her tone carried a hint of curiosity. “That’s no small feat. Aren’t you getting ranked, Elliot?”

“Not interested,” Elliot replied casually, folding his arms. His tone was firm, as if the very idea bored him.

As they spoke, Towan felt a sharp, almost tangible gaze lock onto him. He turned his head slightly and spotted Jyn, the current 2nd-ranked student. Jyn’s eyes bore into him, his expression anything but welcoming. There was an edge of anger—or perhaps irritation—in his glare, as if Towan’s sudden rise had disrupted the natural order of things.

Towan quickly looked away, pretending not to notice. His pulse quickened, but he forced himself to keep calm. Great. Just what I needed—attention from someone in the top three.

“What’s wrong, Jyn?” Sylra asked, standing beside him with her arms crossed, a playful smirk tugging at her lips. “Don’t tell me you’re feeling threatened?”

“What? No! No way,” Jyn replied quickly, his voice slightly higher than usual. He straightened his posture, trying to keep his cool, but the tension in his jaw betrayed him.

Kael, the current 3rd-ranked, chuckled as he leaned against the wall. “He might just defeat you,” he said, teasing his partner. “He looked pretty strong when he sparred with his brother—and let’s be honest, that wasn’t even close to their full power.”