Master Gumnik placed a firm hand on Relar's shoulder, compelling him to meet his gaze. Relar, lost in a tumult of guilt and grief, found himself anchored by the master's eyes. Though they weren't kind. A hard man looked at him, and that more than any compassion compelled Relar to momentary silence.
With a deep breath, Master Gumnik turned his attention to Kian's prone form. He raised his hand, fingers moving through the air with deliberate motions, interacting with something unseen. To Relar's astonishment, Kian's body began to shimmer, particles of light swirling as if caught in a silent vortex. Before Relar's eyes, Kian started to dissolve, into streams of light that seemed to ascend towards the sky.
For a moment the masters face and voice changed, they were soft now. "Kian isn't lost to us, Relar," Gumnik said, his voice carrying a weight that seemed to fill the space between them. "He's been returned to Sheath. This... is the tower's mercy."
As he finished, Gumnik's expression darkened again, a shadow of disappointment crossing his features. "But this... this is a failure that should never have happened."
Sitting across from Headmaster Hessmin in her office, Relar felt the weight of the academy's stone walls close in on him. Beside him, Master Gumnik's presence was a silent storm, his disappointment a tangible force. The headmaster's office, felt like a courtroom to Relar.
Headmaster Hessmin's voice was even, but beneath it lay a cold edge that cut through the room's air. "Explain what happened," she commanded, her eyes not leaving Relar's. Relar recounted the events, his voice a hoarse whisper, from how Kian had found out about hidden treasure, to their venture into the forest to the discovery of the statue garden and the appearance of the guardian. The room's atmosphere grew denser with each word, his omission of the page's discovery a heavy silence in his chest.
"We know of the garden, yes, even the guardian." Headmaster Hessmin finally spoke after what felt like an eternity of silence. "It's well beyond the safe parts of the academy. You know that, you should have remembered that. You didn't achieve anything by vanquishing it, it will just reset, regrow over the next weeks."
Master Gumnik finally broke in, his voice laden with an emotion Relar couldn't place. "This isn't a game, Relar. Sheath survives if our casters survive. You just cost us a valid and promising chance at the Climb. Kian might not be dead, but he might as well be. Can you imagine the shame he is going through right now, ejected, never to enter the tower again. Do you understand the gravity of your actions?"
"It… I…" Relar started but just nodded. Kian was alive, he still reeled from the emotional turmoil that he had experienced after realizing this. They were in the tower. He had thought him actually dead. Kian wasn't sure if he was allowed to feel relieved. But he couldn't help it. Compared to the certainty of death, the rejection seemed bearable.
The adventure they'd sought had ended in a nightmare, and the cost was great, but Kian was alive. Still, the scolding from Hessmin and Gumnik, while harsh, paled in comparison to the guilt gnawing at his conscience.
"There will be consequences for you," Hessmin continued, her gaze shifting between Relar and Gumnik. "For now, rest. I understand this was an traumatic event, and one that came shortly after the failure of your challenge." She glanced at Master Gumnik. "We will decide on the appropriate course of action for you in due time."
Dismissed, Relar stood, his legs shaky. Gumnik didn't meet his eyes as he left Hessmin's office. The weight of the day's events, the loss of Kian, and the burden of his secret pressed down on him. What would the others say? His friends… would they still welcome him. Jarek, Tomas and Lorelai already were a separate entity. But it wasn't his fault. He had even warned Kian. He hadn't listened. It didn't matter now, it was too late.
The next day, dawn's early light filtered through the grand windows of the Moraine Academy's assembly hall, casting long shadows over the gathered initiates. Relar felt removed from the proceedings, a certain apathy in his emotions. The air buzzed with nervous anticipation as they waited for Master Gelrin to address them.
Master Gelrin stepped forward, his stern visage scanning the sea of young faces before him. "Today, you face the Ranking test," he began, his voice echoing off the stone walls. He paused to let his words sink in. "Your performance will determine your ranking and place you into one of five groups. These groups are designed to challenge you and match you with equals. You will stay in your assigned group until the end of the first main trial."
"Today, you will be divided into random trios and enter a challenge beacon. Divided by each Master, each group will tackle the same challenge. You will not complete a full challenge, as time is short, but a goal that your Master will tell you. This is a timed test, lasting no more than thirty minutes. "
A murmur rippled through the initiates as Gelrin concluded, "Each master has selected a challenge appropriate to this test. They will provide further details at your respective locations."
Master Gelrin's gaze hardened, "Remember," he intoned, each word deliberate, "Sheath needs those who can rise above and beyond. We lost an initiate yesterday, as you've probably heard." He paused, allowing the weight of his statement to settle among the gathered. "Yes, he is safe back in Sheath now, but don't be mistaken—this is not merely an individual loss. This is a loss for Sheath as a whole." Gelrin continued, his voice taking on a graver tone, "Every initiate who disregards the rules, who acts recklessly and endangers themselves, in turn, endangers Sheath. We depend on you for survival. When one of us falls, it's a setback for us all. It diminishes our collective strength, and our potential. Those initiate's action, his loss, detracts from our resources, our morale, and our standing. It's a stark reminder that our actions within the academy, within the tower, have consequences that ripple beyond our immediate surroundings, reaching back to the very heart of Sheath."
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He let his gaze sweep over the initiates, ensuring his message was understood. "We cannot afford such losses, not when the stakes are this high. The tower is unforgiving, and so must we be in our discipline and dedication. Sheath depends on our success, our growth, and our survival. Let this be a lesson to you all. Fight for yourself, fight to stay alive within the tower, but most of all, your fight needs to be for Sheath. We are a part of something greater than ourselves, and it is our duty to honor that responsibility."
Relar felt a cold knot tighten in his stomach as Master Gelrin's words washed over him. Each sentence hammered home the gravity of their actions. Guilt gnawed at him, a heavy, leaden feeling that threatened to pull him under. He had had big hopes for the tower, but Gelrin's reminder that their actions affected not just themselves but all of Sheath struck a deep chord. He hadn't had any positive impact. He had made things worse.
Finally, Relar made his way toward Master Baelor as the initiates started to empty from the assembly. He shot glances at Master Gumnik, but couldn't bring himself to share this day under his gaze. Baelor beckoned his group with a subtle gesture. Relar received many odd looks from the rest of the group. He must have been the only one that hadn't shared their training at one point in the last two days, and they probably all knew what had happened and who was part of the speech they just heard.
Out of the group emerged Elia. Right, she was with Baelor. Elia approached Relar with a hesitation that wasn't characteristic of her usual confidence.
"Relar," she began, her voice soft. She paused, searching Relar's face. "I can't even begin to imagine what you're going through. But I want you to know, I don't hold you responsible. He was looking for that page. He went out searching alone the other day. He would have gone anyway. With or without you."
She took a step closer, her gaze unwavering. She whispered, "What happened to it? Did you get it?"
Under the towering beacon, Vale stood with her fellow initiates, excitement and nervous energy buzzing through the group. Vale, her focus sharp, couldn't help but feel a thrill at the thought of applying her pages in another real test of skill.
She had excelled in making use of her pages these last two days, and Spark of Life has allowed her to train harder than anyone. Even in the first beacon challenge yesterday, she had been able to run the whole challenge with her group, even though the other two nobles that had been at her side had been barely noteworthy.
Master Thessaly, a formidable figure in her battle-worn armor, paced before the assembled initiates. Her presence commanded attention, her every step resonating with authority. The Combat Weaver, had a reputation for pushing her students.
"You all have shown first promise over the last two days," Master Thessaly began, her voice carrying clearly across the courtyard, "even in the first challenge yesterday. Now, we will to start to seperate the great from the good. Don't take this lightly."
Master Thessaly stood before her students, illuminated by the beacon behind her and the morning light glinting off her armor.
Ensuring she had their undivided attention, before continuing, she said, "You will enter the Crystal Maze. As the name says, you will find yourself inside a labyrinth made of crystal walls. These walls reflect, distort, and sometimes even nullify magical energies. I will not tell you what color of crystal does what, you will have to find that out for yourself."
A murmur rippled through the students. Thessaly's expression remained impassive as she detailed their objective, "Your goal is to retrieve a crystal skull, the of of one of the Mirror Sentinels. These are creatures that range within the labyrinth. Beware, you must extract it without causing it damage. The crystal is fragile once the creatures life has been taken, and a reckless move could shatter it. Mirror Sentinels aren't the fastest, but they are basically living traps. Made from the same crystal as the maze, they will be nearly invisible until the moment they strike. Their reflective bodies can deflect your magical attacks, requiring you to think creatively to bypass their defenses."
"Beyond the sentinels, you might face Light Wraiths, beings of light that can disorient and blind you. But they are more likely to flee when they have the chance."
"Lastly," Thessaly's voice took on a stern note, "Echo Phantoms will attempt to lead you astray with illusions and mimicry. They prey on your certainty and your senses. To overcome them, you must trust in your discernment and ignore the misleading cues they set before you. These are the most likely, there might be others though, don't let your guard down."
She looked over her students once more, her eyes locking with each in turn. "Adaptation, resilience, and teamwork are key. But most of all, focus. You have 30 minutes to complete the task. You will be judged on general behavior and results, as I will observe you, but not getting the skull will certainly set you back."
With those final words, Master Thessaly called out one by one the names of the first three initiates, sending them off into the light of the beacon. Different from yesterday, today she walked within the circle of light as well, closing her eyes as the three initiates were whisked away.
Vale watched as her peers stepped into the light of the beacon, disappearing from sight to face their trials. The remaining students spread out over the surrounding area. Half an hour to complete the challenge. Lot's of waiting before and after.
The tension mounted as the time progressed. After 20 minutes students started to cluster back around the beacon expecting the group to return any moment. Close to the half-hour mark, Master Thessaly suddenly opened her eyes.
"No talking to the finished groups, step back."
Immediately the first trio of initiates reappeared. Thessaly repeated her warning to them as well, and told them to go to their usual training areas. The trio looked content. And through some quick gestures it was relatively clear that they were successful, although not how.
The next group disappeared into the beacon a moment later. Vale stayed a few minutes, watching the beacon and Thessaly and noted that every once in a while she would actually open her eyes, check on the students before re-immersing herself. So the day progressed.
Finally, Vale's name was called, along with two others. She stepped forward, her heart pounding in her chest. This was her moment, her opportunity to prove not just to Master Thessaly, but to herself, that she could.