The morning sun filtered through the stained-glass windows of the Academy's west tower, casting colored light across the polished stone floors. Students filtered in slowly, bags over shoulders, still adjusting to the rhythms of their new life.
But among them was someone new.
A quiet figure, dressed in the same uniform, stepped into the classroom just a few minutes early not so early as to draw attention, not late enough to be suspicious.
"Name?" Mickyle asked without looking up from the attendance chart.
"Ren Kael," the figure answered easily, voice neutral. Their dark brown eyes seemed unassuming, and their dull auburn hair looked carefully unremarkable. "Support and barrier specialization. Tier 7."
Mickyle paused briefly, eyes flickering up. There was a hum of scrutiny behind his stare, but then he nodded. "Sit."
Ren moved to a seat two rows behind Kian, placing their bag down silently. But behind those still eyes was calculation. Observation. Mission. They didn't need to make a move yet just watch the boy with the green lightning, the one the others whispered about. The prodigy. The threat.
Later Class Begins
Mickyle stood before the board, drawing strange diagrams in chalk overlapping waves and strange jagged circles.
"Resonance is the art of understanding the world," he said bluntly. "Not powering through it."
He tapped the diagram hard enough to crack chalk. "Every Tier past 8 is not just strength. It's synchronization your spirit and your power harmonizing with the flow of life, energy, and even death. You don't climb tiers by brute force. You resonate. You adapt."
Some students blinked. A few took notes. Kian, though… he watched with quiet intensity. The words meant something now. He could feel it.
"The world has its rhythm," Mickyle continued, turning to face them. "If you don't learn the beat… it will leave you behind."
After Class An Invitation to Rise
As students filed out, Mickyle remained by the door. He waited until Kian walked past, then spoke without turning:
"Stay."
Kian paused, exchanging a look with Nia. She nodded, silently letting him handle it. The classroom emptied until only the two of them remained.
Mickyle walked back to the window, hands clasped behind his back.
"You're still holding back."
Kian said nothing at first. He didn't know how to explain the weight inside him the chaos, the void, the electricity how it sometimes burned just to keep it all together.
"You don't need to explain," Mickyle said, voice calm now. "I've seen it before. That moment where your strength stops feeling like a gift and starts feeling like something alive inside you."
He turned.
"You're ready to resonate. Level 7 isn't just waiting it's calling to you."
Kian's eyes widened. "I… I haven't even"
"You've already started. You just haven't accepted it yet."
The teacher moved past him, brushing the door open.
"Start tonight. Find your stillness. Let your veins listen to the world. You'll know when it's time."
Kian stood there, stunned, as Mickyle walked away cloak sweeping behind him like a whisper.