The silence that followed the Trial was suffocating.
The golden glow that had once filled the Chamber of Silence now faded into dim light, leaving only the low hum of ancient runes vibrating beneath their feet. The air was heavy — not with chaos this time, but with unanswered questions.
Dante knelt in the center of the circle, his breathing shallow, his body trembling from exhaustion. His memories flickered in fragments — flashes of blue light, echoing voices, shadows that whispered his name — then nothing. His mind was a broken film reel, jumping between scenes that made no sense.
Rio took a step forward. "Professor Richard… is he going to be okay?"
Richard didn't reply immediately. His gaze remained fixed on Dante — not with anger, but with the sharp, analyzing focus of someone searching for something invisible.
Finally, he exhaled softly. "He's stable. For now."
Mia bit her lip, glancing at the faint scorch marks that still clung to the floor. "That… thing we saw — what was it?"
Richard looked up at her, his expression unreadable. "Something that shouldn't exist."
Mark chuckled quietly from the shadows. "Ah, the great lion admits uncertainty. How rare."
Richard ignored him. He stepped closer to Dante, lowering himself to one knee. His palm hovered a few inches above the boy's chest, feeling the faint pulse of energy still swirling inside him — dormant, but alive.
He frowned. It's still here. Even after the suppression.
Dante blinked weakly, his voice hoarse. "Wh… what did I do? What happened to me?"
"You don't need to remember that," Richard said softly, his tone almost kind. "Some truths are better left buried."
Dante's confusion deepened, but he was too weak to argue.
Mark stepped forward, his hands tucked lazily in his coat pockets. "So, what now, Richard? You've confirmed your little theory. You saw the storm beneath the skin. Will you tell the Headmaster?"
Richard shot him a cold look. "No."
Mark smirked. "As I thought. You want to keep this to yourself."
"The academy isn't ready to handle what's inside him," Richard replied. "Nor is he ready to know it."
Mark tilted his head, eyes glinting mischievously. "So… what will you do, then?"
Richard's hand began to glow faintly, golden threads of energy swirling between his fingers. "What I must."
Before anyone could speak, he placed his hand firmly on Dante's chest. The air rippled. The runes on the walls flashed once, then went dark.
Dante gasped sharply, his back arching as a surge of warmth and cold ran through his veins. It lasted only a second — then vanished.
Richard withdrew his hand, his expression calm again.
Rio rushed forward. "What did you just do to him?"
Richard stood slowly, brushing invisible dust from his coat. "I stabilized him."
That was all he said. But Mark, standing a few feet away, raised an eyebrow. A faint smile tugged at his lips.
"Ah," Mark murmured, "so that's your play — chains made of light."
Richard's golden eyes flicked toward him. "You saw nothing."
Mark shrugged casually. "Didn't say I did. But tell me, how long do you think a lock like that will last? Power like his isn't the kind that sleeps forever."
"I'll deal with it when the time comes," Richard replied.
"You mean when it breaks," Mark said with a knowing smirk.
Richard didn't answer. He turned toward the students, his tone shifting from commanding to almost gentle.
"The Trial is over. You're all dismissed. Go back to your dormitories and rest. What happened here stays between us."
The students exchanged confused glances.
"That's it?" Dabi asked. "No punishment? No detention? Nothing?"
Richard's face softened just enough to unsettle them. "You've already been punished — by the truth."
That statement left them silent.
Mark chuckled again, walking past them toward the exit. "Told you he's dramatic," he whispered to Dante with a wink before continuing.
Richard ignored him once more, gesturing toward the open gate. "Leave."
One by one, they filed out of the chamber, their footsteps echoing softly against the cold stone floor.
As Dante and Rio stepped through the doorway, Richard's voice called out behind them, low but firm.
"Dante."
He stopped and turned.
Richard looked at him for a long moment — not as a teacher looks at a student, but as a man looks at a loaded weapon he can't yet understand.
"Get some rest," Richard said finally. "You'll need it."
Dante nodded slowly, still unsure why his heart felt so heavy.
When the last of them left, the iron gate sealed itself shut with a low rumble. The faint golden light returned to Richard's eyes as he turned toward Mark, who leaned lazily against the far wall, arms crossed.
"You went further than I thought you would," Mark said. "That restriction you placed — I haven't seen that spell used since the old wars."
"It's the only way to contain something like that," Richard replied quietly. "If his power awakens again unchecked, this academy won't survive."
Mark hummed thoughtfully. "So you'll hide the storm and pretend it's gone."
"For now," Richard said.
Mark pushed himself off the wall and began walking toward the exit. "You know, Leo, secrets have a way of unraveling themselves. And when that boy's seal cracks… I hope you're ready to face what's inside."
Richard didn't respond. He only looked back at the glowing circle where Dante had stood and whispered under his breath, "For his sake, I hope it never does."
Then he extinguished the lights and followed Mark out into the dark corridor. It was already night time.
---
Back in the Dormitory
The academy dorms were unusually quiet this night. News of the disturbance had been suppressed, thanks to Richard's authority and the enchantments he placed across the campus. The sudden event that took place glued itself to their heads, especially the students who witnessed it. But the matter was resolved and they can be at ease -- thanks to sir Richard.
But for Dante and his friends, it was far from normal.
The group trudged down the hallway leading to the First-Year West Wing Dorms, still reeling from everything that had happened. The silence between them spoke louder than any words could.
Instead of them to go to their various rooms, they all went to Dante's room, though they know, no one bothered to talk. They were too drained, too confused.
Rio yawned and dropped face-first onto his bed. "I don't know what just happened," he muttered into his pillow, "but I'm never fighting in that hall again."
Lee chuckled weakly. "You said it." Then he collapsed on his own bed, already half-asleep.
Mia lied down the floor, her eyes partly closed. "He could've killed me," she whispered under her breath. "If that power was any stronger…"
Dabi glanced at her. "He didn't mean to. You saw his face — he wasn't even aware." he was on a chair near the window.
"I know," she said softly. "That's what scares me." completely closing her eyes.
Dante sat on the edge of his bed, staring down at his hands. They looked the same — human, ordinary — but he could still feel something pulsing faintly beneath his skin, like an echo of what had been unleashed.
His memories were a mess. Every time he tried to recall what happened, all he saw were flashes — his mother's voice, blue light, then darkness.
"What did Professor Richard do to me?" he muttered, rubbing his temples.
No one answered. Dabi had already fallen asleep in the chair near the window, even the others were fast asleep.
The dorm room was dim, lit only by the faint glow of the moon filtering through the blinds. Outside, the wind carried the quiet hum of the academy's nightly wards.
Dante exhaled and lay back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. His body ached, but it wasn't physical pain — it was something deeper, like a wound in his soul that wouldn't heal.
He closed his eyes, finally letting exhaustion take him.
But just as he was about to drift off, something flickered in front of his face.
A faint sound — like the chime of distant bells.
Then… light.
A transparent blue screen materialized before his eyes, floating inches above his face. Strange symbols danced across it before rearranging themselves into clear text.
Dante froze, his eyes widening as he read the words glowing on the screen.
> [CONGRATULATIONS, YOU HAVE ACTIVATED THE SYSTEM]
His heartbeat quickened.
> [USER: DANTE ALPHONSE]
[SYNCHRONIZATION: 2%]
[INITIALIZING…]
The light brightened, filling the room with a soft azure glow.
Dante sat up quickly, his pulse racing. "What… what is this?" he whispered.
But no one heard him. They were already deep asleep. The room was silent again — except for the faint hum of the glowing screen.
And as the letters on the display shifted, forming new words, Dante felt something awaken deep inside his chest — a pulse that felt both alien and familiar.
> [WELCOME, CHOSEN VESSEL.]
>[TO OPEN SYSTEM MENU SAY SYSTEM MENU]
The screen flickered once more — and vanished into thin air.
Dante stared at the empty air in front of him, his breath shaky. He could still feel the echo of the light, like a mark burned into his vision.
"What… just happened to me?"
But there was no answer — only the soft sound of the wind outside, and the faint shimmer of energy sleeping beneath his skin.