The moment the silver pulse faded, the instructors noticed.
The glyphs lining the ring edge—subtle, buried under the dirt—flared blue. Not red. Not white. Blue meant unknown resonance.
Two instructors stepped forward.
One of them was Master Dael—the oldest elemental tactician on staff. Earth-worn boots. Hair tied back in three silver coils. His eyes locked instantly on Zephryn.
"Which Veilmark did you just activate?"
Zephryn said nothing.
Yolti stepped forward. "It wasn't intentional. It triggered mid-form."
"Veilmarks don't trigger themselves," Dael said.
"Not unless they're unstable."
Selka didn't flinch.
"He's not unstable. He's remembering."
Dael blinked at her.
Paused. Then turned back to Zephryn.
"The scan showed no traceable glyph lineage. That shouldn't be possible."
Zephryn finally spoke.
"Then maybe the scan was the problem."
Behind the instructors, a new voice rang out.
High. Confident. Laced with friction.
"Or maybe he's just not one of us."
They turned.
Three figures approached—Recon Squad—flanked by Medic support.
At the front: Riko, the Stone-bound Anchor. Cloaked in training gear, pulsebands flexed. He cracked his knuckles like stone warming under pressure.
"What's the point of letting him train with us if he doesn't even know what mark he's carrying?"
To his left, Vel—short-range Void disruptor. Cloaked in shadows. Silent.
To his right, Zenn, the Wind Tracker. Hair like wire, smirk too clean to be casual.
"I've seen that glyph before," Zenn said. "But not in any Lyceum scroll."
Riko stepped forward.
"We're not looking for ghosts here. We're looking for soldiers."
Kaelen stepped beside Zephryn. "You're not going to touch him."
Riko didn't blink.
"Didn't say I would."
He threw a pulse blade.
Straight at Zephryn's chest.
It didn't hit.
A stone wall erupted mid-air—Kaelen's Veilmark flared faster than the eye could register.
Riko grinned. "Didn't mean to. Just slipped."
Selka stepped between them.
Her eyes narrowed.
Not angry. Not explosive.
Just focused.
Her voice didn't rise.
But the training grounds fell silent anyway.
"Try it again… and I'll shatter your glyph myself."
The instructors didn't move.
Because they knew.
Selka didn't bluff.
Riko looked at her. Then at Zephryn.
Then backed off.
"I'm watching you, Silver Flame."
Zephryn's eyes didn't leave his.
"Then learn how to see."