They looked at him as if he were a strange coin with an unknown coat of arms. They were silent, as if waiting for him to say that he had gone the wrong way. Kalen stood in the center of the circle, feeling the warmth drain from his body, not from the cold, but from the gaze of these people.
"He needs a second scan," said one of the teachers, a man in a red-and-gold doublet with a crow-like face. "I've never seen a Shadow this weak, even in a renegade."
"That's awesome," Kalen thought. "I just got here, and they already want to write me off."
"The tattoo is unstable," said another, a woman with a dark eyepatch. "Weak resonance. Perhaps a false manifestation. Or a trace of a forbidden ritual."
Kalen shuddered. He knew it wasn't just a guess—they were sensing something.
"Get into the inspection circle," they commanded.
He was led to another circle. It was deeper, and it glowed with familiar symbols. Complex. Dangerous. In the center was a crystal that pulsed with life.
He stepped inside. And immediately felt something licking his consciousness from the inside. At first weakly. Then stronger. Something alien woke up. Slowly. Cold.
"It's starting," one of the teachers muttered.
The crystal lit up. A faint mist appeared in the center. It was black. It looked like smoke, but it didn't rise; it sank into the ground. Then it disappeared.
— Fixed. Element: Shadow. Category: Low level. Potential is unstable. Forecast — not suitable for combat.
"It's fucking simple." Kalen shrugged his shoulders. "I haven't even started yet, and I've already been sent down the wrong path."
They looked at him as if he were a strange coin with an unknown coat of arms. They were silent, as if waiting for him to say that he had gone the wrong way.
Kalen stood in the center of the circle and felt the warmth leaving his body, not from the cold, but from the eyes of these people.
"He needs a second scan," said one of the teachers, a man in a red-and-gold doublet with a crow-like face. "I've never seen a Shadow this weak, even in a renegade."
"Repeating won't change the result," said a woman with short gray hair, checking the crystal's records. "The level is unstable, but the mark is genuine. It's a Shadow. Just... on the verge of disappearing."
Kalen clenched his fists.
Worse — almost none.
Well, that's great. Just wonderful. He came from God knows where, got into some kid's body, went through a lot of moral shock, and now it turns out that his strength is a big joke.
"It's a mistake," he said hoarsely, more to himself than to her. "It must be..."
"There are no mistakes," the woman interrupted sharply. "The Circle of Truth does not make mistakes. If the mark is barely visible, it is because of its nature. Your level of power is extremely low. Even your initial flame is unstable."
"It's unstable because I've only just entered the circle," he said. "I don't have to know how it works. Give me some time."
The teachers exchanged glances.
"He's asking for time," the raven-like figure chuckled, making a note on his tablet. "Keep in mind, boy, the Noxpir Academy is not a nursery. We don't train empty-headed individuals."
"Fuck you," Kallen said through gritted teeth. Quietly, but loud enough to be heard.
Silence. Then one of the masters slowly turned to him. His gaze was heavy and reserved.
"Say that again?"
"I said, 'Fuck you,'" he said, looking him straight in the eye. "If you're only going to decide who's worthy and who's not based on numbers, then why are you even inviting anyone here? Have fun with the 'elite' until they're ready to bite your heads off."
The silence lasted too long. Kallen felt his heart pounding in his throat. He already regretted getting involved. But it was too late. There was no turning back.
"Impulsive," the woman said dryly. "That's another negative in your characterization. But it's also a potential positive. If you learn to control your tongue."
"Put him on the list of approved candidates," the crow-like man snapped his fingers. "Mark him as 'under observation.' If he doesn't show anything by September, he'll be excluded."
Kallen exhaled. He slowly stepped out of the circle, his back wet. He didn't care how they were looking. Let them watch. He would show them.
It was too neat for a student.
The bed was made up, the table was clean, the inkwell was full, and even the books on the shelf were arranged alphabetically.
He collapsed on the bed, face down. Then he turned over, staring at the ceiling.
"So, the Shadow... One of the rarest powers. And I have it on a minimal setting. Fuck."
He sat down, his head in his hands. Then he looked at his wrist.
There was still that tattoo. A black, charcoal-pure mark, as if burned into the skin. A faint, almost imperceptible glow pulsed somewhere beneath it.
It is there.
So there's a chance.
He stood up and walked over to the window. It was raining outside, which was unusual for July, but the rain was cool and gloomy.
July 13 is my birthday. In a week.
September 4 - start of training.
Today is July 7.
Two months. Two months to go from a dead student to at least someone who won't be kicked out immediately.
He chuckled.
"Okay. If I'm in this circus, I'm going to fight until I get out. I don't know who this Kallen was before, but now he's me, and I'm not giving up."
The shadow on his wrist flared up a little stronger. For a fraction of a second, and then it faded again.