The Academy's mission hall was buzzing with chatter when Edran and Freya stepped inside. A few students turned to stare at them...knowing that the mission they took wasn't an easy one — so news of their survival had spread quickly.
At the counter, an instructor glanced over their battered forms, then checked the quest token."Verification complete," he said, his voice carried no emotion but there was admiration in his eyes.
Edran was already thinking about how to stretch the stones for his cultivation needs. But before Freya could take hers, she pushed it toward him saying "You need this more than me" but Edran frowned and refused. But she insisted telling him "It's because of you I could make it back a back.....so consider this an investment
Her tone was casual, but her eyes lingered on him for a heartbeat longer than necessary. She said nothing about what she had seen during the fight — the dragon-shaped surge of power that had saved them both. And Edran, for his part, didn't offer an explanation.
As they left the hall, the unspoken secret hung between them like a fragile thread.
So...Edran went into his Dorm.
The door to Edran's small dorm room shut with a soft click. The muffled noise of the Academy faded, replaced by the peace and quiet of his own space. He dropped onto the edge of his bed, loosening the straps of his pack before pulling out the two heavy cloth bags.
The weight of two hundred low-grade spirit stones was almost intoxicating. He untied the first pouch and let a handful spill into his palm — each one gleaming faintly with spiritual light, a tangible promise of progress.
For most students, this amount could fund weeks, maybe months, of steady cultivation. For him… it might be enough to finally push past his current bottleneck.
But his mind wasn't only on the stones.It was on Freya's silence.
She had seen it. She must have. That surge of ancient power, the draconic energy that had nearly torn the air apart — there was no way she could have mistaken it for ordinary spiritual force. And yet… she hadn't asked. She hadn't even looked at him differently.
That troubled him more than any interrogation would have.
Edran (thinking): "Why give me everything? And why pretend you didn't notice?"
He closed his fist around the stones, the faint warmth of spiritual energy bleeding into his skin. One thing was certain — he couldn't afford to grow complacent or slack off.....his brother must have probably received news of this....he suspected. Secrets had a way of surfacing, and when this one did, it could change everything.
Outside, the Academy bell tolled, signaling the start of evening lectures. Edran tied the pouches securely, sliding them into his pack. For now, he would cultivate in silence… and watch Freya just as closely as she was watching him.
Edran was about enter the hall for his first class.... but before he could even turn toward the doors, a ripple of unfamiliar pressure swept through the room. It was not hostile — but it carried authority.
Conversations died mid-sentence. Students and clerks alike turned toward the entrance.
A woman stepped inside.
Her dark crimson robes bore the golden crest of the Veylan Imperial Household, their threads shimmering faintly with protective inscriptions and her presence commanded attention. Her hair, black as obsidian— a silent declaration that she was not just a noblewoman, but a cultivator of no small ability.
Selene Veylan. His elder sister.
Her eyes found him instantly, as if she had been following his qi signature from a mile away. No warmth. No smile. Just a slow, assessing sweep of his figure that made the back of his neck prickle.
She called out: "Little brother."
The title sounded like a test rather than a greeting.
She strode toward him, her boots despite touching the ground made no sound. Those nearby quickly pretended to busy themselves with scrolls or stepped aside entirely; no one wanted to be caught between two members of the imperial bloodline.
Selene said "I heard you took a mission into the Shattered Vale in Caer'. Edran not surprised that she know about it....becuae he knows that news travel fast especially one involving a royal member.
But Selene wasn't going to let it go like that....said "Not fast enough for me. I only arrived an hour ago from the capital. Imagine my surprise when I learned you returned alive from a place that devours Core cultivators."
Her gaze sharpened, pinning him like a sword point.
She continued asking Edra to tell her what exactly happened in there Tell me.
The fading sun painted the jade tiles in streaks of orange and a bit greenish.
Selene had not given him a choice — she simply motioned for him to follow, her stride measured but unyielding.
Freya hesitated at the hall's entrance, clearly intending to leave, but Edran caught her glance and gave a barely perceptible nod. She stayed, trailing them from a distance.
Selene led him to one of the secluded meditation pavilions reserved for high-ranking guests. A shimmering qi barrier snapped into place the moment they entered, muting the outside world.
She stood at the center, arms crossed and said "You were never a threat to Alaric or Darius before. Now… you're on everyone's lips. The Academy tournament, the mission… you've gone from a shadow to a beacon - a light that stands out. Do you understand what that means?"
Edran said mockingly "It means That I've finally proven myself?"
But Selene said telling him that he had painted a target on his back
She took a step closer, lowering her voice saying "The Shattered Vale's Wraiths don't fall to mid-Foundation cultivators, not even prodigies. I've fought them myself. You used something, Edran. Something you shouldn't have."
His jaw tightened.
But Edran not wanting to admit it said that he survived. That's all she needs to know.
Her eyes narrowed — the faint flicker of golden light in her pupils betraying the activation of a perception technique.
"Dragon Vein." she said.
The words landed like a thunder clap in the sky. Edran's hands clenched at his sides.
"You have no proof." he said.
But Selene said "I don't need proof. I felt it. And if I can, others can too. Do you know what the nobles would do for a single drop of Dragon Vein blood? They'd gut you in your sleep and sell your bones to alchemists."
The term Alchemists.....not known to many...cause they've hidden themselves deeply from the public. Only known by same nobles.
For a moment, silence hung between them — only broken by the faint hum of the qi barrier erected around them. Outside, hidden in the shadow of a fig tree, Freya's eyes widened. She didn't know what the Dragon Vein was… but now she knew it was dangerous.
Selene finally exhaled, her expression softening just enough to look almost sisterly telling him to keep his head down. The capital is already a cauldron about to boil over… and Alaric or Darus aren't the only ones watching you."
She deactivated the barrier with a wave, the pavilion returning to the quiet murmur of the courtyard beyond.
Before she stepped out she said "I'll be staying in the city for a few days. If trouble finds you, come to me first. If you vanish without a trace, Mother will never forgive me."
Without waiting for his reply, she turned and left, her robes trailing behind her like a bridal gown.
Edran stood there for a long moment, his mind a storm.
From the shadows, Freya stepped forward, her voice calm but heavy with unspoken meaning. "Dragon Vein, huh? I told you I wouldn't ask… but it looks like others already are."