The evening sky over Zenith Academy glowed with amber hues, the twin moons beginning their ascent as the day of trials finally gave way to calm. The once chaotic plaza was now silent — its victors scattered across their new dorms, each corner of the Academy alive with whispers of awe and exhaustion.
For the first time since the Tower, peace settled over the one hundred survivors.
The Northern Crest Dorms
The floating citadel shimmered above the rest of the academy, a gleaming crown of white marble and glowing sigils. The Northern Crest—reserved for the top ten—was unlike anything most of them had ever seen. Hallways wove like veins of light; crystal doors recognized their owners with a soft chime.
Nox Vale stepped into his room and paused. The air smelled faintly of cedar and charged mana. The walls shimmered faintly with runes that responded to his presence, adapting the temperature and lighting to his rhythm. A wide glass wall overlooked the sprawling campus below, glowing with thousands of floating lanterns.
"...So this is it," he murmured. "The top."
When the bells tolled, a soft blue luminescence rippled across the academy, signaling the gathering hour. The cadets streamed toward the Great Dining Hall, a sprawling chamber with levitating tables, enchanted chandeliers, and windows that opened into the starlit sky.
At the highest table — long and elegantly curved — sat the Top Ten. Their seats had been marked by golden sigils, glowing faintly as they approached.
Nox took his seat second from the left, beside Raven and opposite Selene Aurelion.
Selene, dressed in the academy's deep-gray formal attire, exuded quiet grace. Her silvery hair caught the light like frost, and her calm eyes flickered with curiosity."So," she said softly, her tone polite but measured, "the boy from Eldenwood. I've heard your name quite a few times today."
"Mostly from people wondering how I got here," Nox replied, smiling lightly. "I'm still wondering the same thing myself."
Selene's lips curved faintly — not quite a smile, but close. "Humility suits you. Keep it."
Beside her, Lyra Fen watched in silence. Her posture was relaxed, but her eyes — sharp and analytical — flicked across everyone at the table like a hawk tracking prey. When Nox caught her gaze, she tilted her head slightly. "You think fast on your feet," she said. "The kind that survives longer than most."
"Or dies smarter," Nox said with a smirk.
That earned him a quiet laugh — rare and fleeting.
Across the table, Taren Voss lounged back in his seat, arms crossed, his family crest gleaming on his sleeve. "I still think the rankings are off," he said, voice loud enough for everyone to hear. "Raw strength isn't something you can measure through illusions and whispers."
Marric Draven, seated beside him, chuckled. "You lost fair and square, Taren. No thunder can strike what it can't see."
Taren shot him a glare, but Marric only grinned wider — beast-tamer confidence radiating effortlessly.
Between them, Kaelis Norrin sat motionless. Cloaked as always, his hood shadowed most of his face. The faint shimmer of his eyes hinted at something... otherworldly. He spoke little, eating quietly as if the conversations around him were distant echoes.
Raven leaned toward Nox, whispering, "Cloaked guy's creepy. Bet he doesn't even sleep."
Kaelis turned his head slightly. "I do," he said quietly. "When there's no reason to stay awake."
Raven blinked. "...Right. Totally normal."
A few chuckles rippled down the table. The tension eased, replaced by that tentative sense of belonging that only comes when shared hardship turns into shared destiny.
At another table, Eira Solcrest and Finn Ashvale talked animatedly about the trial strategies that had worked for them. Finn, still a little wide-eyed at being among the top hundred, kept shaking his head in disbelief."Feels strange, doesn't it? Being here after all that?"
Eira smiled softly. "Strange... and earned."
Liora Cendris, sitting nearby with her trademark warmth, raised her glass. "To surviving the impossible."
"Cheers to that," Marric added, clinking his cup with hers.
Across the hall, Marek of Stonevale and Jorin of Redleaf — new faces who had narrowly made it into the top ranks — traded light banter about their hometowns, their laughter grounding the hall's surreal splendor.
The meal that followed was unlike anything any of them had tasted — dishes that shimmered faintly with mana, fruits that glowed from within, and drinks that left a lingering warmth through the veins.
As conversations deepened, Nox found his gaze wandering. Around him sat heirs, prodigies, enigmas — each a story waiting to unfold.
Selene spoke quietly with Lyra and Liora, their discussion laced with gentle humor and glances of mutual respect.Taren and Marric argued over combat styles.Raven laughed too loudly at something Finn said, earning a teasing glare from Lyra.
For a moment, Nox simply sat back and let it all sink in — the noise, the warmth, the feeling of belonging to something far greater than himself.
"Hey, Vale," he said, standing abruptly. "I need to see your room. You've got the Platinum Dorms, right? Let's check it out."
Nox raised an eyebrow. "Now?"
"Of course! I've waited all day to see how the 'genius forest boy' lives," Raven said with a mischievous grin.
Lyra crossed her arms, smirking. "You really don't waste a minute, do you?"
Selene exhaled softly, amusement flickering across her face. "Fine… if everyone else wants to come."
Soon, the entire top group — Nox, Selene, Lyra, Raven, Taren, Kaelis, Eira, Finn, Liora, and Marric — followed Raven as he practically dragged Nox toward the Platinum Dorm wing. The night air was cool and crisp, carrying the faint scent of the academy gardens and shimmering streams of light that traced the walkways.
The Platinum Dorms rose before them like crystal sentinels. Sleek towers of pale stone and glowing runes pulsed faintly, adapting to the Aether of their inhabitants. Even from a distance, the dorms exuded a sense of majesty — a promise of power, comfort, and discipline.
Raven's eyes widened. "Wow… okay, this is actually insane."
Lyra ran a hand along the engraved doorway, reading the intricate patterns. "Aether-reactive architecture… adapts to your energy. Interesting."
Nox approached his assigned door — Dorm 01 — Nox Vale. He pressed a hand to the panel, and it opened with a soft chime.
Inside, the chamber was immaculate: glass walls overlooking the academy courtyard, a meditation circle at the center, crystal spheres pulsing with faint energy, and personalized furnishings attuned to Nox's rhythm.
Raven practically bounced in excitement. "Not bad! Not bad at all!"
Lyra tilted her head, surveying the space. "A training circle embedded in your room… clever."
Selene's gaze softened slightly, her expression unreadable. "It suits you. Calm, simple… yet practical."
Kaelis lingered silently near the doorway, studying the ambient energy, while Finn, Eira, and Liora marveled quietly at the size and design. Marric chuckled, "Not bad, Nox. I'd almost be jealous if I weren't in Platinum too."
Raven flopped onto the meditation circle. "I'm taking a nap here tonight. Hope you don't mind."
"Just don't break anything," Nox replied, his voice calm, but a small smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.
The group spent the next hour exploring the other Platinum suites, joking, teasing, and sharing observations. Even Kaelis, usually reserved, let slip a faint smile as he inspected his own chamber, intrigued by the strange resonance patterns.
As they finally gathered in Nox's dorm, the moonlight spilled across the polished floor, reflecting the faint hum of Aether energy. A sense of anticipation lingered — the Trials were over, the dorms were settled, but tomorrow awaited something far greater.
From the plaza below, Sarah Oroborus' voice echoed through the intercom:
"All first-year cadets — report to the Awakening Hall at dawn. Your true journey begins there."
Raven leaned against the wall, looking at Nox. "Dawn's going to come way too fast, forest boy."
Nox glanced toward the window, eyes calm, reflective. "Then we'll be ready. Whatever comes next… we face it together."
And as the first stars faded into the pre-dawn glow, the Top Ten remained in quiet camaraderie, unaware of the challenges their awakening would unleash.