Days passed in silence as time pressed forward without pause. The autumn wind brushed against the skin, and beneath the golden sun, the moon was quietly answered – as if even the sky knew patience was required.
Xeris sat by the window, looking out.
Sunlight washed over his skin, warming it faintly. His eyes remained dark, unmoved, swallowing the light without reflection.
A month had passed since he last stepped into the village. His hair now hung low enough to partially cover his ears, a thin shadow settling over his eyes.
When he had returned that night, the guards hadn't stopped him. They hadn't questioned him. No mistakes had been made. No traces were left behind.
Even so, it had been too soon to go back.
Some things required patience.
He needed time to find a way to awaken his Aris.
And time for the guards to forget their caution – and begin longing for his return.
A knock sounded at Xeris's door.
He stood and opened it. Few words were exchanged before a stack of Crescents was handed over and a book returned in exchange. Moments later, the door closed again.
It was Bren.
Since his awakening, Bren had taken a far greater interest in his studies and continued to pay for access to the textbook Xeris now controlled, checking it out regularly.
Before long, another knock followed. The exact process was repeated, accompanied by a brief exchange.
Bren was not the only one. Xeris had gathered eight students in total who paid him weekly to borrow the textbook. He didn't charge based on how much each person actually used; instead, he charged for the maximum time they were allowed to keep it. Even if a student only needed the book for an hour, they still paid for the full allotted period they had agreed to, which, on average, was around forty-two hours per week.
Minutes later, another knock came. The third and final textbook was lent out, and Xeris accepted the payment before closing the door once more.
On the night he had slipped into the village, Xeris had spent a total of 71 Crescents: 15 to each guard, 40 on the blade, and a single Crescent offered as goodwill to the first shopkeeper.
To most students, 71 Crescents didn't sound like much. The reality was different. Students received an allowance of 100 Crescents each week, yet meals within the Institution were grossly overpriced. For those who failed to manage their funds properly, most of that allowance was taken right back.
Outside the Institution's walls, a single Crescent could buy a full meal for a family of four. That was why 15 Crescents carried such weight in the guards' minds.
Over the past month, Xeris had also spent 160 Crescents on Fenric's training, paying 40 each week.
He continued to live frugally, never spending more than necessary. His weekly food costs averaged 35 Crescents. For most students, that number was closer to 60 – sometimes more. Many didn't see money as a resource at all, treating it as little more than a means to eat, and indulging without restraint.
Including food, Xeris's total expenses for the month came to 371 Crescents.
Before those costs, after receiving the 500 Crescents compensation for Kaelric's attack, his total had stood at 740. After subtracting his expenses, he was left with 369 Crescents.
Xeris closed his eyes, and a faint smile crossed his lips.
Over the same month, he had earned 940 Crescents through textbook lending alone. That brought his total funds to 1,309 Crescents.
Securing the additional textbooks had paid off; the trouble he went through to obtain them had been worth it.
A fourth knock sounded at his door. Xeris's eyes opened slowly, his gaze settling on the doorway with quiet interest.
When he opened it, he was met by an intense stare – sharp, unwavering. Saela stood before him, staring up, meeting his gaze.
Xeris looked at her with indifference. A moment passed before he spoke.
"Why are you here?"
Saela didn't waver.
"We have things to discuss, do we not?" Her gaze slid past him, briefly surveying the room beyond.
She stepped closer.
"Are you going to invite me in, or not?"
Xeris paused, then stepped aside, allowing her to pass.
Saela entered and turned, waiting as he closed the door behind him.
"You're welcome to take the bed or the chair," Xeris said. "Either is fine."
"I'll stand," Saela replied, dismissing the offer outright.
Xeris took a seat at his desk.
Not accepting either option. Interesting.
Saela opened the conversation by laying out her intent in careful detail, clarifying the reasons behind the alliance Xeris had proposed. Xeris addressed each concern in turn – assuring when needed, probing where he sensed hesitation, and persuading only when it mattered.
After a time, Saela let out a slow breath.
"If that's the case," she said quietly, "then yes. I'm willing to work with you."
She moved to sit on the edge of his bed.
It was only then that Saela seemed to notice his room. Her eyes moved quickly, taking in the space around her.
Interesting, Xeris thought. She had set clear conditions for this meeting, and in her focus on meeting them, she'd shut out everything else.
Her gaze halted at the shelf beside his desk. Her eyes widened.
She stood abruptly.
"How do you have so many Crescents?!" she asked, shock slipping into her voice.
The bag she was staring at didn't even contain half of what Xeris possessed.
"This?" Xeris gestured toward it. "Compensation."
"Compensation?" She looked at him, confused.
Xeris smiled faintly. "When Kaelric attacked me. He used a Myr – so the Institution compensated me."
Saela quickly composed herself, sitting back down.
"I didn't realize fighting resulted in compensation," she said, then paused. "Is it all fighting, or only when Myr are involved?"
"Fighting is permitted," Xeris replied. "They draw the line at Myr."
Saela nodded slowly, absorbing the implication.
She was about to speak again when a voice echoed throughout the Institution.
"All students, please report to the East Gate courtyard. Attendance is mandatory."
The announcement repeated once more – then the air fell quiet.
Xeris rose slowly and headed for the door.
Saela pushed herself up from the bed and followed close behind as they left his room.
Across the Institution, students poured into the corridors in response to the announcement – some calm, others hurrying ahead, eager to beat the growing crowd.
"Why do you think they're calling us?" Saela asked.
Xeris did not hurry. The urgency driving the others forward had no hold on him.
His gaze remained unfocused as he walked, eyes fixed on nothing in particular.
"Why would I know the answer to that?" he said.
Saela's eyes narrowed as she looked at him.
"You seem to know things I don't," she replied evenly. "I thought it was reasonable to ask."
She glanced at him once more, finding him difficult to read.
They stopped together within the crowd.
At the front, Director Eldric stood before the assembled students, his voice carrying easily across the courtyard.
"Students of Halcyon. Today marks the beginning of your third month at this Institution. In that time, some of you have successfully awakened and aligned with one of the Two Great Currents. Most of you, however, have not yet awakened your Aris."
He paused briefly.
"That is acceptable. There is still time. In the coming month, many of you will undergo alignment."
A ripple of excitement spread through the crowd. After weeks of study and anticipation, the promise of real power was impossible to ignore.
Off to one side, Kaelric stood apart, arms crossed, a faint scoff on his lips as he looked down on the others.
Xeris and Saela remained still among the crowd, standing shoulder to shoulder. Despite everything, they shared the same thought.
I need to awaken.
The Director continued.
"As a reminder, at the end of this month, any student who has failed to awaken their Aris will be transferred to another institution."
Silence swept through the courtyard.
Director Eldric smiled faintly.
"Now listen closely. All students who have successfully awakened their Aris, please step forward and gather here, on this side of the courtyard. The rest of you may remain where you are."
Xeris and Saela watched as roughly 40 students broke from the crowd to join the Director. Kaelric, unsurprisingly, was among them.
Those who remained numbered around 360.
Xeris did the math without effort. 660 students had initially been sent to Halcyon's second Institution. At least 260 had already been discarded.
A sharp clap cut through the murmurs.
"These students," the Director said, gesturing to the awakened group, "will now be permitted to choose their first Myr."
He turned back toward the larger crowd.
"There are additional changes. For those who have awakened, your class schedules will be revised. Previous lectures will be removed and replaced with instructions focused on the path of cultivation. Academic studies will now be handled on your own time. Your training will be hands-on."
He paused, drawing in a slow breath.
"As for the rest of you – your classes are suspended. You will attend no lectures until you awaken your Aris."
A beat.
"That said, one new non-cultivation course will be mandatory for all students. Close Combat, taught by Instructor Fenric. That is all, you are dismissed."
Saela stood rigid, her expression dark. The announcement had caught her completely off guard – far outside anything she had anticipated.
Her thoughts raced as she tried to process it all. Her focus broke when she noticed Xeris turning away, his expression unchanged as he began to leave.
She quickly moved to his side again.
Xeris, however, felt the pressure settling in. The situation itself wasn't unexpected – but he had hoped to be further along by now. As things stood, he was no closer to awakening than the day he had arrived.
Classes are suspended. Aside from Fenric's close combat training, there's nothing left, he considered. That means I won't need to keep paying him. And with lectures canceled… I'll have more opportunities to return to the village.
They turned a corner.
If I can't make progress soon, I'll need to plan an escape.
"Xeris," Saela called.
He stopped and turned, meeting her gaze.
Her eyes were steady as ever, but the tension beneath them was apparent.
"Do you have a plan?" she asked quietly. "For how you're going to awaken?"
Xeris answered evenly.
"No."
Disappointment flickered across her face. She nodded once and turned away.
It was true – he didn't have a single plan set in stone. But he did have options, many of them.
Let her sit with this for a few days, he thought. When the moment's right, I'll point her in the direction I want.
A faint smile touched his lips.
The coming weeks would be interesting.