The orders arrived sealed.
Not by messenger.Not by announcement.
They appeared simultaneously across every registered slate, crystal panel, and secured relay within the academy—each marked with the same symbol.
The Council's authority seal.
No signatures.No explanations.
Just destinations.
OFFICIAL DEPLOYMENT NOTICE
EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY
Tier Alpha Personnel — Active Stabilization ZonesTier Beta Personnel — Forward Support & ContainmentTier Gamma Personnel — Pending Special Review
Compliance expected.Delays will be recorded.
The academy changed in minutes.
Instructors stopped teaching.Students packed silently.Hallways filled with movement that felt rehearsed but wasn't.
People read their assignments twice.
Some smiled—relief disguised as pride.Some went pale.Some said nothing at all.
Earth — Gaiath Assignment
Brann read his order once.
Then folded it neatly.
DESTINATION:Northern Defensive LineROLE: Barrier Stabilization / Civilian Hold Zones
Frontline.
Where retreat was someone else's problem.
He exhaled slowly.
"Figures," he murmured.
An instructor clapped a hand on his shoulder. "They need you."
Brann didn't reply.
Need and survival were not the same thing.
Water — Aquelis Assignment
Irian's slate glowed faintly as he read.
DESTINATION:Central Coalition OperationsROLE: Tactical Adaptation & Resource Coordination
Far from fire.
Close to decisions.
He stared at the wording.
Coordination.Liaison.Temporary.
The most dangerous word was implied, not written.
Replaceable.
Wind — Zephra Assignment
Seris laughed when she saw hers.
Not because it was funny.
DESTINATION:Eastern Recon CorridorROLE: Independent Mobility Unit
Independent.
Which meant unprotected.
"Typical," she said lightly, tucking the slate away."They want me fast, quiet, and gone."
An instructor frowned. "You should be proud."
Seris shrugged.
"Pride doesn't come with extraction."
Lightning — Vaelrion Status
Kurogane's slate did not light up.
That was the first warning.
After several seconds, a delayed message appeared—shorter than all others.
STATUS: Tier GammaASSIGNMENT:WithheldRESTRICTION: Do not engage without direct authorization
No destination.
No role.
Just limitation.
Raishin stared at it over Kurogane's shoulder.
"They want you frozen," he said.
"They want me idle," Kurogane replied.
"That's worse."
Behind Closed Doors
In the inner chamber, voices rose.
"He can't be deployed!"
"He can't be left unassigned!"
Akihiko slammed his palm against the table. "He is a liability."
Masako didn't flinch.
"He's a variable," she said. "And variables decide wars."
Valen looked uneasy. "If we don't move him, others will."
Akihiko's eyes hardened. "Then we control the timing."
Departures
Convoys began assembling before nightfall.
Earth units moved first—heavy transports, reinforced hulls.
Wind teams followed—light frames, flexible routing.
Water departed last—quiet, administrative, unnoticed.
The academy emptied unevenly.
What remained felt wrong.
Too quiet.
The One Who Didn't Move
Kurogane stood on the same terrace as before, watching the lights below flicker as transports departed.
"They sent everyone away," he said.
Raishin nodded. "Except you."
"They think that's containment."
Raishin looked at him carefully.
"And what do you think?"
Kurogane folded the slate and slipped it into his coat.
"I think," he said calmly,"they just gave me time."
Somewhere deep within sealed systems, a new flag registered:
Tier Gamma Subject — Monitoring Escalated
But no one noticed something else.
For the first time since the Evaluation began,Kurogane had not been told where to go.
And that meant the next move—
wasn't the Council's.