Roma's smile was fixed in place as she prepared to continue her explanation.
"Now! The fun part! We're going to discover which school you belong to—"
She stopped.
Mid-word.
Her eyes went wide.
At the front of the gathered children, Princess Diana and her brother stood together as they had throughout the entire journey.
Regal. Composed. Unshakable.
And then—
They weren't.
No flash of light.
No dramatic spell effect.
No warning whatsoever.
One moment, the royal siblings of House Koga were present.
The next, the space they occupied was simply... empty.
As if they had been erased from reality.
Silence fell across the massive hall.
A thousand children stared at the empty space where royalty had stood seconds before.
Then—
Chaos.
"What happened?!"
"Where did they go?!"
"Did someone take them?!"
"Are we safe?!"
Panic rippled through the crowd like a wave.
Roma's cheerful expression cracked.
For the first time since Ethan had met her, the wizard apprentice looked genuinely shocked.
Her mouth opened. Closed. Opened again.
"That's... that's not supposed to happen during—"
She cut herself off, her eyes darting around the hall as if searching for an explanation written on the walls.
[ANALYZING DISAPPEARANCE EVENT... DETECTING RESIDUAL SPATIAL DISTORTION. CLASSIFICATION: FORCED TELEPORTATION. ORIGIN POINT: EXTERNAL TO THIS LOCATION. POWER LEVEL: EXTREME.]
Someone took them.
Someone powerful enough to reach into this space and pull them out without Roma even sensing it coming.
Roma's face hardened.
Whatever shock she felt was quickly buried beneath professional composure.
She clapped her hands together sharply—the sound echoing like a thunderclap through the hall.
"QUIET!"
The panic subsided immediately.
Roma's voice carried absolute authority now, all traces of her usual cheerful tone stripped away.
"What you just witnessed is not part of the standard testing procedure. However, it is also not a cause for alarm. The Princess and Prince of House Koga have been... summoned. By parties with appropriate authority."
She didn't sound entirely convinced of her own words.
"The testing will continue as planned. Everyone, form orderly lines! NOW!"
Children scrambled to obey.
Ethan found himself swept along with the crowd, his mind racing.
Diana and her brother were taken.
By someone who could bypass whatever protections this place has.
By someone Roma didn't expect.
Who has that kind of power?
Yama appeared beside him, his silver eyes troubled.
"That was a Dean-level spell," he whispered. "Maybe higher. Only someone at the very top of the wizard hierarchy could do that."
"Which Dean?"
"I don't know. But whoever it was... they wanted the Koga siblings specifically."
The royal family with rumored wizard ancestry.
Of course they'd be special interest.
Servants had appeared—dozens of them, emerging from doorways that definitely hadn't existed moments before.
They began organizing the chaos, dividing children into groups, directing them toward different sections of the hall.
Roma stood on her platform, watching everything with sharp eyes that missed nothing.
Her cheerful mask was back in place, but Ethan could see the tension in her shoulders.
She's worried.
Which means whatever just happened, even the wizards didn't plan for it.
[OBSERVATION: POLITICAL SITUATION MORE COMPLEX THAN INITIALLY ASSESSED. MULTIPLE FACTIONS WITH COMPETING INTERESTS CONFIRMED.]
"Groups of twenty!" a servant called. "Follow your assigned guide! Testing will be conducted in private chambers!"
Ethan found himself herded with nineteen other children—none from his original group—toward a side corridor.
He glanced back, searching for Yama.
Found him three groups over, already being led in a different direction.
Their eyes met.
Yama nodded once—Stay safe—and disappeared through a doorway.
Alone again.
The corridor was long and lined with identical doors.
Smooth stone walls. No decorations. No windows.
Just door after door after door.
Their guide—a middle-aged woman in gray robes—walked with brisk efficiency.
"You will each be tested individually," she said without looking back. "The process is painless but thorough. Answer honestly, stand where instructed, and do not attempt to resist the magic. Resistance will be noted and will reflect poorly on your evaluation."
She stopped at a door marked with a symbol Ethan couldn't read.
"You. Inside."
She pointed at a girl who couldn't have been more than eleven.
The girl swallowed nervously and entered.
The door closed behind her with a soft click.
They waited.
Five minutes passed.
Ten.
The door opened.
The girl emerged, looking dazed but unharmed. She held a small piece of paper in her hand.
"Next room down," the guide said. "Wait there for further instructions."
The girl nodded and walked away on unsteady legs.
"Next!"
One by one, children entered and emerged.
Some looked excited. Some looked disappointed. One boy came out crying.
Each held a paper.
Each was directed to a different waiting area.
The line grew shorter.
[OBSERVATION: TESTING APPEARS NON-HARMFUL. SUBJECTS EMERGE CONSCIOUS AND MOBILE. PAPERS LIKELY CONTAIN RESULTS OR ASSIGNMENTS.]
Ethan's turn came.
"You. Inside."
He stepped through the doorway.
The room was circular.
Perhaps ten meters across.
The walls were smooth stone, completely bare.
No furniture except a single chair in the corner.
And on the floor—
Five circles.
Each perhaps two meters in diameter, drawn in what looked like silver ink that glowed faintly.
They were arranged in a pattern—four circles forming a square, with the fifth in the exact center.
[ANALYZING GEOMETRIC PATTERN... DETECTING ACTIVE MAGICAL ENERGY. CIRCLES APPEAR TO BE SOME FORM OF DIAGNOSTIC ARRAY.]
In the chair sat an old man.
Ancient, really.
Perhaps eighty years old, with skin like weathered leather and hair so white it was almost translucent.
He wore simple brown robes and regarded Ethan with eyes that were surprisingly sharp despite his age.
"Stand in the center circle," he said. His voice was soft but clear.
Not a request.
A command.
Ethan hesitated.
The necklace is supposed to hide my otherworldly energy.
Yama said it worked for his grandmother.
But this is a direct magical test.
What if it's not enough?
[RECOMMENDATION: COMPLIANCE. REFUSAL WILL DRAW MORE SUSPICION THAN PARTICIPATION. NECKLACE APPEARS TO REMAIN FUNCTIONAL—NO ACTIVE SCANS DETECTED PENETRATING ITS PROTECTIVE FIELD.]
Here goes nothing.
Ethan walked to the center circle.
Stood in its middle.
The moment both his feet were inside, something changed.
The silver lines began to glow brighter.
Not gradually. Instantly.
All five circles blazing with light that cast sharp shadows across the walls.
Ethan's hand instinctively went to his dagger—
"Don't move," the old man said calmly. "The test has begun."
The circles started to flicker.
On. Off. On. Off.
But not in unison.
Random patterns. Chaotic.
The circle to Ethan's left vanished—its glow extinguishing completely.
Then returned.
The circle behind him disappeared.
Returned.
Two circles at once—gone, then back.
All four outer circles vanished, leaving only the center one glowing.
Then they all returned.
[DETECTING COMPLEX MAGICAL ENERGY FLUCTUATIONS. ATTEMPTING TO ANALYZE PATTERN... ANALYSIS INCOMPLETE. APPEARS TO BE TESTING HOST'S INTERACTION WITH DIFFERENT ENERGY FREQUENCIES.]
Ethan stood perfectly still.
His heart pounded.
What is this measuring?
Can it see through the necklace?
Can it detect the nanobots?
The old man leaned forward slightly, his eyes narrowing with interest.
The pattern changed.
Faster now.
Circles disappearing and reappearing in rapid succession.
Flash-flash-flash-flash—
Like a strobe light.
Ethan's enhanced vision tracked every change, every fluctuation in the light.
And then—
All five circles vanished simultaneously.
Complete darkness.
For exactly three heartbeats.
Then they all blazed back to life so bright Ethan had to squint.
The old man smiled.
It was not a comforting expression.
"Interesting," he murmured.
Ethan's blood ran cold.
No.
No, that's not good.
"Interesting" is never good.
He saw something.
He knows.
[ALERT: SUBJECT DISPLAYING HEIGHTENED INTEREST. POSSIBLE DETECTION OF ANOMALIES. RECOMMEND PREPARING EVASIVE ACTION.]
The old man stood.
Slowly. Carefully.
His joints creaked audibly.
He walked toward Ethan with measured steps.
Fight or run.
Those are my options.
If he tries to restrain me, if he calls for help—
I go for the dagger. Disable him. Get out of this room.
Find Yama. Find an exit. Get as far from this place as possible.
Ethan's muscles tensed.
His hand moved fractionally closer to the dagger's hilt.
The old man reached into his robes—
And pulled out a piece of paper.
Small. Cream-colored. Covered in symbols Ethan couldn't read.
He held it out.
"Your results," the old man said simply.
Ethan stared at the paper.
That's... it?
Just a paper?
Not restraints, not guards, not an alarm?
Slowly, carefully, he took it.
The symbols meant nothing to him.
[DETECTING WRITTEN LANGUAGE. ATTEMPTING TRANSLATION... ERROR: INSUFFICIENT DATA. WRITTEN SAMBALAN/TERAN LANGUAGE NOT PRESENT IN DATABASE. VISUAL RECOGNITION INSUFFICIENT FOR TRANSLATION.]
Of course NEXUS can't read it.
We only learned spoken language from listening to people.
Written text is completely different.
"You may go," the old man said, returning to his chair. "Report to the central hall with your results."
He settled back into his seat, already dismissing Ethan from his attention.
Ethan didn't need to be told twice.
He walked to the door, forcing himself not to run.
Opened it.
Stepped through.
The door closed behind him with a soft click.
He stood in the corridor, breathing hard, his hands shaking slightly.
I'm not caught.
Whatever he saw—whatever made him say "interesting"—he either doesn't care or doesn't understand what it means.
Or he's reporting it to someone else right now.
[ASSESSMENT: IMMEDIATE THREAT LEVEL REDUCED. HOWEVER, ANOMALOUS READING LIKELY RECORDED. RECOMMEND MAINTAINING VIGILANCE.]
The guide appeared.
"Results?" she asked briskly.
Ethan held up the paper.
She glanced at it, her eyebrows rising slightly.
"Hmm. Central hall, section three. Follow the blue markers."
She pointed down the corridor where small blue lights had appeared on the walls, forming a path.
Ethan followed them.
The central hall was organized chaos.
Hundreds of children clustered in different sections, comparing papers, talking excitedly or nervously.
Servants moved through the crowd, directing traffic, answering questions.
And at the front, on her raised platform, Roma surveyed everything with sharp eyes.
Ethan made his way toward her.
She was his only connection here. His only anchor in this strange place.
And more importantly—she could read whatever was written on this paper.
Roma's eyes sparkled with amusement.
"Space-type elemental affinity! And not just a little bit—a substantial quantity. Very rare, little kitten. Very rare indeed!"
She looked at him with new appraisal.
"Space magic is... complicated. Difficult to control. Dangerous when mishandled. But incredibly powerful when mastered."
Ethan's mind raced.
Space affinity?
How is that possible?
[ANALYSIS: CORRELATION DETECTED. WORMHOLE TRANSIT EXPOSED HOST TO EXTREME SPATIAL DISTORTION. MUTATION PROCESS OCCURRED DURING RECOVERY FROM DIMENSIONAL STRESS. HYPOTHESIS: WORMHOLE RADIATION + MUTATION MAY HAVE FUNDAMENTALLY ALTERED HOST'S INTERACTION WITH SPATIAL DIMENSIONS.]
The wormhole.
The mutation.
They didn't just change my brain—they changed how I relate to space itself.
I actually have magic affinity. Real affinity.
This isn't the test misreading the nanobots.
This is what I became when I crossed between worlds.
"With this result," Roma continued, "you're qualified to join the School of All. Dean Randoll's school specializes in space, time, probability—all the esoteric studies."
She smiled. "Congratulations! The School of All rarely accepts students. This is quite an honor!"
Ethan's mind raced.
School of All.
That's not where I need to be.
I need the School of Runes.
I need access to Victor.
I need to be where the beacon is.
"Senior Roma," Ethan said carefully. "I... I would prefer to join the School of Runes."
Roma blinked. "What? But you have space affinity! You'd be wasted in the School of Runes—that's creature study, rune magic, completely different discipline!"
"I know. But..." Ethan looked down, putting on his best impression of a hopeful student. "I want to follow in your footsteps, Senior Roma. You've kept us safe since the Wall. You defeated the Frost Wolves with a gesture. You command respect from everyone."
He looked up, meeting her eyes.
"I want to learn from your school. Learn to be like you."
It was manipulation.
Pure and simple.
Appeal to her ego. Offer admiration. Make her feel valued.
And it worked.
Roma's expression softened.
"Oh, little kitten..." She looked genuinely touched. "That's very sweet. But you should know—the School of Runes is harsh. We work with dangerous creatures. We study patterns that can drive you mad if you're not careful. And Dean Victor..."
She hesitated.
"...Dean Victor is not a gentle teacher."
"I understand," Ethan said. "I still want to try."
Roma studied him for a long moment.
Then she smiled—a real smile, without the usual cheerful mask.
"You know what? I like your spirit. And technically, the testing only recommends a school. The final choice is yours."
She pulled out a different piece of paper and wrote something on it with a pen that appeared in her hand from nowhere.
"Here. This authorizes your placement in the School of Runes. Welcome to my school, little kitten."
She handed him the paper.
"Try not to get eaten by anything too important."
Ethan took the paper, relief flooding through him.
I'm in.
I'm in Victor's school.
One step closer to the beacon.
"Thank you, Senior Roma. I won't let you down."
"See that you don't!" She ruffled his hair affectionately. "Now go join the others in section seven—that's where we're gathering the Rune students."
Ethan bowed slightly and headed toward section seven.
[OBJECTIVE ACHIEVED: PLACEMENT IN SCHOOL OF RUNES SECURED. PROXIMITY TO DEAN VICTOR AND BEACON: SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED.]
Step one complete.
Now I just have to survive long enough to find where Victor keeps his valuable artifacts.
In a school full of dangerous creatures and pattern magic that can drive you insane.
Simple.
Meanwhile—The Old Castle
Simultaneous with Testing
Diana's world lurched.
One moment she was standing in the testing hall, surrounded by a thousand children.
The next—
Stone walls.
Cold air.
The smell of ancient dust and something else. Something that made her royal training scream warnings.
Danger.
She spun, her hand moving to summon her blade of light—
"Diana." Her brother's voice, tight with tension. "Don't."
The Prince stood beside her, his sword already half-drawn.
But he wasn't looking at a threat.
He was looking at their surroundings.
And his face had gone pale.
They were in a castle.
An old one.
Not old like the palace in Kolar—old like something from before kingdoms existed.
The walls were dark stone, so ancient they seemed to absorb light rather than reflect it. No torches. No windows. Just a dim illumination that seemed to come from the stones themselves.
And directly in front of them—
A painting.
Massive. Easily four meters tall.
It depicted a man in black robes, standing atop a mountain of corpses. His face was beautiful. Terrible. His eyes seemed to follow the viewer no matter where they stood.
And beneath the painting, written in script so old Diana could barely read it:
"The First Wizard"
"Where are we?" Diana whispered.
"I don't know," the Prince replied. "But we shouldn't be here. This place... it feels wrong."
"Does it?"
The voice came from behind them.
Both siblings spun, weapons manifesting—
Diana's blade of light blazed into existence.
The Prince's sword cleared its sheath.
And froze.
A man stood behind them.
So old he seemed more skeleton than human.
His skin was translucent—literally translucent. Diana could see the outline of bones beneath it. Could see the slow pulse of veins carrying blood through a frame that should have died decades ago.
He wore robes of faded gray that hung on his skeletal frame like a burial shroud.
His hair was gone—just bare skull visible beneath paper-thin skin.
And his eyes—
Sunken. Hollow. Burning with a dim red light that had nothing to do with life and everything to do with something that refused to die.
Diana's blade wavered.
Every instinct screamed at her to attack.
But training—years of royal training in politics and power—held her back.
This man radiated power.
Not the explosive force of the wizards who had fought over Renjo's ship.
Something older. Deeper. Colder.
Like standing at the edge of an abyss and feeling it stare back.
"Who are you?" Diana demanded, forcing her voice to remain steady. "Why have you brought us here?"
The skeletal man didn't answer her.
He simply stared with those hollow, burning eyes.
Then spoke in a voice like dried leaves scraping across stone:
"The Master wants to talk to you."
The Prince stepped forward, placing himself between his sister and the stranger.
"What Master? We serve the Crown of Kolar and no one else—"
"You misunderstand," the skeletal man interrupted. His lipless mouth didn't quite sync with his words, as if his body was merely a puppet being operated from elsewhere. "This is not a request. This is not a negotiation."
He raised one bone-thin hand.
"The Master has called. You will answer."
The painting behind them began to glow.
The eyes of the First Wizard blazed with the same red light as the skeletal man's.
And then—
The painting moved.
The figure in the portrait shifted. Turned.
Looked directly at Diana and her brother.
And smiled.
Diana's blade of light flickered.
Dimmed.
Went out.
Not because she dismissed it.
Because something in this place—some force she couldn't begin to understand—simply negated it.
Like snuffing a candle.
The Prince's sword fell from nerveless fingers, clattering on the stone floor.
Both siblings stood frozen, unable to move, unable to speak, unable to do anything but stare as the painting opened like a doorway—
And something stepped through.