The announcement of the Abyssal Harvest turned the academy into a shark tank. Powerhouses like Lucien Varex moved with predatory grace, hand-picking the elite to form "Perfect Squares", four-man teams designed for maximum lethality.
Kael, as expected, was a pariah. To the nobles, he was a liability that would get them killed; to the commoners, he was a jinx. He stood in the courtyard, watching the social hierarchy solidify, until a small, ink-stained hand tugged at his sleeve.
Kael looked down. It was Mina, a second-year prodigy in Runic Theory. Her large, inquisitive eyes were magnified by thick, runic-etched spectacles that sat precariously on the bridge of her nose. She looked at him not with pity, but as if he were a particularly interesting math problem.
"You're statistically the most likely to be left behind," Mina said, her large eyes hidden behind thick, runic-etched spectacles. "Which makes you the most logical partner for me. I'm also a liability, apparently."
Kael looked down at the tiny girl. "Mina. You're a prodigy. Why aren't you with the High Tower mages?"
"I'm also a liability," she continued, adjusting her glasses. "I told the High Tower seniors that their formation theories were inefficient. They don't appreciate 'constructive' feedback. So, by process of elimination, we are the most logical partners."
"Hmmm… that still doesn't sound logical enough" Kael said skeptically.
"I told them their formation theories were inefficient and that their mana-to-output ratios were embarrassing," she said flatly. "So, apparently, they don't like me very much."
"Maybe that might make more sense." Kael nodded.
"So, what do you think? Partners?" She asked with raised brows.
"Not like I have much of a choice." Kael replied with a shrug.
"Great, that's two," Her shaky voice added.
"And her," Mina added, gesturing toward a pillar.
Kael turned to see Luna.
"Luna?" Kael asked, surprised.
Luna stood there, half-hidden. She looked pale, her fingers twitching near her belt. When her eyes met Kael's, she flinched, her pupils shrinking. She looked like she wanted to run, but her feet were frozen.
"Yes," she whispered, so low only he could hear. Her inner thoughts were somewhat chaotic, she was terrified of the 'void' she had seen in the gardens, yet she felt that anyone who could make reality itself go silent was the only person who might keep her alive in the Abyss. "I'll go. Just... keep that space around you."
"We need a fourth," Luna said as she turned to Mina.
"I've already secured him," Mina said, gesturing toward a massive, brooding boy sitting on a nearby bench, sharpening a broken shield. This was Jax, a student from the physical reinforcement department who had been disqualified from the main dueling circuit for excessive brutality during a sparring match.
"He doesn't talk," Mina explained. "I like him."
~~~
The four of them met that evening in a secluded corner of the library. The tension was thick enough to choke on. Jax grunted a greeting, Luna sat as far from Kael as possible, and Mina spread a map across the table.
"The Abyss is a vertical death trap," Mina began, her finger tracing the descent. "But we have a more immediate problem than monsters. We have no gear. Our current equipment is academy-standard garbage. If we go in like this, we'll definitely die before touching any gem."
"The academy provides basic kits," Kael pointed out.
"Basic kits are for people who intend to follow the rules," Mina countered. "We need specialized tools. There is a small town three hours south of here called Oakhaven. It's built over a minor Qi-vein and a Mana-well intersection. The blacksmiths there are... eccentric. They create transition Weapons, gear that doesn't fit the standard mold."
Kael's heart skipped. Transition Weapons.
"We go tonight," Mina insisted. "Before the academy locks the gates for the pre-expedition quarantine. If we can get to Oakhaven, we can find weapons that actually resonate with our... unique issues."
"I don't have the coin for high-grade steel," Luna muttered, finally speaking up.
"Neither do I," Kael admitted.
"We aren't buying with coin," Mina said with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "I have a stash of rare runic ink, and Jax has... well, Jax has a lot of heavy things he can move for people. Besides, Oakhaven smiths don't care about money. They care more about compatibility."
"Good. Because we need muscle and we need a shadow." She pointed toward a massive, brooding boy sitting on a nearby bench, silently sharpening a broken shield with a whetstone. This was **Jax**, a student from the physical reinforcement department who had been disqualified for "excessive brutality" during a sparring match. He didn't look up, but the way he gripped the shield told Kael he was listening.
~~~
"The academy gates are under pre-expedition lockdown," Mina whispered two hours later. They were huddled in the shadows of the East Cloister. "The instructors are using resonance wards to track student movement. If we walk out through the front, we'll be confined to our dorms until the Harvest starts."
"Then how?" Kael asked. His new Qi-refined senses were picking up the 'heartbeat' of the academy's wards, a rhythmic thrumming of mana that felt like a headache.
"We go through the laundry chutes," Mina said, a small, devious smile playing on her lips. "They lead to the basement vats, which share a drainage system with the town's sewers. It's dirty, but it's outside the ward perimeter."
The descent was cramped and smelled of lye and old sweat. Jax went first, his massive frame barely fitting through the metal chute, followed by Mina. Luna hesitated at the lip of the chute, looking at Kael.
"You first," he said.
"Don't... don't follow too closely," she murmured, her face flushed with a mix of fear and embarrassment. She slid down, and Kael followed, feeling the cold metal against his back.
They emerged into the damp, echoing sewers of the academy. Luna immediately moved to the front, her movements becoming fluid and silent the moment she was in the dark. Kael watched her, noting how her fear seemed to transform into a hyper-alertness. 'She's a natural scout,' he thought. 'And she's terrified of what I am, yet she's here.'
They moved through the tunnels for an hour, avoiding the main gate patrols. When they finally climbed out of a manhole three miles south of the academy, the night air felt sweet.
"Three hours to Oakhaven," Mina checked a pocket watch. "Move. We need to be back before the dawn roll-call."