She didn't say much—just took my hand and led me away.
Through the winding corridors. Past the echoing murmurs of others. Until we reached an empty classroom. Quiet. Dim. Forgotten.
She let go.
The door clicked shut behind us.
I watched her.
She watched me.
There was something in her eyes—soft, but alive. Curious. Enthusiastic in a way that didn't feel forced.
She sat.
Crossed her legs.
Tilted her head.
"You feel… strange," she said, her voice light. "Your aura's off."
I didn't answer.
She didn't push.
Silence fell between us. The kind that wasn't awkward. Just real.
Then—she stood.
Opened her hand.
A flicker of light danced in her palm, pulsing once before unfolding into a Chronicle.
"Let's train," she said.
I blinked. Taken off guard.
She didn't know me.
And I didn't know her.
But the way she looked at me—like I was part of something she couldn't name—made it hard to walk away.
Still, I said, "No."
She blinked. "…Why?"
"I don't know you. I've got better things to do."
I activated Hide.
And vanished.
She didn't chase me.
Didn't call out.
Didn't even flinch.
Maybe she'd never seen me at all.
---
Back in the Grand Hall, the crowd had thinned.
The noise had faded to murmurs.
Then—a man stood.
Tall. Robed in dusk-toned fabric, trimmed in gold. His presence was the kind that made the air feel heavier.
When he spoke, it wasn't loud—but every voice in the room died.
"Ascended Jade," a random person said in excitment.
His gaze swept over us like a blade sheathed in silence.
"Why are you here?"
"Fame?"
"Power?"
"Riches"
"Or something darker?"
He didn't wait for answers.
"In the weeks to come," he said, "I hope you find your answer."
Then he stepped down from the platform.
"Return to your dorms."