It took all of Luca’s power to stop himself from laughing as he quickly clamped his mouth shut, but even that couldn’t stop the snickers that escaped.
"I see you’ve t Jorash."
Taren’s brows knitted into a furious thin line.
He stumped forward until there was nearly no space between them.
"You told to find him! You told to... to..."
Luca held the boy’s shoulders as he watched him seethe in his own rage.
"There, there. I understand."
Truly, he did.
He didn’t experience Jorash like Caedun or Taren over here, but he saw.
Seeing was believing they said.
"How are you so thin, though?"
Taren whipped Luca another enraged glare.
And for a mont, sothing snapped.
Luca reeled back in his thoughts.
’Wow... so scary.’
He dusted the invisible dust on Taren’s shoulders and slowly lowered his hands.
"Hah, hah... no need for answers."
Taren sighed.
"I would have loved to punch you right now, but I don’t think I can.
I’m so weak..."
He gulped.
"That man kept pushing and pushing. Sothing about potential and how he wouldn’t let leave unless I reach it."
"Oh?" Luca arched his brow.
’I rember he was particular about it.’
"Well, did you reach it?"
Taren’s body clamped. Then it relaxed.
His face literally faded into a dark mask.
"... No. He kicked out."
Silence lingered between the two for a mont, before Luca sighed and swung one arm over his shoulder.
"Co, let’s go get sothing to eat."
Taren didn’t respond, but he walked after him anyway.
"I’m not paying."
"I didn’t say anything about you paying."
Luca did feel a bit bad about it.
Not by much, but enough to know he should at least make the boy feel better.
"Also, Luca. Call that from now on."
Taren nodded and they joined the long line of departing Apprentices.
*
*
*
When the sunset ca, the Institution ca to a grand close.
Stalls and shops quickly closed up while Cadets, Instructors and others rushed off to their hos.
At this hour, though, in front of an office complex, two familiar-looking instructors stood, side by side, with their heads facing the sa direction.
The building.
One of them, Sariel, turned to face Raziel whose eagerness couldn’t be hidden despite himself.
"You seem rather happy, younger brother."
Raziel cackled.
"Don’t act dumb now, sister. You and I both know the reason for this summons."
He folded his arms.
"The Headmaster had ntioned he would let us know about the dealings with the Abyss.
It seems their venture will be brought sooner than expected."
Sariel studied him for a mont.
A soft sigh escaped her lips as her thoughts reeled in.
’Foolish boy, if only he knew the reason for this ss.’
She rolled her shoulders and stepped towards the door.
"Well, let us see what they have to say this ti."
Raziel chuckled and walked after her.
"Absolutely."
They walked into the building and headed through similar hallways to the eting Room.
It was a door at the end of a long, dimly lit passageway which Sariel pushed to get inside.
On entering, the duo were welcod by occupied seats around a clean, wooden table in the shape of a crescent moon.
Around the table’s curvature are the faces of familiar Instructors like them. Comrades, you might say. At the centre of that circle was an empty chair– it was the seat of the Headmaster.
Sariel glanced around the room. Her gaze lingered on each of the Instructors present before heading to a free chair.
Zariel took the closest and sat comfortably... and for a mont, silence dawned in the eting room.
This continued for minutes, until the door was pushed and a man walked in.
It was Instructor Torquad.
He bowed slowly and took one of the seats before a few more arrived with him.
Five to be exact.
Instructors of the other Archetypes.
The room was filled with the sounds of footsteps and chairs that were dragged back and adjusted to fit.
More entered and soon the seats, about twenty if not more were fully occupied.
The silence that remained even after the room settled was adamant.
No one seed eager to talk or strike up a conversation.
The room had a mood, and everyone read it.
Soon, their silence was broken by the door sliding open once more.
Their heads spun in the direction and their feet dragged on the ground as they stood in unison.
"Take your seats, this won’t take long."
The Headmaster walked leisurely with his arms behind his back.
As he headed for his chair, the room lit up with neon, white lights and the windows were shielded with dark covers.
He took his seat, and the room shook as the others did the sa.
"I won’t bore you with pleasantries." He began with a sigh.
Though Headmaster Hadren had always been a man of few words.
He cleared his throat and leaned back in his chair.
"You suspected it. We suspected it, but the date will be pushed forward. They will be taken to the Abyss first thing tomorrow morning."
Everyone erupted in a fit of gasps.
So just smirked in their seats.
A few even laughed.
"But why, Headmaster? This has never been heard of. The deaths... it would be unimaginable."
Instructor Levara from the Harmonics departnt asked with slight worries.
"Isn’t it obvious? It must be from the Patriarch."
Vondun, the Instructor with the scar across his face said with a wide grin.
"He must be aware of how weak they are and want to purge the weaklings.
It’s a ti for the strong to showcase their strength."
Levara clicked her tongue.
"That kind of barbaric speaking is not allowed here, old man."
Vondun scoffed, but said nothing more.
anwhile, the Headmaster sighed.
"It’s not the words of the Ardenthal Patriarch, but soone higher."
It seed like the room had dropped a couple of degrees.
There were only a few people higher than the Patriarch of one of the Greatest Noble Houses... and one of them etched painfully clear on their heads.
"It was the Emperor Regent’s."
Sariel furrowed her brows from the chair.
’Wasn’t it the ridias?’
"Oh my... if it’s the Regent, then this is sothing beyond our control."
Yvane, Instructor of the Sniper Archetype said with a much exaggerated gasp.
"Though, it doesn’t change much in the grand sche of things."
"Children’s death shouldn’t be a plan in any sche."
Malak, Instructor of the Brawler Archetype spoke with a deep hint in his voice.
His muscular biceps bulged with restrained power as he looked over at Yvane.
"This isn’t a joke, Yvane."
She chuckled.
"I never said it was, but like Old Man Vondun said, the weak need to be weeded out."
The Headmaster lifted his arm in the air, silencing further notions of counterargunts between the Instructors.
’Any further and they’ll start bickering like dogs.’
He shook the thought away.
"The reason wasn’t handed to us... and frankly, the Regent isn’t soone we question.
His will is simply our responsibility to act out.
Now, I didn’t call you here to bicker about what is already set in stone.
But rather to handle the result."
Naturally, even after a month of prepping up fresh Egoists for their first venture, at least a quarter never make it.
And sotis, half of another quarter experiences the turning.
It was considered one of the most traumatic experiences for the Egoists.
If one month still leads to such an ending... then how would a day of preparation be?
Torquad sat with his arm on his chin while his head reeled in his thoughts.
’This is too much.’
He thought.
"Headmaster, I believe it’s safe to assu that at least half will die."
The room fell silent, but nobody rebuked.
"Obviously." The Headmaster nearly facepald himself. "But we can mitigate it.
Ensure it’s safe for them to experience and co out unhard..."
He looked around slowly.
"I believe we will give them a higher version of the trackers. It will help them find the quickest Base."
Half the Instructors turned to the Headmaster with reluctant expressions.
"The quickest doesn’t always an the best, Headmaster. They might end up with another race entirely.
Especially if it’s an enemy race. We can’t afford such a situation."
"I put that into account and I still push the motion that we should."
The silence that followed was suffocating, but it wasn’t like nothing could be done.
"In that case, we should give them the options."
It was Rhaelis.
"Instead of a single coordinate to the closest base. We’ll give them the closest human base and nonhuman base.
That way, we can mitigate it by self-decisions."
The Headmaster lifted his head in approval.
He gave her a sharp smile.
"Wonderful! Let’s also put trackers down to track their vitals.
Send their signals to those in our Base in the Abyss.
Let them begin the search for the Cadets imdiately.
Especially those of importance."
It was a brilliant idea. If it weren’t so biased.
The Instructors were aware of the dynamic.
Even with the one-month preparation, Noble Households always tracked their kids to ensure their safety.
The Abyss was vast, but the Spawn location wasn’t.
Whether it was an intended occurrence or a coincidence, they didn’t know.
But they appreciated it.
The Abyss was already difficult enough as it was.
’Nobles will most likely survive while the majority of the Commoners die...’
Sariel rolled her eyes at the logic, but didn’t bother to refute it.
It was the norm.
"Alright then, since we’ve co to a conclusion." The Headmaster stood to his feet and the rest followed.
"Dismissed."
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