The dawn over Cyralis Academy was grey.
It wasn't raining. But something about the sky… felt heavier.
The halls were quiet that morning. No morning announcements. No class rush. Even the air felt like it was holding its breath.
Because Kyren Vellore was dead.
The son of one of the most powerful families in the Eastern Quadrant… gone. And not just gone—killed inside the academy.
The body had been discovered in the forest sector of the training grounds—arms broken, face shattered, neck twisted. It wasn't a duel. It was execution.
The school panicked. Staff scrambled to seal off areas. Drones hovered everywhere. But the worst part?
No one knew who did it.
---
At the Vellore Family Estate
A storm of silence passed through the obsidian halls of House Vellore.
Kyren's mother, Lady Mirelle, screamed when she saw the body. His father stood still—too still. Lord Vaeric Vellore wasn't a man who expressed grief. His pain burned cold.
"He was my heir," he said. "My son."
The Vellores were not just a noble house—they were one of the Five High Bloodlines, with political roots deep within the Sky District. Their wrath was measured in power, not words.
"Find out who did this," Vaeric said, voice quiet.
"But, my lord… there are no traces. It was—"
"I said find them."
A search began. Discreet. Ruthless. From the academy's surveillance logs to black-market informants, the Vellores unleashed every resource they had.
But Eliar Thorne? He wasn't even on their radar.
Not yet.
---
Back at Cyralis Academy – The Next Day
Class resumed.
Kind of.
Whispers replaced lectures. Everyone was watching everyone. Friends eyed each other suspiciously. Even teachers seemed on edge.
Eliar walked into the combat training hall silently. Same tattered shoes. Same stitched backpack.
The same boy they had bullied, mocked, and beaten a hundred times.
But something felt… wrong.
"Hey trash," a voice called out, nervously forced. "Heard you finally snapped and cried in the forest?"
The others laughed—but it was hollow.
Eliar didn't reply. He simply walked to the center of the sparring floor and stood there.
Waiting.
A group of five approached him—upperclassmen. Laughing. One of them nudged the other.
"Guess we gotta break the silence, huh?"
"Yeah, he looks like he's asking for a beating."
The crowd gathered slowly. Even teachers didn't stop it. Eliar was the academy's doormat. He always had been.
But not today.
The first punch came—sloppy, loud, attention-seeking.
Eliar caught it with one hand.
Crack.
The attacker screamed and dropped to the ground, clutching his wrist.
The second boy came in screaming.
Eliar moved like smoke. One shift of his shoulder, and the second was airborne—slamming into the wall, unconscious.
A third drew a practice blade. Illegal in non-lethal matches.
Eliar dodged. Grabbed the arm. Twisted.
[Skill Activated: Nerve Lock – Lvl 2]
The blade dropped. So did the boy, trembling.
The last two didn't move. They were frozen.
So was everyone else.
For the first time since the academy opened its gates, Eliar Thorne stood alone—and untouched—in the center of the room.
And all of Cyralis Academy was watching.
---
From a balcony above, she stood.
Long black hair. Cold grey eyes. A uniform perfectly pressed.
The Goddess of the Campus.
She didn't smile. She didn't look shocked. She simply watched.
Then turned and walked away.
But her gaze had lingered.
---
And in the crowd below… eyes followed Eliar differently now.
Not with amusement.
But curiosity. Hesitation. Intrigue.
And among them… one girl bit her lip lightly. A silver tattoo on her neck shimmered—faintly reacting to Eliar's presence.
[System Notification: Interest Sparked – Individual 'Selene Ardent']
Status: Neutral
Potential Bond Detected
Condition: "She follows strength, and strength alone."
---
That night, Eliar sat alone by the academy's abandoned gardens, his hands bandaged but steady.
[Quest Completed: Break the Silence]
Reward: +1 Stat Point, New Passive Skill Unlocked – Intimidation (Lvl 1)
He didn't smile.
He just whispered:
"They started it.
And I'm just getting started."