"Welcome everyone to the 160th Awakening Ceremony!"The Headmaster's voice carried across the hall with authority that made even the most excited students fall silent. He stood at the center of the raised platform, hands clasped behind his back, his expression serious. Beside him stood his beast, a massive lion with a mane made of actual flames. The creature was enormous, easily the size of a carriage, and heat radiated from its body in visible waves."I welcome all students who have been chosen to come to this school," the Headmaster continued. "And as you all know, even if today is your orientation day, you will have to awaken. This is what will be used to determine your rank in society and also in the school."Nearly two hundred students sat in rows facing the platform, filling the awakening hall with nervous energy. The hall itself was massive with high ceilings supported by stone pillars and walls lined with torches that burned with magical flames. Behind the Headmaster stood a l

Knox's eyes snapped open.He was standing on the platform, his hand still on the creature's head.His legs gave out.Knox's knees hit the stone and he caught himself with his free hand, his chest heaving. His whole body shook and sweat dripped from his face onto the platform. The hall was still laughing but the sound felt distant, muffled.His arms trembled."Young man, are you unwell?" the Headmaster asked, his voice sharp.Knox could not answer. His lungs burned and his vision swam, black spots dancing at the edges. He forced himself to breathe, forced air into his chest, and the spots slowly faded.Only one second had passed it seemed.He looked at the creature. It stared back at him with those ember-orange eyes, and Knox could swear he saw something flicker in them.Light flared between them.A mark formed on Knox's back, burning into his skin through his robe. The sensation was faint, barely noticeable compared to what he had just endured. The creature dissolved into particles of

Knox woke to a voice inside his head. ‘Hungry.’ He jerked upright, his heart pounding, and looked around the empty dorm room. Early morning light filtered through the window, grey and cold. The voice came again. ‘Knox... I'm hungry.’ Knox's breath stopped. He looked down at Ignis, who was still curled beside him on the bed. The creature's ember-orange eyes were open, staring directly at him. "Did you just—" Knox started.‘The…. bond,’ Ignis said, his voice clearer now but still halting. ‘I can hear your thoughts. Your words. I learned them from your mind.’ Knox stared at the creature in shock. Ignis tilted his head. ‘I just hatched. Everything is new. But your mind is loud.’ "You can hear everything I think?" Knox asked quietly.‘Not everything. Only when you think loud or feel strong emotions.’Knox ran a hand through his hair and took a slow breath. The bond allowed communication. That made sense, but hearing another voice in his head was still unsettling. "How long have

"Next candidate," Crane called. "Serena Hale."A girl with dark hair tied back in a simple braid stepped onto the platform. She wore simple robes with a small family crest embroidered on the shoulder, and her expression was calm as she faced the testing array.Green aura rose around her body, steady and controlled.Her beast manifested in a swirl of light. An ethereal white fox with three tails appeared beside her, its translucent fur refracting light like crystal. The fox was smaller in its low-form than it had been during the awakening, but its pale blue eyes were sharp and alert.The examiners watched as Serena guided the Light Spirit Fox through basic commands. Sit. Stand. Circle. The beast obeyed without hesitation, and when the output test came, it bent light across the testing plate, creating a brief shimmer of false images that overlapped perfectly."Class A," one examiner announced.Serena nodded and stepped down from the platform, her fox dissolving back into light.Knox wat

The first-year ranking board was carved into a massive stone pillar at the center of the academy plaza. Names glowed faintly in ranked order, updating automatically as students challenged each other and won or lost combat matches.Knox stood in front of it, Ignis perched on his shoulder, and scanned down the list.Rank 1: Kael DrenorRank 2: Elena SolisRank 3: Thorne VeylanThe names continued downward, each one representing someone who had proven their strength through official academy combat challenges. Knox kept scrolling until he found his own name.Rank 487: Knox MoralesHe stared at it for a moment.A hundred and eighty seven ranks to climb, in thirty days.A student walked past and saw Knox looking at the board. He snorted. "Good luck with that bet, Morales. You will understand something soon."Knox ignored him.He studied the ranking system posted beside the board. Combat rankings could only be climbed through official challenge matches. Completing missions, attending classes