2025-12-06 06:48:35CHAPTER: The Dormitories of Noctra
The path to the dormitories led through a corridor of towering silver pillars, each etched with symbols that seemed to shift when looked at from different angles. Ryan couldn't tell if it was advanced tech or just his nerves playing tricks on him.
Instructor Valis walked ahead with steady, echoing footsteps. “Your dormitory is not just a place to rest,” she said without looking back. “It monitors your vitals, adapts to your training conditions, and evaluates your psychological stability. Everything inside these walls watches, listens and learns.”
Some students slowed at her words.
Enisa muttered, “Comforting.”
They reached a massive archway that curved open at their approach. The inside was unexpectedly warm. The Dormitory Hall stretched out in three wide tiers, each one lined with private pods stacked neatly like honeycombs. Soft lights glowed along the floors, and screens displayed students’ names as they approached their assigned pods.
Ryan breathed out softly. “This is… nicer than I expected.”
He wasn’t alone. Several students marveled at the interior, their eyes wide as they scanned the sharp, futuristic design. The dormitory was more advanced than anything in Ironreach.
Valis raised her voice over the murmur. “Each of you is assigned a personal habitation pod. They seal automatically, adjust temperature, filter pathogens, and run neural-calming scans while you sleep. Inside, you will find your uniforms and your first trial notice.”
Ryan and Enisa exchanged a look.
Their first trial already?
Valis stepped aside and gestured to the hall. “Find your pod. Once you settle in, meet me at the Nullforge Grounds in one hour.”
The students dispersed quickly.
Ryan found his pod on the second tier: RYAN STRATH — POD 2-17. When he touched the glowing panel, the hatch slid open in complete silence.
Inside was a surprisingly spacious oval chamber with smooth white walls, a bed that molded to his form as he sat down, and a thin, floating display panel that hovered just above eye level.
The panel lit up and scanned him. “Welcome, Ryan Strath,” a gentle automated voice said. “Vital signs stable. Orientation complete.” A compartment beside the bed slid open to reveal a dark Academy uniform with blue crest markings on the sleeves.
Ryan let out a low whistle. “This is more than a dorm. This is a whole system.”
A soft knock on his open hatch made him turn. Enisa peeked inside, her eyes shining with excitement.
“Ryan, come see mine. You won’t believe what’s in there.”
Ryan followed her across the hall to POD 2-21.
Enisa’s pod had the same layout, but when she entered, the floating display reacted differently. Instead of a calm blue light, hers pulsed gold. “Candidate Enisa Vale,” it greeted. “Enhanced aptitude detected. Specialized course branch flagged.”
Enisa blinked. “Specialized?”
Ryan raised a brow. “Looks like they already know something about you.”
She didn’t answer at first. Her gaze lingered on the golden glow, half nervous and half thrilled. “Maybe it’s because of the aptitude test back in Vexhold,” she said quietly.
Or maybe the Academy had its own measurements. Nothing in this place felt simple.
The moment of curiosity was interrupted by loud laughter behind them.
Two boys from another district, dressed in partially worn uniforms, passed by their pods. One of them smirked. “Look at the new picks acting like they’ve never seen tech before.”
Ryan felt a flare of irritation. Enisa’s shoulders tightened.
“Ignore them,” she said, tugging his sleeve.
But the second boy stopped and gave them a long look. “Vexhold district, right? Heard you two were the only ones selected in a decades.”
Ryan held his gaze. “What about it?”
The boy shrugged. “Just saying. Must have some talent if the Academy didn’t skip your district again.”
He turned away, but the comment lingered—half compliment, half warning.
Enisa sighed as the hall quieted again. “We haven’t even started training and we’re already attracting attention.”
Ryan managed a lopsided grin. “That’s a good thing. We’re supposed to stand out.”
Enisa shot him a side look. “You say that now. Wait until our first trial.”
Ryan chuckled but didn’t argue. Something deep inside the Academy thrummed, like distant machinery waking up. Maybe it was his imagination, or maybe the Academy truly was alive, watching their every move.
A subtle chime rang throughout the hall.
“Candidates,” the automated voice announced. “Report to Nullforge Grounds.”
Enisa tightened her gloves. “Here we go. Day one.”
Ryan nodded, stepping out of his pod and sealing it behind him. “Let’s show them why Vexhold shouldn’t be ignored.”
Together, they walked into the glowing corridor, unaware that their firs
t trial would be more dangerous than anything they’d ever seen in their district.
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Chapter 13: The Wave at Eldridge
The delay in new orders stretched to five days. Rumors filtered through the outpost: increased beast activity along the wild borders, scattered attacks on remote patrols, nothing confirmed. Ryan's team trained, rested, and waited. The memory of the pale-eyed watcher in the Heartwood never far from their thoughts.On the evening of the fifth day, the comm-crystal flared with emergency red.All available teams to Eldridge District immediately. Full-scale incursion. Multiple high-tier signatures. Civilian evacuation in progress.They rode hard through the night, reaching the outer walls of Eldridge just as the first screams carried on the wind.The district was under siege.Not by an army, but by a wave.Dozens of crestbeasts poured through breached sections of the ward-line. Alphas mixed with lesser packs, moving in coordinated surges rather than mindless frenzy. They avoided civilian clusters, driving straight toward hunter response points. Buildings burned where barricades had been sm
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Chapter Eleven: Whispers in The Hollow March
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