THE LAST GOD SYSTEM

CHAPTER 6: THE SEVENTH SEAT

The Forbidden Division didn’t bother with classrooms. All it had was a door, one that clearly wanted nothing to do with visitors.

Ronan spent his morning tearing through maps, badgering instructors, clerks, even the old groundskeeper. Every answer was identical: The Forbidden Division didn’t take visitors, didn’t have a petition process, and didn’t show up on any schedule. It might as well have been a rumor.

One instructor actually laughed at him. "Seven students," she said. "Seven. Out of four thousand. You think they host open houses?"

Ronan didn’t argue. He kept moving.

He only found the door by accident. It was tucked away in the east wing, at the end of a corridor he swore he’d already walked twice. He was sure he'd seen every inch of that hallway, but the third time through, a door suddenly appeared plain and dark, soaking up the light around it.

He froze.

[ANOMALY DETECTED.]

The System’s text flickered at the edge of his vision.

[SPATIAL DISTORTION: MINOR.]

[LOCATION NOT PRESENT ON STANDARD MAPS.]

He kept staring. So, the door hadn’t just popped up; it’d always been there. The System just hadn’t let him see it before.

He reached out and knocked, but before his fist even touched the wood, the door swung open.

Inside, the place looked nothing like the rest of the Academy. It was wide and circular, lit by glowing orbs drifting overhead like lazy stars. Seven desks sat in a ring, though only six had students.

They all looked up.

Ronan spotted Lyra Veyne right away, sitting closest to the door. Silver-streaked hair, cold grey eyes. She’d aced the entrance exam with a 91% and left without cracking a smile. Right now, she was reading a book with a spine so blank it hurt to look at.

At the far end sat Kael Draven. Jet-black hair, even darker eyes. He was carving something into his desk with a knife, and when he glanced up, Ronan caught a red flash deep in his pupils.

The rest were strangers.

One boy wore a blindfold and sat cross-legged on his desk, head tilted as if he was tuning into a secret broadcast. A pale girl with white hair sat quietly, hands folded, staring into nothing like she was praying. Then there was a broad-shouldered boy, eyes half-closed, watching Ronan without any hint of interest.

The seventh desk stood empty. No chair, no student, just a desk, waiting.

"You’re late," Lyra said.

Ronan blinked. "You knew I was coming?"

"We’ve been waiting for you for three days."

The blindfolded boy spoke, not even bothering to turn his head. "Longer than that."

Kael paused his carving. "So, you’re the zero."

"I’m Ronan."

"We know your name," Kael said, setting the knife down. "The bigger question is what you are."

Nobody spoke. For a moment, Ronan felt all six pairs of eyes pressing in on him, but he didn’t back down.

"I don’t know," he admitted. "That’s why I’m here."

The white-haired girl finally stirred. She looked at him really saw him, and something shifted in her face.

"You’re sealed," she whispered.

His stomach dropped. "What?"

"Your power. It’s sealed." She pressed her hand to her chest. "I can see it. There’s a lock, right here. Who did this to you?"

Ronan had no clue. He couldn’t answer.

[QUEST COMPLETE: FIND THE FORBIDDEN DIVISION.]

[REWARD: 1 WAR ENERGY.]

[CURRENT WAR ENERGY: 4]

[NEW QUEST AVAILABLE: JOIN THE FORBIDDEN DIVISION.]

[REWARD: UNKNOWN.]

[FAILURE: UNKNOWN.]

That last line made him pause. Failure: unknown. And he already knew that if the System kept the cost hidden, it was never something he wanted to find out.

Lyra stood. "Come with me," she said, marching past him and out the door.

Ronan followed. As he left, he glanced at the seventh desk. Empty now, sure. But not for long.