The Weakest Tidecaller at the Abyssal Academy

Chapter 3: A Crystal That Should Have Broken

“Open the door, Ethan! Now!”

The pounding shook Room 317, nearly drowning out the terrified whisper that continued to echo inside Ethan Vale's head.

Whatever they tell you about me, do not believe them.

Ethan stood beside his desk, staring at the black symbol beneath the skin of his palm. His mother's voice had sounded so real that he could almost imagine her standing behind him, reaching out to pull him away from the danger surrounding the academy. The memory of her desperate warning made his chest tighten, especially because he had spent eleven years wondering what had happened to her.

Another violent knock rattled the doorframe.

“Ethan Vale, this is Professor Marr. Open the door immediately!”

He snatched the rusted compass from the floor and shoved it into his pocket. Although its needle had stopped moving, the seven-word warning remained etched inside the lid: WHEN THE SEVENTH SEAL BREAKS, RUN.

Ethan still had no idea what the seventh seal was, why his mother had been connected to a containment incident, or how a dead woman could speak through the walls of an underwater academy. However, he understood that if the academy discovered everything he had experienced, its officials might never allow him to leave.

Taking a steadying breath, he opened the door.

Professor Selene Marr stood in the corridor with two security officers behind her, a thin silver device circling her wrist and projecting a translucent shield around her body.

“Step away from the doorway,” she ordered.

Ethan obeyed, although his patience was wearing thin. “Why are you here? I haven't left my room.”

“Our monitoring system recorded an unauthorized resonance inside this dormitory.”

“That wasn't me.”

“Your name appeared on the alert.”

“Then perhaps your system is broken.”

One of the officers moved forward, but Professor Marr raised her hand to stop him. Her eyes remained fixed on Ethan's face as though she were searching for evidence of something he might be hiding.

“Did you hear a voice?” she asked.

Ethan's fingers tightened around the compass in his pocket.

“What voice?”

“The one that spoke through the containment network.”

He hesitated for half a second, but that was long enough for Professor Marr to recognize his uncertainty.

“Ethan, listen carefully. The artifact you touched was designed to contain something that predates the modern Tide Awakening. We do not fully understand its construction, and the academy has spent decades preventing it from being disturbed. Whatever you experienced in the examination arena may have established a connection between you and that structure.”

Ethan stared at her, struggling to reconcile her explanation with the fact that she had allowed him near the artifact in the first place.

“Then why did you let me touch it?”

Her expression flickered with something resembling regret.

“I did not expect the artifact to respond to you.”

“Because my tide capacity is too low?”

“Because nothing in your examination record suggested that you possessed any affinity for ancient containment magic.”

Ethan lowered his gaze toward the black symbol on his palm.

“What if the examination record is wrong?”

For a moment, Professor Marr appeared unable to answer. Before she could respond, a warning tone sounded from her wrist device, and she glanced at its display with growing alarm.

“The diagnostic chamber,” she murmured. “Someone has activated it.”

One of the officers straightened immediately. “Should we evacuate the students?”

“No. Bring him with us.”

Ethan stepped backward, suddenly suspicious of the urgency in her voice.

“Where are you taking me?”

“To determine whether your condition can be safely assessed.”

“My condition? I'm not sick!”

“You touched an ancient artifact, triggered a containment alert, and apparently communicated with something beneath this academy. Until we understand what happened, I cannot treat you as an ordinary student.”

She turned toward the corridor and motioned for the officers to move.

“Come along, Candidate Vale.”

Ethan followed, but as he crossed the threshold, the black symbol beneath his skin gave a faint, painful pulse. Somewhere far below the academy, something answered with a vibration that traveled through the floor and into his bones.

The diagnostic chamber occupied a restricted section of the eastern research tower, far from the classrooms and dormitories. Its circular walls were reinforced with transparent barriers, while hundreds of small crystals floated inside magnetic rings above the central examination platform.

Ethan had studied images of similar facilities during his preparation for the entrance examination. These chambers measured mana capacity, elemental affinity, spell compatibility, and the strength of a candidate's magical channels.

He had visited one during his preliminary assessment, and the results had been humiliating.

Now, as Professor Marr led him toward the platform, he wondered whether this new examination would expose something he was not ready to understand.

A young woman stood beside the control console, wearing the white-and-blue uniform of an advanced student. Her pale silver hair was tied into a neat braid, and a thin layer of frost covered the fingertips of her right hand.

Serena Frost.

Ethan recognized her from the examination arena. She had ranked among the highest-scoring candidates and had watched him destroy the crystal without joining the others in mocking him.

Her gaze shifted toward the black symbol on his palm.

“So it's true,” she said. “You really triggered the ancient containment system.”

“I didn't know that touching a frame would bring the academy down around my ears.”

“You could have refused the test.”

“Would you have refused if Professor Marr had ordered you to demonstrate your abilities?”

Serena opened her mouth to answer, but she eventually closed it without saying anything.

Professor Marr interrupted their exchange before it could continue.

“Serena, your role is to monitor the diagnostic crystals and record any unusual fluctuations. Do not engage the candidate unless instructed.”

Serena nodded, although her attention remained fixed on Ethan.

Professor Marr guided him onto the platform and pointed toward the primary crystal, which was nearly identical to the one used during his entrance examination. This version was larger, however, and enclosed within a silver framework covered in tiny runes.

“Place your hand on the primary crystal,” she instructed. “You will not attempt to cast anything. The chamber will measure your natural response without requiring you to generate mana.”

Ethan studied the crystal with growing apprehension.

“What happens if it reacts like the previous one?”

“The chamber has multiple containment layers, so it should not shatter.”

The certainty in Professor Marr's voice did little to reassure him, but Ethan had no intention of allowing fear to make his decisions.

He placed his hand against the crystal.

For several seconds, nothing happened. A pale blue glow spread across its surface, and numerical readings appeared on the control console.

TIDE CAPACITY: 0.03.

ELEMENTAL AFFINITY: UNRESOLVED.

MANA CHANNEL ACTIVITY: MINIMAL.

Serena examined the results before reporting her findings.

“The readings are consistent with his entrance assessment. His magical channels are almost inactive.”

Ethan felt the familiar sting of humiliation, but he forced himself to remain still. He had endured years of being told that his lack of magical power made him worthless, and he refused to let another set of numbers determine how he viewed himself.

Then he noticed a thin silver line running through the crystal.

At first, he assumed it was a reflection from the chamber lights, but the line branched into hundreds of smaller threads, each connected to another through a pattern too intricate for the naked eye to follow. As Ethan focused on the strange formation, his vision sharpened, and the surrounding chamber seemed to fade away.

He could see the crystal's internal architecture.

Unlike the containment artifact, this structure had been designed to measure and interpret magical energy. Its outer threads collected information, while its inner bindings converted that information into numerical readings.

Yet one section did not belong.

A narrow thread ran against the intended flow, redirecting a portion of the crystal's energy into a hidden channel that extended beyond the normal measurement structure.

Ethan frowned as he traced the path with his eyes.

“Professor, there's another binding inside the crystal.”

Professor Marr looked up from the control panel. “Explain what you mean.”

“The diagnostic structure has an extra channel that doesn't belong to the measurement system.”

Serena moved closer to the console and examined the readings.

“That's impossible. The chamber was inspected this morning.”

“Then whoever inspected it missed something,” Ethan replied.

Professor Marr approached the platform, her expression becoming increasingly cautious.

“Do not interfere with the crystal. Keep your hand where it is.”

“I think the hidden channel is collecting something.”

Before anyone could respond, the crystal flashed white.

A surge of energy shot through Ethan's arm, and he cried out as a vision tore through his mind.

He suddenly found himself standing in a city beneath a black ocean, surrounded by towers that disappeared into an endless darkness. Enormous chains stretched between the buildings, each one wrapped around a glowing structure at the center of the ruined city.

A woman stood before him.

Her face was blurred, but Ethan recognized the shape of her eyes and the familiar way she held her shoulders. Despite the darkness and the strange surroundings, something deep inside him recognized her before his mind could form the words.

His mother.

She knelt beside a circular seal, pressing both hands against its surface while black water climbed the surrounding walls.

“Ethan,” she whispered.

He rushed toward her, but an invisible barrier separated them.

“Mother!”

She raised her head, and her voice became more urgent.

“Listen to me. The academy was never built to teach you how to control the tide.”

Above her, the enormous chains began to tremble as cracks spread through their surfaces.

“It was built to keep you away from the truth.”

Something moved behind her, emerging from the darkness with a presence that made the surrounding water shudder.

His mother turned sharply, and terror crossed her face.

“They found the bloodline.”

The vision shattered before Ethan could ask what she meant.

He jerked away from the crystal, gasping for air as the diagnostic chamber filled with a piercing alarm. Every floating crystal began spinning inside its magnetic ring, and the control console flashed with warnings.

Serena stumbled backward as frost spread across its surface.

“Professor, the readings are going out of range!”

Professor Marr slammed her palm against the emergency control panel.

“Shut down the chamber!”

“I am trying!”

The primary crystal darkened from blue to black, and a crack appeared across its surface.

Ethan stared at it in horror.

“Get away from the platform!”

The crystal exploded.

Fragments shot through the air, but Ethan's newly sharpened vision revealed the protective spell surrounding the platform. Its structure had begun collapsing inward, drawing the fragments toward the center instead of dispersing their momentum safely against the outer barriers.

He could see exactly where the protective formation would fail.

“The upper binding!” he shouted. “Break the upper binding!”

Professor Marr reached for her control device, desperately searching the display for the correct command.

“Which one?”

“The third ring on the left! Disable it now!”

Serena reacted before the professor could answer. She thrust out her hand and released a blade of ice that struck the designated rune, shattering the binding.

The protective barrier released its stored energy in a burst of blue light, throwing the crystal fragments harmlessly against the chamber walls. The remaining magical rings slowed, and the alarms finally fell silent.

Ethan sank to one knee, clutching his head as a sharp pain spread behind his eyes. He struggled to remember the vision, desperately holding on to the details that had seemed so real moments earlier.

The city beneath the black ocean remained clear in his mind, but his mother's face had begun to fade.

He could remember her voice, her warning, and the terror in her eyes, yet every attempt to recall her features produced a strange emptiness, as though something had removed a small piece of him.

Serena crouched beside him, her earlier suspicion giving way to genuine concern.

“Are you hurt?”

“I don't know,” Ethan admitted.

She studied his face before glancing at the shattered remains of the crystal.

“You knew exactly which binding would fail.”

“I could see it.”

“See what?”

“The spell. I could see the structure inside the crystal.”

Serena looked toward the broken framework.

“Nobody can see the complete architecture of an active spell without using a specialized lens.”

“Then perhaps your lenses aren't very good.”

Despite the danger they had just escaped, a brief, incredulous laugh escaped her.

“You nearly destroyed the diagnostic chamber, and you're still arguing?”

“I warned you before the crystal exploded.”

“You also touched it after Professor Marr told you to remain still.”

Ethan managed a weak smile.

“I suppose we're both right.”

Serena helped him stand, and for the first time since arriving at Abyssal Crown Academy, Ethan felt that someone was looking at him as a person rather than a defective magical instrument.

The feeling lasted only until Professor Marr turned toward them.

“Serena, leave us.”

Serena hesitated, glancing at Ethan's pale face.

“Professor, he needs medical attention.”

“He will receive it. Please wait outside.”

After Serena reluctantly left the chamber, Professor Marr approached Ethan with an expression he had never seen on her face before.

She looked frightened.

“Tell me exactly what you saw,” she demanded.

Ethan hesitated before answering.

“If I tell you, will you explain what is happening to me?”

“I will explain what I know.”

It was not the answer he wanted, but it was the best offer he had.

He described the underwater city, the enormous chains, the circular seal, and the woman he believed was his mother. As he repeated her warning about the academy, Professor Marr's face became increasingly pale.

When he mentioned the bloodline, she abruptly turned away.

“Professor?”

“Your examination is over. You will return to your dormitory, and you will not attempt to access any restricted area.”

“You said you would explain what was happening.”

“I said I would explain what I know. At present, I know that your presence is connected to a dangerous ancient structure, and I cannot determine the full extent of that connection.”

Ethan stepped closer, refusing to let her end the conversation without addressing the question that mattered most to him.

“Then tell me about my mother.”

Professor Marr froze.

“You know something about her, don't you?” Ethan pressed.

Before she could answer, the diagnostic console flickered back to life. A single line appeared on its dark screen, illuminating the professor's face with a pale glow.

ABYSSAL SIGHT CONFIRMED.

Beneath it, another message slowly materialized.

MEMORY EXTRACTION: FIRST STAGE COMPLETE.

Ethan's stomach dropped as he read the words.

“What does that mean?”

Professor Marr stared at the display, her lips parting in disbelief. Before she could respond, the screen changed again.

WARNING: SUBJECT HAS REMEMBERED THE FIRST SEAL.

A low vibration shook the chamber as a final message appeared.

THE SECOND SEAL HAS DETECTED HIM.

Far beneath the academy, something answered with a sound like an enormous chain snapping.

Ethan turned toward Professor Marr, his fear finally giving way to anger.

“Tell me what the seals are.”

She did not answer. Instead, she reached for her communication device and spoke in a voice so quiet that Ethan almost missed her words.

“Chancellor, we have a serious problem. The boy isn't simply reading ancient magic.”

She lowered the device and looked directly at Ethan, and he finally understood that her fear was not entirely for the academy.

“He is remembering it.”

The console went black, plunging the chamber into an uneasy darkness broken only by the emergency lights.

A moment later, Ethan's rusted compass began spinning inside his pocket. He pulled it out and watched the needle point toward the floor, where it trembled violently before a new line appeared beneath the warning about the seventh seal.

FIRST WITNESS MEMORY RECOVERED: 1%.

Ethan barely had time to process the message before a woman's voice whispered his name from somewhere beneath the diagnostic chamber.

“Ethan, don't let them open the second door.”

The floor trembled beneath his feet, and the compass needle snapped in half.

For several seconds, Ethan could only stare at the broken compass, wondering how much of his mother's past had been hidden from him and why the academy seemed determined to keep it that way.

Then he looked at Professor Marr, whose frightened expression confirmed that the warning had not been a hallucination.

Whatever waited behind the second door had already discovered that he was awake.

And someone inside Abyssal Crown Academy was preparing to let it out.