SYSTEM ASCENSION

”Get up, now,”

Fayera intervened with a quiet sigh. ”Ume, leave him be.”

Ume’s jaw tightened. ”I said get up.”

Still nothing.

The room had gone quiet again. Everyone was watching now. She let out a slow breath, then reached out and tapped his chest twice.

”Are you deaf too?”

Elias’s eyes opened slowly, and for a second, she held his gaze.

Then her expression shifted. Her brows drew together slightly as she leaned in just a little bit closer.

”Look at his eyes,” she said, not taking her gaze off him. ”There’s something off.”

A few of the others leaned forward slightly, curiosity creeping in.

”A rarity I’d say. That’s why you’re getting cocky?!” She flaunted her hair.

”I’ll give you a chance. Become my slave.”

”What?!” Only Kael seems surprised by her suggestion.

”It’s an honour for someone in your class.” Ume scoffed. ”You’re here on scholarship. Your parents are not able to afford—”

A sudden sharp and thunderous sound cracked through the room. Not loud because of force alone, but because of how sudden it was.

”Holy shit!” Kael reacted first, scrambling to a far end of the room.

Her head snapped to the side, hair whipping with the motion.

For a second, no one moved, all eyes wide.

Her cheek flushed red almost instantly, the imprint of fingers already forming.

The room froze. No one had seen Elias move.

Tiana broke the silence with a question of absurdity. ”Was that a slap?”

Ume turned her head back. A thin line of red slipped from her nose. Blood. It ran too fast to stop, tracing down over her lips and dripping onto the polished floor.

Her eyes widened.

”...Ah—”

That wasn’t all. A small, hard sound tapped against the tile. One of her teeth rolled out, hitting the ground and rolling to Tiana’s feet.

The silence shattered as she shrieked a high uncontrolled sound. Her hands flew to her face, trembling as they tried and failed to cover the blood, the damage, the reality of what had just happened.

”No—no, no, no—!”

Her composure was gone completely.

Tears burst from her eyes, mixing with the blood as she stumbled back, shaking her head like she could undo it.

Around the table, chairs scraped back.

They recoiled instinctively.

The boy who had spoken earlier stared, his expression stripped of all arrogance. ”...What the hell...”

Ume’s sobs filled the room, uneven and desperate, her body shaking as panic set in deeper.

”My...my tooth!”

She looked down, saw it on the ground, and broke further.

”I...what did you—what did you do to me?!”

Elias didn’t answer.

At the head of the table, Claude finally exhaled. ”...That’s enough.”

He pushed himself up from his seat, straightening his sleeves. His gaze moved first to the girl, then to Elias. He sighed again.

”I’ll take you both myself.”

He walked past the others straight to the door.

”Let’s go big guy.”

Elias stood up, shoving his hands in his pocket. She scrambled out of the way, still shaking, one hand pressed to her mouth, the other clutching uselessly at her uniform, as he walked out.

”I’m coming too!” Tiana raced after them.

Kael slowly turned around and followed.

The rest of the council didn’t move, as the door shut behind them.

Afterwards, Tiana burst into muffled laughter.

”That was the best moment I have ever witnessed this year!” She dramatically gasped. ”I can die in peace now!”

Claude massaged his forehead a bit, and sighed loudly.

Tiana hung herself on Elias’s arm giggling under her breath like she’d just watched her favorite play.

”I swear, that slap is going down in Ringoff history,” she whispered. ”Ten years from now, people will still talk about it.”

Claude didn’t look back. ”Tiana.”

”What? I’m celebrating art.” She squeezed Elias’s bicep, barely making it halfway around. ”Do you even feel pain? You’re like a wall.”

Elias said nothing as he walked.

Kael trailed behind them, keeping a careful three steps of distance from Elias, like proximity alone might get him slapped into next week.

The walk wasn’t long. The academy’s tailor shop sat tucked between the administration wing and the eastern dorms, its sign a simple silver needle etched into dark wood. A bell chimed when Claude pushed the door open.

Warm air spilled out, thick with the smell of pressed fabric and cedar. Three tailors looked up from their stations.

Claude stepped in first. ”I need a full set. Council standard. Rushed.”

The head tailor, an older woman with measuring tape draped like a scarf, moved forward.

”We have a few sets already made. The student could try out...”

”I’d rather you make a new set,” Claude cut in. ”With full... extreme measurements.”

She narrowed her eyes. ”What are you...”

Her eyes skipped over Claude, landed on Elias, and stopped. Her head tilted back. Then back further.

”...By the old gods,” she breathed. ”How tall are you, boy?”

Elias glanced down at her. ”6’10.”

One of the younger tailors choked on his tea. ”He’s joking.”

”He’s not,” Kael offered from the doorway. ”I live with him. He hits his head on the frame every time.”

Tiana still hadn’t let go of Elias’s arm. ”Isn’t he perfect? Look at the shoulders. You could hang banners from them.”

The head tailor was already circling him, tape flicking out with practiced snaps. She had to stand on a stool to reach his collar. ”Arms out. Hood off if you can manage it.”

Elias didn’t move.

Claude exhaled through his nose. ”Elias. We don’t want to sew a small size.”

Elias pulled his hands from his pockets and pushed the hood back. Black hair, a little too long, fell into his eyes. The tailors all went quiet again.

The head tailor’s fingers hesitated at his shoulder, then resumed. ”Heaven take me... your build isn’t in any of our patterns. We’ll have to draft a new.” She clicked her tongue, but her eyes were bright. ”Marveling. We haven’t seen proportions like this. S-rank shoulders. C-rank tag.” She stared at the small badge on his current uniform. ”Waste.”

Tiana beamed like the compliment was hers. ”I told you. Art.”

Claude massaged his forehead again, deeper this time. ”Just make it fit. And fast.”

”Two days,” she said. ”Give me two days.”

She took Elias’s measurements, while an assistant took Kael’s.

”I’ll wait outside.” Claude tugged at Tiana’s collar.

”No!” She held Elias’s arm. ”I want him!”

The head tailor chuckled, shaking her head. Just then, her tape brushed past the pendant on his neck. The old metal clanged in rhythm, drawing her attention back to it.

”What the...” Her eyes locked onto it.

She recoiled and her tape dropped.

All attention returned to her.

She pointed to Elias, who hadn’t moved an inch.

”You... You’re a black eye?”