SYSTEM ASCENSION

Her mouth opened, voice hoarse.

”M...my child.”

She pulled Elias to her chest. His head lolled against her collarbone. His black eyes shut like he was finally at peace.

A moment of silence followed, before her eyes snapped to the disposal.

She shrieked again.

The sound was louder this time.

Hands burst from the dark mist, from the walls, from the tear in the air. Knuckles too many, and went for him.

The disposal tried to escape, but got caught up in his own trap. Before he could deactivate it, one hand covered his mouth, one pinned each arm, one held his ribs open, one reached inside.

Kun’s eyes went wide. He finally made a sound.

A wet, broken whine.

The hands tore him into shreds, digging into every part of his body.

Kael and Claude stayed glued to the wall. They stared in horror, at the grotesque scene. Kun’s screams echoed through the room as the hands tore into him, shredding flesh and bone. Pain unlike anything he’d ever known consumed him, blotting out all other sensation.

He thrashed and fought, but it was useless. For every hand he managed to throw off, two more took its place. His blood soaked the ground.

As his vision began to blur, something came out of him. Ball of lights.

His disposal ability and all the ones he stole.

The spirit woman opened her mouth, and ate them one by one.

The hands dropped him, or you could say his remains.

The spirit woman looked down at Elias, at the hole in his chest. She bent, and pressed her lips on his.

The bleeding stopped.

Claude finally found air. ”W-what... are you...”

The spirit woman turned her eyeless face to him. He recoiled and looked away, clenching his fist to avoid shaking.

Eight arms tightened around Elias. Then she looked at the portal, and stepped back through it, taking Elias with her.

The tear sealed and mist vanished.

The room was white tile again. One very awake, very terrified nurse, and a pile of rubbish where Kun used to be.

Kael stared at the empty space.

”She... called him... her child.”

Claude coughed blood onto the floor and collapsed.

Outside, the sun was up.

Claude was down and Elias was gone.

RINGOFF ACADEMY > BOARD OFFICE

The doors to the council chamber closed to start the meeting.

A long obsidian table stretched through the center of the room, polished to a mirror sheen that reflected the ceiling light.

At the head sat Acting Principal Owen.

Mr. Owen didn’t look like a man who enjoyed ”acting” anything. His fingers were laced together, resting just beneath his chin.

A meeting with the great families, when some students are still missing, was bothersome. Almost too coincidental.

He didn’t let it leak. Not yet. He couldn’t mentally accept the consequences.

Around the table, the Salvador empire top families had already taken their seats.

Tell Merrin.

Joe Winger.

Anny Grater.

Joran Zaela.

Harmony Hinger.

One of the seats was occupied with someone that felt out of place. A young man. Too young for board meetings. He maintained a feverish smile.

An additional seat was occupied.

Director Halvorsen, the academy’s Head of Security, sat with a tablet in hand.

Mr. Owen finally spoke.

”Let’s begin.”

A wave of his finger, and the lights dimmed slightly. A projection ignited above the center of the table.

A map of the academy, with red marks pulsing across it.

”These,” Owen said calmly, ”are confirmed portal manifestations within academy territory over the past two months.”

”There are fifteen of them,” Lady Anny gestured to the map. ”This is basically a den.”

Lord Joe let out a low whistle. ”I agree. Fifteen portals in two months is a bit excessive, even if they rank low.”

”Higher portals could emerge,” Anny continued. ”It would definitely endanger the students.”

Halvorsen cut in. ”So far we have worked well to avoid casualties. No student has been endangered...”

”And if it gets worse?” She raised a brow.

Tell Merrin finally spoke. ”The energy barrier around the academy not only protects the students for centuries, but also wards off portals,” he let the word sink in before he continued.

”Ringoff Academy has maintained its status as the safest vicinity thanks to it, but now that history is broken. Clearly, something changed.”

The youngest member in the room raised his hand, like a child asked to name something. He sprang up, and leaned over the table.

”Something must have happened to the barrier, is one,” he excitedly suggested.

The members went quiet and listened.

”The barrier got weaker, is two.”

He stared at the barrier and tilted his head.

”Or someone is summoning the portals...is three.”

His last words drew a collective hitch from them.

”Summon?” Anny narrowed her eyes, her voice guarded. ”But your highness, no one can summon portals.”

”No one can? Or you haven’t found anyone who can.” He raised a brow. He turned around and sat on the table, swinging his legs.

”Things are changing. We can’t rule out possibilities.”

Joe Winger nodded. ”We can’t rule out those possibilities indeed. Ringoff Academy, this barge, has a lot of potential students. Elite protectors and even Ages. We can’t rule out the fact that one of them could be a summoner.”

”But portals are just too far stretched,” Lady Hinger muttered.

Joran remained silent. The board meeting was the least of his problems.

The young highness spoke again.

”This map says that portals also opened a few times inside the academy itself,” he glanced aside. ”Owen?”

The acting principal spoke.

”Dormitories. Training halls. And...” he hesitated slightly, ”one occurrence beneath the central administrative wing.”

”Containment?” His highness asked.

”Successful,” Halvorsen replied. ”But barely, in two cases. Students were... involved. Minor casualties.”

Anny’s heel stopped swinging.

”Involved?” she repeated, eyes narrowing. ”Now the children are getting involved.”

”The biggest suspicion points back at the disposal,” Tell spoke. ”If we want to find a clue, we should investigate what happened during the period the portal openings started.”

His highness spoke. ”Investigate evidence of ritual formations, artifacts, or unauthorized energy signatures within student or staff recor...”

”...”

His sudden silence had them all squinting.

”Your highness?”

He smiled.

”We have a visitor,” he glanced.

They all turned towards the door.

They could hear a bit of commotion outside. Attendants and guards struggling to contain a person.

”Sire, you can’t go in!”

”A meeting...”

The door burst open, and a familiar figure stumbled in. He swayed slightly, catching himself a second later, and wiped his bloody lip.

Owen sprang up. ”Kael!”

Kael took in all the important figures sitting, the unfamiliar young man giggling on the table and Joe, his father. He averted his eyes.

Owen closed the distance. In a moment, he forgot himself, and grabbed Kael by the shoulder.

”Where is he? Where is Elias?”

Kael swayed. He took a step back.

”I...I.. don’t know. I mean...we were...he was right there and... We got attacked in the medical ward. Claude was injured...”

”What?” Owen gasped. ”What about Elias?”

A sudden pressure immediately fell, taking control of the atmosphere. Pure energy rage. Tell rose up.

”Claude?!”

Owen flinched.

”Where is my son?”

Kael rubbed his nose bridge, exhaustion catching up to him.

”He’s fine. I mean... Claude is fine. Unconscious, but fine.”

”Why is my son unconscious?!” The force unleashed shattered the window glasses. They all moved back. Only one sat still.

”Pipe down Tell. I’m sure your Age of a son is fine,” his highness chuckled. ”Most importantly...”

He hopped down from the table and walked towards Kael.

”I’m more interested in this person who made Owen forget the son of the first ranking family.”

He stopped before Kael.

”Who is Elias?”