SYSTEM ASCENSION

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

His highness stopped before Kael.

”Who is Elias?”

Kael stared at him. Probably about his age, a smile that didn’t sit well with the situation.

”He’s my roommate.”

”That’s not what I was asking.”

Owen immediately cut in. ”He’s a student Mr. Rowen brought in by himself.”

The words left an odd impression on the board members.

”Mr. Rowen brought in a student?”

”Yes, he’s Mr. Rowen’s godson.”

His highness tilted his head.

”A VIP...”

Owen took a breath.

’Good thing he bought that.’

”I want to meet him.” He stepped closer to Kael. ”Where is he?”

”...who,” Kael stepped back, uneasiness creeping in.

”Forgive my manners. I am...” He gave a shallow bow, the kind princes use when they don’t mean it. ”Tyler Alaric Drevan.”

”Crown prince?”

He dropped into a proper greeting. Fist to chest, head down, because not doing it could be worse.

Tyler’s smile didn’t move. He waved.

”Raise your head.”

Kael stared at him. Probably about his age, but the royal Sunburst on his cloak was definitely real.

”Now. Where is he?”

”He’s... I don’t...”

”Take me to the ward.” Tyler was already strolling out before Kael could object.

Kael had no choice. He turned on his heel and walked. The board members followed.

Students that saw them froze mid-step.

”That’s the Merrin head.”

”And Lord Joe.”

”Lady Anny is here too.”

”Where are they going?”

”It must be regarding the missing students.”

Joe raised a brow. ”Missing students? Owen?”

The principal flinched and cleared his throat.

”Silly rumors.”

They passed the alchemy wing. The dueling halls. Every corridor added more eyes. More people pressing against the walls to watch. The whole academy board moving as one unit was already strange. The Sunburst on Tyler’s cloak made it worse.

”That is a royal,” they said.

By the time they reached the hospital wing, they had an audience.

The ward doors were oak banded in star-iron, runes crawling across the surface. The two guards posted there saw Tyler and snapped into salutes so fast Kael heard one of their shoulders pop.

”Your Highness!”

Tyler didn’t even slow down. ”Open it.”

Kael reached for the handle. His hand actually shook. He hated that it shook.

One person made him nervous. A face he hadn’t expected to come across. His father, Joe Winger.

He pushed the door anyway.

Cold air rolled out as the wards parted. The ward was quiet except for the soft hum of faint energy. Beds lined the walls.

Every student craning their necks from the hallway held their breath.

They walked to the private ward, where the ordeal had taken place.

Tyler stepped past Kael and pushed the door.

”Elias.”

Tyler said the name like he expected a person to answer him.

No reply.

The bed was empty. Sheets tangled. Pool of blood. A trembling nurse. But no Elias.

The whole group stalled. Even Tyler’s smile dropped for half a second.

Tell quickly looked around.

The next bed over wasn’t empty. Claude was sprawled across it, out cold and pale.

”Claude!” He rushed over to his son.

The group’s eyes followed Tell, to the student president on the bed and back to the pool of blood.

Joran glanced around.

’That child is not here.’ A small smile tugged his lip. ’Hopefully he’s dead this time.’

And in the far corner, tucked between a supply cabinet and the wall, was the nurse. She was shivering, hands knotted in her apron.

Anny moved before anyone else. She crouched near her, keeping her voice low. ”Miss. What happened here?”

The nurse flinched. Her mouth opened. No sound came out. Then she started shaking harder.

”Are you alright?”

The nurse pressed herself tighter into the corner. A thin noise leaked out of her — not a word, not quite a sob either.

Joe exhaled through his nose. ”She’s in shock.”

Owen gripped Kael’s hand.

”Where is Elias? What happened to him?”

All eyes snapped to Kael.

The reminder of the incident left Kael in a state of despair yet again.

”Something took him.”

He stepped back, the memories haunting his mind.

”It was a Crawler....”

”A Crawler?!” Owen gasped. His grip on Kael’s shoulder tightened hard enough to bruise. ”A Crawler got into the ward? Past the barriers?”

Joran’s smile subconsciously widened. The day was better than he thought.

Kael shook his head, like he was trying to shake the image loose.

”No. Not a Crawler. Something worse.”

The nurse nodded sharply in agreement.

Joe Winger’s lazy posture was gone. He was standing straight now. ”Explain, boy.”

Kael opened his mouth and closed it again. The words stuck behind Kun’s terror, behind the hands, behind the way the spirit woman had called Elias ”my child.”

”She came through the tear,” he managed. ”Like a portal. And the hands—” He stopped and looked down. ”Kun tried to fight her. She tore him apart. Ate his abilities. Then she took Elias. Called him hers and left.”

Silence.

Joran Zaela’s smile widened by a fraction.

”Who is Kun?” Owen squinted.

”The person who stabbed him.” Kael pointed to the blood. ”He was after the top families’ heir.” He added a lie to cover up the Upholder truth.

”His abilities? You mean his Raider skill?” Joe asked.

”Y...yes.”

”She?” Anny repeated, rising slowly from where she’d been crouched by the nurse. ”You’re saying a Crawler spoke? Claimed a student?”

”I said it wasn’t a Crawler,” Kael snapped. Then flinched when Tell’s gaze cut to him. ”Sorry. Sir. It... it looked like a woman. But wrong. Eyeless. Eight arms.”

Tyler hadn’t moved since he’d said Elias’s name to the empty room. Now he turned his head, just enough to look at Kael.

”Multiple arms,” he echoed. ”And she took Mr. Rowen’s godson through a tear in reality.”

Owen looked like he might be sick.

A groan cut through the tension.

Claude.

Everyone turned.

”Claude!” Tell gasped. Claude was awake, but his eyes weren’t on his father. They were tired, unfocused, sliding past every face in the room until they landed on the floor. On the pool of blood that had started to dry at the edges.

He sat up. Ignored Tell’s hands trying to steady him. Swung his legs over the bed and stood.

His knees almost buckled.

He walked to the blood, then crouched.

His fingers dipped into the red, uncaring, and dragged something up from the mess. Metal links. A chain.

He stood, holding it up. The thing dangling from it was cracked straight down the middle. A flat, dark blue cracked pendant.

Elias’s necklace.