The walk back to the Academy was quiet.
Cale's legs ached. His ribs throbbed where the Cyclops had clipped him, and his Mauri felt like a dry well. Beside him, Val limped slightly, her jacket singed at the sleeve. Ethan moved with the stiffness of someone who'd been slammed into the ground one too many times.
None of them spoke.
The trees thinned, and the academy walls rose ahead. The main hall was already filled with other teams—some triumphant, some nursing wounds. Voices bounced off the stone, a chaos of shouted rankings and groans of exhaustion.
Cale's gauntlet chimed again, a soft pulse against his wrist. He glanced down.
```
System Notification:
You have Slain a Stargazer Royal Cyclops.
You have now acquired a Soul Core.
Soul core stored. (2/3)
```
He stared at the words. Soul Core. He'd never seen that field before. It wasn't in his system earlier. He didn't know what it meant, and the notification offered no explanation.
"Iris."
"Yes?"
"What's a soul core?"
"I don't have full access to that information yet. Your upgrade is still at twelve out of two hundred. From what I can see… it may be related to the Fallen beasts you have slain. Or maybe tied to the next seal."
He felt her presence, waiting for more questions. But Val was nearby, her eyes sharp. He couldn't talk to Iris here. Not out loud. He would sound crazy.
Later, he made a mental note to talk about it later. He felt Iris settle into the back of his mind.
The results of the hunting expedition were posted on a massive board at the front of the hall. Students crowded around it, pointing, shouting, and comparing scores. Cale hung back, waiting for the crowd to thin.
When he finally got close enough to see, he scanned the list.
At the top, the first team: Vorian Ashkar, Lysander Leonis, Lana Voss – 1,247 points.
Cale's stomach tightened. Vorian. Second son of the Ashkar clan. He was Cale's childhood friend. They'd grown up together, hung out together until Cale stopped being worth the effort. Vorian had never been cruel, but he'd never defended him either. He just liked having fun whichever way he could, even at the expense of others. After a while, he'd just… drifted away, into the circles Cale couldn't reach.
Beside Vorian's name was Lysander Leonis. They had visited the Ashford house more times than he could remember. House Leonis was the third strongest in the realm. She had sharp features and sharper eyes. She seemed dangerous—the kind of person who watched everyone around her for weaknesses. They'd never spoken, but he'd seen her at gatherings, always indifferent, always with a calculating look in her eyes.
He stepped back, letting others push forward. He didn't want them to see him. Not here, not with his low rank and miserable state. Plus, his ragtag team.
He moved to the edge of the crowd, keeping his head down. Val and Ethan were still near the board, scanning the rest of the list.
When they found their placement, Ethan's expression didn't change. He just nodded slowly.
"Four hundred and thirty-four," he said. "Just right below the middle."
Val let out a breath. "It could be worse. There's a team with ninety."
Ethan's mouth twitched. "Ninety. That's ridiculous. What'd they do, fall in a hole?"
"Probably," Val replied. A soft laugh appeared on her face and disappeared almost as immediately as it came.
Cale said nothing. He was watching the crowd, making sure Vorian wasn't heading his way. When he was certain Vorian was occupied with his own celebration, he turned back to the others.
"Let's get out of here."
They found a bench near the edge of the hall, away from the crowds. Val sat with her elbows on her knees, staring at the floor. Ethan leaned against the wall, his eyes half-closed.
Cale sat apart, his back against a pillar, and tried to ignore the ache in his ribs.
"The dagger," Val said.
He looked at her.
"You threw it, and it disappeared. Then it came back." It wasn't really a question, but she was watching him with those sharp eyes, waiting for a reply.
Cale's hand went to his pocket, where the dagger was stored in his system. "It's a Memory."
"A Memory... you got a Memory," she repeated.
"From a Fallen beast I had killed before." He didn't explain further, but her surprise was justifiable. Aside from nobles who inherit or are gifted Memories, it was pretty hard for commoners or middle-class people to get them. They were lucky if they got one in their Stargazer or Astral stage. It was almost impossible for an Awakened. Thus, it was a very huge achievement for a commoner. Cale hadn't thought about it until then; even still, it wasn't an achievement for him.
Val held his gaze for a moment, then looked away. "Fine. At least you're better than I thought."
She didn't pry into where he'd come from. They were strangers. They'd fought together, but that didn't mean they owed each other anything. Even still, he had prepared a wonderful lie in case she did.
Ethan pushed off from the wall. "We should get some rest. Tomorrow they'll probably throw something else at us."
Val stood, wincing slightly. "Probably."
They walked toward the doors, the silence between them easier than it had been before. It wasn't trust. It wasn't friendship. Just the understanding that they'd survived something together, and that was enough for now.
The dormitory was quiet when Cale got back. He sat on the edge of his bed and pulled up his system screen.
````
User: Cale Ashford
Status: Awakened
Rank: E
Sign: Scorpio
Stage: Awakened
Aspect: — (pending)
Element: Water/Ice
Affinities: 1 (Scorpio)
Special Powers: Frostbite, Regenesis, Death Sense, Scorpion's Grip
Mauri: 12/100
Experience: 156/200
Memory: Ogreian Dagger
Echo: —
Flaw: —
Soul Core: 2
Seals: 12 (1 active)
PA: Active (Upgrade: 12/200)
````
The new field. Soul Core: 2.
He stared at it for a long moment. Then, quietly, he spoke.
"Iris."
She answered immediately. "I'm here."
"What's a soul core?"
"It's a fragment of a Fallen beast's essence. Usually, the system just absorbs it without the person even knowing. When higher-tier creatures leave them, they turn into Echoes." A pause. "That is all I could come up with."
"Is it because of my unique system that I got the Soul Core field?"
"Probably. Your system is preparing for the next affinity. The soul core is likely being stored until you can use it."
He dismissed the screen and lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. That was a good explanation. But why was his Aspect still pending? Come to think of it, what was an Aspect? He knew it was a normal thing in every system, but he couldn't quite understand the concept.
"Iris, what is an Aspect?" Cale said quietly.
"It is more like a special name used to describe a Carrier of the Zodiac system. For example, your father is 'The Crystal Lord of a Thousand Facets.' That is his Aspect, assigned by his Zodiac system. As you can see, it depicts his ability to use crystal for both attacking and defending, making him a formidable opponent for anyone."
"Ok. That explains why I haven't gotten one yet."
Cale closed his eyes. He thought of Val, and the way she barely controlled her fire. He thought of Ethan, who was steady and solid and asked for nothing. He thought of the Cyclops, the dagger he buried in its skull, and the Soul Core waiting in his system.
"Iris."
"Yes?"
"When the second seal breaks… will I still be me?"
She was quiet for a long moment. When she answered, her voice was softer than he'd ever heard it.
"You'll be that, and more. But still you."
He let the words settle, and he slept.