SHATTERED REALM: FORGOTTEN ECHOES

When the darkness dissipated, Aramith squinted as light shone in his eyes.

He opened his eyes to find himself in a large hall.

It was shrouded in dark grey and gold colors.

Lots of students were scattered inside, all turning to face Aramith.

But he didn't look at them. Instead, his mind went to Father Ilthane.

Right before his eyes, the man's appearance changed.

He didn't look as simple as he did back in the testing grounds.

His robes turned black and gold, shifting to more intricate designs, and his hair became long.

His dark skin made his appearance look more menacing and demanding of authority.

What surprised Aramith the most was how everyone in the room ignored Ilthane.

Instead, most of them were all quietly observing him as if he'd grown fur and was walking on all fours. Some of them even seemed to want to get closer, but didn't approach.

He had no idea that they didn't even see him and only noticed the energy from the spot.

Meanwhile, the rest were gathered at one spot, noisily arguing over something. They hadn't even noticed him.

"Using this form here is not the best thing to do," Ilthane said to him.

Aramith suddenly became conscious of his current form.

How did I forget?

It suddenly made sense why they were staring at him so much.

"No need to transform yet. It's better if you stay as you are, they can't see you yet," Ilthane added, then left through a door at the far end of the hall.

Aramith hesitated. He wasn't sure why he had to stay in this form, but maybe it was the best. Mozrael was still unconscious.

The noise on the other side of the room kept escalating till a sudden gust of wind threw them to the ground.

From the place they were gathered, Aramith saw two familiar faces. Brother Smiles and Senior sister from when he was entering the academy. They were unbothered by the fallen students.

And this time, they wore dark green robes.

"Enough!" A voice suddenly commanded.

Aramith knew that voice more than any of them, and some of them already recognized it as the same voice they had heard when the exam was going on.

From a balcony above, Lynnor stepped forward. As usual, she wore clothes that accentuated her figure more and made her alluring.

But that wasn't the reason why everyone was looking at her.

They were all pissed.

"Where are our friends?" One shouted at Lynnor.

"My sister isn't here!?" Another exclaimed.

"You said we'd meet them when the exam was over. Where are they?"

Lynnor glanced at Aramith once, but her gaze didn't linger.

She just stared down at the shouting students without uttering a word.

And the complaints increased.

They hated her silence more than the fact that they couldn't find their mates.

The noise kept escalating till a slow clap made them stop.

It was none other than Brother Smiles.

"You have questions," he started. "But I don't think anyone can answer if you don't give them a chance to speak, right?"

His voice was calm and controlled, which is why it worked in the chaos.

"Just stay silent, and she will give you the answers you need."

And so they turned to Lynnor.

She remained silent for a while, then cleared her throat.

And when she finally spoke, her voice echoed with the seriousness of someone giving bad news.

It made a few shudder."Of the three hundred students who entered the trial… only ninety-three remain in this room."

Her words rippled through the silence like a cold wind."The rest… have failed. Their efforts will not be forgotten, but neither will their weakness."

Someone stepped up to speak, but Brother Smiles signaled for him to stay put and wait.

"It is only unfortunate that most were unable to make it."

There was no sorrow in her tone, not even a shred of it."To those who endured the trial, your performance will determine your placement among the Four Houses. Your survival alone does not make you worthy… but it is a start."

She paused, then, softly added something that sounded almost like a warning."From this moment on, you are no longer candidates. You are students of the Academy. SO do well not to disappoint."

Her eyes darted around, then she added. "If you have any questions, you may ask by simply raising your hand."

"Where is my brother? HE crushed his crystal just like you said!" One guy stepped forward. He was the same guy Brother Smiles had told to stay back.

Ignored.

"Hey!" He stepped closer. "Don't ignore me!"

Brother Smiles was about to speak, but Senior Sister spoke first.

"Are you stupid? You should be sent back where you came from if this is how you behave."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Raise your hand, idiot! Didn't you hear that?"

"And who are you to insult me?" He was getting infuriated.

"Disrespectful little—"

But Brother Smiles grabbed her shoulder and held her down. "That's enough," he said to her, then turned to the guy burning with rage.

"Don't mind your Senior Sister for pointing out your stupidity," he said calmly with that same unsettling smile. He stepped closer to the guy and lowered his voice to a whisper.

"You see, it's that time of the month. She can't help it."

The guy stepped back uncomfortably.

"Hey, what did you tell him?" She asked.

Brother Smiles just smiled at her and lied. "I told him he should feel honored that such a beautiful woman spoke to him."

"Oh," she looked away shyly, her cheeks tinted pink.

Aramith's improved hearing allowed him to hear everything, and he once again reminded himself to be wary of that guy. Something about his character unnerved him.

After a gentle reminder, the guy raised his hand.

Lynnor nodded toward him. "What's your question?"

"My brother was supposed to be here because he crushed the crystal, and many of us are looking for our friends, but we haven't heard anything at all."

Lynnor sighed. "You're here because you passed. Did your brother pass?" She asked.

The boy didn't know how to answer that question.

"Anyone who didn't pass the exam is not here," she stated.

"But you said they had to crush their crystals and they would be saved. All that mattered was that their team passed. I'm here, so that means he passed, too." He'd lost his composure again and was about to explode.

Lynnor just looked at him calmly and dropped the words—

"I lied."

Just two words.

Two simple words that can be used in many places and times, even as a joke.

But this time, those words carried the fate of several hundred people.

The boy stepped back in disbelief.

"What?"

"You won't see anyone who isn't here anymore. Never again."

The atmosphere became solemn.

Someone else raised a hand—A smallish girl in bloodied clothes.

Lynnor nodded, and she asked. "W-where are they?"

Even as she asked, her heart thumped with the truth. She just hoped for a different truth.

Lynnor raised her voice. "All those you killed are dead and gone. You ended their lives on your own. The crystals were a lie, and you all decided to throw away your lives because of that."

Some fell to the ground as reality set in.

Their minds couldn't accept the fact that they'd killed others.

A few fell on their knees, retching as they remembered the faces of those they killed.

Someone even fell to the ground with froth in his mouth.

There is one more unfortunate matter I need to inform you about."

They didn't want to hear.

"In the latter part of the test, there was an unknown attacker. The fog that filled the place was something we were not aware of, and those who were caught up in it were lost as well."

She waited for the information to settle, then added the final bit that infuriated most.

"However, I personally made sure two students were rescued from the fog because I am biased and they have more potential than any of you in this room."

"What?"

"The two students are Aramith and Mozrael. Simply because I like those two."

What is wrong with her?

Whatever her reason, she was sowing hate toward them, and there was no way she didn't know about that.

It was intentional.

"That is all I have for you, and welcome."

Before she left, she glanced at Aramith with a small smile, which made him snarl.

A door to the right end of the room opened, and a girl in silver robes walked in. She had an aloof expression and didn't seem to notice anyone else in the room as she skimmed through faces.

Her eyes finally landed on Aramith, and she approached him.

When she reached his side, the space before him shimmered, and that was when they all saw him.

Most of them jumped back in fear, and even Brother Smiles's smile wavered a little.

"Come with me, Father Ilthane requests your presence," the girl said and led the way.

Aramith followed her quietly.