The aftermath didn't come with noises rather It came with a silence that felt heavy. Things that were broken were over the place like old ideas that nobody wanted anymore.
The instructors made sure the area was safe. The students were talking to each other in groups looking back at the plaza as if they thought it would start working again.
Kalen was standing near the relay that wasn't working anymore.
The System was pulsing.
It wasn't a warning. It was like it knew something.
Asha'Kareth's voice was quieter. It wasn't soft. "You felt it." she said. "…Yeah". Kalen replied.
Nyxara was close to Kalen like she was trying to protect him. "It looked at you." she said.
Lyra didn't sound like she was playing around anymore. "And it liked what it saw." she said.
Elyra came near with her arms crossed. "That wasn't standard technology." she said. "It wasn't from the academy and it wasn't from the Black Division either."
Seraphine joined her looking at the relay. "It was like a test." she said. "Something was checking how fast it could work and how it would react."
Kalen looked confused. "What was it reacting to?" he asked.
Asha'Kareth answered. "It was reacting to you Kalen."
The words just hung there. They felt heavy.
Kalen's grip got tighter without him realizing it. "Why?" he asked.
There was silence.
Then Kalen remembered something. It wasn't his memory but it wasn't entirely someone else's either. He saw a knife in someone Hand, he saw a field around someone else's power then he heard a voice that sounded familiar. It made his heart feel tight.
"Authority isn't taken, Kalen." The voice said. "It's remembered."
Kalen stumbled a little.
Nyxara caught him right away with her hand firm on his side. "Be careful " she said.
Elyra's eyes got sharper. "What did you see?" she asked.
Kalen took a breath and let it out slowly. "I saw someone who knew how to use this power before I did." he said.
Seraphine didn't look surprised. "Then we're not dealing with something new." she said. "We are dealing with something that has been passed down."
Asha'Kareth agreed, her voice quiet and strong. "Your father." she said.
The words didn't echo. They just settled in.
Kalen looked at the relay. "…Then he's connected to whatever just tested us." he said.
Lyra made a sound. "Or he is what tested you." she said.
Nyxara's voice was soft near Kalen's ear. "We will find him." she said.
Asha'Kareth added, her voice firm. "We will be better than him too."
Elyra looked at Kalen for a while longer than necessary. "…If he exists at that level, then this isn't just an academy battle anymore." She said.
Seraphine looked at her and said. "It never was."