Soren woke up in the Hall of Resonance.
Which was already a bad sign.
He didn't wake up in his dorm.
He didn't wake up on a sofa.
He didn't even wake up on the ground outside.
He woke up on a floating diagnostic platform surrounded by glowing crystals, humming runes, and three instructors staring at him like he was a ticking bomb.
Soren groaned. "I hate this place."
The fox, curled on his chest, chirped sympathetically.
Kael stood beside the platform, arms crossed, expression calm but tight.
Lira hovered nearby, hands clasped, worry written all over her face.
Aldric leaned against a pillar, looking like he was waiting for Soren to explode just so he could say "I told you so."
Instructor Seraphine stepped forward. "Vale. You're awake."
Soren blinked. "Unfortunately."
The Instructors Begin the Worst Conversation of His Life
Arcturus entered the chamber.
Soren immediately tried to sit up.
Kael pushed him back down. "Don't."
"I HAVE TO. HE'S SCARY."
Arcturus approached the platform, cloak trailing behind him like a storm cloud. "Vale."
Soren squeaked. "Yes?"
Arcturus gestured to the glowing symbol on Soren's chest. "We've completed the preliminary analysis."
Soren swallowed. "Is it removable."
"No."
Soren screamed. "NO?! WHAT DO YOU MEAN NO?!"
Seraphine stepped in. "The core has integrated with your spiritual matrix."
Soren blinked. "My WHAT."
Lira whispered, "Your soul."
Soren screamed again. "WHY DOES EVERYTHING WANT MY SOUL."
Aldric muttered, "Because you're weak."
Soren threw a crystal at him. "SHUT UP."
The fox chirped.
The Containment Plan Is Revealed
Arcturus raised a hand, and the crystals around Soren shifted, projecting a diagram above him — a swirling mass of red and white energy intertwined with a silhouette of his body.
Soren stared. "That's me?! Why do I look like a cursed glowstick."
Seraphine cleared her throat. "The corruption core is dormant for now. But it is unstable."
Soren clutched the fox. "I don't want to be unstable. I want to be boring. I want to be aggressively average."
Veylan stepped forward, arms crossed. "Too late."
Soren whimpered. "I hate this place."
Arcturus continued, "We have created a containment plan."
Soren perked up. "A plan? A plan is good. Plans are safe. Plans mean I won't explode."
Aldric muttered, "Debatable."
Soren threw another crystal at him. "STOP TALKING."
Kael sighed. "Soren…"
"I'M UNDER A LOT OF STRESS."
The Daily Monitoring Schedule (Soren Suffers)
Seraphine conjured a glowing scroll.
Soren squinted. "What is that."
"Your monitoring schedule."
"My WHAT."
Seraphine read:
"Daily resonance scans at dawn."
Soren screamed. "DAWN?!"
"Stability checks at midday."
Soren screamed louder. "MIDDAY?!"
"Bond‑synchronisation tests at dusk."
Soren screamed even louder. "DUSK?!"
"And emergency evaluations whenever the symbol pulses."
Soren collapsed. "I hate this place."
Kael placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's necessary."
"I DON'T WANT NECESSARY. I WANT OPTIONAL."
Lira smiled gently. "We'll help you through it."
Aldric smirked. "Barely."
Soren glared. "I hope the core haunts you."
The fox chirped.
The Restrictions (Soren Dies Inside)
Arcturus continued, "Additionally, you are forbidden from entering the following areas without supervision."
Soren blinked. "Forbidden?!"
Arcturus listed them:
"The Inner Sanctum."
"The Arcane Archives."
"The Beast‑Bonding Arena."
"The Forbidden Wing."
"The Outer Forest."
"The Inner Forest."
"The Training Grounds."
"The Lower Halls."
"The Upper Halls."
"The East Wing."
"The West Wing."
"The South Wing."
"The North Wing."
Soren stared. "THAT'S THE ENTIRE ACADEMY."
Arcturus nodded. "Correct."
Soren screamed. "WHERE AM I ALLOWED TO GO."
Seraphine answered, "Your dorm."
Soren blinked. "JUST MY DORM?!"
"And the Hall of Resonance."
Soren collapsed again. "I hate this place."
The fox chirped.
The Final Blow
Arcturus stepped closer.
Soren squeaked.
"Vale," Arcturus said, "you are now classified as a high‑risk magical anomaly."
Soren screamed. "I DON'T WANT TO BE AN ANOMALY."
Kael sighed. "It's not your fault."
"I KNOW BUT I STILL HATE IT."
Lira squeezed his hand. "We'll help you."
Aldric shrugged. "Try not to explode."
Soren threw a third crystal at him. "STOP SAYING EXPLODE."
The fox nuzzled him.
Soren whispered, "Buddy… why me."
The fox chirped softly.
Arcturus concluded, "Your first dawn scan begins tomorrow."
Soren fainted.
Again.
Kael caught him.
Again.
Aldric rolled his eyes. "Pathetic."
Lira sighed. "Expected."
The fox curled up on Soren's chest and chirped.
And the entire Hall of Resonance watched the boy who accidentally became the academy's most monitored student.