CHAPTER 107: DISCHARGED

It had been three days of blessed silence, and on this beautiful morning, the sun filtered gently through the windows of the infirmary ward.

Noah stood before the mirror, studying himself in his new uniform.

The black fabric gleamed faintly, the golden trim catching the light and announcing to anyone who saw him that he was no longer of the Stone-tier. He had climbed. He had survived.

He ran a hand down the crisp folds of the jacket, adjusting the collar. For the first time since waking, he looked less like a patient and more like someone who belonged to the academy.

Yet behind his eyes, his shadows whispered and hissed, reminding him that uniforms and colors didn’t matter. What mattered was what he would burn.

The old hospital clothes lay folded neatly on the bed. Noah placed them at the edge of the mattress, finalizing the transition in his heart.

He had come into this ward with nothing, and the only thing he would be taking with him was the small coin pouch Arlo had left him.

His hand tightened around it, his knuckles white for a moment as the memory pricked his veins. Then he released it, slipping the pouch into his satchel.

The door creaked open, breaking the silence.

Professor Cecilia entered, her phoenix eyes warm as they swept over him. She smiled faintly. "It suits you," she said, nodding at the golden trim of his uniform.

Noah returned the smile, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. "I suppose it does."

Cecilia’s smile widened. "Come. Time to see your new dorm."

They left the ward together. The infirmary’s quiet halls soon gave way to the open grounds of the academy.

As they strolled beneath the arches and across the tiled walkways, Noah could feel it. The eyes that were on him. Somehow, the sensation was comforting. That was how it had been before he’d been taken by the Investigation Authority. It was... familiar.

Students stopped in the middle of their conversations to glance his way. They exchanged looks, whispering to each other about whatever rumors someone had cooked up for them.

He leaned closer to Cecilia. "What do they think of me, Professor?"

Cecilia glanced at the groups of gossiping students, her face calm. "Some think you’re guilty. Some think you’re innocent."

Her tone carried no judgment, only fact. "But it doesn’t matter, Noah. Whatever you do, there will always be opinions. There’ll be praise, there’ll be suspicion, and there’ll definitely be envy. You must learn to disregard them. Live by what you know, not what they whisper into each other’s ears."

Noah nodded, but inside, his shadows hissed. ’They call you guilty because they know you will be. One day.’

Cecilia continued, her voice casual as they walked. "Now that you’re in the Gold-tier, your class schedules will be altered. You’ll receive training and lessons more suited to your level. But," she placed a hand briefly on his arm "I will personally be responsible for plugging the holes in your education. As your personal instructor."

The words made the shadows ripple. Noah turned his head slightly. "So how does this personal instructor thing work anyways?"

She nodded. "Each qualified teacher is assigned a small team of three students to personally mentor through the years. We oversee not just their classes, but their growth, their paths. It is the closest bond a teacher can have with a student here."

Noah was silent for a moment, then asked carefully, "Do you already have others?"

Cecilia’s lips curved into a small, proud smile. "Yes. Two students who took the promotion exam and ascended to the Gold-tier. With you, my squad is complete."

The shadows screamed. Their whispers clawed through his head, demanding, raging, suspecting. His voice was tight when he asked, "One of them... Arlo?"

She nodded, unaware of the tremor that ran through Noah’s frame. "Yes. He proved himself in the exam, and so he too was moved up. You’ll see him soon. In fact, the three of you will be working closely together from now on."

Noah exhaled slowly, forcing calm into his chest. The rage of his shadows boiled, but he muted them, pressing them back into the corners of his soul. He allowed a faint smile to touch his lips, his voice smooth. "Good. That’s... good."

Inside, the whisper twisted. ’Keep him close. Where you can see him. Where he cannot escape. Friends at your table, enemies at your mercy.’

His eyes glinted faintly as he walked at Cecilia’s side, the golden trim of his new uniform catching the dying sun.

They didn’t speak for some time, each one running through their own thoughts. Before long, they were at their destination.

The first-year Gold-tier dormitory stood before them, somehow looking tall and dignified. It had been built with the same white stone that had been used for most of the big and beautiful buildings around academy grounds.

But there was something... intimidating about this building, as if its clean and polished surface reflected the status of the students within. Gold-tier. The elite.

Cecilia led Noah across the broad steps and inside the entrance hall. They made their way onto the floating lift pad. It rose smoothly, carrying them upward to the second floor.

Noah felt the faint pull of gravity vanish for a heartbeat before settling again. The ride was swift, and also quiet.

The halls beyond stretched wide and bright, with sunlight pouring through windows that overlooked carefully groomed gardens.

Their footsteps echoed faintly in the silence as they walked down the hall. Noah noticed it immediately. There was no bustle of voices, no clatter of doors or laughter.

Cecilia explained softly, seeing the look on his face. "All first-year Gold-tier students are currently in their classes. That’s why it’s quiet."

Noah only nodded, though inside, his shadows had their own opinion about that. ’Empty halls... fitting. Silence for the privileged.’

Cecilia’s steps led them to a broad, gilded door at the far end of the corridor. She pressed her hand to the smooth section set into the wood, and it unlocked with a click, swinging inward.

"Your room." She said, ushering him in.