The faint hum of residual mana lingered in the air long after the rift had vanished.

A heavy silence followed, filled only by the uneven breathing of seven exhausted students.

The forest, moments ago writhing with twisted life, had gone eerily quiet.

A soft tone chimed from their wristbands, the signal of forced extraction.

A second later, the scenery blurred.

Wind, light, motion, and then stillness.

The entire group rematerialized inside one of the academy's open simulation domes, the sterile brightness of the observation chamber almost painful after the gloom of the forest.

The glass walls around them shimmered with blue runic patterns, dispersing their summoned gear.

Ethan fell back with a groan. "Thank the stars. I thought we were gonna be stuck there forever."

Liliana rubbed her temples, still pale. "That wasn't an exam. That was an execution."

Nathan's gaze stayed fixed on Merlin. "You knew it wasn't part of the simulation field the moment you saw it, didn't you?"

Merlin didn't reply.

He was staring at his own hands.

The faint flickers of space mana still danced across his fingers, thin silver threads dissolving into the air.

But beneath that, there was something else.

Something residual, clinging to his core like a stain.

It was the same energy that came from the rift, something not born of this world.

He quietly flexed his fingers, forcing his mana flow to settle.

The door to the observation dome hissed open.

Three instructors entered, not assistants this time, but senior faculty.

Their expressions were grim.

At their head was Instructor Rowan Vex, a man whose control of fire affinity made most hesitate to even speak casually around him. His dark red coat bore the insignia of a six-star. The two others, Instructor Selene and Instructor Rynn, flanked him silently.

Rowan's voice was calm, but it carried the weight of command. "All of you, stand down. The exam is suspended indefinitely."

Ethan blinked. "Suspended? Why? What the hell was that thing—"

"That's not for you to question," Rowan cut him off sharply, gaze hard. "The Headmistress has ordered a full investigation. You'll all be debriefed, but first—" His eyes fell squarely on Merlin. "—Everhart. You're to come with me."

The others exchanged glances.

Liliana frowned. "Why just him?"

Rowan didn't answer. He just turned and started toward the exit.

Merlin exhaled softly, then followed without protest.

As he walked past Elara, their eyes met briefly, her usual composed expression hiding a spark of worry.

He gave her the faintest nod, reassurance, or perhaps just acceptance.

Then he stepped through the doors and disappeared down the corridor.

The hallways of Starpower Academy were quiet this time of day, lit by soft crystal lanterns that pulsed in rhythm with the mana network under the floors.

Rowan walked in silence, the echo of his boots steady and deliberate.

Merlin followed a few steps behind, his mind already racing.

He knew why they'd called him.

The rift wasn't natural, and the energy he'd released while stabilizing it was anything but subtle.

The instructors must have seen everything through the mana monitors.

And if Morgana had noticed—

He exhaled. "She probably knows."

Rowan's eyes flicked back at him. "What did you say?"

"Nothing."

They continued in silence until they reached the central tower, the Headmistress's domain.

The door opened with a whisper.

Inside, the office was dimly lit, sunlight filtering through tall crystalline windows. The faint scent of herbs and ink hung in the air.

Headmistress Morgana sat at her desk, one hand propped under her chin. Her long silver-black hair shimmered faintly in the light, eyes the color of deep amethyst.

Her presence was overwhelming even when she wasn't speaking.

Every ounce of the room's mana bent slightly toward her, unconsciously drawn, like a tide obeying the moon.

"Thank you, Rowan," she said softly without looking up.

Rowan bowed slightly, then stepped out, closing the door behind him.

Merlin was left alone with the most powerful person on the continent.

Morgana finally lifted her gaze.

"Merlin Everhart."

Her voice was calm, measured, but not cold. There was curiosity in it, faint and dangerous.

"You've caused quite the stir."

Merlin stood straight. "If this is about the rift—"

"It is," she interrupted gently. "And the energy signature it released before collapsing."

She leaned back, studying him. "You stabilized it. I've reviewed the field feed. Your control of spatial and elemental resonance was… refined. Too refined for a six-star student."

Merlin didn't reply.

He simply waited.

Morgana smiled faintly, though her eyes remained sharp. "I'm not accusing you of wrongdoing, Mr. Everhart. But I am… intrigued."

A silence followed. The kind of silence that wasn't empty, it was a test.

Morgana rose from her chair and approached him. She was tall, her steps smooth and deliberate.

Up close, her aura pressed faintly against his, not oppressive, but searching.

"I sensed something else when you touched the rift," she murmured. "Something beyond the affinities you've displayed."

Merlin's heartbeat quickened.

He forced his expression to remain still. "It wasn't intentional. The distortion pulled on my mana; I reacted to stabilize it."

Morgana's gaze flicked across his face, reading every twitch, every microexpression.

Then she nodded slightly. "A reasonable answer."

She turned away, walking toward the massive scrying crystal embedded in the wall.

The surface shimmered, replaying a recording of the incident.

The rift, the monsters, Merlin's lightning flaring alongside silver distortion, and then the implosion.

Morgana gestured faintly, freezing the image at the instant before the rift collapsed.

In that frame, Merlin's eyes glowed with faint golden-white lightx a hue not tied to any known affinity.

"Tell me," Morgana said quietly. "Have you ever seen energy like this before?"

Merlin's throat felt dry.

"I… can't say I have."

She hummed softly, not quite convinced.

"Your answer may satisfy others, but not me." Her gaze softened slightly, though her voice carried weight. "You are not in trouble, Merlin. You've saved your classmates. But I need you to understand that the world you've stepped into is larger than you know. That rift was not random."

She paused, then added almost to herself, "And it wasn't the first one."

Merlin's eyes narrowed. "There've been others?"

"Three in the last six months," Morgana said. "Small, contained before public knowledge spread. But this one was different. Its energy matched… yours."

That made his stomach drop.

He masked it quickly, but her eyes caught the flicker in his expression.

"I see," she said quietly. "You do know something."

He opened his mouth, then stopped.

If he told her the truth, that he wasn't from this world, that this was all a novel and he'd been thrown into it, she'd never believe him.

Worse, she might think him mad. Or worse still… right.

So he did the only thing he could.

He lied.

"I might've encountered something similar during my space resonance practice. The energy reacts to me because of that, maybe."

A long silence.

Then Morgana smiled, not warmly, but not cruelly either.

It was the kind of smile that said she'd heard the lie, understood it, and for now, would let it live.

"Very well. You may go. But, Merlin—" she added as he turned toward the door.

He stopped.

"If you find yourself near another rift… do not face it alone." Her tone softened, but her words carried warning. "Next time, it might not collapse. It might consume."

He met her gaze, and nodded once.

Then he left.