Miss Elara held the obsidian orb, its faint, almost invisible crack now undeniable under Professor Aris's gaze. As Professor Aris gasped, Miss Elara met the unnamed man's eyes, a shared understanding passing between them. He offered a subtle, almost imperceptible nod, a silent signal for her to proceed.
The unnamed man then turned his gaze from Miss Elara to the orb, his eyes gleaming with a newfound intrigue.
"This is highly unusual," he mused, his voice a low, thoughtful rumble. He took a step closer, examining the hairline fracture more closely.
"The orb's job is simply to sense mana, to pick it up. So, for it to crack, even a little, means Zak's mana hit it with a raw, direct force, not a calm flow or simple absorption." He paused, a deep insight in his eyes.
"It's as if his mana completely overpowered the orb, pushing far beyond what it was designed to detect, instead of just interacting with it. This isn't just about how strong his power is. This is the hallmark of what we occasionally call a Manifestor class."
As he spoke, Miss Elara looked at the unnamed man, a subtle smile playing on her lips. He, in turn, caught her gaze, and a brief, private smile touched his own lips again, a shared secret between them.
He had remembered.
"A Manifestor class?" Professor Aris echoed, her brow furrowed in thought.
"We've not recorded any more Manifestors awakened in the past five or ten years; only the previously recorded ones remain."
The unnamed man nodded slowly.
"Indeed, Professor. Rarer still, for one to emerge with such uncontrolled potency."
His mind drifted, pulling him momentarily from the study. He hadn't expected this. Not from Zak.
He recalled a vivid image: a young boy with bright, mischievous eyes, no older than five, chasing his own child through the dusty, sun-drenched yard of the orphanage. A simple, ordinary child, full of laughter and the boundless energy of youth.
He had never imagined that boy, Zak, would one day awaken to such a rare and volatile mana classification. The thought brought another, even deeper, and more complex, private smile to his lips, a mixture of surprise, pride, and a hint of concern for the path now laid before the boy.
The unnamed man pushed himself away from the desk, his movements fluid and regal. He adjusted the rich folds of his robes, his gaze lingering on the obsidian orb for another moment before sweeping across the room to rest on Elara, then Aris.
"My thanks for your insights, Miss Elara," he stated, his voice resonating with quiet authority.
"And Professor Aris, continue your excellent work."
He offered a brief, almost imperceptible dip of his head, a gesture that conveyed both acknowledgement and dismissal.
As he turned to leave, both Professor Aris and Miss Elara instantly straightened, bowing deeply in unison.
"It was an honor, Your Highness," they murmured, their voices low with profound respect, acknowledging his true station as he exited the study.
Meanwhile, back in the bustling academy, the morning classes had finally concluded, giving way to the clamor of the midday rush. The long corridors, which had been alive with the murmurs of lessons and the soft scraping of quills, now thrummed with the eager chatter of students heading towards the grand dining hall.
Zak, Finn, and Gus were swept along with the tide of hungry apprentices. Gus, still basking in the perceived glory of his mana test, strode confidently.
"Honestly, I think I could have made the orb glow even brighter," he boasted to Finn, completely oblivious to the far more significant conversation happening just a few corridors away.
"It's all about focus, you know? Some people just don't have it."
Finn simply grunted in response; his eyes still occasionally drifting to Zak, who walked beside them, his expression as unreadable as ever.
The image of the dark orb, utterly unresponsive, was stubbornly fixed in Finn's mind. He couldn't reconcile it with the raw, almost destructive power he'd felt from Zak during their physical drills.
As they entered the expansive dining hall, the air was thick with the aroma of roasted meats and fresh bread. Students clustered at long, communal tables, their voices rising in a cacophony of discussions about the morning's lessons, the upcoming Ascension Trial, and, inevitably, the mana test results.
Whispers about who had performed well, and who hadn't, rippled through the hall.
Lila, having navigated her way through the crowd, approached their table, her expression still tinged with concern as she looked at Zak.
"Are you really alright?" she asked again, her voice softer amidst the general din.
"I heard some of the... they were talking about your orb. Don't worry about it, Zak. Mana is fickle, and the test isn't everything."Zak merely shrugged, picking up a piece of bread from the basket.
"It's fine," he said, his tone flat, offering no further explanation or reassurance. His apparent indifference only deepened Finn's quiet confusion and Lila's lingering worry. The official record might show 'unremarkable,' but Finn knew, or at least suspected, there was far more to Zak than met the eye, or the orb.
As the last rays of sunlight stretched long shadows across the academy grounds, the day's lessons finally drew to a close. Students dispersed to their dorms or library nooks, but Zak had a different destination.
He walked away from the main buildings, his footsteps falling with a familiar, quiet rhythm. As he neared the academy gates, lost in his own thoughts, his eyes caught a fleeting movement.
It was the same girl he'd seen earlier this morning, darting through the fading light, her braided hair swinging with her quick pace. She wasn't just walking; she was running with a sense of urgency, as if heading to something incredibly important.
He watched her disappear beyond the archway, a flicker of mild curiosity momentarily breaking his usual composure, before he continued on his own path.
Soon, the warm, greasy scent of frying bacon and brewing coffee met him first, and then the familiar jingle of the bell above the door echoed through the evening air as he pushed into Hearthstone Place.
"Hey, Zak! Glad you're here," called out Michael, one of the evening cooks, wiping his hands on his apron.
"Mrs. Elena just left." She said the new hire's already in the back getting set up. Looks like you're in charge of showing them the ropes tonight!"
Zak nodded, his eyes holding their usual tired, distant gaze, as if the spark of purpose had long since faded.
"Alright," he said, his voice flat, devoid of any discernible enthusiasm.
"I'll get changed. Tell the new hire to meet me at the door of the changing room once they're ready."
He turned towards the back, already moving with the familiar, efficient motions of someone going through the motions.