At first, none of them said anything.
Silence was expected in the Crimson Tower, especially during formal procedures. But as time continued to pass, something subtle began to change in the atmosphere of Kelvin's group.Another Elite Apprentice entered the hall.Another group of five stood and departed.Then another.
Then another.
The rhythm of the ceremony remained unchanged, yet the number of remaining apprentices steadily diminished. The once crowded hall, filled with hundreds of seats, now felt increasingly vast. Empty rows stretched farther than the eye naturally lingered, creating an uncomfortable sense of exposure for those who remained.
Kelvin's group exchanged glances.Still, no one spoke.Minutes passed.Then more minutes.
Outside the crystal windows lining the hall, the light filtering in gradually shifted. The sharp brilliance of the day softened, replaced by a deeper, muted glow. Evening was approaching.
Still, no Elite Apprentice called their number.
A faint unease began to settle among them.One of the boys leaned slightly forward, his voice low.
"Did they… forget us?"
No one answered immediately.Another group stood and left.Then silence returned again.Kelvin's gaze remained steady, but his eyes were no longer passively observing. He was measuring the pattern now. The efficiency. The order. The structure.
And the absence.
If the system was this precise, then being overlooked was not an accident.It meant something.Finally, one of the remaining apprentices exhaled sharply and stood up.
"I'm not sitting here all night."
The others hesitated for a moment, then followed him.Kelvin rose last.They walked out of the hall together.The moment they stepped outside, the atmosphere changed.
The Crimson Tower's internal city had dimmed slightly, its glowing mana inscriptions now softer under the approaching night. The once-bustling avenues were quieter, the flow of apprentices and sorcerers reduced as training hours gave way to rest cycles.
They stood just outside the hall entrance.
For a moment, no one moved.Then, without warning, a shoulder slammed into Kelvin's side.The impact was deliberate.
Kelvin staggered half a step, but quickly stabilized.A young man walked past them with a small group of companions, glancing back with a lazy smile.
"What?"
he said, his tone mocking.
"Can't even walk properly?"
It was clearly intentional. One of Kelvin group members immediately tightened his fist but Kelvin lowered his head he did not say or do anything to the young man who had intentionally bumped him the young man snorted
"Good you know your place"
He turned away, laughing with his group as they walked off without a second glance.Silence settled again.One of Kelvin's companions finally turned to him, frustration evident.
"You're just going to let that happen?"
Kelvin didn't look at them immediately. His gaze remained on the direction the group had left.Then he answered simply.
"They can already cast spells can any of us even though we won't like to hear it were currently on the side of the weak if you don't even have the strength to protect yourself you have to humble yourself even when humiliated"
For a moment, no one responded.
Kelvin's words were not loud or persuasive, yet they settled into the group with an unusual weight.We're on the weaker side right now.If you don't have the strength to protect yourself, you don't have the luxury to react.There was no attempt to justify himself. No effort to sound impressive. Just a calm acknowledgment of reality.
The frustration that had been building in the group did not vanish, but it eased slightly, as though something within it had been redirected.
The boy who had been on the verge of speaking earlier closed his mouth again. The girl's sharp expression softened just enough to show she was thinking, not reacting. Even the others, still tense from the earlier humiliation, gradually let their anger settle.
They did not fully agree.But they also did not dismiss him.In that brief silence, something quietly changed.
When they looked at Kelvin again, it was no longer with equal footing alone—but with a faint awareness that he was seeing the situation more clearly than they were.
Another boy clicked his tongue and reached into his pocket, pulling out a small cigarette pack.
"This day keeps getting better,"
he muttered.He placed one between his lips.Another member of the group immediately snatched it halfway.
"Give me one too."
A faint, tired tension replaced the earlier frustration as they leaned against the nearby structures, trying to ease the growing irritation of being ignored. Kelvin also smoked but at this point it wasn't what he wanted
Only the lone girl in the group remained fully alert.Her arms were crossed tightly as she stared back toward the hall entrance.
"This is ridiculous,"
she said sharply.
"Where is our Elite Apprentice? Do they expect us to stand around here forever?"
Her voice carried more than she intended.A few passing apprentices glanced their way.She didn't care.
"If this idiot doesn't show up soon, I swear I—"
Before she could finish a voice came from behind calm,low but certainly it was their elite apprentice he continued
"The idiot is already here"
Every member of the group stiffened.Fear silently gripped their hearts.
Slowly...
They turned toward the source of the voice.
A lone figure stood several meters behind them, dressed in the crimson tower uniform that seemed to blend with the surrounding night. His hands rested behind his back, his expression unreadable, while a pair of sharp eyes calmly observed every one of them.
No one had sensed his arrival.Not a single footstep.Not a whisper.It was as though he had been standing there from the very beginning.The cigarette slipped from the boy's trembling fingers.The young woman who had been shouting felt every trace of color drain from her face.
Kelvin narrowed his eyes.
Without raising his voice or releasing any visible aura, the newcomer made the entire group feel as though an invisible mountain had settled upon their shoulders. They swallowed, As he walked closer you could tell they were afraid the girl was seen visibly trembling none of them could raise their head kelvin included
When he reached them he gave her a slight knock on the head he said
"Follow me"