His heartbeat fell in rhythm with the quiet vibration under the stone as he neared the courtyard steps.

  Students gathered in small groups ahead. A few stood on benches to get a better view. Near the front, a girl twisted her sleeve until it wrinkled. White banners with ten crescents in a circle hung on the walls. The fabric moved briefly in the breeze, then settled.

  Jace slowed at the edge of the crowd.

  A raised platform stood in the center, three steps tall. In the middle sat a round pedestal with a smooth stone basin. Lines carved into the platform spread out in rings, each marked with precise sigils. A faint white current ran along the outer circle.

  He followed the flow from the basin to the perimeter.

  Everything was contained, directed, and measured.

  Cali moved closer to his side.

  “You don’t have to stand so far back.”

  "I can see from here," he said, glancing at Cali.

  She studied the platform, then him.

  “You’re not shaking.”

  "My mind is clear now."

  Her fingers brushed his sleeve once before dropping.

  A murmur rippled through the courtyard as Master Corven stepped onto the platform.

  He wore a dark robe with wide sleeves and held a folded parchment in one hand. He stopped by the pedestal and looked over the students, his eyes never lingering on anyone for long.

  The courtyard quieted.

  Corven tapped the basin once with his knuckles.

  “You understand the purpose of today.”

  His voice rang out across the courtyard.

  “This pedestal records alignment. It does not grant. It does not choose. It reveals.”

  He placed his palm briefly against the stone, then withdrew it.

  “When your name is called, you will step forward. You will place your hand flat. You will not withdraw it until instructed.”

  He unfolded the parchment.

  “Lysa Harren.”

  A girl at the front flinched, then stepped forward. She climbed the steps, shoulders tense, and placed her hand in the basin.

  The white current brightened.

  Light moved along the carved lines in order. The outer circle grew brighter, then settled.

  Jace counted.

  One breath.

  The air above the pedestal seemed to grow heavy. White light formed above Lysa’s head, shaping itself into a small sigil that looked like a swirling gust.

  “Wind,” someone whispered near Jace’s shoulder.

  Lysa exhaled sharply and stepped back as Corven motioned to her.

  “Step down.”

  She walked down the steps, her eyes wide.

  The outer ward circle dimmed to baseline.

  Corven scanned the parchment.

  “Darian Holt.”

  A tall boy stepped forward, jaw clenched. He climbed onto the platform and pressed his hand into the basin without hesitation.

  A thicker column of light shot upward. The outer ring flashed brighter, then calmed.

  Jace counted again.

  One breath.

  Two.

  A projection appeared above, its stiff lines edged with pale gold.

  Stone.

  Behind Jace, a boy let out a breath through his teeth.

  Darian let himself smile a little before stepping down.

  Cali leaned closer.

  “That’s solid.”

  Jace kept watching the outer circle.

  "It pulled harder that time."

  "You noticed it too."

  The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  "I see how it moves."

  Another name. Another student.

  Fire, water, and other lights appeared, each with its own color and brightness, but all following the same pattern.

  Hand to stone.

  Activation.

  Projection.

  Release.

  Reset.

  Jace watched how long it took from touch to projection. For most students, it was less than two breaths. The outer circle stayed steady each time.

  As the next projection formed, heat rose up his spine, reaching higher than before and pressing at the base of his skull.

  He shifted his weight evenly.

  “Do not resist.”

  The voice came to him silently.

  He did not answer.

  He let the heat pass through him. It peaked, then faded.

  Corven’s gaze dropped to the next name.

  “Jace Lorrin.”

  Everyone in the courtyard turned to look at him.

  Cali’s fingers closed around his forearm.

  “Go.”

  He stepped forward.

  Students stepped aside in silence. His boots hit the stone floor in steady steps as he walked to the platform.

  As he got closer, the outer ward circle grew brighter—not in a sudden flash, but as if it became more aware.

  He mounted the first step.

  He felt heat build up under his skin.

  Second step.

  The air near the pedestal felt heavier.

  Third step.

  He stood level with the basin.

  Corven regarded him with a neutral expression.

  “Hand flat. Do not withdraw.”

  Jace nodded once and placed his palm in the basin.

  The stone felt cold against his hand.

  Then the current hit him.

  White light surged up his arm.

  The sigil lines on the platform lit up quickly, light spreading outward. The outer ward circle shone brighter.

  For a brief moment, the current hesitated.

  The white light flickered.

  The outermost ring dimmed, then quickly returned to full brightness.

  If it breaks...

  The thought vanished as heat shot from his palm into his chest. It hit beneath his sternum and pressed outward against his bones.

  His vision tunneled.

  He clenched his jaw.

  White light gathered above the basin, forming the projection.

  Inside it, a thin green line appeared in the white, then disappeared.

  He saw it.

  The projection became clear.

  A circular sigil of intersecting lines with a small flask at its center.

  Alchemy.

  The white light steadied.

  The green was gone.

  Corven’s fingers tightened on the parchment. His gaze flicked once toward the outer circle before returning to Jace.

  “Release.”

  Jace raised his hand.

  As soon as he let go, the heat faded to a gentle pressure under his ribs. The outer ward circle returned to its steady glow.

  He stepped back.

  “Alchemy?” someone murmured behind him.

  “Useful.”

  “Rare.”

  He walked down the steps.

  Students moved out of his way. Some looked impressed. A boy at the back narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms.

  Cali stood near the front now, watching him.

  “Alchemy?”

  "Yes," he said.

  Her grip closed around his shoulder.

  “You did it.”

  “I placed my hand on the stone.”

  She frowned.

  “You hate attention. And now they’re staring.”

  He pressed his thumb into his palm.

  The heat stayed inside.

  On the platform, Corven resumed calling names.

  Jace kept his gaze forward.

  “You saw it,” Cali said under her breath.

  He looked at Cali, confusion on his face.

  "I'm not sure what I saw. What do you mean?"

  “The light. It paused.”

  He paused to think.

  "But it held," he said slowly.

  She watched him, then glanced at the platform.

  Another student climbed the steps. The pedestal activated smoothly, showing only white light with no pause. The outer circle stayed bright.

  Jace counted.

  One breath.

  Projection.

  It was clean.

  He sensed people watching him.

  Corven stood with the parchment lowered slightly, gaze sweeping the crowd before resting on Jace for a moment longer than before.

  Jace met his eyes.

  Corven raised the parchment and called the next name.

  The trial went on.

  One by one, students stepped up and then down. Some left with their heads down, while others managed small smiles. The sun rose higher, warming the stone under Jace’s boots.

  His heartbeat remained steady.

  The heat under his skin stayed quiet.

  After the last name was called and the final projection faded, Corven walked to the front of the platform.

  “You have been recognized.”

  His voice echoed across the courtyard.

  “Your classifications will be recorded. Those selected for further study will receive notice.”

  He folded up the parchment.

  “Dismissed.”

  The mood in the courtyard changed. Voices rose in scattered bursts as students formed small groups, some talking excitedly, others quiet.

  Cali turned to him.

  “You understand what this means?”

  "It means they'll write down what happened."

  “And what do you think they will do then?”

  "They'll send notices to whoever needs them."

  She studied him.

  "Are you really not feeling anything?"

  "Cali, I do feel something."

  She frowned.

  He shifted the strap of his satchel.

  “Let’s go home.”

  Around them, students started heading for the exits.

  Jace stood still for a moment longer.

  The pedestal was still now, its basin dim. The outer sigil lines had lost their light.

  He turned.

  Cali was already heading for the steps out of the courtyard.

  He walked beside her.

  Behind him, Corven carefully folded the parchment.

  The courtyard noise carried on.

  A wave of heat pressed against Jace’s chest.