The rest of breakfast passed by without an incident, but the tension didn't fade.
Raze ate quietly, listening more than he spoke.
Around them, conversations blended together, complaints about drills, arguments about teams and rumors about the portal outing. Nothing unusual on the surface.
Once breakfast was over, everyone began to make their way to class until a sharp chime echoed throughout the hallway.
Everyone's wristwatches suddenly lit up all at once before a message scrolled across their screens.
[Mandatory Assembly – All First-Year Students]
[Location: Central Hall]
[Time: Immediately]
Students stared at their watches, then at each other.
Beatrix frowned. "An assembly? Now?"
Felix scratched the back of his head. "Didn't we just have one?"
Liam shifted uneasily. "Is it about the unknown beings again?"
"That's unlikely," Raze said. "They already told us what to expect. This feels like something else."
Beatrix nodded. "Yeah… it's too soon to repeat the same thing."
"Well," Felix said with a stretch, "guess we'll find out."
They joined the flow of students heading toward the Central Hall. The corridors were packed, yet strangely quiet. Even the louder students kept their voices low.
By the time they entered, the hall was already nearly full.
Rows of first-years stood shoulder to shoulder, all facing forward.
Raze spotted Noa among the crowd. She looked tense, hands clenched at her sides.
Even though they hadn't spoken much, something about her nervous posture tugged at him. He considered calling out to her but stopped himself.
At the front of the hall stood several figures.
The four academy leaders and Military personnel.
And at the center, standing slightly ahead of the others, was Gilbert Nightwing.
The same man from the emergency broadcast weeks ago.
He didn't speak right away.
He waited until the last of the first-years filled the hall.
Then he stepped forward.
"As you already know," Gilbert began, "we have fourteen months."
His gaze swept across the crowd.
Felix leaned closer and whispered, "Feels like he's staring straight through us."
Gilbert continued, "The portal outing has been rescheduled to next Friday."
A murmur rippled through the hall.
"You have seven days," he said calmly.
"Seven days to prepare. Seven days to ready your weapons. Seven days to sharpen your awakenings."
He paused, letting the words sink in.
"Second," his tone hardened, "instruction regarding Soul Awakening will no longer be postponed to your second year."
Hands shot up across the hall.
One student spoke first. "What is a Soul Awakening?"
The hall went silent.
Gilbert's eyes settled on the speaker.