Vale lay silently in his bed, staring into the darkness as the ravens cawed softly from their perches, their voices echoing faintly through the room. Ember lay curled beside his pillow, the small wyvern breathing steadily, blissfully unaware of Vale's unrest.
The bed was comfortable, far more than he was used to, but sleep refused to come.
Tomorrow, his test would be overseen by Evelyn.
He had studied. Thoroughly, even. And yet, the thought that he had done too little gnawed at him relentlessly. No matter how many theories he revised or principles he memorized, it never felt like enough.
Vale narrowed his eyes slightly and turned onto his side.
Minutes passed. Then hours.
Sleep never came.
Eventually, he let out a quiet sigh and pushed himself upright, sitting on the edge of the bed. His shoulders slumped as he stared down at his hands, resting limply in his lap. A complicated, silent expression crept across his face, something between frustration and resolve.
"…Focus," Vale whispered.
He closed his eyes.
The world beyond his physical senses faded as he turned inward, reaching for the Atum that permeated everything. Slowly, carefully, he extended his awareness outward.
He could sense it.
But not evenly.
His gaze lowered instinctively toward his arms. The metallic limb thrummed faintly with presence, dense and unmistakable in his perception. His organic arm, however, was absent, undetectable, as if it simply did not exist within the flow of Atum at all.
Vale frowned, but pushed the thought aside.
He concentrated.
Tiny clusters of Atum began to gather near the palm of his hand, drawn together by sheer focus. The particles thickened, condensing as more and more flowed inward, forming a dense, swirling mass just above his skin.
His eyes remained shut as the Atum compressed further.
Then, it began to glow.
A bright white light bloomed in his palm, illuminating his fingers and casting pale reflections across the walls. Vale's brow furrowed as he intensified his focus, attempting something new.
Change, he thought.
Minutes passed.
His expression tightened, every muscle still as his will pressed down upon the condensed Atum. Slowly, almost imperceptibly at first, the white light shifted.
It deepened.
White faded into pale blue, then into a rich, deep azure, exactly as he had imagined.
Satisfied, Vale allowed himself a small smile.
Carefully, deliberately, he began releasing the gathered Atum. This time, he maintained absolute focus, ensuring the energy dispersed safely, unlike before. As the density lessened, the glow dimmed, shrinking until the last trace of light vanished entirely.
Darkness reclaimed the room.
Vale sat there, unmoving, staring down at his hands.
"…Why does it glow?" he murmured.
Atum was the primordial state of all matter, the foundation of existence itself. If condensed, was it forced to assume form? Light, after all, was still something. Still more than Atum in its raw state.
It made sense.
And that realization unsettled him.
After a moment, Vale exhaled deeply and leaned back onto the bed. Exhaustion washed over him, the mental strain finally catching up. Despite it all, a quiet satisfaction settled in his chest.
He had succeeded.
That alone was enough to let sleep take him.
His dreams were anything but peaceful.
Vale found himself standing in a vast sea of blood, the liquid stretching endlessly in every direction. The air was heavy, suffocating, and thick with an unseen pressure that made his chest ache.
At the center of it all stood a single human figure.
The man was suspended above the crimson sea, bound by countless chains that pierced through his body and vanished into the void beyond. He wore a strange black mask, smooth and featureless save for a golden sun etched into its surface.
Vale tried to move closer.
The man turned his head.
With nothing but his gaze, the sea split apart.
The blood parted violently, revealing an endless abyss beneath. Vale felt the ground vanish under his feet as he fell, plummeting endlessly into darkness.
Then,
He jolted upright.
Vale gasped sharply, sweat running down his face as his heart hammered in his chest. He remained seated for several moments, breathing heavily, trying to steady himself.
Slowly, he looked down at his hand.
It trembled faintly.
The dream had been brief, yet it felt… familiar. As though he had seen that place before. As though it had seen him.
After several minutes, Vale exhaled and shook his head.
"It was just a dream," he muttered.
Eventually, he pushed the blanket aside and stepped onto the stone floor. The chill seeped into his feet, but he barely noticed. Moving to his closet, he pulled out a set of black clothes, deliberately leaving his armor behind.
Today was different.
He grabbed his phone, and froze.
His eyes widened.
"…Damn."
He had woken far later than expected. Too late, in fact, his test with Evelyn was only thirty minutes away.
Vale hurriedly dressed, muttering curses under his breath as he flipped through his books, skimming pages at a frantic pace.
"I hoped I'd have more time," he muttered.
The ravens stirred, fluttering softly as Chrome's mechanical limbs clicked against the desk. The small robot tilted its head, optics glowing faintly.
"Test?" Chrome asked.
Vale nodded sharply.
"Yeah. And I'm late."
Chrome tilted again, then decided to remain silent, stepping aside as Vale continued revising. Somehow, he managed to absorb more than he expected before time finally ran out.
Vale snapped his book shut and rushed for the door.
He whistled once, sharply.
The ravens immediately took flight, and Ember lifted himself sleepily, gliding onto Vale's shoulder. Vale hesitated briefly, then glanced back at Chrome.
He didn't bring the robot with him.
Better not risk Evelyn discovering Chrome's existence.
With one last look at the room, Vale stepped out, the door closing behind him as he hurried toward whatever awaited him next.
Vale hurried through the corridors toward the library, the designated meeting place for his test with Evelyn. His footsteps echoed sharply against the stone floors as he weaved through the halls, breath slightly uneven.
Then it hit him.
He had no idea where he was going.
Panic crept in, subtle at first, then sharp and undeniable. He slowed just enough for his mind to catch up, eyes darting down the unfamiliar passageway.
"…Damn it."
An idea struck him.
Vale glanced down at the shadow stretching from his feet across the floor, Evelyn's shadow, still bound to him. He cleared his throat quietly.
"Hey, Mister Shadow," Vale murmured, trying not to sound ridiculous. "You wouldn't happen to know the way to Evelyn, would you?"
The shadow remained still.
For a moment, Vale wondered if he had imagined the entire thing.
Then it nodded.
Vale blinked.
"…Huh."
The shadow hesitated, as if sighing, before lifting an arm and pointing down a corridor, clearly indicating the direction Evelyn was in.
A grin spread across Vale's face.
"Perfect."
He took off.
Vale surged forward with inhuman speed, his boots barely touching the ground. The ravens flanked him instantly, wings beating in perfect synchrony, while Ember glided alongside him, keeping pace with ease.
Guards stationed along the corridors stared as he passed, some startled, others outright stunned. Vale didn't blame them. A boy sprinting through the halls accompanied by three ravens and a wyvern was hardly a common sight.
He reached a massive staircase and didn't slow down.
Instead, he leapt.
Ten meters vanished beneath him as he dropped, landing in a controlled roll that absorbed the impact before he sprang back to his feet without breaking stride. The fall would have crippled an ordinary person, but to Vale, it barely registered.
All that mattered was being on time.
And he was.
The towering doors of the library came into view, and as Vale burst inside, he immediately spotted Evelyn waiting near the entrance. He slowed to a stop, bending slightly as he caught his breath, a tired but genuine smile crossing his face.
Evelyn's expression shifted instantly to concern.
"Are you alright?" she asked, stepping closer.
Vale waved a hand dismissively.
"Yeah… yeah. Nothing serious."
She glanced down at her shadow, which was still clinging stubbornly to Vale's feet. The shadow shrugged.
Evelyn sighed deeply.
"Of course it did."
She looked back at Vale, her expression sharpening.
"Well then, are you ready?"
Vale straightened and nodded.
"As ready as I can be."
Satisfied, Evelyn turned and led him deeper into the library. They sat at a small wooden table tucked between towering shelves, and the test began.
To Vale's surprise, his nerves gradually faded. Question by question, he realized he had overestimated the difficulty. The material felt familiar, almost intuitive.
The test lasted only about forty minutes.
When Evelyn finished reviewing his answers, a pleased smile settled on her face.
"A perfect score," she said simply.
Relief washed over Vale as he exhaled.
"That's good to hear."
They exchanged brief farewells, but just as Evelyn reached the door, Vale spoke up.
"Wait."
She turned back, regarding him with a gentle expression.
"Yes? Is there something you'd like to ask?"
Vale hesitated, considering his words carefully. Then he met her gaze.
"Am I allowed into Chimera's enclosure?"
Evelyn tilted her head slightly, thinking. After a moment, she nodded.
"Yes, that should be fine," she said. "I doubt anything will happen to you, especially considering you healed her."
Vale's eyes widened slightly. He closed them and released a quiet breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.
"I see. Thank you."
Evelyn smiled once more before stepping through the door and closing it behind her, leaving Vale alone in the quiet vastness of the library.