Academy Hall:
The return was quieter this time.
No visible injuries.
No chaos.
No bodies.
And somehow—
That made it worse.
The trainees walked in formation, but the usual chatter was gone.
No one spoke.
No one joked.
Even the air inside the academy felt heavier.
"…Something was there," one trainee finally whispered.
"But there was nothing," another replied.
"That's exactly what I'm saying."
Kael walked ahead of them.
Same pace.
Same posture.
Hands in pockets.
But this time—
People kept their distance.
Report Chamber:
The doors closed behind them.
A sealed space.
High-ranking instructors already waiting.
Marek stepped forward.
His voice steady.
"Outer Zone Patrol Unit Three. Report."
An instructor spoke immediately.
"What did you encounter?"
Marek paused.
Then—
"…An empty zone."
Silence.
"That is not a report," another instructor said.
"It is the only accurate description."
A faint tension spread across the room.
"Clarify."
Marek continued.
"No Veyra flow at the center point. No life signatures. No residual traces. The zone was… cleared."
"Cleared by what?"
"…Unknown."
Observation:
The room fell silent again.
That word carried weight.
Unknown.
One of the instructors leaned forward slightly.
"…And the anomaly?"
Marek's eyes shifted briefly.
Toward Kael.
Then back.
"…Present."
"Did it trigger?"
A pause.
Then—
"Yes."
Focus:
Now the room changed.
Attention shifted.
Not to the report.
To Kael.
"You."
Kael looked up.
"Yes?"
"Step forward."
He walked casually to the center.
The instructor studied him.
Long.
Carefully.
"You entered the center point."
"Yeah."
"You sensed something."
"Maybe."
"Explain."
Kael thought for a moment.
Then shrugged.
"…It felt empty."
A few instructors exchanged glances.
"Define 'empty.'"
Kael looked slightly upward.
Trying to find the words.
"…Not like nothing is there."
He paused.
"…More like something that should be there… isn't."
Silence.
Chamber Shift:
That answer changed something.
Not visibly.
But enough.
"…Absence," one instructor muttered.
Another immediately responded.
"That's not possible within stable Veyra zones."
Marek spoke quietly.
"…It wasn't stable."
Tension:
The room grew heavier.
One instructor leaned back.
"This aligns with Zone 12 anomaly behavior."
Another shook his head.
"No. Zone 12 was instability."
He paused.
"…This is removal."
No one spoke after that.
Decision:
Finally—
"Kael Dravion will remain under observation."
Another voice followed:
"No restrictions. No interference."
"…We watch."
Exit:
The chamber doors opened.
The trainees were dismissed.
Kael walked out without hesitation.
No reaction.
No curiosity.
But behind him—
Eyes followed.
Corridor:
The hallway felt longer than before.
Quieter.
A group of trainees stood near the wall.
They moved aside the moment Kael approached.
Not fear.
Not respect.
Uncertainty.
"…What are you?" someone whispered under their breath.
Kael didn't respond.
He kept walking.
Upper Level:
Behind reinforced glass—
The same two figures stood again.
Watching.
"…It's progressing," the first voice said.
"Barely," the second replied.
"…You felt it."
A pause.
"…Yes."
Silence.
"…Then we are already too close."
Outside:
Kael stepped out into open air.
The sky looked the same.
Cracked.
Distant.
Unchanging.
He stopped for a moment.
Looked toward the Ruin Zones.
"…Empty, huh."
He didn't understand it.
Didn't try to.
But something about it stayed with him.
Deep Ruin Zone:
Far beyond the academy.
Far beyond monitored territory.
The same presence lingered.
But now—
It was no longer just observing.
A faint shift.
A decision.
Not action.
Not yet.
But awareness had turned into interest.
TO BE CONTINUED...
END OF CHAPTER 7.