A tense silence settled over the training hall as Soren's final words echoed in the minds of the students. The choice of a path was a defining moment, one that would determine the course of their lives. Some students clenched their fists, determination burning in their eyes, while others hesitated, their uncertainty plain to see.
Soren, standing tall before them, let his gaze drift toward the Elderblossom, its pale petals shimmering under the light filtering in from the skylights above. He took in a slow breath before returning his focus to the students.
"No matter what path you desire," he said, his voice even and firm, "it will mean nothing if the flower does not choose you. From this moment onward, use everything you have to prove yourself. Those who wish to step forward first, do so now."
At his command, a murmur rippled through the class. But instead of stepping forward, every student turned toward him with the same question in their eyes.
"What is the Elderblossom?" someone finally asked.
More voices joined in, the uncertainty spreading like wildfire. Soren's gaze swept over them before he sighed, rubbing his temple. "I suppose I should have explained that first," he admitted, a rare trace of emotion in his tone. Then, he straightened, his expression growing serious once more. "Listen carefully."
He gestured toward the Elderblossom, its translucent petals shifting subtly, almost as if it breathed.
"The Elderblossom is not a natural creation. It is the result of an experiment, a cultivated entity capable of manifesting any kind of flower. And with each flower it produces, a path is granted. However, it has its limits—each Elderblossom can only grant a set number of paths before it withers. The one before you is sufficient for the entire class, but nothing more. Once it has chosen, there will be no second chances."
A heavy silence followed his words. The gravity of the situation settled upon the students, their initial enthusiasm tempered by apprehension.
Kairo swallowed hard. he still feel nervous about it and his hand is sweating. Would the flower reject him ? The thought gnawed at him, but he shoved it aside. He had come this far—he couldn't back down now.
Soren studied their reactions for a moment before stepping back. "Now, if there are no more questions, step forward. Let the Elderblossom judge you."
The hesitation lingered only for a breath before the first student, a tall, broad-shouldered boy named Kael, strode forward. His every movement exuded confidence as he reached toward the Elderblossom, his hand hovering over its petals.
The moment his fingers brushed against it, the flower pulsed, its glow intensifying. Petals curled inward before unfurling once more, revealing a vivid red bloom. Gasps echoed through the hall.
"The Golden Roots path," Soren announced. "the flower has claimed him."
Kael exhaled sharply, a grin breaking across his face as he stepped back, fire already flickering at his fingertips. The sight sent a jolt of anticipation through the remaining students.
One by one, they approached, each touching the Elderblossom, awaiting their fate. The flower shifted colors and forms—deep blues for water, rich greens for earth, pale gold for light. Each transformation solidified the students' paths, their futures taking shape before their eyes.
Then it was Kairo's turn.
Heart hammering, he stepped forward. As he reached out, his fingers trembled slightly. He pressed his hand against the Elderblossom.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then, the petals quivered. A faint shimmer rippled through the bloom, its form shifting erratically—undulating, spiraling, amorphous,—before settling into a deep, unnatural shade. A murmur of confusion spread through the students. Even Soren's eyes narrowed slightly.
The Elderblossom pulsed again, then split into three separate flower.
the Dancing Vines path. the Nomadic Petal path. the Abyssal Root path.
A stunned silence filled the hall. Kairo's breath caught in his throat.
Soren took a slow step forward, his gaze unreadable. "what," he murmured. "Three paths... simultaneously?"
Kairo stared at the flowers before him. His hands clenched at his sides as realization set in.
His calculations weren't entirely wrong—but they weren't completely right either. And he seemed to be as confused as everyone else.
Kairo's voice cut through the heavy silence, his blue eyes fixed on Soren. The other students watched with wide eyes, their breaths held in anticipation. The Elderblossoms swayed slightly, as if caught in a windless current, their three distinct forms glowing faintly before him.
Soren remained calm, his eyes assessing Kairo with quiet intensity. "And what would you do, Kairo?" His voice was steady, almost too measured, as if testing the weight of his student's reaction.
Kairo clenched his fists. "Regardless of the fact that this has never happened before, you should be reporting it immediately, shouldn't you?" His tone was sharp, but beneath it lay an urgency that only he seemed to recognize. "You should stop the Elderblossoms' judgment, at least until we understand what's happening."
Soren didn't answer right away. He merely watched as Kairo took a step forward—not toward the Elderblossoms, but away from him. A cautious retreat, as if instinct told him that something was very, very wrong.
The three flowers pulsed with an eerie light, their hues shifting between crimson, azure, and deep violet—the colors of three distinct Paths. The students whispered among themselves, uncertainty rippling through the crowd.
Why was Kairo the only one with three choices?
Why hadn't the professor stopped the ceremony?
Soren finally exhaled, his shoulders still relaxed as he answered, "You are right, Kairo. I should report this. And yet, I have chosen not to."
A murmur of shock ran through the students. Kairo's eyes narrowed.
Soren continued, his voice dropping slightly. "I ask you this because it is not my decision to make. Not anymore. The Elderblossoms have begun their judgment. And I will not interfere."
Kairo looked back at the flowers in front of him. Their glow flickered, awaiting his choice—or perhaps, deciding something for him. The weight of the moment pressed against his chest. He needed more time, time he knew he didn't have.
Even though Soren hadn't moved, hadn't pressured him, Kairo still felt the invisible force of expectation pushing against his mind. He needed a way out. A way to delay the inevitable.
He turned sharply, facing both Soren and the other students. His voice was calm, but firm. "Professor, what are you doing?" His eyes locked onto Soren's unflinching gaze. "Shouldn't you report this to the Headmaster? Why are you asking me this? Do you want me to choose?"
Soren finally smiled—a subtle, knowing curve of his lips. "I want to see what you will do, Kairo. And more importantly…" He gestured toward the Elderblossoms, which pulsed in response. "So do they."
The weight in the air thickened. The students whispered again, some stepping back, as if sensing that whatever was happening now was beyond their understanding.
Kairo's heartbeat pounded in his ears. He wasn't ready. He had never been ready for something like this. And yet, the choice—or the lack of one—loomed before him, demanding an answer.
And time was running out.
Kairo's heartbeat pounded in his ears. He wasn't ready. He had never been ready for something like this. And yet, the choice—or the lack of one—loomed before him, demanding an answer.
And time was running out.
The Elderblossoms trembled, then began to expand. Vines unfurled from their stems, creeping across the floor and up the walls, glowing faintly with their respective colors. Crimson tendrils pulsed with searing heat, azure vines shimmered like liquid glass, and violet roots twisted unnaturally, stretching toward the ceiling. Gasps echoed through the classroom as the students backed away, their faces shifting between awe and fear.
Kairo took a step back, but the Elderblossoms reacted instantly. The vines moved faster, weaving an intricate lattice between him and the exit, sealing him in their grasp. It wasn't just about choosing anymore. The flowers demanded his answer.
Outside the classroom, the disturbance had not gone unnoticed. Shadows flickered beyond the door as other professors and students gathered, drawn by the strange glow emanating from within. Low murmurs of confusion and concern filtered through the walls, but none dared to intervene.
At the center of it all, Soren remained still, his gaze sharper than ever. For the first time, the young professor's composed demeanor seemed to crack, not with panic, but with focus—an intense, unshakable interest in what was unfolding before him.
Among the students, one in particular watched Soren closely. Liora, a sharp-eyed girl with a quiet presence, felt a chill creep up her spine. Something about him was off. It wasn't just his youth, the fact that he was the youngest professor at the academy by far. It wasn't even his lack of a known background, a mystery that had made him a subject of speculation among the students.
It was the way he looked at Kairo.
Not with concern. Not with confusion.
With expectation.
Liora narrowed her eyes. Soren wasn't just witnessing this—Is he waiting for something?
Kairo, meanwhile, was running out of options. The Elderblossoms had encased the room in their unnatural growth, their roots tightening around his fate. Every second that passed, they grew more restless, their glow intensifying, their presence pressing against his very being.
They wouldn't wait forever.
Kairo clenched his fists. If he didn't act now, the choice would be made for him. And that, more than anything, terrified him.
Suddenly Soren stepped forward, the quiet click of his boots against the polished stone floor echoing through the class. The students barely breathed as he moved with deliberate ease, his hands still clasped behind his back. He didn't rush, nor did he hesitate—each step was measured, purposeful, until he came to a stop directly behind Kairo.
Kairo stiffened. He didn't turn around, but he felt the presence looming behind him, a shadow of authority and quiet expectation pressing against his back. The air between them grew taut, heavy with something unspoken, as if the entire space around them had shrunk to just the two of them—and the pulsing Elderblossoms, still waiting for a decision.
Soren's voice was calm when it finally came, disturbingly normal despite the gravity of his words. "You need to do something now, Kairo."
Kairo's fingers curled into his palms. The words should have been an order, but Soren spoke them as if he were merely pointing out an observation, a passing thought.
"Otherwise," Soren continued, "all the flowers might root within you."
A hushed murmur rippled through the class at those words. All of them root within him? I thought that was impossible—wasn't it?
Kairo's breath hitched. The Elderblossoms had always chosen a single path for each student. One flower, one desire, a singular direction. Never had they latched onto a person beyond what was necessary for selection. But these—these three—weren't fading. They weren't vanishing into the ether like rejected choices. They remained, steady and unyielding, their glow deepening, their stems shifting subtly, as though waiting… or preparing.
Soren leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to something almost thoughtful. "And that's clearly not going to be a good thing for you, is it?"
Kairo felt the weight of his words press down on his spine. He didn't dare move.
Then came the next words—spoken with the same calm, yet laced with something sharper, something knowing.
"Or perhaps…" Soren mused, tilting his head, "you're contemplating embracing every single one of them?"
Kairo's lips parted slightly, but he found himself unable to form a response.
Was that true? Had some part of him—deep, buried, instinctual—already considered the possibility? The impossible thought of accepting all three?
The Elderblossoms pulsed.
The pressure in the air changed, and the whispers of the students faded into the background. Soren stepped even closer, his voice now a quiet suggestion against the tension in the room.
"If so," he said, "choose the place for them to root in your body, Kairo."
Kairo's breath came sharp and shallow. The idea was madness. The Elderblossoms didn't work like that. They chose a person, not the other way around. They decided the path, they determined the desire, they—
He stopped himself.
And yet, they hadn't disappeared.
The three flowers hovered before him, their presence more pronounced than ever, their roots stirring slightly against the stone floor. The classroom seemed smaller, darker, the flickering candlelight casting long, twisting shadows against the walls.
Soren remained where he was, standing just behind him, watching. Waiting.
Kairo's pulse thundered in his ears.
If he did nothing—
If he hesitated any longer—
Would the Elderblossoms decide for him?