The Essence Flow-Chapter 124: The Third Examination

The Essence Flow-Chapter 124: The Third Examination

Towan and Elliot woke before dawn, their bodies attuned to the quiet hours long before the sun crested the horizon. With no classes yet assigned, they wandered the academy grounds, the pale light of early morning casting long shadows across the stone pathways. The air was crisp, carrying the faint scent of dew-laden grass and old parchment—the ever-present smell of knowledge that clung to the place.
Towan’s usual easy stride faltered. He flexed his fingers absently, his gaze distant. “Hey, Elliot…” His voice, usually bright with mischief, was low, measured.
Elliot didn’t miss the shift. He stopped walking, turning to face his brother fully. “What’s wrong?”
Towan exhaled through his nose, staring down at his hands as if they might hold answers. “Have you ever heard of House Elaren?” He curled one hand into a fist, then released it. “I found out we’re probably of that lineage.”
Elliot blinked. “House… Elaren?” The name tugged at something in his memory, vague and half-formed. “I think I might’ve read something about it. Got destroyed thirty years ago, didn’t it?” His tone was skeptical, but there was no mockery in it—just the careful hesitation of someone bracing for a truth they weren’t sure they wanted.
“I know how it sounds.” Towan met his brother’s eyes, his own uncharacteristically grave. “But when I went to the ball, I wore some suit Herb had—one of Leon’s old ones.”
Elliot frowned. “…Yeah?”
“Governor Verestra recognized it.” Towan’s voice dropped further, almost lost beneath the rustle of leaves in the morning breeze. “He pointed at the sigils on the suit and told me, ‘They only react to their own blood.’ Or something like that.”
Silence settled between them, thick and heavy. Elliot’s mind raced, scrambling to slot this new information into everything he thought he knew. Their parents had been ghosts, their grandmother tight-lipped. They had never asked much—had assumed there was nothing
to
ask.
But now?
“So…” Elliot let out a slow breath, forcing lightness into his voice. “You’re telling me we’re technically fallen nobles?”
Towan gave a half-shrug, the corner of his mouth twitching. “Apparently.”
“That’s… huh.” Elliot dragged a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply. “Cool?” The word was a placeholder, a flimsy dam against the flood of questions threatening to spill over.
Who were they? Why were we never told? What does this even mean?
But for now, he said nothing else. The morning stretched on, the first golden rays of sunlight piercing the horizon, and the two brothers stood there, side by side, the weight of a name they’d never known pressing down on them.
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The bulletin board outside the dormitory was already mobbed when Towan, Elliot, and the others arrived. Sunlight dappled the courtyard through swaying leaves, painting shifting patterns across the students’ backs as they jostled for a view. The parchment glowed faintly with Essentia runes, names shimmering in silver and gold as if etched by some unseen hand.
“There it is!”
Elliot grabbed Towan’s sleeve, dragging him forward. His voice was all sharp edges—the way it got when he was trying to mask nerves.
“I swear, if I’m not at least in the top—”
He froze.
Towan blinked.
Their names stared back at them—mid-tier, but clear.
Passed.
Sylra – Rank #1
Jyn – Rank #2
Elliot – #5
Rellie – #4 (Theory Only)
Sera Vellmont – #9
Len Verestra – #7
Deyar Vaelis – #10
Towan – #11
Alira – #12
Len moved past them without a word, her gaze sweeping the list.
When she found her name, her lips didn’t so much as twitch—just a slight tilt of her chin. A subtle, noble signal of satisfaction.
“I beat you by four places,”
she murmured as she passed Towan.
He grinned.
“You also didn’t get launched across the arena.”
Her eyes flicked to him, cool and unimpressed.
“Exactly.”
The murmurs had only just begun to settle when a voice sliced through the courtyard like a blade.
“Form up.”
Professor Khalvar stood near the eastern gate, his cloak hanging unnaturally still despite the morning breeze. His arms were folded behind his back, posture straight enough to make the stone around him look crooked.
The students shuffled into a loose semicircle. Jyn cracked his knuckles, electric with anticipation. Others yawned, rubbing sleep from their eyes.
Rellie sipped her tea, steam curling lazily around her fingers, perfectly at ease.
Khalvar waited.
The silence stretched. Even the birds seemed to go still.
Then:
“Due to the extreme range in skill levels across this year’s entrants—from barely competent to already dangerous—Faculty has voted to introduce a third examination.”
The outcry was instant.
“What? We already passed—”
“That’s not fair—”
Khalvar didn’t blink.
“This final test will take place in the outer forest sector. You will each be given two flags at the start. To pass, you must have
two
in your possession by the end of the trial.”
Elliot frowned.
“What if someone takes one of mine?”
Khalvar’s expression didn’t shift.
“Then you take theirs.”
Groans rippled through the crowd.
Rellie took another sip of tea.
Khalvar continued, voice flat and unshakable.
“This is not simply about passing. Students who return with
additional
flags will be rewarded—with better dorm accommodations, premium meal plans, and private training opportunities with elite warriors.”
The air shifted. Tension snapped into focus.
Sylra raised an eyebrow.
“Optional?”
“Selective,”
Khalvar corrected.
“Some instructors only teach those who prove themselves exceptional.”
Towan exhaled slowly.
“So this is where the real competition starts…”
Alira smiled faintly.
“Sounds fun.”
Len didn’t say a word.
But her fingers flexed once at her sides—just enough to tighten the leather of her gloves. She wants those lessons
Those lessons weren’t just a reward—they were a
weapon
.
“Oh. Hide-and-seek with consequences.” Sera said as she arrived to hear the announcement

Chapter 124: The Third Examination