Morning sunlight spilled gently through the high-arched windows of the Registrar's Hall. The marble floors gleamed, and the faint scent of paper, ink, and lingering spirit trace hung in the air like something ceremonial.

Aston stepped inside, his boots quiet on the polished tile.

It was standard protocol—students who broke through a major rank were expected to report to the registrar to have their records updated. Breakthroughs weren't just personal milestones—they affected schedules, team assignments, and even course eligibility.

He waited in a short queue behind a girl with a flame-horned salamander curled around her shoulders and a tall boy discussing his beast's elemental classification. Most of the students looked groggy—as it is still early in the morning.

When it was his turn, a clerk—middle-aged, trim, with a pair of spirit-bound glasses hovering slightly above her real ones—looked up.

"Name?" she asked.

"Aston Rhyner."

She adjusted her lenses with a twitch of her finger. "Year one?"

"Yes. Scouting Arts Division."

She began typing briskly. "Reason for visit?"

"I reached Elite rank yesterday," Aston said simply. "Came to update my records."

She nodded with mild approval and made a few gestures toward the spirit console in front of her.

A moment passed.

Then another.

The screen shimmered with a flicker of blue.

She frowned slightly.

"Hmm…"

Aston tilted his head. "Something wrong?"

"Not wrong," she said slowly. "Just… odd."

Her fingers moved over a row of invisible keys. The display shifted—first to his general profile, then to a more secured registry pane.

A soft beep chimed.

Then a red-highlighted prompt appeared:

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[Imperial Assessment Bureau / Provincial Assessment Division – Secondary Reassessment Request: Pending]

The woman leaned back slightly, adjusting her glasses again.

"This isn't something we see often," she murmured.

"What is it?" Aston asked, watching her expression.

She tapped the corner of the prompt. "This here is a request—flagged by the Imperial Assessment Bureau. It's a request for a reawakening."

Aston blinked. "Reawakening?"

She nodded. "A formal second review of your spirit potential. Typically, these are triggered if a core progression record doesn't align with the original awakening data. Sometimes they're internal to the academy… but if it comes from the Empire…"

Her voice trailed off as she re-read the prompt.

Aston felt his heartbeat thrum slightly louder in his chest. "Is that… normal?"

"No. Not really." Her voice was quiet now, not alarmed—but curious. "In most cases, the Bureau ignores these updates unless there's a critical deviation. Especially with red-awakened people."

She glanced at him now—really looked. "You're a red core, right?"

Aston nodded once.

Her brows furrowed.

"Well, this notice means someone from the Bureau either reviewed your performance, or your spiritual readings triggered an automatic flag through cross-institution monitoring. Usually only those in position have access to initiate these forms."

Aston's mind turned briefly to the breakthrough, to Gray, and…

"I didn't apply for one," he said.

"I know," she replied. "That's why it's strange."

She tapped a few keys again, then nodded to herself. "Nothing to worry about. Yet. It's just a request. If it gets approved, we'll receive a dispatch from the imperial wing and issue a summons. Could be weeks. Could be tomorrow. These things don't operate on predictable timelines."

She looked up again. "Is your contact record still the same?"

"Yes," Aston confirmed. "Phone and student ID."

"Good." She gave a small, professional smile. "If the Bureau schedules a reawakening for you, we'll notify you directly. You'll receive a formal summons through your device with the location and prep time."

Aston hesitated.

"Do I… have to accept it?"

She tilted her head slightly, then shrugged. "You can decline. But it's usually not advisable. Especially not when it comes from them."

"I see," Aston said, voice even.

"Don't overthink it," she added gently. "If your core really is evolving faster than expected, a reassessment might benefit you. Or—it might mean nothing. The Bureau sometimes flags anomalies just to keep records clean."

"Thanks," he said quietly, stepping back.

She nodded once more and turned to the next name in the queue.

Aston walked out of the registrar office, the chill of the hallway brushing his thoughts.

The first recorded awakening was done publicly in the city square of Shale City. The second one was for his reassessment after "drinking" the Crimson Genesis Elixir. Now comes the third one…

It should not have meant anything.

But Aston could feel it. It somehow did.

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