The pulsing golden sigils slowly faded, leaving the Aquamarine Hall bathed in an eerie afterglow and stunned silence. The shattered practice dummy, the steaming hole in the wall, and the wide-eyed stares of students and faculty alike were stark reminders of the impossible event that had just transpired. But it was the awakening of the Founders' Sigils, the resonant chime from the depths of the Institute, that truly marked the seismic shift.
Sharon wasted no time. "With me, Evan. Now." Her voice brooked no argument, her usual composure replaced by a driven urgency. She barely glanced at Oliviera, whose face was a frozen mask of shock and impotent fury, or at Professor Thorne, who was still staring at the fading sigils with academic awe. Zander fell into step immediately behind Evan, his presence a silent bulwark against the palpable tension.
Sharon led them not back towards the Administration Spire or the Annex, but deeper into the heart of the Institute complex. They traversed corridors Evan hadn't seen before – older, grander passages built from massive blocks of seamless white stone, devoid of the bustling student traffic. Magical sconces cast long, dancing shadows. The air grew cooler, thicker with age and power. The faint thrum of the Institute's wards was stronger here, vibrating in Evan's bones.
They descended spiraling staircases carved into the living rock beneath the Institute. The architecture shifted from elegant academia to something more primal, more fortified. Finally, they reached a vast, circular chamber. Its domed ceiling was inlaid with thousands of tiny, glowing crystals arranged in complex constellations that seemed to shift and shimmer. This was the Starry Dome, the legendary heart of the Institute, said to be built upon the very site where the Founders had first channeled the leylines to establish their academy.
In the center of the Dome stood a massive circular table crafted from polished obsidian, its surface etched with glowing silver lines depicting celestial maps and arcane symbols. Seated around it were figures radiating immense power:
Archmage Solan: The elderly theorist who had spoken in Evan's defense. His celestial-patterned robes seemed to drink in the starlight from the dome.
Master Kaelen: A woman with fiery red hair and eyes that glowed like banked coals, clad in deep crimson robes stitched with runes of containment. The air around her shimmered with heat haze. Head of Pyromancy.
Earthshaper Borin: A man built like a fortress, his skin the color of weathered granite, wearing simple brown robes. A faint tremor seemed to follow his movements. Head of Geomancy.
Whisperwind Lyra: An ethereal figure with silver hair and eyes like moonlit pools, draped in shifting green and silver silks. Leaves seemed to rustle faintly around her. Head of Druidic Studies.
Grandmaster Elara: Seated at the head of the table. She appeared ageless, her face serene but etched with lines of profound wisdom and authority. Her robes were pure white, unadorned, yet radiating a calm, immense power that seemed to anchor the entire chamber. The Headmaster of the Milan Institute.
Sharon bowed deeply. "Headmaster Elara, Esteemed Council. I present Evan Young. The Source Resonance event originated from him during a confrontation in the Aquamarine Hall."
All eyes turned to Evan. The weight of their collective scrutiny was immense, a tangible pressure. Grandmaster Elara's gaze, deep and calm as an ancient ocean, settled upon him. "Evan Young," her voice was melodious yet carried absolute authority. "The Starry Dome has not resonated so since the Founders walked these halls. Explain the nature of your power."
Evan felt the Innocent Heart Core hum within him, a steadying anchor against the overwhelming presence. He met the Headmaster's gaze. "My power comes from the 'Innocent Heart Core', Headmaster. Cultivated by my teacher, Quentin Shaw of Arcadia. It focuses on purity of spirit and resonance with the fundamental harmonies of existence, channeled through music."
"Resonance..." Archmage Solan leaned forward, his ancient eyes alight with fascination. "The Sigils responded to a resonance that bypassed elemental channels entirely. It resonated with the source energy woven into the Institute's foundations by the Founders themselves. This 'Innocent Heart Core'... it accesses the primal vibrations beneath the elemental tapestry?"
"Quentin Shaw..." Master Kaelen mused, her fiery gaze sharp. "An obscure name. Arcadia holds ancient secrets, remnants of lost arts. This 'Heart Core'... it feels akin to the foundational disciplines of the Celestial Bards, though purer, less... structured."
"The display in the Hall," Sharon interjected, her voice taut with excitement. "He compressed water into a kinetic lance using pure sonic resonance. No somatic components. No visible mana expenditure. It triggered the Founders' defensive matrix."
Earthshaper Borin rumbled, his voice like stones grinding. "The power was raw. Unrefined. But the potential... to resonate with the Source itself... The Founders' legacy..."
Whisperwind Lyra spoke, her voice like wind through leaves, soft yet carrying immense distance. "The melody he played yesterday... 'Parting at Yang Guan'... it carried the weight of true journeys, true bonds. It touched the World Song. This 'Heart Core'... it cultivates not just power, but understanding. Harmony."
Grandmaster Elara listened, her expression unreadable. Her gaze shifted to Zander, who stood silently behind Evan, a pillar of watchful stillness. "And this guardian? His presence is... profound. Bound to you?"
"Zander is my sworn brother, Headmaster," Evan stated firmly. "Bound by oath and spirit. He is my protector."
Elara's eyes, deep and knowing, studied Zander for a long moment. A flicker of profound recognition, and perhaps ancient sorrow, passed through them before settling back into calm assessment. "A bond forged in the crucible of shared trials," she murmured, almost to herself. She returned her focus to Evan. "Evan Young. Your arrival, your unique cultivation, has awakened echoes long silent within these walls. The Founders' Sigils recognize a resonance they have not felt in millennia. Your path is intertwined with the deepest mysteries of this Institute."
She paused, the weight of her words settling over the chamber. "You will remain. You will study. Your 'Innocent Heart Core' will be examined, not as an aberration, but as a rediscovered path. Archmage Solan will oversee your theoretical integration. Master Kaelen, Earthshaper Borin, Whisperwind Lyra – you will observe, advise. Sharon," she looked at the senior student, "you will act as liaison and recorder. Vice-Headmaster Oliviera..." Her gaze hardened fractionally. "...will confine his oversight to administrative duties regarding this candidate. His... skepticism... is noted, but will not impede this investigation."
The decree was absolute. Evan had not just gained admission; he had become the focal point of the Institute's highest council, a living key to its ancient past. Oliviera's attempts to marginalize him had spectacularly backfired.
"Your primary focus, Evan Young," Elara continued, her voice softening slightly, "must be mastery. Mastery of your unique core, and mastery of the instrument through which its power flows. You require a zither worthy of the resonance you command." She gestured towards Sharon. "The Instrument Vaults. Find him an instrument that can withstand the Song of the Source."
Sharon bowed. "At once, Headmaster."
As the council members began to discuss in low, intense voices, Sharon approached Evan, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. "The Vaults hold instruments collected over centuries, Evan. Relics, masterpieces, artifacts. Follow me." She glanced at Zander. "Your guardian may accompany you, but the Vaults' wards are... particular."
Zander gave a single, slow nod, his amethyst eyes fixed on the path ahead. Evan felt a surge of anticipation. After the loss of the Sovereigns, the prospect of finding a new instrument, one capable of channeling the full depth of the Innocent Heart Core within the echoing halls of the Milan Institute, was exhilarating. The search for a voice worthy of the Sovereign of Strings began anew, beneath the watchful stars of the Founders' Dome.