CHAPTER 51: CH 51: RETURN.

[Host will now return to world.]

---

"Hhhhhh—AHHhh!"

Aegon’s eyes shot wide open as he gasped for air.

But this time it wasn’t just him. The other Novuses or should I say Adepts, similarly gasped for air as they woke around him.

As Aegon gasped, his eyes shot down as his breath which was still fogging right in front of him. "What?"

He panicked, his breathing dragged as the fog slowly subsided.

"Aegon?!" A screaming tore through the gasp as a figure hurled themselves onto Aegon’s body in benevolence.

His eyes focused on her to see it was Claire. The same dark blonde hair that made her beautiful green eyes stand out. She began planting kisses all over his face.

She abruptly stopped as she got wind of his eyes. She moved back in confusion before pointing a finger at his eyes and asking, "What’s happening to your eyes?"

"What?" Aegon replied before standing to find any reflective surface before one of the officials in the room handed him a mirror.

"What the hell?" He blinked twice. Rubbed his eyes, stretched his features yet none changed the fact that his eyes were now blue.

Setting down the mirror he turned back to the other students— they didn’t add up. There were ten who came here but now all he could count were six.

Eli hadn’t said a word since they woke up, he was standing with them but something about him was... hollow.

"Eli?" Aegon called for him. He turned, "Uh?"

"Where is everyone?"

Before Eli could answer, one of the officials stepped forward. He spoke in a calm yet authoritative tone. "The rest of your party turned into anomalies and well... we had to execute them."

The Adepts took a simultaneous step back. "What? That’s not possible, there’s no way you could’ve handled four anomalies at the same time."

"That’s because it wasn’t at the same time." He drew a long breath. "Do I look like the person you met when you first came here," he gestured to the others behind him, "or do they?"

He wasn’t wrong, they weren’t the same officials as previously and judging from their confused expressions, they didn’t expect them to wake up at all.

Aegon stepped forward. "Would you please fill us in on what the hell is going on?"

Another spoke, female with eyes like she was staring at ghosts. "You’ve all been in the trials for three months. The ones who did manage to wake up, woke up as anomalies."

A silence slipped between them. Leaving just the confused stares from the Adepts to the officials.

"That doesn’t make any sense." Claire broke the quiet. "Trials are normally supposed to be about an hour— the longest was five hours—"

"Well, now the longest is three months and I have to call to know if you want just you lot." The first official spoke, "In the meantime, get back on the plane, we’re taking you all back to school."

---

The plane was silent, the Adepts had just found out they had three months off their lives and the officials were still in shock they woke up.

The plane finally touched down. And just like that they were back in Aetherion Academy.

They filed out the jet and waited out on the open field for directions, but even the officials seemed to be at a loss of words.

Time and again, other jets would land too, with more and more students filling the open field but they were significantly less than when they took off.

Each plane took off when ten awakened in each but were now returning in random numbers, some six, some four but the highest they had seen was eight.

Whether it was the recent arrival from the trial, the loss of their friends or the time they’d lost, the atmosphere just seemed woeful.

"Wow. You actually found a way to survive." Mr Collins said as he stood behind Aegon and startled him.

Whipping his head back in shock, before a bittersweet smile crawled onto his face. "Of course, you’re still alive."

"Bryan?—

"Not my name."

"Doesn’t matter. What happened to your eyes?"

Collins asked.

"I don’t know but I think a God blessed me. The system said something about that."

Collins eyes shot wide with realization. "What did they give you? A God Trait or a Domain?"

"What?" Aegon asked confused. "You know what this is?"

His hand landed on Aegon’s shoulder as he leaned in.

"There’s a phenomenon that happens in higher trials, they’re rare, but they happen

A God Trait is when the highest anomaly in the trial approves of you and gives you an ability, an ability that does not pertain to your affinity yet it’s leagues above what should be possible—"

"Stop. What you’re saying shouldn’t be possible."

Collins laughed. "You want an example?" He pointed up, at the sun. "Nightwalker has a God Trait called Star Child, where the sun literally bends to his will— at least to an extent."

’No wonder he’s so powerful.’

"Then when we talk about a Domain, that’s when the anomaly gives you the entire realm of the trial."

"That’s the one." Aegon said as he finally understood why his eyes changed colours.

His eyes were now the same colour as the Hollowmen, the general, the Elcis he faced, the wolves and everything else in the snow— blue.

"Attention, Adepts. Please make your way to Nightwalker auditorium for a very important announcement."

The principal ordered through the speakers.

"Go. I’ll see you later. I have to find Cara." Me Collins patted him on the back before disappearing into the crowd of students.

Looking around him to see that he was now alone, Eli had slithered away, he’d finally escaped Claire ’Thank God.’ and now he knew no one else around him.

And so he made his way to the auditorium alone. Found his seat and waited for the principal’s address.

Swerving his head to see some of the students had gradually got more alive than before, as they found their people and say together.

’Three months? What the hell happened in that time? Is—’

"Settle down all." The principal made her way to the stage with a mic in hand.

She stood at the centre and gave them a few minutes to find their seats before she continued.

"Adepts. Welcome back. I wish I can say I expected this but after a month even I lost a little hope—

We don’t know what happened or how it happened but we’re glad it’s over and things can go back to normal.

Yes. A few things have changed in the world since you’ve been away but nothing that cannot be solved with a littl—’’

~BOOOM!!!~

A side of the auditorium was blown up, throwing students to the floor and rocking everyone.

The explosion only lasted for a second as the next boots marches echoed throughout the auditorium.

Dozens of them. Numerous figures in black gears— covered from head to toe marched into the room with their guns hot.

They circled the stage, lining the edges with their guns aimed at students but they didn’t fire— not yet.

They waited.

The room fell silent before someone walked through the rubble— black drench coat that swayed in the wind. Stoic expression behind white eyes and a slicked back hair.

He stretched out his hands as he approached the stage. "Welcome Adepts, we greatly appreciate your attendance."