Chapter 61: Catching Up
The aftermath of Cassandra's battle swept through Soul Academy like a storm. Whispers echoed in corridors, lecture halls buzzed with speculation, and more than a few instructors reevaluated the year's predictions. Cassandra Ikemba had officially shaken the Rankings.
Rank 26.
A feat nearly unheard of for someone still in the 2nd Year—and not even in the 10th Spirit Cycle.
But Cassandra, as always, remained unfazed.
Meanwhile, Karen and the rest of the group returned to their routine, more focused than ever. If there had been any doubt about how cutthroat the upper tiers of the academy were, it had vanished. Now, there was only preparation, battle, and strategy.
---
In the lecture chambers of the Eastern Tower, Instructor Velan's voice boomed across the room. "Soul Constructs are not just manifestations of power—they are extensions of the self. Treat them like tools, and you will lose. Treat them like parts of your soul, and they will shape your future."
Karen jotted notes quickly, her mind both in the present and the arena. She sat between Jim and Marie, with Leslie a row behind them, quietly analyzing everything.
Jim leaned closer. "So, how long until we start climbing?"
Marie tapped her quill against her cheek. "Not yet. We still don't know enough. Let's not make Cassandra's mistake—thinking our Cycle level is enough."
Karen glanced sideways. "Cassandra didn't make a mistake. She planned. She executed."
"Exactly," Leslie added from behind. "That's what we need. Execution. Timing."
Joshua entered the room then, coat flowing as he walked past the rows of seated students, nodding at a few before placing a glowing orb on the central lectern. It projected a rotating diagram of Soul Constructs.
His eyes, as they scanned the room, paused briefly on the group.
"You have a long way to go," he said without naming names, "but that's expected. Growth isn't in the challenge—it's in how you survive the challenge."
---
Later that evening, in the common training halls, Karen and her group gathered around a holographic projection of the current Top 50 Rankings. Cassandra's name now glowed at Rank 26.
"I still can't believe she pulled that off," Marie muttered.
"She didn't pull it off," Leslie corrected. "She earned it."
Jim folded his arms. "Null Field… that domain is terrifying. Imagine being unable to use your soul techniques mid-battle."
Karen looked at the names above Cassandra.
Rank 25 to 21 were all 9th Spirit Cycles, students already famous in their own departments.
The top 20? Sealed away in a league of their own—10th Spirit Cycles with years of battle experience.
And the top 3… Evelyn Ashborne. Aleksei Ivanova. Silas Cain.
Master Class.
Monsters.
Karen exhaled. "Top 50 is our goal. But not just rushing up. We need to know their strengths. Weaknesses. Domains. Fighting styles."
Jim grinned. "Now you're talking."
Leslie pulled up her SoulPad, already listing names and references. "I've compiled combat footage. Observations. Domain classifications where available. We study tonight."
Marie blinked. "You already started?"
"I started the moment Cassandra hit Rank 45."
Karen's lips curved into a smile. "Let's begin."
---
And so, the group immersed themselves in war prep—not of weapons alone, but of knowledge, observation, and pattern recognition. The academy had shifted, the stakes had risen, and the ranks weren't just numbers now.
They were battlegrounds.
And they had a target.