Mutant awakening: My evolution knows no bounds

"Power it up!" Sir Dominic commanded, his voice edged with urgency as he rolled up his sleeves. The portal device whirred in response, humming louder as energy surged through its core.

A faint, crackling blue spark appeared at the center, flickering like a distant star. Gradually, the light intensified, each spark fueling the next, until the device erupted in a swirling blue vortex. The portal shimmered, casting an eerie, otherworldly glow that filled the room.

"Alright, let's go!" Sir Dominic announced, striding toward the portal with purpose.

"Wait!" Kara's voice was sharp as she reached out, halting him in his tracks. Her gaze was fixed intently on the shifting, spiraling blue. "Someone's coming through," she whispered, tension thick in her voice.

"You're saying someone made it back—on their own? That's impossible!" Sir Dominic's brow furrowed as he peered closer, eyes narrowing in disbelief. Emerging slowly from the portal's depths was David.

He staggered into the portal room, clearly shaken. Healers stationed nearby rushed forward, their hands already glowing with a soft light as they prepared to assess his injuries. Sir Dominic strode up to him, his face a mixture of impatience and anxiety.

"David, right? What happened in there? Where's the rest of your team? Are they… dead?" he asked, the questions spilling out as his mind raced, but David only stared ahead, haunted and silent.

Moments later, Angelica stumbled through, her eyes bloodshot and swollen from tears. She took in the scene, her gaze settling on Sir Dominic, and something inside her snapped.

She lunged at him, her voice breaking as she screamed, "You bastards!" She was trembling with rage, her fists clenched, but the academy staff held her back. "Because of you, we lost our friend! Do you even care? It's all your fault!" Her voice rang out, every word laced with grief and bitterness. Sir Dominic felt his stomach twist as her words sank in.

"You mean… someone died?" he stammered, his voice catching. A wave of dread washed over him. "Don't tell me it was Victor!"

Before Angelica could respond, Vic himself stumbled through the portal, his knees buckling as he hit the ground, panting. Relief flooded Sir Dominic's face; he hadn't even realized he'd been holding his breath. The knowledge that Vic had survived made the burden of the rest of the news just a bit lighter.

Healers hurried to Vic's side, checking him over, while Kara lingered near the portal, her face tense, her eyes never leaving the blue whirlpool.

'Is he… really gone?' she wondered, a hollow feeling growing inside her. She held her breath, her eyes searching the portal's depths, hoping for one last miracle.

Then, through the portal's glow, a shadowed figure emerged, slowly coming into focus. It was Silas, and draped over his shoulders was Ivy's limp, lifeless body. Kara's eyes widened for a moment, a glimmer of relief flickering through her. But just as quickly, she masked her face with a neutral, guarded expression.

Silas walked forward, his steps slow and measured, carrying Ivy with a reverence that weighed heavily on the room. As he approached Sir Dominic, he lifted his gaze, piercing through the man with a look that sent an inexplicable shiver down Dominic's spine, as if Silas were peering straight into his soul.

"My friend here is dead," Silas said, his tone calm but icily precise. "From what I understand, she had no family outside the academy, so I'm entrusting you to give her a burial fitting of her sacrifice."

Sir Dominic swallowed hard and nodded. "We… deeply regret what happened. This… this was a mistake on our end. But rest assured, those responsible will face consequences." He spoke the words, but they sounded hollow even to himself.

Silas's eyes narrowed, his gaze shifting to Sensei Josh, who stood a short distance away, his expression a blend of disbelief and fury.

'How in hell did that brat survive?' Josh fumed internally, struggling to conceal his emotions. 'It had to have been Victor—shielding them, protecting them all.'

Sir Dominic, sensing Silas's intensity, shifted uneasily. "What are you implying, son?"

Silas's gaze lingered on Josh a moment longer before he turned back to Sir Dominic. "Forget it, sir. It's not worth explaining."

Sir Dominic exhaled sharply, gathering himself. "Once again, we're deeply sorry for what happened to your friend. The academy is fully responsible, and we will—"

"Sorry?" Angelica's voice cut through his apology, harsh and raw. "Because of you, Ivy is dead! She's gone! And all you have to say is that you're sorry?" Her voice wavered with emotion. "You probably don't even care, just because she didn't have anyone to fight for her!" She struggled against the staff holding her back, her grief pouring out in uncontrollable waves.

Sir Dominic, visibly uncomfortable, avoided her eyes. "I still need to understand what exactly happened in there," he said, turning to the group as a whole. "How did you manage to survive a Grade 5 mutant realm?"

"Now's not the time for questions," Vic cut in, stepping forward protectively. "We barely made it out with our lives, and you want to interrogate us? Give us some space." His tone was firm, deliberately shielding Silas from unnecessary attention.

Sir Dominic gave a stiff nod. "Alright, then. Given what you've been through, I'll end the test and bring the other students back. And don't worry—you'll receive additional marks for your ordeal."

"Don't bother with the extra mark," Silas interjected, pulling a small, weathered brown pouch from his belt. He extended it to Dominic, who took it with a slight frown.

Curious, Sir Dominic loosened the pouch's drawstring and peered inside. His eyes widened at the sight: a hundred quills from the realm's god, each one more valuable than anything the other students would find in their Grade 2 realms combined.

"I suppose that puts our group at the top of the rankings," Silas remarked dryly. He placed Ivy's body gently in the hands of one of the healers, then turned and started toward the exit.

He paused in the doorway, casting one last, cold glance at Sensei Josh, his eyes hardening as they locked onto the man's face, a silent warning passing between them. Then, without another word, he disappeared into the hallway, his footsteps echoing faintly as he headed toward his dorm.

As he walked, he was suddenly interrupted by the appearance of a red, flashing notification screen that hovered in his line of sight:

[A compulsory quest has arrived]