He stepped through the first flame barrier, letting his glove absorb and redirect the heat through a runic counterseal. Another step—he knelt, palm hovering over the sigil stone.
Then someone shoved him from behind.
"Step aside, bookworm!" barked an Ignis student, red hair flaring like a torch.
Kael didn't respond. He simply placed his gloved hand over the rune. It flared, recognizing his mastery.
The sigil floated up and etched itself onto the back of his uniform—chosen by the trial itself.
The Ignis student froze. "You—what did you just—?"
A blinding light shot upward, signaling a claimed sigil.
From the shadows of the stands, a hooded figure turned and vanished.
---
Elsewhere
Master Illovar stroked his beard, murmuring to Captain Selai beside him, "He chose that one?"
Selai smirked. "He didn't choose it. It chose him."